Chapter 235 235

Chapter 235 235
~ Kiara ~

A dull ache throbbed behind my forehead as I slowly opened my eyes.

For a few seconds, I simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me, trying to remember how I had gotten there.

Where am I? This wasn’t my room.

The walls were painted a soft cream color, and I was tucked beneath a thick, warm blanket.

Panic began to creep into my chest.

The last thing I remembered was leaving the bar with Jasmine…

Before I could sit up, something heavy suddenly landed across my waist. Someone’s leg.

I gasped and turned my head. Jasmine was sprawled out beside me, her hair a wild, messy nest across the pillows.

Jasmine’s room, I realized. Then, like a crashing wave, the terrifying memories of last night came rushing back into my mind. 

“Oh, Moon Goddess!” I gasped, bolting upright in bed.

My sudden movement startled Jasmine.

She jerked awake, blinked at me in confusion, then let out a sleepy yawn as she stretched her arms above her head.

“Well… good morning to you too,” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

“Good morning, Jasmine,” I whispered.

“Ugh, I’m starving,” she groaned, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Then she paused and looked at my pale face.

“Kiara… why do you look so terrified?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. A playful grin tugged at her lips. “Did you see a giant cockroach or something?”

I let out a small sigh of relief and shook my head.

“No, Jasmine. I was just remembering what happened last night.”

“Forget about last night for a minute,” Jasmine said with a smile as she walked over to her closet. “Come on, get up. We need to go downstairs and meet the family.”

She laughed.

“It’s officially breakfast time and probably time for a little scolding too.”

She grabbed a fresh towel from the closet and tossed it to me.

“We don’t have time to shower separately,” she said with a grin. “Come on, shower with me. The bathroom’s huge, and it could fit ten people!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, catching the towel.

Jasmine simply winked before skipping into the bathroom and turning on the hot water.

Smiling to myself, I pulled off the clothes I’d worn the night before and followed her inside.

The hot shower felt amazing, washing away the cold rain and some of the stress from the night before.

By the time we finished, the bathroom had turned into complete chaos.

Jasmine stood in front of the large mirror, using her hairbrush as a microphone while singing loudly and completely off-key. She twirled around in her fluffy towel, swaying her hips as if she were performing on a concert stage.

I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach.

“Come on, Kiara! You’re my backup dancer!” Jasmine giggled, shoving a bottle of lotion into my hand like it was a microphone.

I laughed and played along.

The two of us danced around the steamy bathroom like a pair of little kids, forgetting about our terrible hangovers and the fact that Kendra almost got us killed.

Then Jasmine snatched up the hair dryer.

“Special effects!” she announced dramatically.

Before I could react, she pointed it straight at my face and switched it to the highest setting.

My hair flew wildly in every direction, sticking straight up until I looked like a startled lion.

Jasmine burst into uncontrollable laughter, and before I knew it, I was laughing just as hard.

“Hey! Stop it!” I squealed through my laughter, raising my hands to shield my face from the warm air.

Grabbing a nearby makeup sponge, I tossed it lightly at her shoulder.

“Oh!” Jasmine laughed, pretending to be offended.

“Alright, alright!”

She switched off the hair dryer and walked over to her closet. A moment later, she pulled out two matching oversized hoodies—one bright pink for herself and a soft gray one for me.

We slipped them over our heads, brushed our hair back into place, and admired our reflections in the mirror.

A warm smile spread across my face.

Sharing clothes, laughing together, and acting like complete fools… it felt so natural.

For the first time in my life, I truly felt like I had a sister and a friend.

The moment we stepped out of Jasmine’s bedroom and headed toward the staircase, the laughter faded.

The warmth in my chest disappeared, replaced by a knot of fear.

“I’m scared, Jasmine,” I whispered. My fingers trembled as I reached out and clutched the hem of her pink hoodie, instinctively hiding a little behind her as we slowly descended the stairs.

Jasmine stopped halfway down the stairs and turned to face me.

A gentle smile spread across her face as she reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“You really don’t have to be scared, Kiara,” she said. “Besides, your boyfriend is downstairs. You know Jason would never stop loving you over something that wasn’t your fault.”

I lowered my gaze to my feet and nervously bit my thumbnail.

“I don’t know…” I whispered, my voice trembling. “After everything that came out at school… he probably sees me the same way everyone else does. As nothing more than a traitor’s daughter.”

“I don’t think so at all,” Jasmine said firmly, giving me a gentle but disapproving look. “Jason would never have raced through a raging storm to save us if he saw you as nothing more than a traitor’s daughter.”

She reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“So please stop calling yourself that.”

Her words warmed my heart, but they couldn’t completely erase the fear inside me.

