Chapter 59 VINCENT'S CONFESSION
VINCENT'S POV
The pain is distant now, like my body belongs to someone else.
I lie on the cold medical table, tasting copper blood in my mouth. Every breath rattles through broken ribs. The silver poisoning burns through my veins like liquid fire. I'm dead, and I know it.
But I need to tell her the truth first.
I sneezed. I felt Alicia’s shock as she ran to the table and held my hand.
"The Veritas contacted me twenty-six years ago," I rasp. "They had a plan to create a True Luna. They studied bloodlines for centuries and found two that, when combined, would produce the power they needed, your mother's line and the Dark Night Alpha line."
"So they arranged the affair," Ray says from behind Alicia.
"They orchestrated every detail. Placed Elara in Blood Moon territory. Made sure she caught the Dark Night Alpha's attention." My hand shakes. "I knew from the beginning."
"You knew?" Alicia's voice breaks. "You knew my mother was sleeping with another man to create me?"
"The Veritas gave me a choice. Cooperate and they would make Blood Moon Pack powerful beyond measure. Refuse and they would destroy everything I'd built." The shame tastes worse than the blood. "I chose power."
Luna starts crying, the sound cutting through the medical wing like an accusation.
"Why tell me this now?" Alicia shifts Luna to her shoulder.
"Because Jake is coming to kill you and take Luna. Because Morrison will use my granddaughter to enslave every wolf alive." I force my eyes to stay open. "Because your mother loved you. She fought against The Veritas until they killed her for it."
"My mother is dead?"
"I found her body three weeks ago, buried in neutral territory with a silver blade through her heart." The confession costs me what little strength I have left. "She was gathering evidence against them. They murdered her for it."
The room goes silent except for Luna's crying and my labored breathing.
"You're a coward," Alicia says softly. "You let The Veritas control you. Let them use your mate. Let them kill her. And then you raised me knowing I was never really yours."
"I am a coward." No point denying it. "But when you were born, I expected to hate you. I expected to see you as evidence of my humiliation." I cough, and darkness closes in harder. "But the moment they placed you in my arms, everything changed. You looked at me with these huge eyes, grabbed my finger with your tiny hand. And you were mine. You were my daughter and I loved you from that moment."
"Then why banish me? Why try to have me killed?"
"Because The Veritas threatened to kill you if I didn't. They wanted you isolated, vulnerable, easy to control when the time came." The truth tears out of me. "I banished you to buy time. I hoped that if I pushed you away, they would focus on other targets."
"And Jake?"
"Jake was never mine biologically either. His mother had an affair with a Veritas agent before we mated. I raised him anyway, but When the Veritas recruited him, they told him the truth about his parentage. Then, turned him against me."
"How long have you known about Jake?" Logan asks.
"Five years. I found communication records between him and Morrison. I confronted him, but he denied everything, and I wanted to believe him." The regret is crushing. "I should have acted then. I should have removed him from Blood Moon Pack. But he was my son despite everything."
"He poisoned you," Alicia says flatly. "Tried to murder you."
"No. He made his choice, and I'm paying the price for my weakness."
Alicia moves closer. I can barely see her face anymore, but I feel her presence. "Why come here?"
"Because Luna deserves better than I gave you. Because maybe if I do this one thing right, it will balance some of the terrible things I've done." My hand finds hers, gripping it weakly. "Alicia, I know I don't deserve forgiveness. I know I failed you in every way that matters. But please believe that I loved you. That raising you was the best thing I ever did, even if I ruined it in the end."
"I don't know if I can forgive you." Tears run down her face.
"I don't ask for forgiveness. I just want you to know the truth." My breathing stutters. "There's one more thing. A safety deposit box in a bank in neutral territory, which contains everything I gathered about The Veritas over the years. The account number is your birth date. Passcode is your mother's maiden name."
"Why didn't you use this information yourself?" Ray asks.
"Because The Veritas has my pack. If I moved against them, they would have massacred everyone I'm responsible for protecting." The darkness is closing in fast. "But you have nothing left to lose. Use the information to destroy them. Make my death mean something."
Luna's crying intensifies, pulling at something deep in my chest.
"Can I hold her?" The request comes out barely audible. "Just once, before I go."
Alicia hesitates, then slowly places Luna in my arms.
My granddaughter is so small, so perfect. Her silver eyes stare up at me with ancient wisdom no baby should have.
