Chapter 2
The car hadn’t even come to a full stop in front of the Northern Pack’s mansion when I jumped out, my feet hitting the pavement with a thud. The startled gasps of the pack members followed me, but I ignored them, running straight into the house.
“Mom!” I called out, my voice bubbling with excitement, not noticing the careful, hurried steps of the pack around me. When I burst into the living room, my eyes immediately landed on my dad, Frederick Herrera, standing tall and broad-shouldered with his back to me. He was the Alpha of the Northern Pack, his presence commanding and his aura overwhelming. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
Normally, I would have run straight to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he laughed and hoisted me onto his shoulders, spinning me around the yard. But this time, I froze mid-step. My mom, Chelsea, turned away quickly when she saw me, her head bowed as if she was wiping tears.
“Mom,” I said softly.
“Hey,” she replied, turning back with a calm smile, her usual composed self. I walked over to her, passing my dad, who bent down to reach for me. Instinctively, I sidestepped him. I wasn’t a little kid anymore. In a high-ranking pack like ours, we grew up fast, and reading the room was second nature.
Mom took my hand, standing tall as she faced my dad. “Frederick, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. She’s not sick, and she’s not dying. If you want to take another mate, then reject me.”
His brow furrowed, his Alpha tone sharp and unyielding. “Chelsea, multiple healers have confirmed she only has a month left. Are you really saying her life means less to you than a title? All she wants is to fulfill a childhood dream. She won’t take anything from you. After a month, we’ll give her a proper burial, and everything will go back to normal.”
His voice softened slightly, but his authority was still palpable. “We grew up together. I won’t let her suffer. As for you, rejection is out of the question. If you want to test me, then go ahead.”
I clung to my mom’s sleeve, staring up at him with wide eyes. I’d never seen my dad speak to her like this. My entire life, he’d always softened his voice around her, careful not to scare her with his Alpha tone. Now, his words were sharp, his aura suffocating.
I felt my mom’s hand tremble in mine, growing colder by the second. In that moment, something in me snapped. I pushed forward, shoving at my dad’s chest with all my strength. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back, glaring up at him.
“Don’t you dare talk to her like that!” I shouted, my voice shaking with anger. “Everyone’s saying you’re going to take another mate. Tell me it’s not true!”
He looked down at me, his hand reaching out, but I turned my face away, his fingers brushing past my cheek. He straightened, his hands clasped behind his back. “Chloe, stay out of grown-up matters.”
That was it. The tears spilled over, rolling down my cheeks like drops of rain. My dad had never called me by my full name before. He’d always called me “Chloe” or “sweetheart,” his voice warm and affectionate. Now, it was cold, distant.
I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve, not wanting my mom to see me cry. When I turned back, I caught sight of a woman walking gracefully into the room. Before anyone could speak, she knelt in the center of the living room, her presence soft yet unsettling.
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