Together, we walked down the last few steps and entered the dining room.

The moment I stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat.

The entire Alpha family was already seated around the massive wooden dining table.

The mouthwatering aroma of fresh pancakes filled the air.

“Look,” Jasmine whispered directly into my ear, giving me a gentle nudge. “A brand new chair has been added to the table just for you.”

I looked, and my eyes widened. Right next to Jason’s seat was a beautiful chair, fully set with a plate and silver cutlery, waiting for me.

“Oh, sweethearts! You both are finally awake,” the Luna said warmly, looking up from her plate. She didn't look angry at all. In fact, she and the rest of the family were looking at us with huge, genuine smiles. “Come, have a seat and eat before the food gets completely cold.”

I froze, totally bewildered. I leaned in close to Jasmine and whispered under my breath, “Why are they not scolding us? We came home drunk and almost got killed!”

“I don't know either,” Jasmine whispered back, her eyes darting suspiciously around the room. “But don’t trust their smiles just yet. Keep your guard up.”

Before I could say another word, Jason slowly rose from his seat.

My heart immediately began to race.

He walked straight toward me, his eyes locked on mine. There was so much emotion in them that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Without saying a single word, he cupped my cheek gently and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against it.

I froze.

The spot where his lips had touched seemed to burn with warmth.

My mind went completely blank.

What is happening?

Is this some kind of trick?

What are they planning to do to me?

Jason slowly lifted both of his hands and gently cupped my face, his touch so warm and careful that it made my trembling stop. With the lightest pressure beneath my chin, he guided my eyes up to meet his.

“Kiara…” he whispered, his voice rough with guilt. “I’m so, so sorry.”

He swallowed hard, struggling to hold himself together.

“When I walked away from you at school yesterday… it wasn’t because of you. I swear it wasn’t.” His voice cracked. “Everything happened so suddenly. My mind just shut down. I didn’t know what to think or how to react.”

He lowered his head for a brief moment, unable to look at me.

“But while you were hurting… while everyone was turning against you… I left you standing there all alone. I hate myself for that. I failed you when you needed me the most.”

Slowly, he looked back into my eyes.

“Please can you ever forgive me?”

The crushing weight that had been suffocating my heart since yesterday suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces.

He hadn’t stopped loving me.

The fear that had haunted me through the long, lonely night simply disappeared.

Tears streamed freely down my face, but for the first time, they weren’t tears of heartbreak.

They were tears of relief.

A smile slowly spread across my lips as I looked into the eyes of the man I loved.

In that moment, I realized I had never truly lost him. 

“It’s okay. I’m not angry anymore, so please don’t—” 

“No, Kiara! Don’t forgive him so easily!” Jasmine interrupted me loudly, crossing her arms and staring hard into her brother's eyes with a playful scowl. 

Jason let out a defeated sigh.

“Jasmine…”

“Nope,” she said, holding up a finger to silence him. “We will think about your apology later, Jason.” She rolled her eyes dramatically, grabbed my hand, and led me straight to the dining table.

But as I looked at the beautiful plate waiting for me, and then looked around at the faces of the whole family, a sudden wave of heavy guilt crashed over me. I couldn't just sit down and eat luxury food. Not after what my family had done.

I let go of Jasmine’s hand. Before anyone could stop me, I dropped to my knees, kneeling right on the hard floor in front of the entire family.

A collective gasp echoed through the dining room. The soft clinking of forks against plates stopped instantly.

An eerie silence settled over the room as every pair of eyes turned toward me.

My hands trembled uncontrollably. I clasped them tightly together in my lap, trying to steady myself, but it was no use.

Taking a shaky breath, I slowly lifted my head.

Despite the fear twisting inside me, I forced myself to meet their eyes.

My voice trembled before I even spoke.

“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed, my voice breaking. “I’m so deeply sorry for everything.”

Fresh tears streamed down my face as I struggled to breathe through the ache in my chest.

“My father brought this pack nothing but pain, betrayal, and suffering. I know that saying ‘I’m sorry’ can never heal those wounds. It can’t erase the past, and it can never bring back everything that was lost.”

My vision blurred as more tears spilled over. Slowly, I bowed my head until my forehead was almost touching the floor.

“But I’m here now. I’m standing before all of you, and I place myself completely at your mercy and I won’t run anymore. If you believe I deserve to be punished because of the family I was born into, then I’ll accept it. If you want to banish me  I’ll leave. If you want to hate me I’ll understand.”

“But please…” My voice broke into another sob. “Just tell me what I have to do. What do I have to do to make up for the sins of the man who gave me his blood? I’ll do anything.”

My heart pounded so hard it hurt as I waited for them to decide my fate.