Pride's eyes locked onto Victor's, a mix of curiosity and concern etched on her face. She nodded slowly, her mind already turning to the impending full moon and the transformation that awaited her. With a deep breath, she steeled herself for what was to come, Victor's reassuring presence 9a steady anchor in the midst of uncertainty.
"It's still too early for you to be behaving like this, Pride," Victor said, his voice a low, steady rumble as he watched her ceaseless pacing. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast long, dancing shadows on the walls, mimicking the turmoil in her heart. "My Goddaughter Dignity was always calm and composed; she possessed an inner power to face any circumstance. When did you start acting this way? Calm yourself before I speak with you."
Pride's werewolf, a quiet but firm presence in her mind, chimed in, "He's right. We will survive this. The pains will come, as it's our first shift, but they will end eventually."
Slowly, Pride walked towards the plush couch, its velvet cool against her legs as she sank into the cushions. "Dad," she began, her voice still a little shaky but laced with determination, "what do you want to talk about?" She looked at Victor, her eyes, though red-rimmed, holding a fierce resolve. "And when you're done, I need to talk with Dan. I want him to know that I am willing to let him be my brother again, but only on one condition: if he never crosses me again. And his new fiancée must know this too; I don't want her to ever disrespect me. My temper will not tolerate any impertinence. I will never, ever date Dan again in my life."
Victor's heart ached with a familiar throb, hearing those words from Pride for the second time, but he masked his pain, his expression remaining neutral to protect her from further distress. He settled deeper into his own chair, the faint scent of polished wood and old books filling the air around them. "I wanted to discuss your mother's family," he began, his voice low and measured. "They might have been deeply hurt by the loss of your grandmother, which was compounded by the tragedy of losing your mother, but that doesn't mean you should carry any hatred for them. When you were still very young, they tried to investigate, but their efforts were in vain. Your uncle, unfortunately, misled them. Because they trusted him implicitly, they accepted his version of events and continued to support him."
He inhaled deeply, the fresh evening air from the open window filling his lungs before he continued. "When you asked me not to tell anyone that you had survived, and not to avenge your parents but to wait for your return, you were so young. I kept some crucial information hidden from you then." Victor pulled out his phone, the screen illuminating his face with a soft, blue glow, and opened a file before passing the device to Pride. "Your reasoning, even at that tender age, was far more mature than I expected, but it didn't stop me from tirelessly gathering every available piece of evidence for you. Had I been late, even by a moment, I might have been misled, just like your mother's side of the family. I could have fallen prey to that wicked uncle of yours' deception."
Pride exhaled slowly, a low, guttural sound that resonated with the raw power of a hungry lion. Her eyes, fixed on the phone's screen, devoured the damning evidence before her. A cold rage began to simmer in her veins. "Mike is so cruel," she whispered, her voice tight with disbelief and fury. "After everything my parents did for him… he was plotting this all along. He reveled in their pain, didn't he? Well, I will make him feel his own. Even if he is protected by Lycans, I will fight him to the death." Hot, angry tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision as she continued to scroll through the irrefutable evidence, the cold glass of the phone a stark contrast to the burning inferno in her chest.
Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what she saw, the intricate web of betrayal laid bare, Pride slowly handed Victor's phone back to him. "Please," she said, her voice strained, "send all of this to me via email. And I hope you have multiple copies, Dad. We cannot afford to lose this information." She met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with a profound, heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you for saving me, Dad. Thank you for keeping this important information safe until now. This means absolutely everything to me."
Victor's eyes softened, crinkling at the corners as a gentle smile touched his lips. He pulled Pride into a warm embrace, the comforting scent of his leather jacket and familiar strength enveloping her. "You are my pride," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, a faint tremor running through him. "Your biological parents are undoubtedly watching from above, beaming with pride. You were so young, yet you made raising you so incredibly easy. In truth, my dear, you practically raised yourself. I was merely here as your biggest fan, not just a supporter. I love you, daughter." His eyes grew visibly watery, glistening in the soft lamplight as he pulled back slightly, his gaze tenderly fixed on her face. "You are the best daughter anyone could ever wish for. Dan is a fool not to see you for your true self, not to recognize the incredible strength within you. You saved his life countless times, yet he never truly saw it. He even got what he deserved because of his foolishness. Please, even after I am gone, after my spirit joins your parents in the stars, promise me you will always protect this park. Dan is my son, but he is still brainless. He cannot always think logically."
Pride met his gaze, her own eyes firm and clear, holding his unspoken fears. "I will, Dad, at any cost," she promised, her voice unwavering, a fierce loyalty burning within her. "This is my home too. I grew up here, under your care, within these very walls." A wave of gratitude washed over her, warm and reassuring. "If it weren't for you, I don't know how miserable my life would have become. On my mother's side, they treated me like a fragile egg, always walking on eggshells around me, but you understood me more than anyone. That's why I chose you, Dad, even when you considered telling them about me. I'm with you, always." She glanced at the elegant grandfather clock in the corner, its gentle ticking marking the passage of time, then checked the watch on her wrist, a glint of urgency in her eyes. "If John reaches this pack before I'm fully recovered from the shift, please ask him to wait, or better yet, let me write a note."