Chapter 30 New Character
Chapter 30 New Character
TALIA POV
I stopped halfway on the stairs, my hand gripping the railing tightly as Zane’s words echoed in my head. You’re lying. My chest rose sharply and something inside me snapped. I turned around slowly, my jaw tightening as I walked back down the stairs. Each step felt heavier, but I didn’t stop until I stood in front of him again, forcing myself to hold his gaze even though my heart was beating too fast.
“I didn’t go anywhere.”
My voice came out firm, stronger than before, even though my fingers trembled slightly at my sides. Zane’s eyes stayed on me, dark and unreadable, like he was trying to pull the truth out of me without touching me. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating, and for a moment, it felt like the entire room was watching only us.
“I was in the garden.”
I lifted my chin slightly, refusing to back down. He didn’t respond immediately, and that scared me more than if he had shouted. Then Liam suddenly spoke, breaking the tension like nothing mattered.
“So… why is Alpha Derek here?”
My head turned toward him instantly, my chest tightening. He stood there so normally, so calm, like he hadn’t just been with me, like nothing had happened. I quickly looked away, my stomach twisting slightly. Zane’s gaze lingered on me for a second longer before he finally looked away, shifting his attention to Liam. Alpha Derek cleared his throat, his presence filling the room again.
“I came to discuss something important.”
The room grew quiet again, but this time the tension felt different, heavier, like something big was about to be said. Zane adjusted his posture slightly, crossing his arms as he looked at my father.
“What is it?”
Alpha Derek didn’t hesitate.
“I’m planning to give half of my pack to you.”
My breath caught immediately, my eyes widening as the words hit me.
“What?”
The word slipped out before I could stop it. I stared at him, trying to understand what he just said.
“Half of your pack?”
My brows pulled together as confusion and disbelief flooded me. Why would he do that? Zane didn’t react much, but I noticed it, the slight shift in his eyes, the quiet interest, the calculation. I turned fully to my father now, my chest tightening.
“Why?”
My voice came out sharper this time.
“Why would you do that?”
Alpha Derek looked at me, and his expression changed slightly, becoming harder, colder.
“That’s not something you need to worry about.”
My fingers clenched instantly.
“What do you mean I don’t need to worry about it?”
My voice rose slightly.
“This affects everything!”
His jaw tightened, and I knew I was pushing too far, but I didn’t care.
“Talia.”
His tone dropped, warning me.
“You don’t have a say in this.”
The words hit harder than I expected. My chest tightened painfully, like something had just pressed against it.
“What?”
My voice came out softer now, but it hurt more.
“You don’t have a say?”
I stared at him, my throat going dry.
“This is between Alphas. It’s not your place.”
Something inside me cracked. My fingers trembled before I quickly clenched them into fists, trying to hold myself together.
“So that’s it?”
My voice came out tight.
“You just decide everything and I’m supposed to stand here and accept it?”
He didn’t answer immediately, and that silence told me everything. My chest rose sharply as I nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
The word felt heavy in my mouth. I turned around before anyone could say anything else. I didn’t want to look at them, not him, not Zane, not Liam. I walked out quickly, my steps echoing through the hallway as my vision blurred slightly. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t breathe properly, but I didn’t stop until I reached the entrance of the mansion. I stepped outside, the cool air hitting my face, but it didn’t calm anything inside me. I wrapped my arms around myself, my fingers gripping my own skin as I tried to steady my breathing.
“Not your place…”
I let out a quiet, bitter laugh, shaking my head slightly. Of course it wasn’t. It never was. I closed my eyes briefly, but before I could think further, the sound of a car pulling in made me open them again. My brows pulled together as I turned toward the gate. A car drove in slowly and stopped. My body went still as the door opened and a girl stepped out. My eyes stayed on her immediately. She was beautiful, effortlessly so, with long hair falling down her back and a calm confidence in the way she moved. She didn’t look around like she was unfamiliar. No, she walked like she belonged here. My fingers tightened slightly against my arms. The guards didn’t stop her. They bowed. My stomach dropped slightly at that. She was important. Very important. I straightened slowly, watching her as she walked toward the mansion. She didn’t notice me at first, or maybe she did and chose not to react. As she got closer, her eyes finally met mine and she paused slightly. Her gaze moved over me slowly, like she was studying me, measuring me.
My chest tightened under that look. Then she smiled, but it wasn’t warm. It was sharp, almost knowing. A chill ran down my spine. She looked away like I wasn’t even worth her time and continued walking past me into the mansion. I turned slightly, watching her enter without hesitation, my heart beating faster now. I didn’t know who she was, but something about her didn’t feel right at all, and deep down, I could already feel it, she was going to make everything worse.