AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dad ignored her. “So, what was meant to be an execution of an alpha turned into an all-out brawl. Many great shifters died that day… on both sides.” He looked at me. “A man who will follow his pack, who is loyal to his leaders, is a good man, even if he fights for the wrong side. Remember that.” When I nodded, he took another drink, another pause. “After several hours of fighting, the attack ended in the demise of the Heather Falls pack.”
“Do you need to take a break?” Mother rested her hand on Dad’s arm. “You don’t have to tell the whole story tonight.”
He smiled weakly at her. “It’s time. He needs to know it all.”
She nodded and sat back in her chair, her hand remaining on his arm. It was a small gesture of support but kind and intimate. She loved my father, and I loved her more for it.
“The battle was brutal. Our wolves were taken by surprise when the Heather Falls pack descended upon them. Regardless, our pack was stronger and better organized.” That was a credit to my father’s analytical mind, his command that the pack be prepared for hunters and threats. “Josef may have been a good leader in terms of providing a solid monetary base for his pack, but his arrogance made him believe that his pack was untouchable. Their lack of organized training was their downfall. By the time the sun had set, the woods of Heather Falls were dripping with the blood of its pack.”
I ran my hands through my hair, trying to imagine the death count. “You killed them all?”
Mother shot a worried glance at Dad.
He held his hand up and nodded. “Not all of them. I’d heard that there was a child; the only one in the pack at the time. She was the princess to the alpha, the mafia king and queen.”
My heart beat so loudly in my chest I could barely think straight.
“I was the one who found Liza in the woods that day. She was only four years old.” Dad’s voice cracked. “I hate to admit it, but for a split second I considered ending her life and sending her to be with her parents. I just couldn’t stomach murdering an innocent child. So, I brought her back with me to Presley Acres. I spent more money than I can count erasing any and all history of the Heather Falls pack, knowing that if I didn’t, it would come back to haunt me. Or you.”
My stomach clenched. God, Liza must have been terrified. She hadn’t been much more than a baby. “What did you do with her? After you brought her back here?”
“I did what I felt was best. She was adopted by a local family that we weren’t closely associated with. Even though I’d saved her life, I’d also killed everyone she’d ever known.” Dad hung his head in shame. “I couldn’t bear to live with the guilt of seeing her face, knowing all that I’d taken from her. She couldn’t stay here, and I sure as hell couldn’t have her in our social circles.”
I stood and started to pace the room, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. “What about Stone? How is he connected to all of this?”
Dad shrugged. “I don’t know. I spared no expense erasing that pack’s existence from any scroll or ledger that mentioned them. He shouldn’t know a damn thing about Heather Falls because, as far as anyone is concerned, it doesn’t exist. The fact that he knows anything at all is a very bad sign for our family and the pack.”
Yeah. Of that, I was well aware.
* * *
Later that night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling and forcing my muscles to relax. It was too much to process, and my body had gone into fight-or-flight mode.
I’d always considered our family to be upright and morally decent leaders. Now that Dad had shared the truth about our history, I was ashamed of who I was and of those who had come before me—of our entire lineage. We were a bunch of drug dealers. Not to mention we were murderers on top of all the lying and dirty money exchanged. Our royalty claims were bullshit, our high-society status nothing more than a facade.
The sins of my ancestors were a heavy weight on my heart. If the pack found out…
There was no way to know how Stone had uncovered whatever he knew or thought he knew about Heather Falls, but I suspected he had a plan to use that information against us.
How could I be expected to one day, probably sooner rather than later, stand in front of the pack as their alpha, their brave, and fearless leader, when I knew the truth? I wasn’t the kind of sociopath I would need to be to pretend I didn’t know, to hold my head up and be the man who led them. The pack would know. They would see right through me, and that would sway their confidence in me. Obliterate it. I would be useless.
My wolf whimpered, and I felt his pain. There wasn’t a single part of me that wanted to reject Liza, but what other choice did I have? I couldn’t mate with her or marry her knowing what my family had done to hers. Knowing who her family was.
Not only was it unfair to her but it was also unfair to my father. He’d said himself that he couldn’t bear to look into her eyes. I didn’t know if I would be able to either now that I knew the truth, knew what had been done. I couldn’t risk the pack by being weak to her or for her out of guilt and shame. My father had taught me better.
It was best to break it off with her as soon as possible. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and sent her a text even as my heart ached.
Can you meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning at Coffee and Chill? 8am?
It was late, so chances were, she was sleeping, but I needed to see her as soon as possible. There was no point in dragging this out. I had to do it. There was no other way.
I planned to reject her, but I braced myself for the pain that would cause both of us. It would eviscerate me. She was everything I wanted, and even the thought of ending what had barely gotten a chance to start had my heart cracking.
Yet, I had no other choice. Not with Stone sniffing around. If he knew about Heather Falls, it was only a matter of time before they would come for us. I couldn’t sacrifice Liza’s safety out of my own selfish needs. I couldn’t give her back the family mine took from her, but I wouldn’t risk her for the sake of my family, either. I would make sure she was protected. When the people who sent Stone came for us, they wouldn’t get to her. She would be safe. Without me.
My wolf snarled and growled, desperately pleading for his mate.
I ignored him. It was for the best. Now that Dad had shared our family’s history, I carried his burdens on my own back. I couldn’t share the truth and ruin the pack’s legacy. Not after everything Dad had done to ensure the Keller pack not only survived but thrived well into the future. I had no choice but to make my own personal sacrifice to save the family name.
