Chapter 127: Chapter 126

Chapter 37 Father vs. Father

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. – Antoine Francois Prevost

Nikolai

Moon Goddess. Give me the strength to not snap this man’s neck into two.

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I could beat him to a pulp. Even break his nose. But I didn’t want to fight. He needed to answer me about his appalling actions against my daughter. Anthony sent his warriors to this pack to help strengthen their numbers–to prevent them from falling to the same fate as other packs. Instead, Jonathan has used this

opportunity to torment my child?

What the hell is wrong with this man?!

It appears Jonathan expected my riotous presence. I wasn’t more than a foot away from his door when he swung it open, greeting me with a nostalgic smile. Does he think I’m stupid? Faux obliviousness doesn’t suit him, and it sure as hell won’t calm me down!

So, what do Alphas normally do when they’re being silently mocked by others?

The logical answer is to put those people in their place. But Kiya’s eyes when she revealed her assault never left my mind. It broke her, choking up at the heaviness of concealing a big secret. My fatherly instincts wanted to protect her. What angered me the most, is how Jonathan tried to free the man who hurt her, citing bogus laws that no one follows anymore.

I punched him in the face for that very reason. Jonathan didn’t flinch. Instead, he grabbed a handkerchief from his table and blotted the blood away from his lip. He sighed, stuffing the cloth in his pocket before gesturing to his couch.

“Would you like some tea, old friend?”

I shot

him

an

incredulous look. “I don’t want tea. I want answers.”

“Let me guess,” He rolled his eyes. “Your child told you what happened and now you’re playing Superman? Must you always believe the outrageous claims of a woman who hasn’t matured past her adolescence?”

“Watch what you say about my daughter,” I warned. “And I can’t believe you have the gall to stand there and act as if your actions didn’t contribute to her deterioration! You hold as much responsibility as anyone here!”

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“I did nothing wrong.” He shrugged his shoulders, planting his rear end on his couch. “Prattle and rant all you want, Nikolai. You can’t change my mind.”

“My Goddess, what happened to you?” Jonathan was never this callous. We were friends back in the day, and Lyra and Celeste. He was stoic and nonchalant, but he held a certain type of warmth. It wasn’t from power–it was from care. Celeste always brought out the best of him and could make him smile when days were bleak.

His mate made him feel complete. Times were turbulent when his brother reared his ugly head, but it never stopped our support for one another. But, when Celeste passed, he withdrew from all he worked hard to build and closed himself off. I’ve never heard from or about him until Kiya came into my life, battered and broken from years of abuse he permitted.

half passes away, and Jonathan defied all odds.

But it chills me to think there’s something else other than Neron that keeps him going.

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Jonathan poured steaming tea into a cup, neglecting to add sugar. Bitter like his heart. He took a sip before. his bleak blue eyes glanced over at me. “It’s lonely without your other half, isn’t it? If Lyra was out of sight for a day, you wouldn’t handle it. Imagine not seeing Lyra for almost a decade and a half. How are your children, by the way? I hear Anthony is quite the exceptional Alpha.”

Silence. I could hear the jealousy in his voice as he spoke about my family. It burned and glistened in his eyes as he probably is thinking about how his family fell apart.

He misses his wife and daughter.

“The Moon Goddess blessed you well. But I wonder if it’s because of you harboring her avatar in your pack?”

“She blessed me before Kiya’s arrival. However, I sense a lot of animosity in you. Do you still think she’s responsible for Celeste and Nuria’s deaths?”

Jonathan’s knuckles grew white as he clenched his teacup. Any tighter and it’d shatter. “No matter the evidence, she still had a hand. She lured them into the woods.”

“But she didn’t kill them! Zain did!” I shouted in fury. “Goddess, why can’t you let that go? You found the bastard responsible! He’s gone, and they got justice! Why do you still hate Kiya so much? She’s innocent!”

“She’s far from innocent.” Jonathan retorted. “She killed a man.”

“He raped her.”

“No one can rape property, Nikolai. It’s preposterous.”

“She wasn’t property and you know it! There’s absolutely nothing that justifies how you and your pack treated her as a child! She wasn’t meant to be a slave, but in your twisted sense of justice, you thought it was okay! You abandoned her as Alpha. An Alpha protects their pack members–the elderly, infants, and everyone in between. It’s not your fault you lost people, but it’s not her fault either. And it isn’t grounds to turn her into a child slave. Don’t blame her because your pack started falling apart.”

“So, you’re saying it’s my fault?”

I stared at my heartless friend long and hard, searching for any hints of remorse in his eyes.

I found none.

Empathy is an innate trait that I believed, and hoped, everyone possessed. It’s what connects our humanity towards one another; the interconnectedness of a family. I cannot sympathize with his pain, but I can empathize that Jonathan is a hurting man.

But hurt can turn to hate, and hate thrives best in darkness.

“It’s not your fault for losing your family.” I started. “However, everything that followed afterward is a direct consequence of your actions. If anything is making this pack, fall apart is your inability to move on. It’s karma coming to kick you in the ass.”

Chapter 37 Fother vs Fath

“I did what was right for the pack.”

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“No. You did what was right to lessen the blow of pain and to smooth out your ego. Placing blame on a child was the easiest and most effective solution. You turned your entire pack against Kiya, including her family, her friends, and most of all, your son.”

The teacup crushed into pieces under Jonathan’s large hands, raining tea and blood from his wounds. In a flash, he threw me against the wall and barred his canines at me. My wolf, Antonio, took offense and showed himself through my eyes.

