LOGIN~DAHLIA
Shakily, I stood up. I would do whatever it took, whatever Zayden wanted, as long as he decided to let all of these go.I knew right away that it was too late for me to get out of this union like I originally wanted to, and I would be stuck in here for as long as he wanted me to be.But that didn't matter now.What mattered was making sure Derek remained safe.So I held my mate's gaze, even as fear turned my limbs into mush. Even as I struggled to breathe. Even as terror made a home in my chest."I would do anything you want me to do, Zayden. As long as you promise to let Derek go. That man has done nothing to be punished for. And he's not my lover either. All he did was listen to me and followed me here. Please don't kill him," I pleaded.Zayden cocked his head to the side."How do I know if you're telling the truth this time?" he asked, and I snapped."You think I'm going to lie in a si~DAHLIAGrandfather looked up from his meal at Zayden's entrance. "Zayden. Good, you're on time. You and Dahlia need to talk. I'll give you space," my adoptive grandfather stated firmly, and made me stand up. I instantly stood up and rushed over to him. "Please, don't stand up. You don't need to leave the room for us, grandfather. We'll leave," I stated, my voice filled with concern. He was so small, so fragile, and I didn't want him to make the effort of walking all the way back to his room, especially when he was still eating. My grandfather sighed as he sat back down. "These days, I keep thinking about the past. When I was young and strong. Now I can't move without help," he said, and there was a pang of bitterness in his words. "Grandfather..." I started to say, but he just waved my words away. "Go on. You guys have a lot to talk about. Don't let me waste your time."His voice was resolute, and I knew
~ DAHLIA“Do you think I was a bad grandfather?" my adoptive grandfather asked, and the question was so sudden, so unexpected that I whipped my head away from my food to stare at him. I shook my head fiercely. “No. Absolutely not. You were, and you still are, a great grandfather. You raised me, and even though I might have made some mistakes along the way, I still turned out good. So please, whatever it was that brought about that question, I need you to get rid of it immediately.”He looked up from his meal to smile at me, and I felt a flush of warmth at the smile. Then he reached out to squeeze my hand across the table, and I smiled back at him.“I am proud of the woman that you are, Dahlia but this is not about you. This is about Zayden. I am afraid that I might have made a mistake in raising him,” he stated, and his voice was so forlorn, so unexpectedly sad, that the warmth in my chest died a swift death and got replaced with sorrow.
~ZAYDENI ran a hand through my hair as I watched Dahlia leave. My entire body was burning with curiosity, and I desperately wanted to know what she discussed with grandfather that took this long. But knowing Dahlia, following and pressing her for the details was not going to yield any result. So I decided to go to my grandfather instead. He was already waiting for me. I closed the door to his study behind me, and steeled myself for his reproach as I took my seat. "I'm sorry," I stated immediately, wanting to set the right tone for the conversation we were about to have.Even if my grandfather was not aware about the extent of what happened between me and Dahlia, I knew that I was majorly at fault.My grandfather said nothing though. He only held my gaze and stared at me for a long time. The silence became tense, then it turned awkward. My heart raced beneath my chest as I waited for him to speak.
~DAHLIA My adoptive grandfather said nothing throughout the drive home, and my nervousness rose until it spilled over in my blood, threatening to suffocate me. A part of me was relieved at what Zayden did. His explanation meant that I would not have to hide my kids for fear of being bullied or insulted. But I was also mad at him. I wished he had told me about all of this before he made that announcement. I wished he hadn't put me on the spot like that. But wishing wasn't going to change anything. What was done was done. I could not change what has happened. I can only live with it. The car stuttered to a stop at my Grandfather's house, and I helped him out of the car. Very slowly, we made our way down to the house and to his study. The silence was driving me mad. I knew that grandfather wanted to talk to me about Zayden's revelation, but I didn't like how long he was dragging the impending conversation. I wanted him to say something, but his expression remained blank even a
~ZAYDENEveryone was staring at me.I felt their gazes on me, but I didn't care. Not about them. The only person I cared about — people — was my grandfather. And Dahlia. I felt my Grandfather's burning stare at my back, but I did not turn around to look at him. We would be having our own discussion later. Right now though, I needed to wrap up this issue of Edda and her betrayal. Niklaus remained kneeling, even as my words resounded through the hall, but he raised bloodshot eyes to meet mine. "My lord..."I shook my head, stopping whatever it was he had to say. "I will hear no more from you, Niklaus. I have presented you, and your daughter, with two options. She either leaves the Pack and never ever come back here, or she accepts to go through with the first punishment," I deadpanned. Niklaus stood up and turned back to stare at his family. Edda's mother was trying so hard not to cry, but tears slid down h
~DAHLIAMy heart was pounding against my chest. Panic and fear slithered through my veins, and I was so terrified, so scared about what was going to happen next, that I couldn't breathe.When Zayden came to my house to tell me about a trial he wanted me to attend, I had shut the door in his face.Whatever trial that wanted to hold was none of my business, I said. I had no interest in whatever went down in the pack, I thought.But for some reason, his invitation bugged me. I had no idea why. All I knew was that his words got stuck in my mind, and I suddenly found myself wanting to know what said trial was about. So I found a caretaker to look after my children for me, and I made my way to the pack house. Of all the things I had expected to happen though, this was definitely not on the list. Zayden held my gaze, and in his face, I saw his guilt, his resolution to make things right. My heart thumped loudly agai







