THE RETURN OF THE ALPHA SISTER

THE FATHER WHO GAVE HER AWAY

CHAPTER FIVE

THE FATHER WHO GAVE HER AWAY

Aria stared at the mysterious Alpha.

Her mind refused to accept his words.

"My father?"

The man nodded.

"Your father ordered your disappearance."

"No."

Aria shook her head.

"You're lying."

"I wish I were."

The wolves surrounding them growled louder.

The Alpha grabbed her wrist.

"We don't have time."

Aria pulled away.

"Tell me why!"

His eyes darkened.

"Because your father was afraid of what you would become."

Aria's heart pounded.

"What does that mean?"

Before he could answer, a wolf lunged from the trees.

The Alpha moved instantly.

He shifted halfway, his eyes flashing gold as he slammed the attacker into the ground.

"Run!"

Aria froze.

Another wolf charged.

She raised her hand instinctively.

A burst of silver energy exploded from her palm.

The wolf was thrown several feet backward.

Everyone stopped.

Even the mysterious Alpha stared at her.

Aria stared at her own hand.

"What... was that?"

Her wolf answered from inside her.

*Our power.*

The Alpha grabbed her arm.

"Now you understand why they were afraid of you."

Aria looked at him.

"Who are you?"

He hesitated.

"Damian."

"Damian what?"

"Damian Blackwood."

The name meant nothing to her.

But the wolves surrounding them reacted immediately.

One of them whispered,

"The Blackwood Alpha."

Aria's eyes widened.

Blackwood.

One of the most powerful Alpha bloodlines in the region.

Damian looked at her.

"We need to leave."

"I still need answers."

"You'll get them."

He looked toward the forest.

"But not here."

A loud howl suddenly shook the night.

Aria turned.

More wolves were approaching.

Then she saw something that made her blood run cold.

A familiar figure stepped between the trees.

Ethan.

Her brother.

Behind him were Lucas, Adrian, and Ryan.

And standing between them was her father.

Alpha Adrian Sterling.

Aria's heart broke.

Her father stared at her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then his eyes moved toward Damian.

"You."

Damian's expression hardened.

"Adrian."

Aria looked from one man to the other.

"You know him?"

Her father didn't answer.

"Father?"

Still nothing.

Aria stepped forward.

"Did you really order them to take me?"

Her father's face changed.

"Aria, come home."

She laughed bitterly.

"Answer me!"

Elena wasn't there.

Only her father and brothers.

Ethan stepped forward.

"Aria, whatever he told you, don't believe him."

Aria looked at him.

"You were here?"

Ethan frowned.

"What?"

"When I disappeared."

Silence.

"Where were you?"

"We were children."

"You were old enough to remember."

Ethan looked away.

Aria's eyes moved to Lucas.

Then Adrian.

Then Ryan.

"Does anyone remember what happened to me?"

Nobody answered.

Her chest tightened.

Then Selena appeared behind them.

She was wearing a long coat over her night clothes.

Her face looked frightened.

"Aria..."

Aria stared at her.

"Did you know?"

Selena's eyes widened.

"Know what?"

"That my father had something to do with my disappearance."

Selena's face went pale.

"I don't understand."

"You're lying."

"Aria—"

"You've been lying since I came home!"

Selena began crying.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Aria looked at her for several seconds.

Then something strange happened.

Her wolf growled.

But this time, it wasn't warning her about Selena.

It was warning her about everyone.

*None of them.*

Aria took a step backward.

Her father finally spoke.

"You shouldn't have gone into the forest."

"Why?"

"Because there are people who want to use you."

"People like you?"

His face tightened.

"I was trying to protect you."

"By giving me away?"

The words echoed through the forest.

No one moved.

Aria's eyes filled with tears.

"I spent eighteen years believing someone stole me from my family."

She pointed at him.

"But you were the one who gave me away."

Her father closed his eyes.

"Yes."

Aria's breath caught.

The world seemed to stop.

Ethan looked at their father.

"Father..."

Aria stared at him.

"Why?"

Her father's voice was barely audible.

"Because the night you were born, the elders discovered something."

"What?"

"Your wolf."

