Chapter 5 Let me think about it

I woke up to the irritating sound of my stupid alarm slicing through the peaceful silence of my room. For a few wonderful seconds, I forgot everything that had happened yesterday. I stretched lazily, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and almost. smiled before I sat up.

The moment my eyes landed on the ruined wedding gown lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, every memory came rushing back. Killian's betrayal, the wedding, the video, the whispers, the shocked faces staring at me, and the challenge I had thrown before the entire Pack replayed in my mind all at once.

I let out a long breath and covered my face with one hand. Sleep had refused to come easily after yesterday's disaster. I had spent hours staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment until exhaustion finally won. Even now, my body felt sore, as if I had spent the entire night running instead of sleeping.

"Time to face another disaster," I muttered under my breath as I climbed out of bed.

I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water poured over my body, washing away the sweat and exhaustion that clung to my skin. For thirty peaceful minutes, I stood beneath the water, wishing it could wash away the memories too. Unfortunately, no amount of hot water could erase what had happened yesterday or the uncertainty waiting for me outside that bathroom door.

When I finally stepped out, I wrapped a towel around myself, dried my hair, and changed into my favourite black sleeveless top with a pair of short denim jeans. It was simple, comfortable, and exactly what I needed after almost becoming someone's wife less than twenty-four hours ago.

Before leaving my room, I glanced one last time at the wedding dress lying on the floor.

"I hope I never have to wear you again," I whispered before quietly closing the door behind me.

As I made my way downstairs, I hummed an off-key tune to myself. I had never been a good singer, but music always helped me clear my head whenever life became too heavy.

The house was unusually quiet. Most of the servants lowered their eyes as I walked past, while the few who greeted me wore awkward smiles that seemed unsure whether they should congratulate me for escaping the marriage or pity me for the scandal that had shaken the entire Pack.

I pretended not to notice and continued toward the dining room.

The moment I stepped inside, my smile disappeared.

Dad was already sitting at the table, but he looked as though he had never left that chair. His breakfast sat untouched in front of him. The eggs had gone cold, the toast was untouched, and the coffee beside him had long stopped steaming. Dark circles rested beneath his eyes, and his shoulders looked heavier than I had ever seen them. He wasn't reading the newspaper or looking through his tablet like he usually did every morning. Instead, he simply stared into space, lost in thoughts that were clearly weighing him down.

"Dad," I called softly as I pulled out the chair opposite him.

He slowly lifted his head and managed a tired smile.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Dad." I studied his face carefully before frowning. "You look terrible. Didn't you sleep at all?"

He let out a weary sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah... I've been thinking a lot."

I reached across the table and placed my hand over his.

"Look, Dad, none of this is your fault. Killian made his own choices, and I have never blamed you for them. I know what happened yesterday has probably spread all over the internet by now, and I know everyone is putting pressure on you. But you can't keep blaming yourself because one man turned out to be rotten."

Dad lowered his eyes to our joined hands, remaining silent for a long moment before speaking.

"I know," he said quietly. "I've watched that video more times than I should have."

My chest tightened.

"I wish I hadn't."

"So do I."

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed both hands over his face before looking at me again.

"I saw everything, Muna. I saw exactly what you caught him doing. I'm not trying to defend Killian because there is nothing left to defend."

He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"But I need you to understand why I pushed so hard for this marriage."

I stayed quiet, giving him the chance to say everything that had clearly been weighing on his mind.

He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window for a moment before speaking again. "I'm tired, Muna. I've been carrying this Pack on my shoulders ever since your mother left. Every council meeting, every border dispute, every harvest, every rogue attack, every elder demanding something, every noble family trying to gain influence... I've handled all of it alone."

His voice wasn't angry. If anything, it sounded exhausted.

"I thought marrying you to Killian would solve more problems than it created. Beta Jude has served this Pack faithfully for more than twenty years. I trusted him completely, and I believed joining our families would give SilverFang a peaceful future. It would have secured the succession without provoking the elders or dividing the noble houses."

He looked at me with eyes full of regret.

"I wasn't choosing Killian over you. I genuinely believed I was choosing the safest future for this Pack."

He let out a slow breath before lowering his head.

"But I was wrong."

The guilt in his voice broke something inside me.

