My wolf had epted her as pack, regardless of blood.


    With deliberate slowness, I tore the Wolf Bloodline DNA Report into pieces, letting the fragments flutter to the ground.


    +8 Points


    "Emma is my daughter," I stated firmly, my Alpha voice resonating through the hall. "Blood or


    not."


    Olivia''s face drained of color. Her wolf howled within her, the sound of her anguish almost


    audible to everyone present.


    "You..." she whispered, her voice thick with disbelief. "After everything... you still choose them."


    Before I could respond, her hand connected with my cheek in a resounding p. The force of it snapped my head to the side, surprising even the pack elders.


    "That''s for Lily," she hissed.


    A second p followed immediately. "And that''s for me."


    Her emerald eyes burned with a fury I had never witnessed before. "May the Moon Goddess curse you, Ethan Stone. May she make you feel every ounce of pain you''ve inflicted on us."


    With those words, she turned and stormed out of the Stone Ancestral Hall, leaving behind the


    scent of her anguish and rage.


    The sacred space fell silent once more, the pack elders exchanging


    ufortable nces. My father''s face was a mask of cold fury as he stared at Victoria and Emma.


    "Get out," he ordered them, his voice deadly quiet. "Both of you."


    Victoria hesitated, her eyes seeking mine. I nodded slightly, and she quickly ushered Emma from the hall, her relief palpable in her scent.


    (Victoria''s POV)


    Outside the Stone Ancestral Hall, I pulled Emma close, my heart racing with a mixture of fear and cautious hope. The exposure of my deception had been a devastating blow, but Ethan had


    still defended us.


    My wolf was cautiously optimistic beneath my skin. Perhaps all was not lost.


    "Ethan," I whispered when he joined us in the corridor. "We should proceed with the ceremony as nned. Show the pack that nothing has changed."


    I reached for his hand, but he pulled away, his amber eyes troubled.


    < Chapter 81: Blood Truth


    +8 Points >


    "Victoria, I need time to think," he said, his voice low. "This isn''t something we can just brush


    aside."


    My wolf whined anxiously. "But you said Emma is still your daughter. You tore up that report-"


    "I did," he acknowledged, his expression unreadable. "But that doesn''t erase the fact that you


    lied to me for seven years."


    I stepped closer, allowing my scent to envelop him. the same tactic that had always worked


    before.


    "I was afraid," I admitted, my voice breaking perfectly. "Afraid you wouldn''t want us if you knew


    the truth. Emma loves you so much, Ethan.. You''re the only father she''s ever known."


    Emma clutched his leg, her rehearsed tears still flowing. "Please don''t leave us, Daddy."


    I could see his resolve weakening, his wolf responding to the pup''s distress. Just a little more


    pressure, and he would give in as he always did.


    Before he could respond, the doors to the Stone Ancestral Hall burst open. Elder Richard Stone


    emerged, his face set in grim determination.


    "Members of the Silvercrest Pack," he announced to the gathered wolves, his voice carrying


    through the main hall. “The ceremony tonight has been canceled."


    Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd. I felt my carefully constructed world


    beginning to crumble around me.


    "Instead," Elder Richard continued, his eyes briefly meeting mine with cold contempt, "I am


    pleased to announce that Alpha King Ethan Stone and his true mate, Luna Olivia Winters, will


    be renewing their mate bond at the next full moon."