<h4>Chapter 132: Chapter 132: A Father’s Shadow</h4>


    The silence stretched in the room, so heavy that Selene thought even her heartbeat might give her away. None of the brothers spoke. They were strong men, fearless alphas, but in that moment not one of them dared to interrupt.


    The man finally turned his head, his eyes steady and calm. When he spoke, his voice was low but carried a weight that pressed into every corner of the room.


    "I am Maximus."


    The words dropped in the silent room.


    Selene blinked in confusion. Maximus? The name meant nothing to her. She searched her memory, trying to recall if she had ever heard it, but nothing came. Her chest tightened with unease.


    But the brothers... They frozepletely. They did not even need to ask who he was. Their reaction told Selene everything. They knew. And that alone was enough to tell her how serious this man’s presence was.


    The stranger saw it all, but he did not care. He leaned back slightly, a faint smile on his lips, and spoke again.


    "My identity alone is enough for me to walk into any pack I choose. I trust you will not mind if I stay here for a few days."


    The three brothers exchanged a quick nce. Their faces were calm masks, but Selene could see the strain in their eyes and the stiffness in their bodies. Even if they wanted to refuse, they could not.


    So, after a long pause, Aeron inclined his head. His voice was steady, though tight.


    "If you wish to stay, then Silver Dawn will wee you. How should we address you?"


    The man’s lips curved faintly.


    "Just call me Maximus. I do not want my true identity known. I intend to live quietly here and finish my work before I leave. Keep it that way."


    "And...what is your work in the Silver Dawn pack, If you could tell us, we can help." Kale added from behind in a rather calm manner, but his intention couldn’t be hidden from Maximus.


    A smile appeared on his face as he answered Kael’s question. "You don’t need to trouble yourselves. I will handle it myself."


    With that answer he rose from his seat, his movements smooth and confident, as though the very room belonged to him. Without another nce, he turned and walked toward the door.


    Not once did he ask permission. Not once did he look back. He left as if the Silver Dawn pack was his own ground to walk upon.


    The brothers sat in silence, watching his back until the door closed behind him. Their hands curled into fists, but none spoke.


    Atst, Kael let out a low breath. "He carries himself like a king."


    <fn8292> For original chapters go to FindN0vel</fn8292>


    Luca’s jaw tightened.


    "He has every right. He is the strongest werewolf alive. If he cannot be arrogant, then who can?"


    Aeron said nothing, but his eyes were dark, thoughtful, and heavy.


    One truth hung in the room like a chain around their throats... Maximus had chosen to appear in their territory. And no matter what his reason was, it could only bring trouble.


    If the royal family discovered it, or if word spread to other packs, Silver Dawn would no longer know peace.


    For the first time in a year, the brothers felt the weight of fear pressing down on them.


    Selene stayed hidden in the shadows even after the man left the room. Her hands were pressed against the wall, her breath uneven. The brothers sat in silence, stiff and heavy, but she could not focus on them anymore.


    Her mind was spinning.


    She hade here searching for answers. She wanted to know who the real mastermind was, who was betraying their kind from the inside. But instead of finding the witch, instead of finding clues about that betrayal, she had stumbled on something far worse.


    The man. His aura. His words.


    It all circled back to one truth that twisted her chest until it hurt—he was connected to her past. To her father.


    Her bastard father.


    Every thread she had been following now tied back to the same point, to the man who had abandoned her mother and never once returned to look for them.


    Selene’s eyes burned as she pressed her forehead against her hand. What should she do now? Should she chase after this man, Maximus, to find out the truth? Or should she keep searching for the mastermind who had started this mess in the first ce?


    Her heart raged with questions.


    Why had her father left her mother to suffer like that? Why had he turned away when she needed him most? Even if something had happened back then, even if he had been powerless, it was no excuse. Nothing could justify leaving her mother in the hands of a monster.


    And worse...he had nevere back.


    Was he even alive now? Or had she been cursing the name of a dead man? If he had died long ago, then her mother had been left alone with her pain, while she herself have been born only to suffer for it.


    But if he were alive... then Selene’s heart hardened. She would never forgive him. Never. The memory of her mother’s lifeless eyes, the way she had faded without hope, shed again before her. That image alone was enough to fill Selene with fire.


    Her chest was so tight with confusion and fury that she could hardly breathe. Atst, she turned and slipped out of the hall. Her steps were silent, her figure moving like a shadow until she returned to the omega quarters.


    Inside, the room was quiet. Sara was sitting on the edge of the bed, her gaze turned out the small window. She looked thoughtful, but the moment Selene stepped in, Sara’s eyes snapped toward her.


    She had been waiting.


    "What happened?" Sara asked quickly, her voice filled with worry. "Did you find something useful?"


    Selene froze. She shook her head lightly, her gaze dropping away. "No," she said softly. It wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t found the witch. She hadn’t uncovered the mastermind. Instead, she had found something else, something far too personal to share.


    She could not tell Sara. She was not ready to reveal her past, not ready to let anyone know about the man who might be tied to her father’s family.


    Sara frowned, disappointment clear in her face. After a moment, she let out a small sigh. "Do you really think we can even find her?" she asked. "The witch won’t show herself so easily. We don’t know when she wille or where she will appear. How are we supposed to find her?"


    Selene sat down slowly on her bed, her body still trembling faintly. She did not have an answer. Sara was right, it was like searching in the dark, hoping for a spark of light that might nevere.


    But they had no other way. They had no choice but to keep trying.


    Selene clenched her hands together tightly. Her mind was still full of questions. But for now, she could not let it out. She had to hold it all inside.


    She refused to believe that the witch could stay hidden forever.


    "Don’t worry, Sara, she would definitelye out, and if she doesn’t, then we will lure her out."