"I watched that video," he continued quietly. "I saw exactly what he did to you. I saw the way he laughed with that woman in the very house that was supposed to become your home. There is nothing I can say to defend him because there is no excuse for what he did."

His fingers tightened around the coffee mug.

"What I'm worried about now isn't Killian. It's what comes next. Yesterday, when you rejected him, you didn't just end an engagement. You created a political vacuum."

I frowned.

"The Pack suddenly has no clear successor," he explained. "The elders will panic. The noble families will begin making alliances behind closed doors. Some will try to push their own sons forward. Others will demand that I choose another husband for you immediately. A few may even question whether our family deserves to continue leading at all."

I listened without interrupting.

Everything he said made sense.

SilverFang wasn't just a family.

It was an entire kingdom.

Every decision carried consequences.

Seeing that I understood, Dad sighed again.

"I don't blame you for rejecting Killian. If anything, I'm grateful you found out who he really was before it was too late. But whether we like it or not, yesterday changed everything."

I looked down at my hands.

For years, I had hidden behind a calm face and a polite smile. Whenever people mocked me for not having a wolf or reminded me that I could never become Alpha simply because I was born a woman, I swallowed my feelings and kept moving.

Yesterday was different.

For the first time in years, I had finally spoken from my heart.

"Dad," I said softly, lifting my eyes to meet his, "do you know what hurts the most?"

He shook his head.

"My whole life, people have been telling me what I can't do. I can't fight because I'm a woman. I can't lead because I'm a woman. I can't inherit because I don't have a wolf. I can't become Alpha because tradition says only men can rule."

I laughed bitterly.

"I heard those words so often that I almost started believing them myself."

He remained silent, allowing me to continue.

"What happened yesterday wasn't recklessness. It wasn't me trying to embarrass anyone. It was the first honest thing I've done in years."

I felt tears sting my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"If I had married Killian after everything I saw, I would've spent the rest of my life living a lie. Every smile would have been fake. Every promise would have been empty. I would've been sacrificing myself just to keep everyone else comfortable."

I shook my head.

"I couldn't do that anymore."

Dad watched me quietly, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like he wasn't looking at the future Luna everyone expected me to become.

He was simply looking at his daughter.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to tell him the thought that had been growing in my mind since I walked away from the altar.

"What if there's another way?"

His eyebrows drew together.

"What do you mean?"

"What if the next Alpha isn't chosen because of bloodline or marriage?"

He frowned but didn't interrupt.

"What if the Pack chooses its leader based on ability instead? A real trial where everyone who believes they're worthy competes fairly. Strength, leadership, intelligence, strategy, combat... let everyone prove themselves. Whoever truly earns the Pack's respect should become the next Alpha."

The dining room became completely silent.

Dad didn't answer immediately.

He simply stared at me.

His expression gave nothing away, and somehow that silence was more frightening than any argument.

After what felt like forever, he finally exhaled.

"...Give me some time."

I waited.

"Don't tell anyone else about this idea. Not yet."

His voice was calm but serious.

"I need time to think it through. If this reaches the elders before I'm prepared, they'll see it as an attack on traditions that have existed for centuries. Some noble families have spent generations raising their sons to become Alpha. They won't give up those ambitions without a fight."

I slowly nodded.

"I understand."

He looked relieved, but before he could say anything else, I spoke again.

"But Dad... if you wait too long, people will start making decisions behind your back."

His face grew serious.

"They're already talking. They'll create their own stories and spread their own rumours. Some will say you're weak. Others will say SilverFang has no future. And you should also remember something."

I held his gaze firmly.

"Yesterday, I stood before the entire Pack and said I wanted to become Alpha. I can't take those words back now."

He studied me for several seconds before giving a slow nod.

"I know."

Without another word, he finally picked up his fork and began eating his now cold breakfast. I did the same, and for a while, neither of us spoke again.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable.

If anything, it felt like both of us were trying to prepare for the storm waiting outside those walls.

By now, the news of yesterday's wedding had probably spread across every Pack in the kingdom. The elders would already be holding secret meetings. The noble houses would be choosing sides. Beta Jude would have to answer for his son's actions, and Killian...

I had no doubt he was already planning his next move.

As for me, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.

Walking away from that altar hadn't ended my story.

It had only opened the first chapter of a much bigger battle.