Mai’s P.O.V.
The room was pure chaos—a storm of confusion and panic. No one knew how they had ended up here, and the sheer disbelief hung thick in the air. My parents didn’t even notice at first. Their gazes were locked onto the luminous woman who had pulled them all into this place as if by so divine force.
My arms instinctively tightened around Liam, his fragile fra trembling against as I stared at the woman glowing like stardust. There was sothing otherworldly about her—an unshakable presence that demanded attention, that commanded reverence without a single word.
And my parents... my parents responded in kind.
The mont their eyes landed on her, their expressions froze. My father—Alpha Lucian Blackwood, the man whose very na sent people to their knees—dropped down first, sinking to the floor without hesitation. He bowed lower than I had ever seen anyone bow, as if he were kneeling before a force far greater than himself. My mother, the graceful Luna Teresa, followed, lowering herself so deeply that her long, curly hair nearly brushed the ground.
Then, one by one, the others followed suit.
The strange man and woman.
Then Elizabeth.
Except for .
And Eldur.
And Ollie, who stood stiff and silent, still trying to process the impossible.
And of course, Liam—too weak, too barely-conscious to do anything at all.
I didn’t understand. Why were they bowing? Was this woman really the Moon Goddess? And why—why was my father, the man who looked like he had never submitted to anyone, kneeling like a re subject before her?
The goddess’s lips curved into a soft, knowing smile. She lifted her hand, a gesture so effortless yet filled with unspoken power.
"There is no need for this," she said. Her voice was weightless, like the whisper of the wind through the trees. "Stand. Reconnect with your children."
My father’s head instantly snapped up at her words, his sharp, unwavering gaze locking onto . And in that mont he realized I was in the room with them. Sothing in his face cracked.
He looked at as if he had just seen the sun for the first ti after years of darkness.
"Mai?"
His voice—usually firm, usually unshakable—broke.
Then he moved.
So did my mother.
Faster than I had ever seen her move before, she rushed forward, throwing herself at , her arms crushing against her in a desperate embrace. My father followed, his warmth enveloping as though he needed to be sure I was real, solid, breathing. My mother’s sobs shook against my shoulder, her grip so tight I swore she thought I might disappear if she let go.
"My baby—oh, my moon, my baby—I thought I had lost you again," she whispered, her voice breaking apart like fragile glass.
I froze.
I wasn’t still used to this—to being held like this, to this kind of warmth. The scent of ho clung to them, a reminder of sothing distant, sothing I wasn’t sure I belonged to.
But in my arms, Liam still trembled, barely conscious, his head resting weakly against my shoulder.
And then Ollie joined in. His arms wrapped tightly around , and his voice wavered. "I can’t believe it... You’re okay. You’re actually okay."
I swallowed hard, struggling to steady my voice. "I—I don’t understand what Eldur did to . I didn’t an to leave the way I did..."
Before I could say anything more, movent from the corner of my eye caught my attention.
The two strangers who had arrived with my parents had moved toward Eldur. The woman, her long hair falling over her shoulders, didn’t hesitate—she rushed forward and pulled him into a fierce, bone-crushing hug.
Eldur went rigid, his entire body locking up instantly.
He looked like he didn’t like being touched. At all.
"Eldur," the woman whispered, her voice breaking like fragile glass. "My baby boy, what the hell were you thinking?"
The man behind her remained motionless, his sharp purple eyes burning with anger—yet beneath the fury, there was sothing else. Worry. Disappointnt. His gaze locked onto Eldur like a blade poised to strike.
"You disappoint ," he said simply.
Eldur’s jaw tightened, his fists clenched, but he said nothing.
Then, as if drawn by so unseen force, their attention shifted to .
The man stepped forward, his movents slow, careful. "Hi, sweetheart," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. "You must have been through so much. I’m so sorry."
I stiffened, gripping Liam tighter, my entire body coiled like a spring.
He didn’t stop. "My na is Adrian Daegon," he continued. "I am Eldur’s father. And I am your papa as well."
My stomach plumted.
The world tilted beneath my feet.
"What?" I whispered, barely able to form the word.
My mother chuckled but nodded, her eyes shining with love—love. A warmth that felt out of place in this mont of chaos. "It’s true."
