Chapter Four

Lucy's POV

Back at the packhouse, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man I had met at the mine. His image lingered in my mind: his piercing blue eyes, his strong frame, and the way his voice had wrapped around me like silk. Something about him felt different, magnetic even. I wondered if our paths would cross again.

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. One of the maids entered, carrying the outfit I was expected to wear to entertain the guests.

“Luna Lucy, it’s almost time to welcome the guests,” she said, setting the clothes down on my bed.

“So I'll be wearing this to welcome these guests?” I asked, looking at the clothes.

“Yes, Luna,” was all she said before heading out.

After she left, I took a long bath before going to the bathtub, hoping the warm water would calm the strange mix of nervousness and excitement inside me. Once I was ready, I slipped into the elegant dress—a simple yet commanding outfit that exuded power.

Sure that I had my nerves in order, I headed to the Alpha’s den, which also served as the pack’s meeting room. The grand space always felt suffocating to me, with its heavy, old furnishings and the lingering scent of Daven’s authority. As I entered, my eyes immediately fell on Daven, seated at the head of the table. Around him were four others, one of whom I recognized as the Beta of the pack. The other three were strangers, and I guessed they must be the guests.

Daven noticed me and beckoned for me to sit beside him. His gesture was commanding, leaving no room for refusal. I walked over, taking careful steps, and took the seat he had indicated. His hand rested on my shoulder briefly—a move that sent a shiver of resentment down my spine.

“Gentlemen,” Daven began, his voice a rasp that betrayed his failing health,

“This is my wife, Luna Lucy.”

The three strangers looked up, and my heart nearly stopped. There, seated across the table, was the man from the mine. His eyes met mine, but the warmth I remembered was replaced by a cold, assessing stare. Beside him were two men who looked exactly like him.

Triplets!

My mind raced as Daven continued his introduction.

“Lucy, meet my sons—Shaun, Scott, and Seth.”

Sons?

The word hit me like a blow.

Sons? I had no idea Daven had children. All this time, I had believed he was childless, which was a cornerstone of my plan to inherit his position after his death. This changed everything. If he had heirs, my claim to the pack would be completely overshadowed.

But the shock didn’t end there. The man I had met at the mine—Shaun—was one of his sons? The realization was almost too much to take in at a time. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but the weight of the revelation must have shown because Daven chuckled dryly.

“Yes, Lucy, they’re my sons,” he said, his tone laced with pride.

“I called them here because of my failing health.”

Shaun’s jaw tightened, and he spoke before I could gather my thoughts.

“Why?” he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Why should we stoop so low as to introduce ourselves to your little plaything?” His eyes burned into mine, filled with anger and disgust. It was such a sharp contrast to the warmth we had shared earlier that I felt as though I had been slapped.

“And by the way, Father,” Shaun continued, his tone icy,

“Why do we even need to be here? Mom’s replacement can handle things while you’re sick.”

I flinched at his words, but before I could respond, one of his brothers, Scott, intervened.

“Enough, Shaun,” Scott said calmly, placing a hand on his brother’s arm.

“We’re here for a reason, and this isn’t helping.”

Scott turned to me and introduced himself and his brothers, his tone polite but distant. Seth, the quieter of the three, nodded curtly, his expression unreadable.

“Thank you,” I murmured, unsure of what else to say. The tension in the room was suffocating, and I could feel my carefully constructed composure beginning to crack.

Daven cleared his throat, silencing the room. “That’s enough,” he said firmly.

“I didn’t call you here to argue. You know why you’re here.”

The brothers’ expressions darkened, and I sensed there was more to this meeting than I had been told. Daven leaned forward, his gaze heavy.

“I know your earnest wish is to avenge your mother. I have spent years gathering information on the ones responsible for her death.”

At the mention of their mother, the brothers’ countenance shifted. Shaun’s anger was replaced by a quiet, simmering rage. Scott’s jaw tightened, and Seth’s hands balled into fists.

“I’ve compiled everything I’ve learned,” Daven continued, his voice raspier now. “All the intel is with my Beta. But my illness prevents me from taking action myself. If you want that information, and if you want to bring justice to your mother’s memory, you must agree to one condition.”

The brothers exchanged wary glances, but it was Shaun who spoke.

“What condition?”

“You must live here, in this pack, for a year,” Daven said.

“Whether I’m alive or dead, you will stay. During that time, you will care for the pack and look after Lucy.”

My breath hitched. Me? Why would he want them to look after me?

“If, after the year is up, you still wish to return to your mother’s pack, you may do so,” Daven concluded.

“But only after you’ve fulfilled your duty here.”

The room fell silent. I could feel the weight of Daven’s words pressing down on all of us. The brothers didn’t look pleased, but they didn’t argue.

Daven was about to say something else when the sound of shattering glass pierced the air. I turned just in time to see an arrow fly through the window, its gleaming tip aimed straight at Daven.

The arrow struck him square in the chest, planting itself deep. Daven’s eyes widened, and he let out a strangled gasp. Blood seeped through his shirt, bright and jarring.

“No!” Scott shouted, leaping to his feet.

Chaos erupted in the room. The Beta rushed to Daven’s side, barking orders at the guards outside. Shaun and Seth moved to block the shattered window, their eyes scanning the darkness for the attacker.

I stood frozen. Daven was already gravely ill, and with this wound, there was no way his body could heal on its own.

What was going to be my fate now?