“If it weren’t for her, you never would have been kidnapped in the first place. How could she possibly blame you? The only one at fault is her, for being deaf, for being weak, and shaming the Blackthorns in front of the whole pack.”
The Luna-blood in her voice made the insult sting all the sharper, cutting through me like a whip across bare skin. My father, Alpha Castor Blackthorn, remained silent, but the disdain in his eyes was more damning than words. His wolf stirred faintly, its judgment pressing against me, and I lowered my eyes, fighting to steady my breath.
It wasn’t the first time they had treated me like this. It would not be the last. But familiarity did nothing to dull the pain; it only deepened the wound.
Before I could find words to defend myself, Alpha Alaric stepped forward, calm as ever, his presence commanding. He placed a steady hand on Nyra’s shoulder and said warmly, “Kaia isn’t petty. There’s no need to apologize to her.”
His voice carried through the hall, smooth, reassuring, the voice of an Alpha everyone obeyed. And yet his words, meant to soothe, felt like a knife twisting deeper.