My fingers tighten around the phone 178

Aria’s POV
My words hung in the space between us, their weight causing a ripple of shocked silence to spread through the gathered
crowd. I had just claimed the Alpha position of Silver Moon pack – my birthright.
My father’s expression froze, his mouth slightly open. Even Bella, who had been muttering curses under her breath the
entire journey, fell completely silent. The pack members around us exchanged uncertain glances, some whispering
behind cupped hands.
“You… what?” My father finally managed, his voice barely audible.
Before he could recover, the crowd parted, and Aurora, my stepmother, pushed her way to the front. Her face was
contorted with rage, years of carefully maintained poise abandoned as she stormed toward me, finger pointed accusingly.
“How dare you!” she shrieked, her perfectly manicured nail inches from my face. “You have no right! You’re nothing to
this pack anymore – just a disgrace who spread her legs for any wolf who’d have her!”
She turned to the crowd, her voice rising higher. “She abandoned us! And now she returns thinking she can lead? Her
mother is dead, and good riddance to that-”
The slur against my mother that followed made my blood turn to ice in my veins. I saw my father flinch at her words, his
jaw tightening as his eyes darted between us. Cassandra stirred beneath my skin, a low growl building in my chest that wasn’t entirely human.
“Choose your next words carefully,” I cut her off, my voice dangerously quiet as I stepped closer. My eyes locked with
hers, unflinching. “Your daughter is still in my custody.”
The threat landed precisely as intended. Aurora’s mouth snapped shut, though hatred still blazed in her eyes.
“My mother,” I continued, addressing the gathering rather than just Aurora, “was the strongest female warrior this pack
has ever known. She was the perfect Luna – compassionate, fierce, and loyal.” My voice carried across the courtyard,
stronger with each word. “She sacrificed herself during a joint pack gathering to save Ethan’s life, and her memory is
honored by all who truly knew her.”
I straightened my spine, feeling Cassandra’s power flowing through me, lending me strength. “I am her only daughter,
carrying both her legacy and the Alpha bloodline of my father. I’ve always lived by her principles of honor and justice. I
am the rightful heir to Silver Moon pack.”
My gaze shifted to Bella, who glared at me with undisguised loathing. “As for your daughter,” I said, addressing Aurora
again but ensuring my voice carried to everyone present, “she stands accused of multiple crimes against both Silver Moon and Shadow Fang packs. Seven years ago, she poisoned me here in our own pack. Months ago, she attempted to
poison me again and before that, she deliberately endangered my son Lucas by abandoning him. I think you all
remember that.”
I let those accusations sink in, noting the shock on many faces. These weren’t just family squabbles – they were serious
crimes against pack law.
“Shadow Fang has already classified her as a high-level criminal. I’ve brought her here to face Silver Moon justice as well.”
Aurora’s face had paled, but she rallied quickly. “Enough!” she snapped, eyes darting nervously to the murmuring pack
members. “Even if you were the rightful heir once, you’re damaged goods now.” Her lips curved into a cruel smile. “You
have no wolf. We will never accept a defective Alpha.”
Something in me shifted at those words – not anger, but a calm certainty. I felt my lips curve into a smile that made
Aurora take an instinctive step back.
“About that…” I whispered.
The transformation was immediate and fluid. Cassandra burst forth from within me, my body shifting with practiced ease
despite our years of separation. My bones elongated, muscles rippled and reformed, and silver-white fur erupted across my skin. Where I had stood moments before now towered Cassandra in her full glory – larger than any normal wolf, her
silver coat gleaming in the sunlight, amber eyes blazing with intelligence and power.
Aurora screamed, stumbling backward only to be caught by Cassandra’s massive paw. She pinned my stepmother to the
ground with minimal pressure, a warning growl rumbling through her chest that silenced the shocked exclamations from
the crowd.
“I have returned,” Cassandra’s voice echoed in all our minds, her telepathic communication reaching every wolf present. “I was never gone – merely poisoned, weakened, forced into dormancy by the plots of those who sought to destroy us.”
Through our shared consciousness, Cassandra revealed the truth – images of Aurora and Bella plotting in hushed
whispers, the tainted tea, the calculated lies they’d spread afterward. My father’s face grew increasingly ashen as the
evidence of their betrayal unfolded before him. Next Page
1/2
“She’s lying!” Aurora shrieked from beneath Cassandra’s paw, her voice high with panic. “Marcus, she’s fabricating
memories to turn you against us!”
My father’s hand moved with startling speed, the crack of his palm against her cheek silencing her instantly. His face had
transformed, the kind father I once knew replaced by a man whose trust had been utterly betrayed.
“You poisoned my daughter?” he whispered, his voice raw with disbelief. “My own child?”
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Bella, still restrained by the Shadow Fang guards, began to laugh – a high, unhinged sound that sent chills down my
spine.
“Marcus, you fat, stupid old fool!” she spat, straining against her restraints. “I never considered you my father! I’ve always
known you loved Aria more! I’ve been waiting for you to die!” Her voice rose to a shriek. “You don’t even know, do you?
My mother has had a lover for years! We’ve just been waiting for you to drop dead so we could finally be happy!”
The courtyard fell deathly silent. Cassandra retreated, flowing back into me with the ease of water returning to its source. My human form emerged again.
My father stood frozen, his expression cycling through shock, rage, and finally, profound sadness. He stared at his wife
and younger daughter as though seeing strangers. My hand remained at Aurora’s throat, keeping her pinned as she
whimpered pathetically.
For a long moment, my father said nothing, his eyes downcast as though examining the ground for answers. Then he
squared his shoulders, cleared his throat, and when he spoke, his voice carried the unmistakable weight of Alpha
command.
“I, Marcus, Alpha of Silver Moon Pack, hereby formally surrender my position to my daughter, Aria.” His eyes met mine, a mixture of regret and pride shining in their depths. “From this day forward, all pack matters fall under her authority,
including…” he paused, his gaze hardening as it shifted to Aurora and Bella, “the judgment of Bella and Aurora.”
His voice carried the same solemn gravity as when he had banished me seven years ago – both painful and official. As his words echoed across the silent courtyard, I closed my eyes, feeling the transfer of Alpha power wash through me like a warm wave. The sensation was electric – a tingling that started at my core and radiated outward until it reached my
fingertips, a birthright finally claimed.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my father differently – no longer the imposing figure of my childhood but simply a tired
man who had made terrible mistakes. The pack members had all lowered their heads in instinctive recognition of the
power shift, awaiting my first command.
“As my first act as Alpha of Silver Moon Pack,” I declared, my voice carrying a new resonance that surprised even me, “I
hereby banish Bella and Aurora to the Werebear Territory wilderness. They will never be permitted to return to any pack
lands