Chapter 4

Darius stormed into the hall, his aura suffocating.

The entire pack went silent.

Lyanna froze, her hand still tangled in my torn dress.

"What the hell is going on?" Darius’s voice was low, but the growl in it sent shivers through the crowd.

Lyanna straightened, chin high. "She’s a liar. A fraud! She claims to be your mother."

Darius's gaze snapped to me. "Is that true?"

I wiped the blood from my lips. "Yes. I am your mother."

Gasps rippled through the room. Lyanna’s expression twisted in disbelief.

Darius took a step toward me. "Prove it."

I pulled out a pendant from under my ripped dress.

A silver wolf, identical to the one hanging around his neck.

His fingers curled into fists.

"Where did you get that?" His voice was dangerously soft.

"Your father gave it to me. When we were mates. Before... before everything was taken from us."

Silence. Then, Lyanna laughed, sharp and cruel. "She’s lying! Anyone could have that pendant."

Darius ignored her.

He took the pendant from my palm, his fingers brushing against mine.

The touch sent a jolt through my wolf, the bond between mother and son undeniable. His brows furrowed.

"Why now?" His voice was rough, guarded. "Why come back now?"

I swallowed hard. "Because I had no choice. Because I thought you deserved the truth."

Lyanna stepped forward, grabbing his arm. "Darius, don’t let her manipulate you. She’s here to destroy us. She wants to take you away from me!"

His eyes flicked to her, cold and unyielding. "Take me away? From what, Lyanna? This?" He gestured to the torn remains of my dress, the bruises on my skin. "You humiliated her. Attacked her. If she is my mother, you’ve just assaulted an Alpha’s mate."

Lyanna paled. "I-I didn’t know—"

"You didn’t care," he snapped. "All you saw was a threat to your position."

She tightened her grip on him. "I did this for us! For the pack! She’s a stranger, Darius. She abandoned you!"

I flinched. "I never abandoned him. He was taken from me."

Darius’s breath hitched. "Taken?"

I nodded. "Your father lied to you. He told you I was dead, didn’t he? That I left?"

His silence confirmed it.

"I searched for you. For years. But by the time I found out where you were, you were already Alpha, and Lyanna... she was by your side."

Darius clenched his jaw. His entire body was trembling. Then, he turned to Lyanna. "Leave."

She stiffened. "What?"

"I said, leave."

"Darius—"

"Go. Before I make you regret everything you’ve done."

Lyanna’s lips parted, as if she wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes silenced her.

She spun on her heel and stormed out, her packmates hesitating before scrambling to follow.

The room was silent. I stood there, my breath unsteady.

Darius turned back to me, his gaze unreadable. "Come with me."

He led me out of the banquet hall, away from the eyes of the pack. We walked in silence until we reached his private quarters.

He closed the door behind us and exhaled. "Tell me everything."

So I did. About his father.

About the lies.

About the years I spent searching for him.

He listened, jaw tight, fists clenched.

When I finished, he looked at me for a long moment. "You should have told me sooner."

"Would you have believed me?"

He hesitated. Then, finally, he sighed. "I don’t know."

I placed a hand on his arm. "I know I can’t change the past. But I want to be here now. If you’ll let me."

He didn’t answer right away. Then, his hand covered mine. "We’ll see."

It wasn’t forgiveness. But it was a start.