Unveiled Legacy

Ember Frost's POV

After a few minutes, a tall man in his late fifties walked into the room. His presence suddenly made the big space feel small, like he filled it all up just by being there.

"It's okay, Renee, enough of the crying. Don't disgrace yourself in front of the child," he said, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her gently while she kept crying hard, and he comforted her with patience, rubbing her back softly.

Slowly the lady’s tears quieted to soft sniffles, her shoulders easing under the warm light of the chamber’s lanterns. The man turned to me, his eyes steady but bright with unspoken hope. From his coat pocket, he pulled out a folded document. With a trembling hand he held it out with a gentle nod. "My dear, I know all this is hard for you to believe, but everything you've been told is true. We tested your blood at four different hospitals, and every result sings the same song—you’re our daughter, the one we’ve mourned since you were taken."

The air in my lungs seemed to freeze. My hands, though trembling, reached out to take the paper. I unfolded it slowly, my heart pounding in my chest as my eyes scanned the document before me.

It was real—they were my parents.

My throat went dry, and my breath got stuck. I was too shocked to say anything. Truth is, a few years back, after finding out I wasn't my adoptive parents' real child, I'd dreamed about what it would be like if my biological ones came for me someday. I loved Rowan, Selene, and Klaus so much, but there was always this invisible wall between us. There were times they scolded Klaus, times they shouted at him for his mistakes, but never once did they raise their voice at me. 

It frustrated me sometimes, made me feel like a guest in their home, someone who would always go back to where they belonged, no matter how bad I messed up.

And now, here I am. A daughter to a lycan king.

My mind was still reeling when the man spoke again, his voice a warm, steady balm to my shattered thoughts.

With this, now I can rightfully claim you as the daughter we lost eighteen years ago, Princess Celeste. My father said,

I was beyond words. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I could only feel the air from my breath.

After all this emotional rollercoaster, tears filled my eyes. I had never imagined a day like this—finding my real parents and turning out to be a princess. It felt like some silly movie plot meant to make people cry and laugh at the same time.

"Welcome home, my precious daughter," my father said with a smile, walking over to hug me tight, with my mother joining in.

Is…Is…Is this real or I'm dead?. I cried, and tears blurred my vision.

My mother lifted her fingers to my face and gently brushed my cheek. Her hazel eyes, just like mine, staring at me as she smiled softly. "Baby girl, this is real, everything you’ve seen and heard are all real, what made you think you can be killed so easily when you're a Lycan werewolf?"

A Lycan werewolf? The word hit me like a sudden storm, and my mind struggled to wrap around it. For eighteen years, I had believed I was wolf-less, faced ridicule and rejected by my mate for being useless. How could this be true?

"I've always thought I was wolf-less," I mumbled.

"That's not possible. We Lycans have the scent of lavender, which you carry too. If you want to know a true Lycan, you sense them by their scent, not their power," my father said, frowning.

He looked scary when angry. "Sweetheart, tell us. What happened to you, did you have a fight with someone, how did you end up in the river almost dead?"

"If I hadn't found you in time, you would've died."

The questions caused my chest to constrict. The burden of everything, the pain I had hidden for so long, suddenly returned. But knowing how much they cared now, I couldn't hold back. When I cried again, they patiently waited for me to calm down.

When I could finally speak, I told them, "I jumped off the cliff myself."

"Why would you do that?" they both asked at the same time.

I looked away, my hands trembling in my lap. "I grew up in a wolf pack... and I was the only one who was without a wolf."

"So, those Idiots bullied you?" my father fumed.

"No! I blurted, they never did. In fact, they always stood up for me when others picked on me. I was the useless one. I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't fight, at training I couldn't match their strength. I was nothing but a constant nuisance to the pack."

My mother shot me an angry look to stop me."I won’t hear you speak of yourself like that, Celeste. You are not useless. You just needed time. I gave birth to you with so much pain, and I won’t let you dismiss your worth so easily." She said, and I turned to her, confused.

Every werewolf is born powerful. So why was I different? Why did I need time to grow? I asked.

"Sweetheart, calm down. You don't need to worry about these things," my mother said. “But why am I called a princess? Am I really one?”

My father snapped his head toward me. He sat up straight, adjusting his shirt. He had this amazing dignity that made you respect him. "Certainly. I am the Lycan King, ruler of all werewolves. You will inherit my position as my only heir and become the future Lycan Queen, Queen Celeste Hart."

His words rang with certainty, a force that pulled at my chest. But my mother’s voice interrupted, her tone terse and protective.

"Enough, Darian. Celeste has just woken up from a terrible accident. This isn't the time to talk about such big things."

"Yes, you're right. Please forgive us, dear, permit us to introduce ourselves properly. I am Darian Hart, your dearest dad, and this gentle, beautiful lady is my mate and your mother, Renee Hart."

"When you chose me as your mate and we had Celeste... haven't we always expected this day would come?" my mother asked my father.

"You both chose to be mates? But I thought it’s the Moon Goddess arranging them?"

My mother chuckled softly. "No, Celeste. We Lycans have the right to choose our mates. We do not leave that to fate."

“And what about you?” My father looked at me carefully. “Do you have someone you like?”

I hesitated, my thoughts racing. “I… I have a mate, one the Moon Goddess arranged for me.”

My mother raised an eyebrow. “Do you love him? Do you want to be with him?”

I swallowed hard. "No… he rejected me," I whispered, the words stinging more than I had anticipated.