“You should be grateful that you got the chance to meet the little bitch.” He hissed, his voice overlapping with his wolf. “I should’ve killed her when I had the chance.”

“But, you didn’t.” I barked back. “Because no matter how much you hated Kiya, she was far too valuable to execute on a whim. If she wasn’t our goddess‘ avatar, you would’ve killed her. Why keep her alive if she didn’t hold value?”

“It was only by Selene’s blessing that she still lives. Her power is unmatched, and her presence brings

prosperity to a pack. Can you say that the reason Garnet Moon is so successful isn’t because of her?”

H

“Yes.” Having enough of his fiery breath fanning my nose, I forced the man off me with a violent push. Because I worked hard and took care of my people. I made sure they had clothes on their backs and food to eat. We worked together to make our community prosperous long before my daughter arrived. Unlike you, Selene’s avatar is not a tool to make you rich and powerful–she’s a person!”

Jonathan cackled. Cackled! Now, I have a great sense of humor–as Lyra likes to say–but I found nothing of what I said funny. Zircon Moon lost a gem, not because of what she possesses, but because Kiya is a beautiful, intelligent, and benevolent woman. Her brown eyes sparkle when she’s happy, her nose crinkles when she’s confused, and her humor is amazing. She’s naturally caring and determined to change the world for the better. But, above all, she deserves the best.

I never saw her as a tool or a possession. The history surrounded Selene’s avatar is dark and rough, but I cannot and will not let Kiya fall under the same fate. Phoebe filled me in on what she learned about the legendary white wolves, and I find it both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because the bloodline of white wolves never stretched beyond the original. The children won’t live their lives being hunted.

A curse because Kiya deserves to be loved properly and have a safe and stable home to live in.

“The only reason Selene’s avatar exists is to improve our lives. To ensure that we’re secure, and happy. Our goddess‘ blessed Zircon Moon with her because she knew my pack was the best. It’s been a long time coming for the avatar to come to my family. To find out she’s destined for Neron was even better; because it ensures that she’ll never leave, and our bloodline will remain powerful. She wasn’t supposed to leave.”

“It’s a good thing she did, you idiot. Let’s not forget about your son. Mates are sacred; so how does he feel knowing that you’re torturing the love of his life?”

“My son is weak. Always has been. Always distracted by what’s out in the world and never focused on his duty. He could be great; better than what he is now if he’d just listen!”

“Well, it sounds like he’s done listening to you. Neron has the potential to be a great Alpha. But there is one

Chapter 17–Father Father

thing stifling his growth, and it’s you and your tyrannical nonsense!”

“Don’t act like you know my son better than I do.”

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‘You’re right. I don’t know him, but you don’t either. Getting him to achieve doesn’t mean you have to put down his mate. Or him!” I sigh heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose in pure irritation. “I will not teach you how to parent.”

“Good.”

“But I will tell you that the longer you walk down this path, you’re risking losing more than just your son. He’s not a puppet you live vicariously through; he’s his person! Let him be!”

Maybe I’m preaching. Maybe I’m talking from a place of privilege. However, my daughter deserves better. I know Neron deserves better. Jonathan’s poison is seeping into every area of his life, destroying everything he

touches.

How long will it take him to see the destruction he caused?

“I won’t lose Neron.” Jonathan’s resolve is absolute. “He doesn’t dare to go against his old man. I’m all he has left.”

“Don’t underestimate him.” There’s no reasoning with his man. It’s like talking to a brick wall. Unfortunately, not all Alphas are easy to deal with and Jonathan has become insufferable. Deep in my old heart, I want to care for him as a friend. I care about the man, even as he lost his way. However, his deplorable actions push me away from him.

And he’s the type of man I refuse to let my daughter around.

Lyra and I discussed this after the phone call from Alpha Neron and Beta Jacqueline. We’ve discussed it Turther with Anthony and he believes this is the best solution considering the circumstances and the risks.

“Kiya will be leaving.”

That snapped Jonathan out of his daze. It took a second for him to register my words, and what came from it was a combustion of fury and a deadly growl from his throat. “She won’t be. She belongs to Zircon Moon.”

“She bears the mark of Garnet Moon. She belongs to us. You have no claim over her.”

“Her destiny is with my pack, ruling over as Luna.”

“How presumptuous of you to think you’ll force Kiya to stay. The deal between Zircon and Garnet is for our warriors to remain here until mid–August. However, given the circumstance and your inability to protect and honor the deal, my son has every right to rescind our offer and our warriors will be deployed back to California immediately.”

“You’re going to take my son’s mate away from him! And I thought you honored the sacredness between.

mates.”

“Mate or not, she’s my daughter first. Her well–being comes first. And if I recall correctly, your son rejected her, and she hasn’t accepted him. Therefore, Alpha Neron also has no claim over her.”

“And another thing, Jonathan.” I march up to him and barred my canines at him. “Don’t think for a moment

Chapter 17: Father va

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you can stop this. Holding a pack member hostage is grounds for a war, no matter the f*cking reason. And we both know whose pack will come out on top. Anthony will crush Neron and I will crush you. Don’t f*ck wit00:51 my family.”

Jonathan is at for words because he knows I’m right. Garnet is outmatched in resources and strength

and we can easily crush Zircon. But I won’t and Anthony won’t either.

But I still would love to kick Jonathan’s ass.

He wants more from my daughter and I won’t let him have his way.

Disappointed in the man Jonathan has become, I left his home. There’s nothing else to be said. Lyra and I will take our daughter back so she can heal in a safe environment.

Zircon Moon holds nothing for her.

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