I turned to my father, waiting—hoping—for him to deny it. For him to laugh and tell it was a mistake.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he smiled.
And nodded.
"Mai," he said gently. "There’s so much you don’t rember."
I shook my head, my mind spinning, drowning in questions with no answers. Nothing about this mont made sense.
Then the woman beside Adrian stepped forward. She was elegant, poised, her presence softer than his but no less intense.
"I am Juliette Malcolm," she said, her voice as gentle as falling snow. "Adrian’s mate. Your aunt. And Eldur’s mother."
The words felt like a hamr to the chest.
Eldur’s mother.
Which ant Eldur was really... connected to my family.
No.
No.
Then why? Why had he done all of this? Why had he hurt ? Hurt Liam?
She reached out, hesitant, as if afraid I might flinch away. Her fingers barely brushed my shoulder. "We are so sorry, sweetheart. We are sorry for everything."
Her eyes flickered to Liam. The sorrow in them deepened. "For what our son has done."
A sharp, bitter laugh cut through the mont.
"You think I did sothing wrong?" Eldur’s voice was laced with venom.
The tension in the room coiled tighter.
"You all stand here," he spat, "pretending like I’m so villain, while Mai loses her mind over a man who doesn’t even belong to her." His silver eyes blazed with sothing dangerous, sothing raw. "I am her mate, I have told you all countless tis but none of you believe !"
The word sent ice through my veins.
Mate.
He had been saying that since the mont he took . Over and over. Mate. Mate. Mate.
What did that word even an?
Silence fell over the room, heavy as a storm about to break.
Eldur’s fists clenched at his sides. "You all watched as she ignored the bond—the pull—and wasted herself on him." His gaze snapped to Liam, who barely had the strength to lift his head.
A growl built in my throat, low and warning.
"If you don’t shut up," I whispered, my voice laced with fury, "I will rip you apart. Limb. By. Limb."
Eldur bared his teeth. "I was once your everything. I kept you safe, and yet you run to him like a mindless fool."
"You tried to kill him!" I roared.
His eyes flashed. "He deserved it!"
The room trembled.
The walls shuddered.
The air itself crackled, charged with sothing beyond rage—sothing primal.
Voices rang out, desperate. My mother. My father. My brother.
Calling my na.
Begging to stop.
But I didn’t care.
Eldur had to pay.
I lunged—
And then, the goddess spoke.
Her voice was smooth, soft—yet it passed through the chaos like a blade of light.
"That is enough."
Instantly, the trembling ceased.
The walls stilled. The air settled. The energy crackling around dissipated in an instant.
My body locked in place, bound by an unseen force that wrapped around like unyielding chains. My breath ca in ragged gasps, my fists still clenched so tightly that my claws bit into my palms.
She stepped toward .
Her presence was overwhelming—not heavy, not suffocating, but vast. Like standing at the edge of an endless sky.
With the lightest touch, she pressed her fingertips against my forehead.
And then, mories crashed into .
I rembered.
I rembered everything.
The night I left the pack, frantic, desperate, searching for Liam—because Eldur had made him disappear.
Finding Liam—only to realize he didn’t recognize .
Because his mories had been erased.
The pain, sharp and suffocating, of knowing he was right there but lost to .
And so—I stabbed myself.
I made it look like I had been attacked just to get close to him.
And when my parents arrived, I used my own magic—my own magic—to erase my mories.
Because I couldn’t handle it.
I couldn’t bear the agony of knowing Liam would be separated from if we were taken back to the pack.
A shuddering breath escaped .
I stumbled back, clutching my head, my entire world unraveling. This was all Eldur’s fault.
The goddess’s voice was gentle, but it pierced straight through my spiraling thoughts.
"Do not be quick to hate Eldur, child. He, too, suffers as you do."
My hands trembled. My lungs felt too tight, my heartbeat too loud.
Then—she spoke the words that shattered completely.
"It is true," she murmured. "Eldur is your mate."
Gasps rippled through the room.
But I couldn’t hear them.
I could only hear the thundering echo of my own heartbeat.
I turned.
Liam—
Liam was looking at .
And the pain in his eyes—
Gods.
It was as if soone had plunged a blade straight through his heart.
And worse—
It felt like soone had just done the sa to .
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