Briar’s POV
The more ti I spend with this pack, the more I realize sothing unsettling. These werewolves show more genuine compassion than any of the Hunters I grew up around. The people who were supposed to be the moral compass, the protectors of humanity, turned out to be the real monsters.
It makes question everything I thought I knew about what it ans to be human.
"We heard what went down with the werewolf council," I said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over our small group. "What’s the fallout going to be? Are you all in hot water?"
Damien shook his head, though his expression remained serious. "We’re in the clear for now. But they’ve called an ergency Alpha assembly. We’ll have to go away for that."
Elena stepped closer, her eyes finding mine with that gentle intensity I was still getting used to. "Asher, would you mind if I borrowed her for a bit?"
"Not at all," Asher replied without hesitation.
Elena led upstairs to what I assud was the Alpha suite. The mont we stepped inside, my breath caught. The room was absolutely stunning, spacious in a way that made my guest room look like a closet. I hadn’t thought that was even possible in this already impressive house.
We settled on the edge of the massive bed, and Elena imdiately started checking in on how I was adjusting. She wanted to make sure everyone was treating well, that I felt welco here. I kept quiet about Bianca’s attitude because I could see right through that woman’s jealousy. No point in stirring up unnecessary drama.
"There’s sothing I wanted to ask you about," I said, choosing my words carefully. "It’s about Asher’s family."
Elena’s expression grew somber. "That’s one of the most heartbreaking stories I know. Damien discovered him wandering through the forest when he was just a teenager. At first, we thought he might be a rogue, but he didn’t exhibit any of those dangerous characteristics. He told us his parents had been brutally murdered, and despite all the investigations, no one ever found the killers. When the case went cold and everyone gave up searching for justice, he couldn’t bear to stay in that place anymore. He ran, and we took him in."
"That was incredibly kind of you," I said softly.
"It was the right thing to do. He was just a lost kid with nowhere else to turn."
I took a deep breath before continuing. "We were talking earlier, and I want him to take to visit his hotown. I know his parents are gone, but he ntioned having other family mbers still there."
Elena nodded slowly. "That’s going to be entirely his decision. If he’s ready for that kind of trip."
"I understand that. Does he ever talk about his past? His ho or his parents?"
"Never," Elena said with certainty. "I think he’s trying his best to bury those mories completely."
"That makes sense," I murmured.
We spent the next several hours in that room, just talking and reconnecting. Elena was eager to catch up on everything we’d missed over the years. She even pulled out albums full of baby pictures she’d kept of , flipping through page after page of mories I had no recollection of.
Every photograph showed growing up in this very house. The rooms looked almost identical to how they appeared now. Remarkably little had changed over all these years.
I was amazed she’d preserved everything so carefully. But as it turned out, the photographs were just the beginning.
Elena guided up to the attic, and what I found there left speechless. All of my childhood belongings had been stored up there, organized with ticulous care. She’d never thrown away a single thing. My clothes, furniture, toys, everything was stacked neatly in perfect condition.
In the center of it all sat an old rocking chair, worn smooth from years of use. Elena explained that whenever she visited this pack, she would climb up to the attic and sit in that chair, surrounded by my things. She’d hold my stuffed animals and just rember.
The image of her up here alone, clinging to these remnants of our lost ti together, broke sothing inside my chest. But when I looked at her face now, I could see pure joy radiating from her features. The happiness of having back, of our family being whole again after all these years of searching.
"I’ve made a decision," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I want everyone to call Briar. It’s the na you gave , and I don’t want to take that away from you."
The impact of my words was imdiate. Elena’s eyes filled with tears, and she pulled into a fierce embrace that spoke of years of longing and loss finally being healed. In her arms, surrounded by the physical proof of a mother’s unwavering love, I felt sothing I’d been missing my entire life click into place.
This was what it ant to truly belong sowhere. Not because of duty or obligation, but because of love that had endured through years of separation and uncertainty. It was then I realized she must have kept faith that we’d find each other again, preserving every trace of the daughter she’d lost while waiting for the day I’d co ho.
And now I was finally here.
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