Chapter 20
Kiara glanced at the man she once believed was her father. A man she constantly tried to impress, hoping one day he would accept her. A man who had never shown her an ounce of kindness or love. A man with a crescent-shaped mark on his head.
An evil man.
A group of wolves stepped from behind him. They all were warriors he trained personally. He glanced over his shoulder. “Look who's back,” he sneered. There was disgust in his eyes when he looked back at her again. “I should have known you’d be just like your mother.”
Kiara’s first instinct was to run and hide like she usually did, but she suppressed the fear and lifted her chin defiantly. Once upon a time, she had let this man control her and toss her around as if she was a mere puppet. But no more.
“At least she knew what kind of monster you are,” she retorted.
Konrad laughed. “You must be stupid to have come this far. You’re a fool if you think I’d spare your life just because you’re my daughter. And you.” He turned to Kian. “You’re a fucking traitor.” His fists clenched by his side. “I’ll make your deaths slow and painful so no one will ever dare to leave these lands again. Bring them to the village center!” he boomed.
They barely had time to respond because the wolves that followed Konrad were there in an instant, subduing them and binding their hands. They all thrashed against their hold, but the wolves were too strong, and Kiara knew they were done for.
The wolves threw both women over their shoulders and began to trek toward the village. She glanced at her sister. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
“At least he’s got nice buns,” Layla huffed from where she hung on a wolf’s shoulder.
Kiara’s jaws went slack, cheeks flaring as she averted her eyes immediately. The men in their pack only dressed from the hip and below except for the winter months. As for werewolves, they were naturally big and muscular. She could tell Layla had no problem ogling their bodies. She couldn’t fathom how Layla could joke even in a situation like this.
Kian stayed silent, but the rage in his eyes said something different. He was dragged by two stronger wolves. Kiara knew he could break free if he wanted to, and she could tell he was holding back for her and Layla’s safety. Now, Rommik and Lucille were their only hope. She hoped Rommik and Selan had delivered the copy of the scroll to Lucille.
The trip to the village took longer than Kiara remembered. When they arrived, the pack members were already out. A frown marred their features, and she heard the rising murmurs. They were forced to their knees on the ground in the center of the village. With their hands tied to their back, there was nothing they could do.
“As you can see, we have captured the traitors who ran away from our pack,” Konrad addressed the pack members. He stood at the center of the village, hands clasped behind his back. “Any wolf that leaves the pack borders shall be treated as a traitor and be punished as one. Our ancestors laid down the rules to protect the pack. The rules will not be bent even if the one who committed the treason is my own daughter and brother,” he snarled.
“Newsflash, asshole!” Layla yelled. “Kiara isn’t your daughter.”
Konrad’s head whipped to her, and he growled, “Who are you? Weren’t you trespassing on our border?”
“Ah, there he goes. I never trespassed, dumbo. These idiots crossed the border to drag me inside,” Layla growled back. “How am I a traitor when I have done nothing in the first place?”
“Silence!” Konrad’s voice boomed, making everyone in the vicinity shiver.
However, Layla continued with the same unbothered expression. “Right, that’s because you have no honor, and you’re a liar.”
Kiara’s eyes widened. “Layla…don’t,” she hissed under her breath.
Her twin ignored her. “Anyways, so as I was saying, she isn’t your daughter. And I’m Layla, by the way. Your mate’s other daughter,” she trailed on without care or fear. “Kiara’s twin sister. A baby your good-for-nothing hunters missed that night.”
Konrad’s eyes widened. “What?” His gaze snapped to Kian. “What the hell is she talking about?”
“Wolfie, does your brother have a hearing problem? Or perhaps does he not have comprehension skills?” This time it was Kian who growled at her, and she just rolled her eyes at him but kept her mouth shut.
Kian shrugged, looking at his brother. “Seems like Moira was carrying twins and your hunters missed the memo.” He grinned at the end.
Konrad blinked. “Moira gave birth to twins?”
“Isn’t that what we were saying all this time? He is really dumb for a leader.” Layla scowled. “No wonder she left your ass. You’re a brick head.”
Konrad let out a roar that shook his ground.
Kiara inched toward her twin on her knees. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “Stop riling him up. He isn’t Kian. He will kill you in a heartbeat.”
Layla’s scowl deepened. “He is evil. Look at the mark on his head. Isn’t this why the Lune Hunters were after him?”
At that, several growls echoed around them. But Layla was fearless as she glared at them.
“Don’t you all wanna know why Moira left the pack? She gave birth to twins. I’m her second daughter. Don’t you all have questions?” she yelled, glancing at the pack members.
“Enough!” Konrad roared. But she wouldn’t be Layla if she listened.
“I was sleeping in the other room when the hunters attacked that night. Whoever took my sister away was an idiot and did not realize that there was one more baby,” Layla continued as if Konrad wasn’t frothing in his mouth. “I wonder what he would have done if he had known that we weren’t your daughters in the first place?”
“What nonsense is this?” Another wolf growled. “Moira was our alpha’s mate. Of course, he is the father.”
Kian chuckled. “No. He is not,” he said, looking smug. “Why do you think Moira ran away when she learned she was pregnant? Why did she risk her own life knowing what would happen if she left?” He licked his lips, studying their expressions. “She left because she knew they aren’t his daughters.”
“What?” Konrad looked dumbfounded. Then he shook his head and ordered in his booming voice, “Enough with this nonsense. Strap them to the pole!”
“Is he deaf or what? How many times do we have to repeat this thing? Listen, asshole, I’m going to say this one last time; hear me properly.” Layla frowned. “It means your mate was carrying someone else’s babies! She slept with a human she met in the village, and then she mated with you. You’re not our father.”
Konrad’s body visibly shook as if he were fighting for control.
Kian climbed to his feet with a smirk, tugging at his binds. “After you left home that night, Lune Hunters who were tracking Moira found out what happened. They decided to raise the baby as their own. And you are an evil werewolf with a cursed mark on your head. A mark our ancestors considered as dangerous. So much so that they joined hands with the humans to form the Lune Hunter's association to get rid of wolves like you. To protect the balance between the wolves and humans.”
Murmurs started between the gathered pack members. It was the last trigger, and in a blink of an eye, Konrad’s eyes flashed to that of his wolf. And it was all the warning they had before he pounced.
Kiara watched with wide eyes as Kian dodged the huge black wolf.
“What? You don’t want others to know the truth?” he growled. “Don’t want others to know that the Lune Hunters came for you and not for the entire pack?”
What was he talking about? Kiara frowned. It was only a suspicion. They didn’t know if it was true. Didn’t Kian say the Lune Hunters who attacked them were vile, and they even sold their pelts? Or was that all a lie to make them believe the horror stories? Kiara couldn’t tell if he was speaking the truth or was just egging him on.
“Grandfather and Father were trying to protect you!” Kian continued. “It turned into a pack war when they refused to hand you over. Am I wrong?!”
But Konrad didn’t let Kian finish. He attacked with a force that knocked Kian off his feet. Kian rolled over before Konrad’s wolf finished its job. Then he shifted into his wolf form, ripping out the rope that was tying him together.
Then all hell broke loose.