The Alpha's forbidden mate

The day of my father's memorial was the coldest October morning I had ever felt Not because of the temperature,the sun was actually out , though pale and hiding behind the clouds It was the cold that had settled into my bones three days ago ,when the hospital called… and it hadn't left since then I stood at the edge of the crowd in black clothes that I dreaded to wear,staring at the casket my father was in He laid there dressed in white—flowers decorating him,his face was ghastly white and his lips pale blue He looked so peaceful I almost felt the urge to wake him up ,it all feels like a dream ,one I wished I could wake up from My father was my hero, my moral , and my friend ,he was my everything and I still couldn't believe he was dead My fingers were numb inside my gloves ,I kept pressing my thumbnail into my palm hard enough to leave a crescent mark. I just wanted to feel some other kind of pain other than the hollow ache in my chest I looked around at the crowd of people ,there were so many people ,that was the first thing that struck me ,the second was that I didn't know most of them ,apart from a few relatives and friends I recognise,the rest were all strangers to me but somehow it seemed they all knew my father They filled the chairs set up on the grass about forty or fifty of them in dark suites and dresses some were crying,a few glanced at me with a look of pity on their faces then looked away when I caught them I hated it when people look at me with pity ,like they could feel the pain I was going through I understood they were trying to comfort and reassure me ,but it only made things worse . I wanted to ask them who they were and how they knew my father better than I did ,but my throat had closed up somewhere between the drive to the cemetery and first prayer ‘you weren't there’ That thought Started three days ago when I was in the back of a taxi on the way to the hospital,and ever since it's been haunting me making me have nightmares and sleepless nights My father had died alone ,the doctors said it was a massive heart attack ,after hearing those words my ear began to blur out whatever they were saying next I just nodded then sat beside my father's bed holding a hand that could never squeeze mine again, or his warm voice that used to reassure me and whisper words of encouragement whenever I was scared If only I had been there with him …if only The night before he died he called me but I didn't pick up I was busy having a stupid argument with my ex boyfriend Liam about something I couldn't even remember,when my phone rang almost the fight I told myself I was going to call back in the morning I didn't know that was the last time I would ever see his name on my screen or hear his voice , because he died that very morning My heart ached more at the thought “You must be Lyra “ The voice pulled me out of the spiral, I blinked and found a woman beside me—shr looked to be in her early fifties ,dark hair threaded with silver,and eyes that looked like she'd been crying. “I don't… I'm sorry I don't know you” my voice came out hoarse “I know you don't “ she agreed her gaze moved over my face ,slow and deliberate “But I knew your father…. For a very long time” “ you look just like him,and you have his eyes” she said placing her hand on my cheek and stroked it gently with her thumb People had always said I was the splitting image of my father , except for my hair which I inherited from my mother They'd always called my father a quiet man. I thought that meant he was calm and content with the simple life he lived. But standing here now, surrounded by people who seemed to know him better than I did, I realized those words meant something else entirely. It sounded like he had been hiding something from me “I'll be at the house later” she said , she reached into her bag,wrote something on a piece of paper , and handed it to me “Call me if you need anything “ she said with a small warm smile Before I could ask what her name was or what she meant by "the house," she had already disappeared into the crowd like smoke. After the service, people approached me one by one. I shook hands, accepted hugs that felt too tight, and repeated the same words over and over. "Thank you." "I appreciate that." By the end, the words had lost all meaning Most of their faces blurred together. Before the service that morning, I had stood in front of the mirror and practiced smiling. I didn't want people looking at me with pity, even though I felt broken inside. A few of them said things that felt strange. "You'll be alright." "I know he made arrangements." "Don't worry. You'll be taken care of." The words followed me from one conversation to the next. And I couldn't help but wonder. Arrangements? Taken care of? What were they talking about? My father had died with no savings, no life insurance that I knew of, and a house with thirty years left on the mortgage. I'd spent countless sleepless nights trying to figure out how I was going to pay for the funeral, let alone survive afterward. So what arrangements were they talking about? The last person to approach me was a lawyer. He was a slim man in a wrinkled gray suit with oversized glasses that kept sliding down his nose He came to stand beside me as the crowd finally began to thin "Miss Virelli?" he said I turned toward him "Yes?" "I'm Harold Finch." He extended a hand I shook it He must have noticed the confusion on my face because he quickly added, "I'm your father's attorney. I'll need you to come to my office for the reading of the will he left behind." I stared at him "What will?" My voice came out smaller than I intended. Something flickered across his face. Surprise. Maybe even concerned. "Of course," he said quickly. "Your father was very thorough. He updated all of his documents approximately eight months ago" "Eight months ago?" My mind immediately drifted back Eight months ago, my father had driven six hours just to visit me at college We had dinner at a restaurant near campus I still remembered him sitting across from me, turning his coffee cup slowly between his hands He had asked if I was happy And I had lied I smiled and told him yes He had studied me for a long moment before saying quietly, "You know you can tell me anything, right?" The question had caught me off guard It was the first time I'd ever seen my father look genuinely worried Then he leaned forward "Just promise me you'll be careful about who you trust" At the time, I had brushed it off as another one of his unnecessary warnings. I assumed he was talking about Liam. Standing here now, staring at a nervous-looking lawyer, I wasn't so sure anymore "Shall we go to my office?" Finch asked I swallowed "Okay," I said "Let's go." ***************************************************** Finch's office was downtown in an aging building that smelled of dust, old paper, and worn furniture. I sat in a cracked leather chair that looked older than I was. Judging by the state of the room, it was probably the nicest thing in his office Finch shuffled papers without looking up ,I waited ,my heart was breaking so loud ,I could feel it in my temples “The primary asset your father wished to transfer to you…”he paused tapped his finger in the desk “ It isn't a financial asset ,it's a matter of protection” “Protection From what ?” I asked in surprise This day was getting more and more confusing He didn't answer ,he just slid a single piece of paper across the desk “Id advise you to read this carefully” I looked down and my breath caught in my throat “In the event of my death, custody of my daughter, Lyra Virelli, including all matters of her safety, welfare, and legal standing, shall be transferred to Alpha Kael of the Silverfang Territory. This designation supersedes all other claims. This is not a request. This is not subject to negotiation* I just stared at the page Alpha Kael The name landed in my chest like a second grief. I had heard it before ,once, maybe twice. Whispered during phone calls my father thought I couldn't overhear “Kael will handle it. I'll speak to Kael’ it Always sounded like something between deep respect and warning I had never asked who Kael was "What does this mean?" My voice came out hoarse "Custody? I'm twenty-two. I don't need a guardian." Finch removed his glasses and cleaned them slowly His hands never stopped moving. When he spoke again, his voice was gentler. That made it worse "Miss Virelli, your father's world was larger than you know. The protections he put in place were not arbitrary. Alpha Kael is a man of significant influence. If your father trusted him with your safety, there was a reason." "You're not answering my question." "No." He shook his head. "Because the full answer isn't mine to give." He stood, crossed to a cabinet in the corner, and returned with a small wooden box. At the sight of it, my breath stopped. Plain Unadorned I had seen it before, tucked in the back of my father's closet behind his winter coats. I had always assumed it held old photographs. Tax documents. "Your father left this for you," Finch said, setting it on the desk. "I believe there's additional information inside." My fingers brushed the wood. My father had held this. Opened and closed it. Touched it. That thought alone sent a sharp sting through my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut and drew a slow breath. "There's a car waiting outside," Finch said. "It will take you to Silverfang." I looked up "Now?" "Now"