Aria frowned.

"My wolf?"

"You weren't born with an ordinary wolf."

Damian stepped forward.

"Tell her the rest."

Adrian glared at him.

"This is a family matter."

"No."

Damian's voice was cold.

"You lost the right to call it a family matter when you abandoned your daughter."

Aria looked between them.

"What was different about my wolf?"

Her father finally looked at her.

"You were born with the Moonborn wolf."

Silence.

Aria had heard the name before.

Old stories.

Ancient legends.

A wolf said to possess powers far beyond ordinary Alpha bloodlines.

A wolf capable of sensing lies.

A wolf whose power could strengthen—or destroy—an entire pack.

Aria shook her head.

"That's why you gave me away?"

Her father nodded slowly.

"The elders wanted you dead."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"I refused."

"Then why didn't you keep me?"

"Because keeping you would have started a war."

Aria's tears fell.

"So you chose to send me away."

"I chose to keep you alive."

"You sent me away to strangers!"

"I thought they would protect you."

Aria laughed through her tears.

"They didn't."

Her father's expression changed.

"What?"

"You heard me."

She wiped her face.

"The people you sent me to didn't protect me."

Damian's eyes darkened.

"What happened to you?"

Aria looked at him.

"They locked me away."

Her brothers stared at her.

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

"They tortured me."

Elena's sons looked horrified.

Aria continued.

"They told me my family didn't want me."

Ryan shook his head.

"No."

"They told me I was a monster."

Lucas stepped forward.

"Aria..."

"They were right about one thing."

Aria looked at her father.

"My family didn't want me."

"No," Adrian whispered.

"I did."

"Then why did you never come for me?"

Her father had no answer.

Aria stared at him.

That silence told her everything.

Suddenly, Selena stepped forward.

"Aria, please come home."

Aria looked at her.

"You want me home?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Selena's face remained innocent.

"Because you're my sister."

Aria almost smiled.

"You've been saying that a lot."

Selena's expression tightened.

Then Aria noticed something.

A small silver bracelet around Selena's wrist.

The same design as the bracelet in the box her mother had given her.

Aria's eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get that?"

Selena looked down.

"This?"

"Yes."

Selena immediately covered it.

"Mom gave it to me."

Aria's heart stopped.

"She did?"

Selena nodded.

"Years ago."

Aria looked at her father.

Then at Selena.

Then at the bracelet.

Something wasn't right.

Her wolf suddenly snarled.

*Blood.*

Aria froze.

She could smell something familiar coming from Selena.

Not just family.

Something closer.

Much closer.

Damian noticed her expression.

"What is it?"

Aria didn't answer.

She stared at Selena.

"Take off the bracelet."

Selena's face changed.

"Why?"

"Take it off."

"No."

Aria stepped closer.

"Selena."

"I said no!"

For the first time, Selena lost control.

Her eyes flashed gold.

Everyone saw it.

Aria's wolf immediately reacted.

A deep growl escaped her throat.

Selena stepped backward.

Damian's eyes narrowed.

"Interesting."

Adrian looked at Selena in shock.

"Selena..."

She quickly covered her eyes.

"I-I didn't mean to."

But it was too late.

Everyone had seen her wolf.

And Aria suddenly understood something.

The bracelet wasn't the only thing connecting Selena to her.

There was something in Selena's blood.

Something that should never have been there.

Aria looked at her father.

"What have you done?"

Before he could answer, Selena suddenly screamed.

A wave of dark energy exploded from her body.

The wolves surrounding them were thrown backward.

Aria was knocked to the ground.

Damian caught her before she hit a tree.

Selena stared at her own hands in terror.

"I didn't do that."

Aria looked at her.

For the first time, Selena looked genuinely afraid.

Then a voice came from deep within the forest.

A voice that none of them expected to hear.

"Of course you didn't."

Everyone turned.

An elderly man stepped out of the shadows.

Adrian's face went completely pale.

"Father..."

Aria's eyes widened.

The old man smiled.

"The real danger was never Aria."

He looked directly at Selena.

"It was the girl you brought into this family."

And Selena whispered one word—

"Grandfather."