Chapter 25 Secrets that Could Destroy Everything
Dahlia’s POV
I couldn’t sleep. The moonlight crept through the curtains, touching the edge of the bed where my children used to crawl in beside me when they had nightmares.
The room felt emptier now that they slept in the adjoining chamber. I could hear their soft breathing through the open door, a gentle rhythm that used to calm me. Tonight, it only made my heart ache.
Kael’s face haunted me. The way he had looked at me during the meeting, the way his eyes lingered too long. He had no idea. He didn’t know they existed. My pups. Our pups.
I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach as if the truth were still hidden there. It wasn’t guilt that burned in me, it was fear. If Kael ever found out that Liam, Lily, and Libby were his, he would never stop until he had them. And I couldn’t let that happen. Not now. Not ever.
The only reason we were still safe was because of Dagnoth. The Lycan King’s protection had kept Kael from sensing the truth.
The energy of this castle, thick with ancient runes and old magic, masked the bond between my pups and their real father. Even the air here hummed with power, strong enough to suppress the trace of Kael’s bloodline that ran in their veins.
I rose from the bed and wrapped a shawl around my shoulders. The cold stone floor chilled my feet, but it kept me awake. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me.
You should have told him the truth long ago.
“I couldn’t,” I whispered into the darkness. “You weren’t with me when he treated me badly. He isn’t the same. He is still their father.
“Yes,” I said bitterly. “And he would have used them like weapons if he knew. You think I don’t know the kind of man he is now? He lost everything, and he would take them just to fill that void.”
My wolf went silent, but the guilt stayed.
A faint knock came at the door. My heart jumped. I turned quickly. The scent that drifted through wasn’t the gamma’s or the maids. It was Dagnoth’s.
I hesitated before opening the door. The Lycan King stood there, tall and unreadable, the glow of the torches outlining his sharp features.
His silver eyes under the light held a kind of calm that didn’t match the storm inside him.
“You’re still awake,” he said quietly.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
His gaze flicked past me, landing briefly on the smaller room where the children lay sleeping. Something in his expression softened, though only for a second. “They’re peaceful,” he murmured. “You should try to be too.”
I forced a faint smile. “Easier said than done.”
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. For a moment, the silence between us felt heavy. We hadn’t spoken properly since the confrontation with Kael. Every word felt like walking through fire.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I said finally. “You think I’ve brought chaos into your kingdom.”
“I’m thinking,” he said slowly, “that I don’t like being lied to.”
I froze. My pulse raced. “What do you mean?”
His gaze sharpened. “I saw how Kael looked at you, Dahlia. That wasn’t a stranger’s stare. That was something else, something older. You knew him before. He isn’t just your mate; there is more.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Before everything.”
“And the pups?” His voice dropped lower. “Are they his?”
My breath hitched. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because the way you protect them,” he said, stepping closer, “it’s more than a mother’s fear. It’s as if you’re hiding them from someone.”
I turned away, unable to meet his eyes. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight. The truth hovered on my tongue, dangerous and heavy. “Kael doesn’t know about them,” I said finally. “He can never know. If he does, it will destroy everything.”
His eyes darkened. “You’re saying he’s their father.”
Tears burned behind my eyes. “Yes.”
For a long moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched until it became unbearable.
Then he turned away, his hands clenched at his sides. “And you thought hiding here would solve that?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I said, my voice shaking. “He would have taken them, Dagnoth. He would have raised them in his image and taught them to be ruthless like him. I couldn’t let that happen.”
He faced me again, his expression unreadable. “So you ran to me.”
“I ran to safety,” I corrected. “You offered protection when no one else would.”
Something flickered in his eyes pain, maybe anger but it was gone before I could name it.
He moved closer until there was barely any space between us. His presence filled the room, his scent overwhelming it; it was wild, dark, and intoxicating. My breath caught.
“You should have told me,” he said, his voice rough now. “Do you have any idea what could happen if the Council finds out? If Kael finds out?”
“I know,” I whispered. “That’s why I can’t let him know.”
He studied me for a long, quiet moment. Then his gaze softened just slightly. “You’ve made my world far more complicated than it should be, Dahlia.”
“I never asked to be in it.”
“No,” he said. “But you are.”
He stepped back, breaking the tension that had coiled between us. “You and your pups will remain under my protection. No one will touch them.”
I nodded, relief flooding through me. “Thank you.”
His expression darkened. “Don’t thank me yet. If Kael ever discovers the truth…” He didn’t add anything.
I wanted to tell him I was the stranger at the mask party that night and, since we already had an affair, he can lie and say they were his, but I was too scared to say.
He wants us to answer at the council, Dagnoth said.
I arched my brow. “For what?”
“Because of what happened,” he added, and I knew right away what he was talking about.
He left then, his footsteps echoing down the corridor, leaving me trembling in the quiet room. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes.
The truth was out now. At least part of it.
But secrets like mine never stayed buried for long.