SAVAGE BONDS

Confession with Father

Damon’s POV:

“She's gone, Father! Just... gone!" My voice cracked, echoing in the office, where the scent of aged paper and the Alpha's disapproval hung heavy in the air. The werewolf braced himself against the desk, his knuckles white as he gripped the polished wood. I could feel the frustration radiating off the Alpha, my Father.

"And you claim you don't know where she went?" Alpha Jordan’s voice was a low growl, devoid of warmth. His eyes were narrowed, searching for a sign of deception. He never fully understood Isla, never saw past the wild streak, the independent spirit he mistook for rebellion. To him, Isla was a problem to be controlled, not a daughter to be understood.

"I swear, Father, I don't!" My wolf stirred beneath my skin, a restless energy that mirrored my own agitation. "There was no warning, no note, nothing. Just... her scent trail abruptly stopped at the edge of the territory."

"Her scent trail stops? You expect me to believe that?" Alpha Jordan scoffed, rising from his chair. The movement sent a ripple of tension through the room. "She's your twin, Damon. There's a bond, a connection stronger than anything. You'd feel it if she were truly gone."

"It's not that simple!" The words tumbled out. "She's been pushing away for months, Father. Trying to break free from... from all of this." I gestured around the office, the symbols of his authority, the weight of his expectations. "Isla felt trapped, suffocated."

"Suffocated by responsibility?" Father snapped, his voice sharp. "By her duty to the pack? To her family?"

"No, Father, by your expectations!" The words hung in the air, thick with unspoken pain. "She didn't fit into the mold you built for her. She wasn't... wasn't the perfect Alpha female you envisioned."

Alpha Jordan recoiled slightly, the anger in his eyes flickering with something else – a hint of hurt, of regret. But it was quickly replaced by a familiar stubbornness. "She is my daughter, and she is Luna. Her place is here."

"Not if she doesn't want to be!" I pressed on, ignoring the tremor in my voice. "She deserves to choose her own path, Father, not have one dictated to her."

"And where has that path led her now, Damon?" Alpha Jordan challenged, his voice laced with venom. "Into the wilderness? Alone and vulnerable? Or perhaps... to a different pack? One that values her perceived 'individuality' over her loyalty?"

The accusation stung, a sharp blow to my already raw emotions. "She wouldn't do that! She would never betray us."

"Wouldn't she?" Father’s voice was cold, biting. "She's always been impulsive, unpredictable. You, of all people, should know that."

"She's misunderstood!" I roared, my wolf's fury rising to the surface. "You never bothered to understand her, Father! You just saw what you wanted to see!"

"I saw what needed to be seen for the good of the pack!" father countered, his own wolf's growl rumbling beneath his words. "My duty is to protect them."

"And what about protecting her?" I whispered, the fight draining out of me, leaving behind a hollow ache. "What about protecting Isla from herself? From the choices she might make when she feels pushed too far?"

My Father didn't answer, his gaze fixed on some point in the distance, lost in his own thoughts. The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken accusations and regrets. My sister, MY twin, was gone, swallowed by the unknown. And the man who was meant to be our protector, our guide, was too blind to see the true depth of her pain, but her pain is my pain.