"Father." Lumori's voice trembled as she sank to her knees, head bowed.
"I've come to you. Please… reconsider this. I should be the Alpha of this pack, not her. This position does not belong to an Omega. I am your daughter. I'm a Beta." Her words barely held back the anger and desperation, but her eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
Alpha Timo's gaze hardened, his voice rough like gravel. "And then what? You want us to go against the Moon Goddess herself?"
Lumori lifted her head just slightly, a fire burning behind her lowered eyes. "I am your real daughter, "I'm a warrior. I've been trained for this my whole life.". I should be next in line. I don't care what the Moon Goddess selected. It's unfair… to give what belongs to me to a mere Omega. A useless trash left at our doorstep years ago."
Her words cut through the room like a blade.
Timo's bloodshot eyes flared. He strode toward her, long, threatening steps, and gripped her chin, lifting her face. Before she could react, his hand snapped across her cheek with a sharp smack.
"No matter how she came to us, she is still your sister. She is still my daughter. I will not have you speak about her like that." His voice dripped with disgust as Lumori slowly rose to her feet.
"So," she murmured softly, tilting her head, "you chose her over me" Her voice was harsh and firm. "How disappointing."
Blood ran from the corner of her split lip. She licked it, a dark smile curling on her face. "Since you choose her over me… I'll make you regret this."
"How dare you give what is rightfully mine to someone else?" Her eyes twisted with rage, wild and unforgiving.
Timo stared at her, dread coiling in his chest as fear finally took hold. The Lumori before him was no longer the one he knew.
Her laugh was low, manic and echoing through the hall.
"Guards!" Timo finally called out.
Two men appeared immediately, standing at attention. "Lock her in her room." He turned back to Lumori, his gaze cold and firm "I will release you when you have learned some manners."
Lumori's eyes glinted with fury even as the guards took her away. Every step toward her room fueled a burning promise in her chest: she would not be denied.
"I will come back for what's mine," she screamed, her voice breaking as they dragged her away. "You'll regret choosing that weakling over me."
Timo exhaled heavily, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him.
Had he failed as a father? Jealousy was one thing he despised above all else, yet here it was, consuming Lumori bit by bit.
He knew, deep down, that the Moon Goddess must have a reason for choosing Valerie as the next Alpha. It was rare, almost unheard of for an Alpha not to come from the bloodline. And yet, here it was.
Yet it was probably for the best. The truth was hidden from everyone except his deceased wife and Lumori that he wasn't Valerie's father. Not even Valerie knew.
No matter the politics of blood or birthright, there was something far greater at stake. The Harmon needed protection.
The Harmon was no ordinary shield, it was a celestial barrier, separating wolves and humans from the wandering evil spirits that lurked beyond. They were the lost, malevolent spirits desperate to enter the mortal world. The Harmon stood as their shield, a wall of magic and law keeping them out.
Outside this barrier stood the Harmonias, the guardians who patrolled and safeguarded the shield. Their role was sacred. Within the Harmon, the Alphas of each pack led their people, not merely as rulers, but as enforcers of law and balance. Every crime committed, every act of chaos or corruption, empowered the spirits beyond the Harmon, slowly weakening the barrier.
The Alpha's duty, then, was not just leadership,it was vigilance. A failure of control, a moment of unchecked crime, could be all it took to tear the Harmon and let the darkness in.
Timo's gaze hardened. Whatever jealousy or resentment lay between his daughters, he could not allow it to ever endanger the Harmon.
Valerie stood by the window, listening to every word. She froze in place, her heart racing, quiet sobs escaping her. She had never heard the truth about who she really was. Nobody had ever told her. She hadn't imagined that the people she called family weren't actually related to her.
Now she finally understood the resentment Lumori had carried toward her ever since the moon goddess chose her to lead the pack.
She hurried to her room, almost running. She collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, crying. This wasn't how she should have found out.
Who were her real parents, and why had they abandoned her? These questions lingered in her mind, as she struggled to breath.
After a few minutes, she heard a knock at the door.
Quickly, she wiped away her tears, forcing herself to act as if nothing had happened. She went to the door and opened it, only to be met with disappointment.
She had thought it was her father, but it was her mate's right-hand man instead. Without giving him a chance to speak, she slammed the door in his face.
Even before he spoke, she already knew why he was here.
She avoided her mate like the plague. He was too clingy, needy, always wanting to be near her and it felt suffocating.
If only she felt the same way he did about her. But she didn't, her heart belonged to someone else, and she didn't know how to tell him without hurting him.
She collapsed onto her bed, letting her body sink into the mattress. Slowly, she closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to take her.
She just wished she could solve her problems without hurting anyone and finally find some happiness.