The Triplet Alphas's Christmas Gift

Chapter 55 - Meeting with Dad

Matt's POV

I followed Ryan into our father's office, my mind racing with calculations and possibilities. As the analytical triplet, I'd always been the one to piece things together, to see patterns where others saw chaos. And right now, there were too many disconnected fragments swirling around—Teira's shadows, our mother's fear, Crystal Lake, and this mysterious "Shadow" reference.

Alpha Christian Mason looked up from his desk, his expression stern but eyes warm as they always were when he looked at his sons. Our father was everything a pack Alpha should be—strong but fair, protective yet kind. The Dark Moon Pack had thrived under his leadership for two decades.

"Boys," he greeted us, setting aside the papers he'd been reviewing. "What's this about your mother being upset?"

I caught Ryan's subtle shift in posture—shoulders squared, chin slightly raised. He was in protective mode, carefully weighing how much to reveal.

"We wanted to talk to you about some things we've discovered," Ryan began cautiously.

Dad leaned back in his chair, his gaze moving between us. "I'm listening."

"It's about Teira," I said, deciding a direct approach might yield more information. "And her mother, Melinda."

Something flashed in our father's eyes—recognition, and was that guilt? "What about Melinda?"

Ryan and I exchanged a glance. So he did know something.

"Did you know her?" Ryan asked.

Dad was quiet for a long moment, then sighed heavily. "Sit down, both of you."

We took the chairs opposite his desk, and I noticed the slight tension in his jaw—a tell he had whenever a subject made him uncomfortable.

"Melinda Sutton was from the Crystal Lake Pack," Dad finally said. "She approached me privately some years ago. She revealed she was the daughter of the Alpha of Crystal Lake, and that she had been posing as a nomad wolf in our territory while investigating coven activity nearby."

"Investigating covens?" I asked, intrigued. "Why would Crystal Lake care about witch activity here?"

"They've always been secretive—don't respond to outsiders, don't allow visits. But Melinda said they had reason to believe something dangerous was brewing. She never got the chance to tell me more."

"What happened to her?" I prompted when he fell silent again.

"She disappeared before anyone even knew she was pregnant," Dad replied, his tone carefully measured. "David spent months trying to find her, but eventually gave up the search. When Teira was later dropped on his doorstep, I wasn't informed. I only recently discovered that Teira was David and Melinda's daughter."

"But why would Melinda disappear?" Ryan asked, leaning forward. "If she was investigating something important..."

Dad's expression darkened. "That's what troubled me. Your mother... she wasn't pleased about Melinda's presence. She believed Melinda was interfering with David's family and his arranged mating."

"Mom knew Melinda?" I asked, surprised.

"Not directly. But she knew about her, and that Melinda was David's true mate. It caused several fights between us, as your mother wanted me to send Melinda away. She thought Melinda was interfering with David's arranged mating to Isabelle—Megan's friend who was already mated to David and pregnant at the time."

Something didn't add up. "But Isabelle—"

"David returned to Isabelle after giving up his search for Melinda," Dad explained. "He was bitter, angry. Looking for comfort anywhere he could find it."

I filed that information away. "What about David being the son of an Alpha? What happened there?"

Dad nodded, confirming. "David was the son of the North Ridge Alpha, but he was thrown out and disowned from his pack. I took him in when he had nowhere else to go. Ever since then, he's been trying to get close to me, especially hinting that I should replace my Beta since Marek's death."

"Your friend who was found dead in the forest?" Ryan asked. We'd heard stories about Dad's best friend and Beta, who had been murdered years ago.

"Yes. I've always refused to fill the position. Partly out of respect for Marek's memory, but also because we never found his killer. David has been... persistent about it."

"And what do you know about something called 'Shadow'?" Ryan asked carefully.

Our father went completely still, his face draining of color. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Where did you hear that name?"

The intensity of his reaction confirmed my suspicions—this was significant.

"Morgana mentioned it in connection to Teira," I explained, deciding honesty might get us further than evasion. "Said something about Teira being 'Shadow's daughter.'"

Dad stood abruptly, moving to close the office door completely. When he returned to his desk, his expression was grave.

"Listen to me carefully," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Shadow isn't a person. It's an ancient wolf lineage, one that was thought to be extinct centuries ago."

"What kind of lineage?" Ryan asked.

"One with... unique abilities," Dad replied, choosing his words carefully. "The Shadow wolves could manipulate darkness itself. They were feared by many, hunted by others who wanted to either destroy or control their power."

My mind immediately connected to what Teira had described—the way the shadows had gathered around her when my mother attacked her. It also sparked a memory of the exhibit Teira and I had seen during our date.

"Wait—I remember something from the museum exhibit Teira and I visited," I said. "There was a story about Shadow being created by the goddess Selene to spy on other races and protect the werewolves."

Dad looked surprised. "You've been researching this?"

"Not intentionally. It was just part of the exhibit. It mentioned that Shadow disappeared with her pup when the wolves got greedy. They attacked her and killed her mate when she refused to be used to spy on other packs."

Dad nodded slowly. "The legends vary, but yes, that's one version of how the Shadow bloodline began. What matters now is that if Teira has inherited these abilities, she's in terrible danger."

"Is that why Mom attacked her today?" I asked bluntly.

Dad's head snapped up, shock evident on his face. "What did you say?"

"Mom attacked Teira," Ryan repeated, watching our father carefully. "Tried to strangle her. Teira has the bruises to prove it."

