Chapter 26

A helicopter descended onto the private landing pad near the Silverclaw manor. As the helicopter door opened, my parents stepped out, their faces filled with anger and frustration.

After hearing my cry through the phone, my father, Derek Cole, immediately rented a helicopter to fly from Velmoria City to Northbridge City.

For five years, they had struggled to stay in touch with me after I married Rowan. They assumed I was simply busy and tried to be understanding of my situation.

However, after learning the harsh truth, they finally realized the real reason I had never come home for so many years.

Zephyr walked toward them as they descended from the helicopter. "Alpha Derek, Luna Hattie. I—"

"Where is my daughter?" my mother—Hattie Cole—immediately cut off his words. After knowing what Rowan had done to me, she couldn’t bear to see any of his family’s faces.

Zephyr didn’t get angry over her attitude and tried to understand. "She is in the manor. Please, follow me."

My mother exchanged a quick glance with my father before following Zephyr without a word. Her face, which resembled mine so much, looked cold and fierce, while my father still had a bit of warmth on his face.

The moment they stepped into the manor, my mother’s icy demeanor cracked as soon as she saw me in the living room.

I broke into tears, and all my strength immediately vanished the moment I faced them. "Mom, Dad..."

My mother rushed forward and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Oh, my baby girl," she whispered.

My father stroked my hair gently, guilt evident in his eyes. "I’m so sorry... we should have known sooner."

"No... it’s not your fault." I lifted my face to look at him. "I was the one who forbade you from visiting me and Rowan."

My father gritted his teeth when he heard that despicable name. "It’s because of him! How dare he make my little girl suffer!"

When I had announced my decision to marry Rowan, my family hadn’t taken the news well. Rowan didn’t have a steady job at the time and was too dependent on his parents.

Furthermore, my sudden desire to retire from the entertainment industry had made them worry about my future.

They knew better than anyone that I had a deep passion for acting and had always dreamed of becoming a successful actress.

The thought of me giving up that dream so abruptly made them suspicious that Rowan had coerced me into quitting.

However, I had assured them that Rowan didn’t force me to quit. I explained that I wanted to focus on building a family, and my career would become an obstacle to that.

Besides that, my savings and assets were more than enough to support me in the long run.

Though my parents remained hesitant at first, they eventually accepted Rowan after seeing how happy he made me.

"I let you leave our pack in hopes that he could make you happier, but..." my father clenched his fists tightly. "...he’s hurting you instead... oh, my sweet little girl."

My father, Derek Cole, was the Alpha of the Moonfire Pack. Compared to Blood Creek and Silverclaw, Moonfire was a small pack with no more than 30 werewolves, but it was still prosperous.

My family ran a successful business in the fashion industry, and my mother was a renowned fashion designer whose name was recognized internationally.

That was why they couldn’t allow their beloved only daughter to marry someone they considered a failure.

If I hadn’t been so determined, they would never have allowed Rowan to be with me.

"Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t try hard enough to contact you. I really... really wanted to tell you everything, but... I... I was afraid Rowan would hurt you and Dad too."

He was insane and unpredictable. Who knew what kind of scheme he hid behind his sleeve?

After being manipulated too much by him, I had become more timid and lacked confidence. Hence, I didn’t want to take the risk of involving my parents.

"Samantha, listen to Mom." My mother cupped my face. "Don’t ever feel sorry for that. You did nothing wrong, and I’m glad you had the courage to walk away from him."

"But this time, your dad and I will never let him hurt you anymore." she said firmly. "If he tries to touch you, even just your hair, I’ll make sure to bite him to death."

My father added, "You don’t have to worry about us, honey. If he wants to hurt us, then we’ll make sure he regrets it."

I finally realized that my fear had been nothing more than the result of Rowan’s manipulation.

How could I have been afraid that Rowan would hurt my parents when, in reality, they were strong and capable of protecting themselves?

But that wasn’t the only reason why I couldn’t tell them everything.

Whenever I called them, Rowan would listen to our conversations. If I chose the wrong words, he would punish me severely.

The combination of abuse and manipulation from him had been enough to break my spirit into pieces.

"Let’s pack your things now," my mother said. "You will come with us to Velmoria."

I bit my lower lip, then glanced at Zephyr from the corner of my eye. "Mom, I can’t... I... I’m the Luna of the Silverclaw pack now."

"You what?!" My mother quickly turned to Zephyr, her gaze sharpening. "Is this one of your family’s tricks to torture my daughter?!"

My father growled, ready to shift into his wolf form. "How dare you put your mark on my daughter after knowing what your nephew did to her!"

"Did you force her to take your mark?!" he growled, stepping forward.

But before he could get any closer to Zephyr, I quickly grabbed his hand. "No, Dad! Mom! This is not what you think it is!"

"He is my true mate from the beginning!" I exclaimed. "And I was the one who asked him to renew our bond!"