Theron’s POV
When I entered Mira’s room the next morning, it was empty. The faint scent of her still lingered in the air, vanilla and lavender, fading fast.
“Alpha,” one of the maids said softly, “she’s gone. Left before sunrise.”
I frowned. “Gone? She’ll come back. She’s just throwing a tantrum again. She won’t survive without me.”
But when I saw the small wooden box on the bed, my heart faltered. Inside were the letters I wrote her when I still lived as a nameless wolf with no memories in the woods. Promises of forever. Words filled with love and warmth.
Beside them lay the gifts I’d given her — the ring, the necklace I once said matched her eyes.
She really left. For good. Suddenly, all memories came crushing down.
“No…” I stummered. “Find her, quick!”
Mira’s POV
The plane’s hum was steady and low, a sound that could almost lull me to sleep if not for the ache in my chest. I leaned my head against the window, staring at the clouds, my reflection faintly visible in the glass. The farther we went, the smaller Nightbane territory became, and yet, it didn’t feel like I was leaving anything behind. It felt like I was running from ashes that no longer burned.
As the plane cut through the night sky, a fragment of memory slipped into my mind—one I hadn’t thought about in years.
I was small, maybe eight or nine, sitting on the wooden floor while my mother combed my hair. Her hands were gentle, her humming soft. The room smelled of herbs and smoke from the old lamp that flickered beside us.
“Mom,” I had asked, “why don’t I have a father like the other pups in the village?”
She went quiet for a moment, the comb pausing mid-stroke. Then she smiled faintly, though her eyes glistened. “Your father was a good man, Mira. His name was Neil Delaine Moonriver. He was supposed to marry someone else—someone from Thorndike Pack. He was meant to be the next Alpha of Moonriver Pack.”
I turned around, wide-eyed. “Then why didn’t he?”
“Because fate had other plans,” she said, her voice softer now. “He met me. And when he realized I was his fated mate, he didn’t care about the titles or anything anymore. He left everything behind to be with me.”
“Did he love you?”
She smiled again, tears escaping this time. “More than anything. But love doesn’t protect us from everything. Soon after you were born, he fell ill. No healer could explain why. He died when you were still a baby.”
I remember clutching her hand tightly. “Did they hate you for it?”
“They did,” she admitted quietly. “The Moonriver Pack thought I stole him. Your father’s family cut us off completely. I wanted to take you there, to at least let them know you exist, but we didn’t have the means.”
The comb moved slowly through my hair again. “One day,” she said, “when you’re strong enough, promise me you’ll find them. You deserve to know where you come from.”
Her words lingered in my head like an echo as I sat there on the plane. I closed my eyes and saw her smile again. I could almost feel her fingers in my hair.
But the warmth of that memory faded quickly, replaced by something bitter.
Because she never got justice. Because the woman who murdered her, Irene, was free. Because I had been forced to walk away. And because the man who once swore to protect me, Alpha Theron, had watched in silence.
I gripped the seat tightly, trying to keep my anger under control. My throat felt tight, my pulse hard and fast. I told myself that this wasn’t the end. That I would find a way to make every single one of them pay.
When the plane finally landed, the stewardess’ voice pulled me back to the present. I gathered my small bag and stepped out, the chill of early morning air biting against my skin. The Moonriver Pack territory was vast—mountains in the distance, dense woods surrounding the airfield, and tall fences guarded by wolves in uniform.
As I walked toward the gate, two guards in human form stopped me. Both were tall, alert, their scents unmistakably Moonriver.
“Name,” one of them said.
“Mira Delaine,” I replied. “I’m here to see your Alpha.”
The guard frowned slightly. “And what business do you have with Alpha Sirius?”
I hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’m the daughter of Neil Delaine Moonriver.”
The moment the name left my lips, both guards exchanged startled looks. One of them blinked, visibly thrown off. “Neil Delaine Moonriver?” he repeated. “You’re saying you’re his daughter?”
“Yes,” I said firmly.
