THE ALPHA'S REBORN

Chapter Five: The Father Who Should Be Dead

Damien’s POV

I couldn't breathe.

My father stood only a few feet away from me.

Alive.

Impossible.

I had watched his coffin disappear beneath the earth.

I had stood beside my mother as she cried.

I had carried the weight of his death for years.

Yet here he was.

Looking at me as if nothing had happened.

“Father?”

The word barely left my mouth.

He smiled.

“You still remember me.”

My hands curled into fists.

“Who are you?”

His expression darkened.

“You know exactly who I am.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“My father died twelve years ago.”

“That's what they wanted you to believe.”

I looked around.

Nightfang warriors surrounded us.

Selena stood behind him.

Aria moved closer to me.

“Damien,” she whispered, “don't trust him.”

My father laughed.

“Wise Luna.”

Aria's eyes narrowed.

“You know me?”

“I knew you long before you became Damien's mate.”

My stomach tightened.

“What does that mean?”

He looked at Aria.

“Your mother knew me.”

Aria froze.

“My mother?”

“Yes.”

He took a step forward.

“Your mother and I made a promise many years ago.”

“What promise?”

He smiled.

“To protect you.”

Aria's expression changed.

“Then why did you let me die?”

Silence.

My father looked at her.

“I didn't.”

“You were behind it.”

“No.”

His eyes shifted toward Selena.

“She was.”

Selena's smile disappeared.

“Don't blame me for your failures.”

My father laughed.

“You were always impatient.”

I stared at them.

“You two worked together?”

Selena said nothing.

My father answered for her.

“For a time.”

My blood boiled.

“You destroyed my life.”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“You destroyed your own life when you refused to question the people around you.”

His words cut deeply because they were true.

I had trusted Selena.

I had condemned Aria.

I had believed lies.

I had killed the woman I loved.

I stepped toward him.

“If you knew the truth, why didn't you stop me?”

His expression became cold.

“Because you needed to learn.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Learn what?”

“That an Alpha who cannot see through deception is unworthy of his crown.”

My wolf growled.

“You manipulated me.”

“I tested you.”

“You let Aria die!”

My father's face remained emotionless.

“Aria's death was never supposed to happen.”

Aria looked at him.

“Then why did it?”

He looked directly at her.

“Because someone betrayed me.”

Everyone became silent.

“Who?” I demanded.

My father turned toward Selena.

She immediately stepped backward.

“You promised me,” she said.

He smiled.

“And you broke your promise first.”

Selena's eyes flashed.

“You said I would become Luna.”

“You were never meant to.”

Her face twisted with anger.

“You lied!”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“I gave you exactly what you deserved.”

Selena suddenly shifted.

Her body transformed into a massive black wolf.

She attacked him.

My father didn't move.

A Nightfang warrior intercepted her.

They crashed into the ground.

Chaos erupted.

“Aria, run!”

I grabbed her hand.

But she refused to move.

“No.”

“Aria!”

“I need answers.”

“You'll die if you stay.”

She looked into my eyes.

“I already died once.”

Then she released my hand.

“I won't run from my own life again.”

I stared at her.

The woman I had once thought was fragile was standing in front of an army without fear.

I finally understood.

Aria wasn't the woman I had lost.

She was someone stronger.

Someone I had no right to control.

I stood beside her.

“Then we stay together.”

She looked at me.

“Don't misunderstand.”

“I know.”

“This doesn't mean I forgive you.”

“I know.”

“I still don't trust you.”

“I know.”

She looked away.

“But I'll protect you.”

I smiled sadly.

“Even if you hate me?”

She looked at me.

“I don't hate you.”

My heart stopped.

She whispered—

“I hate what you did.”

Before I could respond, a howl shook the forest.

My father raised his hand.

Every Nightfang warrior stopped fighting.

Selena was on the ground, injured and breathing heavily.

My father looked at me.

“Come with me.”

“No.”

His expression hardened.

“You need to know the truth.”

“I'll find it myself.”

“You won't.”

He pointed toward Aria.

“Because the person who wants her dead is already inside your pack.”

Aria's eyes widened.

“What?”

My father smiled.

“And she's closer than you think.”

Then he shifted into a massive black wolf.

The Nightfang warriors followed.

Within seconds, they disappeared into the forest.

Selena remained behind.

I looked at her.

“You're coming with us.”

She laughed.

“You think you can arrest me?”

My warriors surrounded her.

“You killed Aria in our first life.”

Selena's eyes moved toward Aria.

“I didn't kill her.”

Aria stepped forward.

“Then who did?”

Selena smiled.

“You'll find out.”

Before anyone could stop her, she pulled a small vial from inside her clothes.

My eyes widened.

“Selena!”

She drank it.

Aria rushed forward.

But it was too late.

Selena collapsed.

I knelt beside her.

Her pulse disappeared.

Dead.

Again.

Aria stared at her body.

“She knew something.”

I nodded.

“And now we'll never know.”

But then Aria noticed something.

A small piece of paper had fallen from Selena's hand.

She picked it up.

Her face changed.

“What is it?”

She handed it to me.

There was only one sentence written on it.

THE FIRST LUNA WAS NEVER YOUR REAL MOTHER.

Aria's face went pale.

I looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

She shook her head.

“I don't know.”

Then she turned the paper over.

There was another message.

ASK YOUR FATHER WHO GAVE BIRTH TO YOU.

Aria stopped breathing.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“No…”

I stepped closer.

“Aria?”

She looked at me.

“My whole life…”

Her voice broke.

“Everything I believed about my family…”

She dropped the paper.

“Maybe it was a lie.”

Before I could comfort her, a painful howl echoed from the direction of the pack house.

One of my warriors came running.

“Alpha!”

“What happened?”

He was struggling to breathe.

“Someone attacked the pack.”

“Who?”

He looked at Aria.

Then at me.

“The enemy left one message.”

“What message?”

The warrior swallowed.

“They said…”

He lowered his voice.

“The reborn Alpha and Luna have only seven days to discover the truth.”

Aria's face went pale.

“And if we don't?”

The warrior looked toward the burning pack house.

“They said…”

His voice trembled.

“One of you will die again.”

I looked at Aria.

She looked back at me.

Neither of us spoke.

Because for the first time since our rebirth, we understood the truth.

This wasn't about changing the past anymore.

Someone was trying to control our future.