Chapter 213
I needed a drink. Or several.
Dr. Rylan needed time to dig through old medical records, so we were stuck in this uncomfortable limbo of suspicion and guilt.
Tristan. My father’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Come with me.”
I glanced at Selene, who sat with her head bowed, hands clasped tightly in her lap. Then at my mother, who looked deeply troubled. I guessed she was worried about Selene.
With a sigh, I followed my father up the stairs to his bedroom.
“Close the door,” my father instructed as I entered his bedroom. He gestured to the small sitting area near the window. “Sit down.”
I did as he asked, watching as he moved to a cabinet in the corner. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of wine–a thirty–year–old Bordeaux that I recognized as one of his prized possessions.
He walked over with two glasses, sat across from me, and poured. The rich, ruby liquid caught the light as it flowed into the crystal.
“Have a drink,” he said, pushing one glass toward me.
I frowned, studying his face. This was the first time my father had ever offered to share a drink with me. We’d never had that kind of relationship—the kind where father and son could sit together, sipping wine and sharing confidences. Our interactions had always been formal, focused on pack business or stern lectures about responsibility.
I took the glass but didn’t drink, watching the wine swirl like blood as I rotated my wrist. The silence stretched between us as my father observed me with unusual intensity.
“You’re quite the enigma,” he finally said.
“What do you mean, Dad?”
He leaned back in his chair, taking a small sip before answering. “You’ve grown from a hot–headed boy who solved problems with his fists into the most efficient Alpha I’ve ever seen. You know exactly when to be ruthless and when to show restraint. Cold when necessary, calculating always.”
I stared into my glass, not touching the wine. Was I really so calm and collected? If my father only knew the chaos raging inside me. Did he understand how his decisions had shaped–no, damaged my life?
He’d made two choices that altered my path forever: forcing me to mark Lysandra against my will, then breaking her connection to our pack, leaving her vulnerable as a rogue. He should have opposed the divorce. Should have asked me before severing her bond. Even though I’d signed the papers, I never would have allowed her to leave the pack back then.
“I’ve never asked what’s going on in your head, Tristan,” my father said, his voice softer than usual. “I know I’ve made mistakes. Today, I want to ask you something. Will you answer me honestly?”
I didn’t respond, but he continued anyway.
“When you were married to Lysandra, you never cared about her. Now that you’re divorced but have children together, do you regret losing her?”
I looked away, my grip tightening on the glass. T fought the urge to crush it in my hand, unwilling to reveal just how deeply his question had
cut.
1/2
Chapter 213
My mind flashed back to the night of the war. The sharp pain in my chest as I’d raced to Moonshade Pack, terrified I wouldn’t reach her in time. The single–minded focus that had driven me forward, heedless of risk or consequence. I’d gone there to save her–only her. In that moment, I’d finally admitted to myself just how much she meant to me.
The truth was, I regretted it every night. The pain was eating me alive. I’d done so many terrible things to her, never listening, never giving her
only by now r the trust and respect she deserved. And I was
realizing she might have been the only person I’d ever truly loved.
Chapter Comments
1
POST COMMENT NOW
