*Noah*
“She’s really growing every day, isn’t she?”
I nodded, a wide grin growing on my face as I held our daughter, cradling her carefully in my strong arms. Zara was cuddled into my side as we sat on the thick, plush playmat in Briella’s nursery.
I nodded in agreent, staring into my daughter’s tiny face. I was never going to get over how much love I felt ever since she was born. I was already so infatuated by her mother, and I truly didn’t think that I could love another more or even equal to the extent I loved Zara.
How wrong I was, I thought in amazent as I traced the corner of Briella’s tiny mouth with the tip of my finger. Zara and I both laughed when it caused our daughter to smile in her sleep.
Zara and I both had another long day with pack duties. Agatha, Briella’s nanny, had taken over for a few hours each day so that Zara could get so lessons in to prepare for becoming the next Luna of our pack. I knew she was exhausted, as was I.
We barely made it through dinner without falling asleep before we decided to spend so quality ti with our daughter before her bedti. It only took about a half hour of family cuddles before our daughter passed out in my arms.
After tucking Briella into her crib and pressing so loving kisses to the top of her head, Zara and I exited the nursery so we could make our way to our own bedroom and retire for the night for so much-needed rest.
We both looked up when one of our many guards ca toward us with long, purposeful strides.
“Sir, your father has requested an audience with you,” the guard said.
Zara and I glanced at one another, concern covering our faces. It was late, so whatever it was about had to be urgent.
“I’ll co too,” Zara said at once.
I frowned at her obvious tiredness but before I could protest, the guard cut in. “Alpha Issac was very clear when he said that his son is to et alone with him this evening.”
Zara frowned, her eyes rounding with worry. I shot the guard a hard look, causing the young guy to take a step back. I put a gentle hand on Zara’s back and steered her toward the direction of our bedroom.
“Go on to bed, beautiful,” I requested.
Zara’s lips thinned as she turned back around to face . “But—”
“Shh,” I hushed her, pressing a finger to her tiny mouth. I gave her a stern look. “You’re exhausted, love. Let go see what my father wants, and then I’ll be in to join you as soon as I can, alright?”
Truthfully, I didn’t know what my father wanted to speak to about, but the fact that he chose to summon this late ant it could be an unpleasant conversation. Zara had enough that she was stressing about with our newborn daughter as well as the mystery surrounding her origin. She didn’t need anything else to worry about.
Zara looked like she wanted to argue, but she must have read the desperation in my eyes because she nodded solemnly and started down the hallway toward our bedroom.
I grabbed her wrist before she could get too far away and spun her back around toward as if we were in a grand ballroom. I smirked at the surprised look on her face before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Everything is going to be fine,” I murmured gently to her.
She gave a real smile before nodding her head and giving a kiss before making her way toward our bedroom.
I waited until she was out of view before letting the consoling smile drop from my face as I turned and followed the guard toward my father’s office.
My father was going over so paperwork when I entered his office. His stern eyes focused on before he gestured for to sit across from him as he pushed the stacks of papers aside.
I was once again feeling a little too tense to sit, but I decided my father seed calm enough, so I slid into the leather chair across from him. When he had sothing to talk to about, he normally liked to have my stepmother with him as well, so it did leave more uneasy that this was truly to be a private eting just between the two of us.
My father wasted no ti in getting to the point, probably after sensing my intensity. “I’ve been continuing investigation efforts toward Alpha Daven,” he began, holding my gaze with grave solemnity. “Through several inquiries with our bordering enemy pack from the Great War era, we’ve co to learn that Daven has been hiding his true identity.”
I felt a growl building up in my throat, but I stamped it down. “What true identity?” I asked between my teeth.
Father shot a look that was warning to calm down, but he continued anyway. “Alpha Daven was once an infamous and particularly brutal warrior nad Deacon. You might rember him as the one who led violent raids across our territory.”
I gritted my teeth hard, anger flashing in my eyes. Oh, I rembered those horrid tales as I was studying the history of our land. I had been extrely young during these raids and thankfully, our guards were able to get rid of him, but I recalled being told that it wasn’t without loss on our part.
