The next morning, Kieran returned from his run, sweat beading his brow, only to find that Leia had co back ho.
"I was searching for her all over the house in a panic last night," Kieran said breathlessly as he entered the living room, hands braced against his waist. His words were directed at Ronan, who was seated comfortably with a coffee mug in hand.
"You were asleep," Ronan replied, setting the mug down on the table. "How could I have possibly told you then? Besides, Leia was upset, so I thought it best to take her away for a while. But I did leave you a ssage, just in case you woke and panicked."
"I saw it later," Kieran muttered, exhaling sharply. "Where’s Lucien? And Leia, she’s in her room?"
"Lucien is with Grandma, taking a stroll," Ronan said. "Leia’s freshening up. You should get yourself ready as well."
Kieran nodded slowly, still catching his breath. "And her father and uncle? Are they awake yet? Did they see Leia?"
"They’re still in the guest room, resting," Ronan answered.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Grayson erged into the living room, his gaze steady on them.
"Thank you for the clothes," he said. The two brothers glanced at each other when Kieran excused himself.
"How was your sleep, sir?" Ronan asked, rising politely to his feet. The maid stepped forward swiftly, removing the empty mug from the table so the surface was clear. "I hope you rested well."
"Yes," Grayson replied curtly and then asked, "The hunter we caught yesterday, I want to see him."
"Of course," Ronan said. "But before that, you should see Leia. She was quite upset last night." His gaze shifted toward Lucien, who had just entered the living room.
Lucien bowed his head respectfully to Leia’s father. "Good morning."
"Is Leia not ready yet?" Lucien asked.
"I don’t think so," Ronan answered. "If she were, she’d have co down by now."
"The tea is here," the maid announced softly, placing a cup and saucer on the table before stepping back.
"Please, have your tea," Lucien urged Grayson with courtesy. Once they were all seated on the couch, his expression darkened slightly, and he spoke.
"Leia had been hiding among humans, and word of it spread through every pack," he began. "I tracked her down through an auction house. Her closest friend, the daughter of a witch, betrayed her, selling Leia’s secret. She was kidnapped soon after. I bought her, not out of rcy, but because I needed a pure-blooded last she-wolf for myself and my brothers."
Lucien’s gaze flickered briefly toward the staircase before returning to Grayson. "That is how Leia ca to live here. But how could you not protect her back then?" Lucien pressed, his voice edged with accusation. "She was kidnapped suddenly, yes, but you didn’t reveal yourself."
"I didn’t know where she was living," Grayson replied.
"You never knew about !" Leia’s sharp voice rang through the room. She stood at the bottom of the staircase, her presence grabbing everyone’s attention.
At that very mont, Azalea entered with her personal attendant, the frail old woman’s arm supported as she made her way inside.
"Leia!" Grayson surged to his feet. His expression held both shock and longing. Ronan and Lucien rose with him instinctively.
Across the room, Kieran, who had been heading toward the kitchen to fetch water, froze mid-step, his gaze locked on Leia. At last, she was confronting her father.
"No, don’t co any closer," Leia snapped, her fists trembling at her sides. Her voice quivered with both fury and pain. "Just tell , did you ever even know I was your daughter?"
"Of course, I knew," Grayson said firmly. "But I didn’t know where your mother had taken you. It’s... A complicated long story. I’ll tell you everything. But believe , Leia, I never wanted to be away from you or your mother."
From the far end of the living room, Renzo glanced between his elder brother and his niece.
"Then answer this," Leia demanded. "Why did you kill witches? You were a murderer, weren’t you? Why did you slaughter innocent people? Do you even realize that because of you, I lost a sister-like friend? My mother was counting her last days in a hospital bed, and you never ca to see her! You never cared about us. How dare you stand before now, after all these years?"
Her words tore the heart of not only her father, but the others present in the living room.
He lowered his gaze for a fleeting mont, unable to imdiately respond.
Finally, Renzo stepped forward, breaking the heavy tension. "Because your father loves you," he said. "Do you think it was easy for him to remain hidden all these years? The Zirren family was once one of the most powerful werewolf bloodlines in the East. There are truths you don’t yet know, Leia. You must hear the past before you decide whether to condemn Grayson."
"Renzo, enough," Grayson cut him off. His eyes lifted back to Leia’s. "She deserves the truth from ."
"But she’s blaming you for everything," Renzo interjected, frustration lacing his words. "The fall of our clan wasn’t his doing. It was a sche orchestrated by hunters, witches, and rival wolves, all united against us."
"Renzo, calm yourself," Grayson said, raising a hand to silence him. His eyes shifted back to Leia, mist glimring in hers. With slow steps, he moved toward her.
"The night our pack was attacked, I told your mother to run. It was the only way to save you both, Leia. I didn’t even know if I would survive, but I wanted both of you to live. Sohow I survived, and I paid a price heavier than you can imagine."
Leia’s breath hitched, though anger still burned in her gaze.
From the corner, Azalea’s frail voice cut through the tension. "Leia... Take your father to your room. So truths cannot be spoken before everyone. You and he must face them alone. And take your uncle as well."
"Grandma is right," Lucien added. "Go. Speak with them in private." He wanted them to give a space, where only three would be present.
Leia turned abruptly and walked upstairs without another word.
"Go after her," Ronan urged, his voice low but firm, gesturing toward Grayson and Renzo.
The brothers exchanged a glance before following. When they entered her room, Leia stood near the window with her back to them. Her shoulders trembled, and as she wiped hastily at her tears, her voice ca out in a broken whisper.
"I missed you... My entire childhood, my teenage years, even as an adult, I felt incomplete without you. Watching other children walk with both their parents... It made angry, bitter, jealous. And then, when I was suddenly brought to a pack, everything changed. I learned who my father was, and all I could hear were stories of his atrocities."
Grayson’s heart ached at her words. "I’m sorry," he whispered. In that mont, it was the only truth he could offer.
Renzo stepped forward, his tone steadier. "Leia, our clan was left to burn. The Zirren family was once vast, we were five brothers, a strong bloodline. But that night, everything was destroyed. Everyone died, except for you, your mother, Grayson, and . For years, I searched every pack, desperate to find you. It broke to be away from both you and your mother."
Grayson closed the distance then, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Why didn’t Mom ever tell about you?" Leia turned at last. Her eyes carried the pain. "Why did she always silence whenever I asked about my father? Why did she want to believe you never existed?"
"I don’t know," Grayson admitted.
Leia spun toward him, her eyes burning with anguish. "How could you not know, Dad? I grew up missing you and hating you at the sa ti. And now-now you suddenly appear before , expecting to sort through feelings I can’t even na? Do you understand what that does to ?" Her voice broke, trembling between rage and grief.
Tears brimd as she pressed on. "I can’t forgive you. Not when I watched my mother suffer every single day in your absence. I saw her work herself to the bone to pay for my education, to provide for every little need. She carried everything alone, everything! And you should have been there. You should have tried harder, especially while she was still alive."
She lowered her head against his chest, the tears flowing freely from her eyes. "She missed you more than I ever did."
Grayson’s arms hovered for a mont, hesitant, before finally wrapping around her. His chest tightened as he held his daughter after so many years.
The feeling when he carried his daughter again revived. His own eyes burned with tears, and he shut them tight.
"I know your mother missed , but she sohow managed to hid her mark, thus making never able to track her," Grayson revealed.
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