Chapter 110

ISABELLA

Even as I sat there, wrapped in Asher’s arms with Knox and Jax close by, my mind was spinning. Werewolf hunters? The phrase kept echoing in my head, making less and less sense every time I thought about it. It felt like I was trying to solve a puzzle with pieces that didn’t fit together.

My mother… a werewolf hunter? How could that be true? She was so kind, so gentle. The thought of her being involved in something so dark, so dangerous, was impossible to reconcile with the woman I remembered. I tried to dig deeper into my memories, hoping for more clues, but nothing came. I’d been so young when she died, and everything about her was distant, like faded photographs tucked away in a forgotten album.

And then there was my father. He had raised me alone after she passed, and he never once mentioned her family. Not a single word. I always thought he didn’t talk about them because it hurt too much, because of the loss. But now I couldn’t help but wonder if it was something else. Did he know? Was he keeping secrets from me, too?

My head throbbed with the weight of the questions, and none of the answers felt satisfying.

“Asher…” I began, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I don’t understand. How could I not have known? How could my father have not told me about this?”

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression soft but serious. “Maybe he didn’t know, either. Or maybe he was trying to protect you.”

“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “He was so open about everything else. He would have told me, wouldn’t he?”

Jax shifted beside me, his voice low. “Maybe he thought it was better you didn’t know. You’re not like them, Isa. Whatever your mother’s family did, it has nothing to do with you.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that whatever legacy the Morrises carried, it wasn’t mine. But how could I ignore the blood that ran through my veins? My mother’s blood. Would this come back to haunt me, or worse, the people I loved?

“What if…” My throat tightened as I struggled to get the words out. “What if this puts all of you in danger? What if it makes me dangerous to you?”

Knox spoke up, his voice firm and unwavering. “You’re not dangerous to us. We know who you are. Whatever your mother’s family did, it doesn’t define you. We’ll deal with this, together.”

His confidence should have comforted me, but there was still that lingering doubt in the back of my mind. This wasn’t just about me anymore. There was a baby to think about, our baby. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of world I was bringing him into—a world where he’d be tied to both wolves and hunters. What would that mean for him?

I chewed on my lip, trying to hold back the tide of anxiety rising within me. “I don’t even know who these people are. I’ve never met any of them. But what if they’re still out there? What if they find out about me? About us?”

Jax’s grip on my hand tightened, as if he could sense the direction my thoughts were heading. “They won’t get near you. We won’t let them.”

But I wasn’t sure it was that simple. There were so many unknowns, so many things we hadn’t considered. And the idea that my mother’s family could still be out there, hunting wolves… hunting my wolves, it made my blood run cold.

“Do you think…” I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to say it out loud. “Do you think this could affect the vote? If the other alphas find out, could it stop you from taking the throne?”

The tension in the room shifted as my question hung in the air. Asher’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t avoid the question. “We don’t know. But we’ll handle it. You’re not responsible for your family’s actions, Isa. And I won’t let anyone use this against us.”

His certainty was reassuring, but there was still a gnawing fear deep inside me that refused to go away. This wasn’t just about the past anymore. It was about our future, and the more I thought about it, the less control I felt I had over it.

I swallowed hard, my fingers tangling nervously in the blanket draped over me. “I just don’t understand how all of this could happen without me knowing. I’ve been living my whole life thinking I was just… normal. And now—”

“You are normal,” Knox interrupted gently. “Well, as normal as any of us are.” He smiled faintly, but his eyes were serious. “This doesn’t change who you are, Isa. You’re one of us, no matter what.”

I leaned into his touch, grateful for the warmth and reassurance, but the confusion remained. My life had been simple, and then it wasn’t. Every step I’d taken had led me deeper into this world of wolves, power, and politics. And now, hunters. It was all too much, and yet, there was no turning back.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” I admitted, my voice soft and uncertain. “I don’t know how to process all of this.”

Asher stroked my hair, his voice soothing. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just focus on what’s important—us, our family, and the baby. We’ll take care of the rest.”

I nodded, but inside, my mind was still racing. I couldn’t help but feel that there was more to this story, more that I needed to uncover. My mother’s family, their connection to hunters… it felt like a piece of me that had been hidden for too long, and now that it was out in the open, I wasn’t sure how to put it all back together.

But one thing was clear—this was just the beginning of a much larger mystery. And whether I was ready or not, I was going to have to face it.