The Alpha rose from his chair, power radiating from him in waves that made our wolves instinctively lower their heads in submission.

"Explain. Everything. Now."

For the next ten minutes, Ryan and I took turns relating what had happened—how Teira had gone to meet with our mother, how she'd returned traumatized with bruises on her neck, and how shadows had somehow protected her.

With each word, our father's expression grew darker, the muscles in his jaw working as he struggled to contain his anger.

"And there's something else," I added when we finished. "Mom's been arranging to pair us with Sarah Henderson, despite knowing about the potential mate bond developing between Teira and us."

"Mate bond?" Dad's anger momentarily gave way to surprise. "Between Teira and... all three of you?"

Ryan nodded. "We don't know for sure yet—not until our birthday. But we can feel it forming. The tingles when we touch, sensing each other's emotions..."

Dad ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking tired. "That explains why your mother has been pushing the Sarah arrangement so urgently. She's trying to prevent the bond from cementing."

"But why?" I asked. "Why would she care who we mate with, as long as we're happy?"

"Because if Teira is truly Shadow's descendant, and if that bloodline awakens fully in her..." Dad trailed off, shaking his head. "The power dynamics in this pack—in all packs—could shift dramatically."

"That doesn't explain why Mom would hurt her," Ryan insisted.

"No," Dad agreed, his expression hardening again. "It doesn't. And believe me, your mother and I will be having a very serious conversation about that." He stood, decision made. "Where is Teira now?"

"In my room," Ryan answered. "Val's with her, and Tyler has warriors guarding the door."

Dad nodded approvingly. "Good. Keep her protected. I need to speak with your mother privately, and then we'll figure out next steps."

"There's one more thing," I said as we stood to leave. "Morgana—the witch Tyler encountered—somehow got onto pack lands without being detected. Tyler's gone to confront her about it."

Concern flashed across our father's face. "Alone?"

"He can handle himself," Ryan said with more confidence than I felt. Tyler was the most impulsive of us three, prone to acting before thinking things through.

"I hope so," Dad replied. "Witches aren't to be trifled with, especially not ones powerful enough to cross our wards undetected."

As we turned to leave, Dad called out, "Boys." We paused at the door, looking back. "Be careful who you trust right now. Not everyone in this pack will welcome the return of the Shadow bloodline... including some you'd expect to stand with us."

The warning sent a chill down my spine. Was he referring to our mother? To members of the council? Or someone else entirely?

Outside the office, Ryan and I exchanged troubled looks.

"What do we do now?" he asked, his voice low.

I considered our options, mentally mapping out the various players and probabilities. "Dad will handle Mom. Our priority should be protecting Teira while gathering more information."

"I'll go back and check on her," Ryan decided. "Can you dig deeper into Crystal Lake and this Shadow bloodline? If Teira is going to be in danger, we need to know exactly what we're dealing with."

I nodded, my mind already formulating a research plan. "I'll start with our family's private library. If Dad knew about Shadow wolves, there must be records somewhere."

We parted ways at the end of the hall, Ryan heading back to his room while I made for the family library in the west wing. As I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something crucial—some piece of the puzzle that would make everything else fall into place.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. A text from Tyler: *Found Morgana at her cabin. Something's wrong—appears to be under some kind of silence spell. Hard to get information. Will keep trying.*

I quickened my pace. Time was running out, though for what exactly, I couldn't say. But my instincts—usually reliable—were screaming that whatever had been set in motion was accelerating faster than we could track.

The family library was deserted when I arrived, the afternoon sun casting long shadows through the tall windows. How fitting, I thought grimly, that I was now literally chasing shadows.

I headed straight for the section where we kept the oldest pack records—the histories too dangerous or controversial for general consumption.

My fingers trailed along ancient leather spines, searching for anything related to Shadow wolves or the Crystal Lake Pack. Near the back wall, tucked behind a row of territorial dispute records, I found a slim volume bound in midnight blue leather with a single silver crescent moon embossed on the cover.

No title, no author.

Curious, I pulled it free and opened to the first page. The handwritten text, faded but still legible, made my breath catch:

*"An Account of the Shadow Wolves and the Prophecy of Convergence"*

Below it, in smaller script:

*"For the eyes of the Alpha only. Knowledge herein bears terrible consequence if revealed before its time."*

I'd found something significant—perhaps the very information we needed. But as I turned the page, a voice from behind me froze my blood.

"I wouldn't read that if I were you, Matthew."

I turned slowly, the book clutched to my chest, to find our Luna—my mother—standing in the doorway. Her eyes, cold and calculating, were fixed not on my face, but on the book in my hands.

"It's well past time you returned to your room," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Dinner will be served soon, and we have important guests arriving."

I stared at her, suddenly seeing a stranger where my mother had always stood. What had she done? What was she hiding?

"Who are these important guests?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her smile tightened just a fraction. "The Hendersons. I've invited them to discuss the formal courtship between you boys and Sarah."

So she was still pushing forward with that plan, even after what she'd done to Teira. Even knowing about our forming mate bond.

"Does Dad know about this dinner?" I asked, watching her reaction carefully.

Something flickered in her eyes—annoyance, perhaps, or concern. "Your father has been informed. Now, please return that book to where you found it and get ready for dinner."

As she turned to leave, I couldn't help but wonder—how far would she go to keep her secrets buried?