Chapter 4

For a full 30 seconds, the Alpha and his wife just stared at me as if I had grown two heads. 

The silence stretched tight, heavy with tension and something deeper. 

It wasn’t just shock… It was scrutiny. 

Had I gone too far? 

Could my words have given them a bad impression of me? 

After all, I was an unknown girl they had dragged back from death’s edge. 

And here I was, asking to take their daughter’s place. 

No. 

To be given their daughter’s place. 

“I... I am sorry about my outburst… Alpha, Luna,” I said, bowing. “Please forget everything I just said," I added softly, my face burning with shame. 

I turned quickly and started climbing back up the stairs, not even knowing where I was going. 

I just needed to escape their eyes. 

Their presence. 

Their judgement. 

"Wait.” Estelle’s voice cut through the air. 

It wasn’t loud but commanding. 

I froze instantly, my body reacting before my mind could catch up. 

Her controlled footsteps approached slowly. 

I didn’t turn until I felt her hand rest gently on my shoulder. 

"Rita, bring some warm water for her. Her voice sounds dry," she said. 

That was when I realised there was someone else in the room. 

Rita. 

I had completely missed her presence. 

“Yes, Luna,” Rita said, bowing before leaving. 

“Come. Sit. Don’t be afraid,” Estelle said softly, guiding me down the stairs. 

Her touch was warm and reassuring. 

She led me to a velvet couch. 

I sat down stiffly, lowering my gaze. 

I could feel Alpha Joel’s sharp gaze on me the entire time, and it made the back of my neck prickle. 

He was watching me with suspicion, as if he were hunting for the truth. 

Rita returned with water. 

I took the glass and sipped slowly, the dryness in my throat easing with each swallow. 

I kept my head lowered, watching the ripples in the water and counting my heartbeat… 

Trying to steady myself. 

They gave me time. Neither of them spoke. 

“The girl in the letter,” I began quietly. “Isabelle. She spoke of a cage. She spoke of wanting freedom from the blood on your hands.” 

The air shifted. Alpha Joel moved. 

I could feel it even before I looked up. 

He stood before me, towering over me with his presence filling the space like a looming storm. 

“You have been eavesdropping,” he said. “That is a dangerous habit in this pack. It can get you killed.” 

“Joel…” Estelle murmured. 

I lifted my head and met his gaze. 

His grey eyes were sharp and piercing. 

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I got lost trying to escape. But what she said… she doesn’t know what a real cage is. She doesn’t know what it means to live in a family that treats you like nothing.” 

Estelle sat beside me, her dress rustling softly. 

Her hand hovered near my wrist. 

Near the almost faded bruises. The marks left by the restraints. 

“Who did this to you?” she asked gently. “We found you at the base of a ravine. Your body was broken. Your lungs were filled with water. Who are you?” 

“I…” 

I hesitated. What if they don't believe me? What if– 

“You can trust us.” 

Maybe it was how she said it or how she looked at me, but something inside me snapped.

Or maybe something broke completely. 

The words came out before I could stop them. 

The Swans. 

Nathan. 

The torture chamber. 

The electric chair. 

The silver restraints biting into my skin. 

My father watching. 

Lucas and Vanessa. 

Their celebration of my death. 

By the time I finished, the room had gone completely still. 

I looked down at my hands. 

Bruised. Scarred. Proof of everything. 

Estelle was trembling. She wasn't just crying. She was shaking. 

There was something soft yet dangerous about it.

She pulled me into a tight embrace, and her scent wrapped around me. 

Soft. Warm. 

She smelt of roses and something comforting beneath it… safety. 

“They left you for dead,” she whispered. Her voice was no longer soft; it was sharp and cold. 

“If my daughter had fallen into such hands… I would have torn that entire pack apart.” 

She pulled back slowly, studying my face, her gaze searching. Comparing. 

I knew what she was looking for. 

Her daughter. 

A part of me wanted her to find it. 

“If you don’t want to go back,” she said gently, “you can stay here. This pack will protect you. You don’t owe us anything.” 

Joel stepped back. 

His movements were slow and calculated. 

He began pacing, each step heavy and controlled.

“Estelle, you are letting your emotions lead you,” he said. 

“No. We are not taking advantage of her. She needs to heal,” Estelle replied firmly. 

“I understand that. But there's no news of Isabelle,” Joel said. “And her timing is disastrous.” 

His voice dropped slightly, sounding more serious. 

“The alliance with the Knights must be sealed. We keep pushing the deadline, and the Lycans are not patient. The Iron Lady won't keep accepting our excuses.” 

The room grew colder. 

“Rumours of Isabelle running away have begun spreading. The Lycans are sniffing around. I must stop it before our pack becomes vulnerable," he continued. “They will smell weakness.” 

Estelle fell silent. 

Her eyes moved between Joel and me. 

Joel stopped pacing, and then he looked at me. 

“We need an Isabelle. One who understands what it means to carry a pack’s future. One who will not run.” 

I stood up slowly. 

My ribs screamed in protest, but I ignored it and straightened. 

I held myself upright, pulling strength from the pain. 

“Let me become Isabelle Quinn… until she returns,” I said. My voice did not shake this time. 

“I already have her face. I will carry her name. But unlike her, I will not run. I have nowhere else to go. And I have people who need to see me rise again.” 

I held his gaze. 

“I will marry the Lycan king. I will be the daughter she refused to be. I will be the weapon she rejected.” 

Estelle looked at Joel, then back at me, her expression unreadable. 

Joel stepped closer. 

His presence loomed over me, strong and dominant. 

He reached out and gripped my chin. 

His hold wasn't cruel but firm. 

His eyes searched mine deeply. Evaluating me. 

“You speak of becoming Isabelle and alliances like they are simple,” he said quietly. 

“You would be tied to a Lycan for as long as this takes. You would live a lie every day. One mistake, and you die. We all do.” 

“I have already died once,” I replied, holding his gaze. 

“I am not afraid of dying again.” 

A slow smile formed on his lips. It wasn't a warm or kind smile; it was predatory. 

Recognition. 

He let go of my chin and stepped back. 

“The girl found in the woods is dead,” Joel declared, his voice full of authority. 

“From this moment on, you are Isabelle Quinn.” 

The name settled over me. 

Heavy. Powerful. Dangerous. 

“We begin your training tomorrow. You will learn everything. Her life. Her habits. Her role in this pack.” 

His gaze sharpened. 

“But I understand that nothing is free.” 

The air turned cold. 

“So tell me,” he said quietly. 

“What do you want in return?”