"You're going to be incredible," I whisper to her. "Strong like your mother. Brave like your fathers. Everything I should have been but wasn't." My vision is almost gone. "Protect your family, little one. Don't make my mistakes."
Luna's tiny hand touches my cheek. In that moment, I feel something pass between us, some understanding or forgiveness or just acknowledgment of our connection.
Then the darkness takes me completely, and I'm gone.
ALICIA'S POV
Vincent's hand goes limp in mine. His chest stops moving. The bond with my father severs completely.
He's dead the second time, and I don't know how to feel about it.
"I'm sorry," Logan says gently. "There was too much damage. The silver poisoning alone would have killed him."
I take Luna back from Vincent's lifeless arms. She's quiet now, like she understands something important just happened.
"We need to prepare," Ray says, already moving into crisis mode. "Jake won't wait."
Before he can continue, alarms start blaring.
"Border breach!" someone shouts through the intercom. "Multiple borders! We're surrounded!"
We rush to the command center. Security monitors show the nightmare I feared, Blood Moon Pack warriors circle Dark Night territory completely. Hundreds of them.
"Where did Jake get so many wolves?" Monty asks.
"Veritas forces," Logan points to unfamiliar uniforms. "Morrison sent reinforcements. This isn't just pack against pack anymore. This is The Veritas declaring open war."
The main monitor flickers, and Jake's face appears. He's standing at our northern border with an army behind him.
"Hello, sister," his voice is cold and mocking. "I believe we have unfinished business. You have something Morrison wants. Surrender yourself and the baby peacefully, and I'll let your mates live. Refuse, and I'll burn Dark Night Pack to the ground with everyone inside."
"Jake, please," I try to reach the brother I thought I knew. "Vincent is dead. You killed our father. Don't make this worse."
"Vincent wasn't my father. He was the man who raised me out of obligation while loving you." Jake's smile is cruel. "And honestly? Killing him felt amazing. One less person pretending I mattered when all anyone ever cared about was precious Alicia."
The words hit like daggers.
"You have one hour," Jake continues. "To decide to either surrender or watch everyone you love die screaming." He leans closer to the camera. "And Alicia? I'm going to enjoy destroying everything you built. I’m going to enjoy watching Morrison break you and knowing that your daughter grows up as a weapon instead of a child."
The screen goes black.
We stand in shocked silence. Outside, Blood Moon warriors and Veritas forces completely surround our territory, we have one hundred and fifty defenders against easily six hundred attackers.
"We're outnumbered four to one," Kai says matter-of-factly. "Even with fortifications, we can't hold against those numbers."
"Then we evacuate," Monty suggests. "Get Alicia and Luna out through the underground tunnels."
"The tunnels are probably already compromised," Logan shakes his head. "Jake knows every escape route we have."
Ray's phone buzzes. He checks it, and his face goes impossibly paler. "It's worse than we thought. Jake sent forces to the Forgotten camp. Sera and her rogues are under attack right now. Our only remaining allies are being eliminated as we speak."
The tactical situation is impossible. We are surrounded, outnumbered, our allies under attack. And Jake has given us one hour to surrender or die.
Luna starts crying again, like she can feel the hopelessness pressing down on all of us.
"There has to be a way," I hold my daughter closer. "There has to be something we can do."
"There is," Kai's voice is cold. "We give him what he wants."
Everyone turns to stare at him.
"You can't be serious," Ray's voice is dangerous. "You want to hand Alicia and Luna over to Morrison?"
"I want to make Jake think we're handing them over," Kai meets my eyes. "While we prepare to destroy him the moment he gets close enough."
"That's suicide," Monty objects. "The second Jake has Alicia, he'll kill the rest of us."
"Probably," Kai shrugs. "But it's the only tactical option that gives us any chance at all. We can't fight. We can't run. So we pretend to surrender and take Jake down when his guard is lowered."
The plan is insane, desperate, has almost no chance of working. But Kai is right, it's the only option we have left.
"I'll do it," my voice is steady despite the terror flooding through me. "I'll pretend to surrender. Get close to Jake. And when the moment comes, I'll use True Luna power to destroy him and everyone loyal to Morrison."
"Alicia, no," all three mates speak simultaneously.
"Yes," I look at each of them. "You're my mates. Luna's fathers. The men I love. But I'm the True Luna, and this is my fight. Jake wants me. Morrison wants me. Fine. They can have me. But they're going to regret it."
Outside, the howls start. Blood Moon Pack announcing their presence, their intent, and their absolute certainty that they've already won.