96 Chapter 96 Truth Becomes Nightmare
The revelation crashed over me like a tidal wave, drowning my denial. 1
“I have to rescue her,” I declared, desperation flooding my voice. “I have to find my daughter and end Dorian’s reign of terror.”
The knowledge that my own father had participated in that massacre burned like acid.
“There’s more buried in this grave,” Harrison continued, his voice dropping to barely audible levels, as if speaking too loudly might wake sleeping demons. “The former Alpha of the Nebula pack lived a lie. His marriage was political theater, not destiny. Everyone accepted this charade, but whispers followed him like shadows. Rumors of his true mate, kept hidden from all eyes. A secret lover whose identity remained locked away.”
Harrison’s unwavering stare pinned me in place. “Yes.” The single word detonated in my chest, sucking all warmth from the room.
The relentless Australian sun hammered down on Alpha Harrison’s concealed refuge, a fortress carved into the unforgiving landscape of red stone and endless horizon. This wasn’t some luxurious estate but a practical stronghold, hidden where civilization forgot to look. The scorching outback stretched in every direction, a natural barrier that kept secrets buried.
“Here’s where truth becomes nightmare, Julian.” Harrison’s eyes locked onto mine with laser intensity. “Those few who encountered his hidden mate described her perfectly. Down to details that matched the missing Luna of the Ruined pack.”
Harrison studied me with profound sadness, his expression carrying knowledge of inevitable tragedy. “I pray you find her breathing, Julian. With every fiber of my being, I hope she survives.” He paused, letting reality settle around us like a shroud. “But stopping Dorian means accepting a terrible truth, You’ll have to become the monster you’re fighting. You’ll need to destroy the entire Nebula pack if necessary, every last member who stands with him. And you’ll carry that blood on your conscience until your dying breath, Julian. Every single day for the rest of your existence.”
Ice flooded my veins, raising goosebumps across my skin. “How is that possible?” My voice barely registered above a whisper. “The massacre was complete. No survivors. The entire bloodline was extinguished.”
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96 Chapter 96 Truth Becomes Nightmare
My throat constricted, words scraping against the dry walls. “Tell me the truth,” I forced out, each syllable a struggle. “Is Dorian truly the rightful heir to the Ruined pack?”
I shook my head, my chest constricting with old guilt. “But you slaughtered everyone! Innocent children, Harrison! How do you justify murdering the defenseless?”
This war extended far beyond Seraphina, beyond my personal stakes.
“He has my child,” I whispered, the words scraping my throat raw. “My daughter is in his hands, Harrison. God only knows what horrors she’s enduring, what he’s doing to her innocent spirit.” Terror clawed at my heart, painting vivid nightmares of her suffering. My nails drew blood from my palms.
He looked away momentarily, jaw muscles working, before returning to meet my stare. His eyes held the weight of countless sleepless nights. “Werewolves are dying in unprecedented numbers across multiple territories. Not just Nebula wolves, but innocents from every pack. Children are being stolen from their families, Julian. Babies torn from their mothers’ arms. And the women,” his voice cracked slightly, “women are being violated and forced to breed monstrosities. The same dark magic that corrupted the Ruined pack is spreading like cancer.”
My mind reeled. Naming a stepson as alpha heir violated every tradition, but it explained the mysterious gaps in Dorian’s background that had haunted my investigation.
Julian’s POV
Every cell in my body screamed for denial, begged for this to be some cosmic mistake.
“Revenge,” I breathed, tasting ashes. “Dorian’s entire existence is built on vengeance for his murdered family.” My hands clenched into weapons, my body turning rigid under the crushing realization.
“Everyone understands why the Ruined pack faced annihilation,” Harrison said, his tone sharpening with old anger. “They weren’t martyrs or innocent victims, They had surrendered their humanity to darkness. Black magic consumed them, fed by alliances with corrupted witches. They butchered other werewolves like livestock, using their blood for twisted ceremonies and abominable experiments.”
The official story claimed she had drowned herself rather than face capture and torture. But stories were just that.
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