Chapter 107
Kara
The confession breaks something in the room. Through the bond, I feel all three of them fracture.
I curl into myself, crawling toward the center of the bed, my back to all of them.
"I need to be alone," I manage. "Please. Just... please."
Cole makes an aborted movement toward me. Through the bond, I feel his mint scent reaching for me, trying to soothe.
But Asher gently pulls him back.
"Okay, baby," Asher says softly. "We'll be right outside in the living room. If you need us—even just for a hug—call through the bond."
Cole crouches by the bed, not touching me.
"I love you, Kara," he says, voice thick with tears. "No matter who your parents are. No matter what they did. That doesn't change. You're enough. Just you."
He blows me a kiss, then follows Asher toward the door.
Blake doesn't leave immediately.
I feel the bed dip as he sits on the edge, carefully keeping distance between us.
"I shouldn't have yelled," he says quietly. "The truth can be said gently. I'm sorry."
I don't turn around. Can't.
"But I meant what I said. And..." He takes a breath. "I'll help you find them."
That makes me turn. My eyes are swollen, lashes wet with tears.
"You will?"
"I promise." His blue eyes lock on mine. "I'll find Connor and Celeste. Wherever they are. However long it takes. But I have one condition."
Wariness creeps in. "What?"
"After we find them, you can't go with them." His voice is firm. Absolute. "No matter what they say. No matter what they promise. You don't leave us."
I stare at him for a long moment. Processing.
"I..." My voice is small. "I know I can't go back. I'm eighteen now. Not the eight-year-old girl waiting at the door. Childhood is gone. Whether they're there or not, I can't redo it."
Blake extends his hand, placing it on the bedsheet. Not touching me. Just... offering.
"Then we'll go together," he says. "We'll ask them why. We'll face the truth. But after that, you come home. To us."
Slowly—so slowly—I place my hand on top of his.
"Deal."
Something in Blake's expression cracks. Relief. Hope. Fear.
But then another thought hits me.
"What if..." My voice trembles. "What if they're already dead? What if the people chasing them—"
Blake's entire demeanor shifts. The gunpowder scent turns lethal.
"Then I'll find whoever's responsible," he says calmly. Too calmly. "And I'll kill them. Every single one."
I gasp, jerking my hand back. "Blake—"
"Killing people who hurt our mate's family isn't a big deal, Kara." His voice is matter-of-fact. Like he's discussing the weather. "That's what Alphas do. We protect. Sometimes protection means killing."
I stare at him, suddenly seeing him clearly for the first time.
This man who kisses me gently. Who cooks me breakfast. Who holds me carefully in bed.
He's also a killer.
"You think being an Alpha is just a title?" Blake reads my expression. "We protect the pack. We eliminate threats. Some threats can't be negotiated with. Only ended."
"Even Cole—" He continues. "Your 'gentle' Cole. He's killed too. When you were fifteen, a rogue Alpha tried to break into the estate. Wanted to kidnap young females. Cole ripped his throat out with his bare hands."
My wolf rumbles in my head, tone matter-of-fact: Of course they've killed. They're Alphas. You think who kept you safe from those dangers all these years? Idiot. Alphas need to kill to protect the pack. It's nature.
Oh god.
I've been seeing them as... as what? Teddy bears? Sweet boys who just happened to bully me?
But in pack business, they're something else entirely.
"Asher's killed the most," Blake adds. "As the oldest, he's been carrying out execution orders since he was sixteen. Traitors. Enemies. All dealt with by his hand."
My world tilts again.
These aren't fairy tale princes. They're warriors. Killers.
And I love them anyway.
The realization should terrify me. Instead, what I feel is... fear for them.
"I don't want you getting hurt," I hear myself say. "Seeking revenge."
Blake's expression softens. "Baby, we're Alphas. Danger is our daily existence."
"No." I grab his hand tighter. "You're not just Alphas anymore. You're my mates. I can't lose you. If we find who killed them, we report it to the Pack Police. Let them handle it."
Blake shakes his head. "This is family business. If someone hurt your family, that's a challenge to us. We handle it ourselves."
"But—"
"Your cute little ass stays home safe," Blake interrupts gently. "Asher, Cole, and I will dig up the truth. Do the dirty work. That's not your world, baby. Your job is to wait for us to come home."
I want to argue. But I see the determination in his eyes.
He stands, gunpowder scent softening slightly.
"I need to go convince Asher and Cole," he says with exaggerated drama. "They'll worry that investigating will traumatize you. Make you relive everything."
He sighs theatrically. "The things I do for love! Convincing my brothers, planning potential revenge missions. The workload..."
Despite everything, I feel my lips twitch. Almost a smile.
Blake sees it, and his eyes light up. He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.
"That's my girl. Wait for me, okay?"
Then he's gone.
I'm alone in this enormous bed, staring at the ceiling where a crystal chandelier catches the last rays of sunset.
My thoughts spiral.
Will they really help me find my parents? Or is this just to placate me?
If we actually find them, what do I even say? 'Why did you choose drugs over me?'
I think of Blake's eyes when he talked about killing. Asher's cold determination. Cole's gentle strength.
If my parents are dead, they'll seek revenge. There will be blood. Danger.
I suddenly realize: asking them to find my parents might have consequences I can't control.
Our wedding gift might not be a honeymoon. It might be an assault on some demon.
My wolf paces anxiously in my head. We need them safe. Protect them like they protect us.
But I know they won't let me anywhere near danger.
I close my eyes, one last thought echoing:
What have I just asked Blake to do?
Through the closed door, I sense their scents mixing in the living room—black ebony, gunpowder, mint. I feel their emotional turbulence through the bond as Blake argues his case.
Outside, the Hawaiian night falls. Stars emerge.
But in my chest, there's only the quiet dread of a storm approaching.