Chapter 20
1076 Words
The next morning I went straight to my father’s study.
Two guards stood outside the heavy wooden doors but they stepped aside when they saw me. News of my sacrifice had given me some freedom inside the estate. I pushed the doors open without knocking.
Father sat behind his large desk. Papers and maps covered the surface.
He looked up with irritation that quickly turned to surprise. “Seraphina. What are you doing here? You should be resting before the ritual.”
I closed the doors behind me and locked them. The sound echoed in the quiet room. “We need to talk. Now.”
He leaned back in his chair. His face stayed calm but I saw the tension in his shoulders. “If this is about Lyra or Cassian again, I do not have time.
The pack is preparing for your sacrifice. It is a moment of honor.”
“Honor,” I repeated. I walked closer until I stood directly in front of his desk. “You speak of honor while sending me to die.”
Father sighed. “It was your choice. You volunteered. The pack needs this. The Abyss demands it.”
I placed both hands on his desk and leaned forward. “I know the truth. I was not found during a storm as a miracle child. I was taken from the Northern Cliff. I was supposed to be the sacrifice twenty years ago. You took me instead and lied to everyone.”
The room became completely silent. Father’s face went still. For several seconds he said nothing. Then he stood up slowly. His height made him tower over me but I did not step back.
“Where did you hear such nonsense?” he asked. His voice stayed low and controlled.
“I found the records. The Beta helped me see the truth. You knew I came from the Abyss. You knew I was offered as payment and you brought me home anyway.
You raised me as your daughter while hiding what I really was.”
Father walked around the desk. His movements stayed measured. “You are confused. The isolation before the ritual is affecting your mind. I found you in the forest during a blood moon storm. You were glowing with power. I brought you home because the Goddess guided me. You were a blessing to this pack.”
“Lies,” I said. My voice rose. “You knew exactly where I came from. You used me as insurance. When my wolf never awakened you treated me like a mistake. When Lyra arrived you replaced me completely. All because I was never truly yours. I was the child you stole from the Abyss.”
His hand slammed on the desk. The sound cracked through the room. “Enough! I will not listen to these accusations. You are my daughter. I raised you. I gave you everything.”
“You gave me nothing once I became useless,” I shot back. “You stopped looking at me. Mother stopped touching me. My brothers distanced themselves. You all waited for me to disappear. And now you celebrate my death while calling it duty.”
Father’s face reddened. “The pack comes first. Always. The Abyss has awakened again. Without a sacrifice we face destruction. You volunteered. Be proud of your choice instead of inventing stories to ease your fear.”
I laughed. The sound felt bitter. “I know I was the original sacrifice. My real parents offered me. You took me and hid the truth. You built your legacy on a stolen child. And when Lyra came with her perfect wolf you used her to erase me.”
He stepped closer. His eyes flashed with anger. “You are Seraphina Vale. Daughter of Alpha Magnus. That is the only truth that matters. These fantasies about the Abyss will only make your final days harder. Accept your role. Die with dignity for your pack.”
“Dignity?” I moved even closer until we stood face to face. “You want me to die quietly so your secrets stay buried. But I know everything now. The moonstone. The suppression.
How Lyra has been using it against me for years. How Cassian helped her without realizing it.”
Father’s expression flickered for the first time. A brief moment of uncertainty crossed his face before he covered it. “Lyra is loyal. She has brought strength to this family. You should be grateful she accepted you even after your failure.”
“Failure,” I whispered. The word stung even now. “I was never a failure. I was a threat. My power comes from the Abyss. You feared it then and you fear it now.”
He grabbed my arm tightly. “Stop this. You will not speak these things outside this room. The pack needs unity before the Blood Moon. Your sacrifice will save us all. That is your purpose. That is why I kept you.”
I pulled my arm free. “You kept me as a spare. A backup offering. And when a better daughter arrived you threw me away.”
Father’s voice dropped to a dangerous level. “I am your Alpha. You will show respect. Go back to your room. Prepare yourself. In six days you will fulfill your duty. The Goddess demands it.”
I smiled at him. Cold and steady. “The Goddess has nothing to do with this. The Abyss has been calling me since I was born. And when I stand on that cliff I will not be the broken girl you raised. I will be something else entirely.”
I turned and walked toward the door. Father’s voice followed me.
“Seraphina. Do not force my hand. This family has sacrificed enough.”
I paused with my hand on the door. “No, Father. This family has sacrificed nothing. I am the only one who ever did.”
I left the study without looking back. My heart beat hard but my steps stayed steady. The confrontation left me shaking with anger yet clearer than ever.
Kael’s voice came through the bond. Well done. He knows the truth but refuses to face it. Let him deny everything until
the end.
Six days remained.
My father’s denial changed nothing. It only proved how deep the lies went. The entire foundation of my life had been built on secrets and stolen time.
- Writer
