Pains in Pride's heart eased now that she knew Victor still cherished her like his own daughter. A sense of pride bubbled within her as she mentally reached out to her wolf, though the precise words felt elusive. "Wolf, I feel your presence, a strong thrumming beneath my skin, but I don't know how to truly connect, how to speak with you. Princess," she thought, sending the intention like a silent call. Her wolf's voice echoed back in her mind, warm and knowing. "You did well, little one. Indeed, I know everything you think. It's as if your thoughts are clear streams flowing into me. Oh, by the way, I'm not like the others. I don't have a name. I want you to give it to me." A genuine smile touched Pride's lips as she stood.
They needed to return home swiftly. She sensed a deep ache radiating from Victor, a silent sorrow that tugged at her. Helpless to soothe him in this moment, she turned her thoughts to her wolf. "Will you help me? I don't know how to lift his heavy mood. He's so wounded." "You must promise him that you will always be there for him, and that you will never hurt his son unless it's absolutely beyond your control. As long as he treats you with the love of a brother, you will mirror that and treat him as your own." Pride felt the weight of the promise, but seeing her Godfather so crestfallen was unbearable. She tried, her voice soft yet firm as she addressed him. "Dad, you don't have to be this hurt. I was your daughter before any of this, and I will always be that. Please, don't let this pain consume you. Dan and I were siblings from the beginning. We've followed the pull of our mate bond, but the undeniable truth remains: sisters and brothers don't date. I will always love you and fiercely protect this pack, no matter what. I will also protect Dan." Victor's gaze, clouded with pain just moments before, now flickered with surprise. A fragile seed of hope took root in his heart. His shoulders seemed to relax infinitesimally, his spirit lifting ever so slightly.
Meanwhile, Dan was a tempest in his room. He had parted ways with Lucy just minutes after Pride's departure, a raw ache twisting in his gut, fueled by a burning fury. His mind replayed the scene with Pride, the memory of her reaction to his rejection a stinging insult. She had appeared so composed, almost as if she had anticipated it for a long time. There hadn't been a single tremor of hurt in her expression. He snatched the porcelain cup from the bedside table, the smooth, cool surface a fleeting contrast to the heat rising within him, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered with a sharp crack, the fragments scattering like his broken expectations. "Our love and care meant nothing to her all along," he seethed. "She was just a wolfless why was she so strong, so unaffected by my rejection? Why did she always carry herself with such unwavering control, as if the world danced to her tune? I love her," he admitted to the silent room, "but she doesn't even seem to care."
He had chosen Lucy because of her status, because she was the most politically advantageous mate for his pack, yet his heart still stubbornly clung to Pride. "She possesses a captivating quality I can't even begin to understand," he thought, the feeling of betrayal intensifying like a venomous sting. He stormed out of his room, a furious energy propelling him like a bullet ripped from a gun. He was going to find Pride and confront her, demand an explanation for her infuriating calmness. "She never truly loved me." He was oblivious to the sharp pang of hurt that had pierced Pride's heart the moment he uttered his rejection, a pain she had instantly shielded herself from by severing all emotional ties that connected them.
He spotted Pride entering through the main gate, her head thrown back in laughter as she walked alongside Victor. A fresh wave of incandescent anger surged through him. Moving with a speed that belied his inner turmoil, he swiftly approached them. He offered his father a curt, half-hearted greeting. "Dad." He didn't wait for a response before snapping his head towards Pride. "How dare you?" Pride felt a physical lurch in her chest, a sharp, tearing sensation, but she forced herself to remain composed. She would never give him the satisfaction of seeing her break, of witnessing her pain. Victor looked from one to the other, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What has she done?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral, his face an inscrutable mask.
Dan's anger faltered, replaced by fear and embarrassment. "Nothing," he mumbled, retreating to his bedroom, the soft carpet muffling his footsteps. The weight of facing his father after what he did was suffocating, like a heavy fog that clung to his skin. He didn't know whether Pride had already told him or not. His father's expressionless face, a mask of calmness, only added to his anxiety, making his heart sink like a stone in his chest.
Dan's mind was a jumble of thoughts as he paced around his room, the creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath his feet echoing his turmoil. He thought it might be better to tell his father first, but he didn't know how. His father's warm smile, usually a comforting sight, now seemed like a distant memory, making Dan's stomach twist with unease. He had always favored Pride, seeing things with love rather than strategic thinking. Dan had believed marrying Lucy, an alpha's daughter, would secure their pack's future by combining their forces. The thought of his father's disapproval made his palms sweat.
Now, Dan wondered how to make his father understand his perspective. He felt trapped between his loyalty to his pack and his father's expectations, like a bird caught in a snare, struggling to break free. The pressure to make the right decision weighed heavily on him, like a physical burden that pressed down on his shoulders.