The night stretched over the pack, but the darkness was insignificant compared to the storm raging between us. Outside the den, Zora revealed her true nature, a monster rooted in bitterness and a thirst for power. Cierce and I, bound by hands, listened attentively to the confessions that, so cruel, seemed to arise from a distorted nightmare.
"The worst," Zora said, "was seeing the relief in Hunter's eyes when he learned the baby died. He disguised it well, but I could feel it."
Cierce was in shock. "Why, Zora? Sibyl was my friend!"
Zora stared at her, eyes gleaming with cruel disdain. "Because I could. Because that's how the world works. Nothing can stand in my way when I have a goal."
I faced Zora firmly and said, "This whole story is absurd, Zora. You're being guided by a lie."
Zora sarcastically laughed. "A lie? Then, tell me, Fierce, what is the lie?"
Zora laughed loudly. "You really know nothing, do you? Ignis didn't deceive me."
I stared at Zora, perplexed, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Zora cynically smiled. "Do you really believe Ignis was so altruistic? No, Fierce, Ignis told the truth about your parents' death because she knew this moment would come."
I fell silent, processing Zora's words. The revelations were like stones thrown into a calm lake, disturbing the surface with waves of confusion and disbelief.
Zora continued, shedding new light on past events. "Alastair was cruel to you by not telling the whole truth about your parents' death. They weren't killed by humans when you were a child. It was an ambush, a conspiracy orchestrated by Alpha Garnet and Alastair. Your father was revealed as a Genuine Alpha, and Garnet asked Ignis to reject him. Garnet's punishment wasn't having a daughter; it was losing the Genuine Alpha lineage of our family to your father, and consequently, your father would naturally become the alpha king. So, he planned with Alastair, but Alastair took pity on you and adopted you with this lie. But the truth is, your father had the right to the pack's throne now held by Alastair, and he would have ruled all of us. And yes, with his death, you are the heir to that throne."
The truth unfolded before me, and a mix of turbulent emotions flooded my being. The night I witnessed not only our words but the deconstruction of a narrative that shaped my life.
"So, this is the real story, Fierce. Alastair's pack, the throne now belonging to Hunter... all of it was supposed to be mine, but you stand in the way. Everything is yours because you're the daughter of a genuine alpha. You inherited what was rightfully mine."
I stared at Zora, trying to grasp the magnitude of her words. "So, is that why it took you so long to come after me and the boys? Were you afraid of the consequences?"
Zora ironically laughed. "No, Fierce. I came after you whenever I could. I influenced Alastair to send Ulrich after you. But surprisingly, you, being the daughter of a genuine alpha, managed to eliminate him."
The pain of Ulrich's loss still echoed in my soul, but I maintained a firm expression. "You don't know the pain I felt having to kill Ulrich. And I did it to defend myself and protect those I love."
Zora ignored my response and continued her dark narrative. "No pain is greater than mine, Fierce. Day after day, I watched Hunter devote himself to you. I, unable to give him children, while he yearned for you. So, I had to take drastic measures without arousing suspicion."
My gaze intensified. "What else did you do, Zora?"
Zora smiled in a malevolent way. "I sent someone to eliminate you and the triplets."
My eyes widened. "The kidnappers..."
Zora shook her head, still smiling. "No, Fierce. I sent the nanny. Stacy was there to ensure nothing interfered with my plans."
Shock ran through my body. Stacy, the person I trusted to care for mychildren, was a pawn in Zora's game.
"You hired Stacy to kill us?" I asked, a mixof disbelief and anger.
Zora confirmed, without remorse. "Yes, Fierce. A generous amount of Wolfbane, enough to eliminate an entire pack, was delivered to her. Believe me, smaller doses were enough to kill my father and Alastair. But, as you can see, Stacy failed."
My mind tried to process the information. Six years had passed since then,and neither I nor my children had succumbed to the poison Zora plotted for us. I looked at Cierce, beside me, and she seemed as surprised as I was.
Zora mocked my words. "Stacy, attached? For all the complaining she did about the children? It wasn't her affection that protected them, Fierce. It was the blood of the parents. The blood of a genuine alpha, yours, combined with Hunter's alpha king blood passed to the triplets."
I was even more astonished tohear Zora's words. "So, the kidnappers... you tried again?"
Cierce lowered her gaze, ashamed. "I... I didn't know, Fierce. Zora convinced me to contact Jeff, saying he was my destined wolf. I didn't know things would go this far."
"Don't blame Cierce; she was under the influence of Rue. Now, where was I? Ah, yes..." Zora laughed, asif finding humor in the tragedy she had sown. "Things got complicated. The company Jeff hired wanted more money, so they decided to keep the children alive as leverage. That was a twist I didn't anticipate."
Anger grew inside me, but I knew I needed to handle this carefully to protect my children. My inner wolf still refused to awaken, and the wait for Hunter's return with the Belladonna fruits was agonizing.
"Where does Caleb fit into all of this?" I asked Zora, controlling the anger boiling inside me.
Zora stared at me coldly. "Caleb wasn't in my plans, Fierce. I believe Jeff persuaded him to help,offering him a chance to return to the pack. But I planned to eliminate him too as soon as he set foot here. However, I must admit that Caleb ended up serving well by delaying you along the way."
My breath became heavier as I tried to process all the surrounding betrayal. "Did Ignis have any involvement in this?"
Zora shook her head. "No, Ignis wasn't involved. But she was undoubtedly sent by the Moon Goddess to protect the boys. Too bad she was killed by Cierce."
Cierce, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "For how long have you manipulated me, Zora?"
Zora looked at Cierce with a calculating smile. "Many times, Cierce. You were a loyal wolf to the cause until now. Your last task is to enter and eliminate the triplets."
Cierce recoiled, her eyes revealing a mix of disbelief and horror. "I won't do that, Zora. Forget it. The only person who will die here today is you."
I decided to intervene before the situation escalatedfurther. "Cierce, don't..."
The words had barely left my mouth when, without warning, Cierce transformed into a wolf before us. Her eyes, now wild, stared at Zora with a fierce intensity. A low growl escaped her throat, and she lunged toward Zora, determined to put an end to the source of so much betrayal and manipulation.
***
The tumult of howls and growls filled the air as Zora and Cierce, now transformed into wolves, fiercely faced each other. I, unable to summon my own inner wolf, watched helplessly as the battleunfolded before me. Cierce attacked Zora with determination, but I knew she was at a disadvantage.
The instinct to protect compelled me to intervene, but my inner wolf remained dormant, a silent witness to the tragedy unfolding. I felt like a prisoner within myself, unable to unleash the strength that could aid Cierce in her fightagainst Zora. In a moment of desperation, I looked at the moon, seeking a connection that seemed to have been severed.
"Please, let me help Cierce," I murmured toward the night sky. However, the moon remained silent, as if my pleas fell on deaf ears.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the pulsating energy within me. I closed my eyes and visualized my inner wolf, a dormant power that must be awakened to face the threat before us.
"Wolf, I need you. Help me protect Cierce," I whispered, pleading for my connection with the wolf to be restored.
Zora, holding Cierce by the waist, turned in my direction with a cruel smile. "Now youwill see what your presence causes, Fierce."
Zora released Cierce's lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground. Her gaze remained fixed on me, challenging me to act, but the beast inside me remained still. Defeat and mourning mingled as I faced the cruel truth: I couldn't fight against Zora without the help of my inner wolf.