They didn’t question me further. Instead, they lowered their heads slightly, signaling respect, and one of them spoke quietly into his earpiece. A few minutes later, a man with salt-and-pepper hair and a Beta’s insignia on his jacket approached.
“I’m Beta Darius,” he said. His tone was polite but cautious. “I heard… quite an interesting claim.”
“It’s not a claim,” I said. “It’s the truth. My father was Neil Delaine. My mother’s name was Jade.”
He blinked, his face shifting from disbelief to quiet realization. “Jade…” he murmured, as if testing the name. Then his eyes widened. “The omega from the borderlands. Spirits above.”
He looked at me more carefully now, studying my face. “You have his eyes,” he finally said. “Come. The Alpha needs to hear this himself.”
I followed him through the main gates, past long stone pathways and tall pines. The Moonriver Pack mansion stood at the heart of it all, a grand building of white stone and silver accents, the Moonriver crest carved above the doors. It felt strange, walking into a place that, by blood, should have been mine all along.
Inside, Beta Darius led me into a wide office. Behind the desk sat a man in his twenties, his presence unmistakably dominant. His aura filled the room, cold and heavy.
“Alpha Sirius,” Darius said respectfully, “this woman claims to be the daughter of your uncle, Neil Delaine Moonriver.”
Alpha Sirius looked up from his papers, his blue-gray eyes locking on me. “My father’s brother?” he asked, his voice even but edged.
“Yes,” I said quietly. “Your uncle.”
He stood slowly, examining me from head to toe. His expression gave nothing away, but there was something in his gaze—curiosity, perhaps, or disbelief.
“I see,” he finally said. “Then that would make you my cousin.”
I nodded once.
He leaned back slightly, arms crossing over his chest. “I heard rumors my uncle left everything for a woman outside the pack. I didn’t know there was a child.”
“There was,” I said. “Me.”
For a moment, silence stretched between us. Then, without another word, he gestured to Darius. “Find her a room. She’ll stay here until I decide what to do.”
His tone was distant, indifferent, but not cruel. I didn’t expect warmth anyway. Not from someone raised in the family that had turned their back on my father.
The room they gave me was simple but far more luxurious than anything I’d ever lived in. A proper bed, a window overlooking the forest, and shelves lined with old books. I sat on the edge of the mattress that night, staring at the Moonriver crest embroidered on the curtains.
So this was my father’s world.
I didn’t sleep much.
The next morning, Beta Darius came to fetch me. “The elders wish to speak with you,” he said.
He led me to a meeting hall where two older wolves sat at a long table. I recognized them instantly by resemblance. Elder Alex—Alpha Sirius’s father, the former Alpha—and beside him, his mate, Elder Eden. Both carried an air of authority that commanded silence.
Elder Alex spoke first. “So, you are Jade’s daughter.”
“Yes, Elder,” I said, keeping my tone respectful.
“We heard your story,” Elder Eden said softly. “But we’d like to hear it from you directly. Why have you come here now?”
I drew a breath and told them everything, how my mother raised me alone, how she told me about my father, how I met Theron, how Irene murdered my mother, how I was forced to walk away with nothing but ashes and pain.
When I finished, the room fell silent. Elder Alex exhaled heavily, looking at his mate. Elder Eden’s expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
“So,” Elder Alex finally said, “what do you intend to do now that you’re here?”
I lifted my chin slightly. “I want to regain the honor my mother lost. And I want revenge. I want every single one of them to pay for what they did.”
Elder Alex nodded slowly. “Revenge is a dangerous path, child.”
“I’ve already lost everything,” I said quietly. “I have nothing left to lose.”
For a moment, none of them spoke. Then Elder Eden leaned forward. “How old are you, Mira?”
“I’m twenty-four.”
Her brows furrowed slightly. Elder Alex turned to her, their eyes meeting for a long, weighted moment. Something unspoken passed between them.
Then Elder Eden’s gaze returned to me. “Didn’t your parents tell you?”