I could feel rage starting to go through but if my father noticed, he didn’t show it. He just continued to tell about the deranged man. “Alpha Daven led several vicious attacks on different packs, often targeting vulnerable groups such as elder tribe mbers, won, and even children. He much preferred these cowardly acts to engage against ard soldiers.”
I scoffed, shaking my head in disgust. The man clearly had no code of honor. It was disturbing to imagine that there existed a monster that would target won and children.
Against my will, the faces of Zara and Briella flashed in my mind, and I had to repress a vicious snarl from escaping my mouth.
“I’ve unfortunately had the displeasure of witnessing the man’s disturbing nature myself,” Father said, much to my surprise.
That knocked out of my angry tirade for a mont. I felt a sense of dread flow over . “You have?” I asked.
My father nodded, his eyes growing sad and wary, and I was suddenly reminded that he wasn’t a young man, despite the fact that he always displays great confidence and leadership.
His voice was hard. “I was unfortunate enough to witness Alpha Daven targeting my wife, your mother. As you’re well aware, your mother was a brave woman with a strong heart. She was doing her best to protect so young children during the raid. The monster showed no rcy and cut her down right there in front of before I could act.”
I saw the anger and grief reflected in my father’s eyes, mirroring my own perfectly. I could barely process what he was saying, the words were too horrifying to assign aning to them.
My father had witnessed my mother’s brutal murder at the hands of this savage monster. The thought made my blood boil with uncontrollable fury.
“And he got away unpunished that day?” I asked, my voice trembling with rage.
“Oh, no,” my father said, a smirk forming on his face for a brief second before he frowned deeply. “For his disgraceful breach of warti conduct, Alpha Daven was exiled in dishonor from his birth pack.”
I was unimpressed. “And then he got away?” I demanded, unable to believe it. “For his cris, he should have been sentenced to at least so serious ti in prison or even death. Exile was far too light a punishnt for such a heinous act."
Oh, how I longed to go back in ti and sentence the bastard to a hard beating that would have had him begging for death by the ti I was through. He deserved no rcy for what he had done.
“I’m under the impression that guards were sent after him so that he could be detained,” Father inford . “But then he vanished soon after and has been un-trackable ever since.”
“And sohow, he has been living right under our noses as Alpha in the Dark Realm,” I finished, my voice flat with disbelief. “And after everything he has done to our pack and to several other innocent individuals?"
My voice was rising with unbridled anger. I hardly recognized it as it shook as I slowly processed everything my father had said so far. The injustice and cruelty of it all threatened to overwhelm .
I bowed my head, my teeth threatening to crack due to how hard I was gritting them together. My fists shook where they rested on my thighs. I had to fight back the urge to howl out my rage.
But my father wasn’t done, even though I was re inches from losing my cool completely. “I’m afraid that isn’t all, Noah,” he said gravely. “We’ve discovered that Serena is an accomplice of Alpha Daven’s. She’s an undercover spy who was sent over to infiltrate our pack.”
My blood ran cold as I processed that new piece of disturbing information. So, the woman I had foolishly trusted had betrayed us all along. The revelation cut to my core.
I was trembling even more now. “That pretty much confirms that she was behind Zara’s abduction,” I said, feeling as if I was experiencing so kind of whiplash as all my anger switched over to the woman who had put my lover in grave danger.
I longed to make her pay dearly for what she had done.
“Yes, we have no doubts about that,” my father said but not without sympathy as he noticed how this fact was affecting . “It is obvious that Deacon is using his bogus Alpha Daven identity to obtain sothing that he views to be a valuable asset. Unfortunately, your wife has found herself in the middle of it.”
It was too easy to piece that part together, but the fact still caused my stomach to churn with dread as I was once again fearing for Zara’s safety.
I spoke through unmoving lips. “Zara’s Luna Lily operation.”
My father nodded solemnly. “Yes, it would appear so,” he said, his sympathy seeming to double. “Our sources believe that Alpha Daven has set his sights on Zara. The attempted kidnapping is no doubt a way to steal the operation for himself. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether he was after it for purely financial gain, or if he was sohow planning to utilize the power of the lilies for so other ill purpose.”
“Either way, it doesn’t matter,” I spat impatiently. “Zara is in danger now because of this bastard and that bitch Serena. The two of them are going to pay, and pay dearly.”
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