Chapter 39 Living a lie
Sera’s POV
The word hung between us, heavy and final.
A hybrid.
I stared at him, my mind refusing to catch up. “That’s… that’s not possible.”
“It is,” he said. “And you are living proof.”
His jaw tightened. His thumb brushed my temple in a protective gesture that felt almost desperate.
I shifted against the pillows, the questions burning too loudly to keep inside.
“Dad,” I said, “why did they keep calling you Alpha?”
He stilled, then smiled faintly. “Because I am one.” My eyes widened in shock. The father I knew, the man that taught me how to ride a bike and make scrambled eggs for me, was an alpha?
“Where’s Mom? Does she know about this?”
His hand covered mine. “Dear, it won't be wise to say everything all at once. You will be overwhelmed.”
I swallowed. “I deserve to know who I am.”
“You will,” he promised quietly. “But not in one night.”
He brushed my hair back gently. “Some truths unfold slowly. If I tell you everything now, it will crush you instead of strengthen you.”
I searched his face. “I feel like I have been living a lie.”
“All these things we did was for your protection. I will tell you everything. When you’re ready and when your body is strong enough to carry it.”
“Dad,” I said softly.
He looked up from where he sat beside the bed, his attention snapping to me instantly, like he was afraid I might disappear if he blinked.
“Can you… can you give me a moment?” I asked. “I need to think.”
His expression shifted. Worry first, then understand. He nodded slowly. “Of course.” He squeezed my hand once more before standing. “I’ll go speak to the doctor. They’ll want to check your vitals again anyway.”
He hesitated at the door, glancing back at me like he wanted to say more, like there were a thousand things he was holding back.
“I’m right outside,” he said finally.
“I know,” I whispered.
The word echoed in my head. I stared at the ceiling, tracing the carved patterns with my eyes, trying to slow my breathing. So many things suddenly made sense, and that terrified me more than the things that didn’t.
The healing, then the bonds. The way wolves reacted to me like I was so dangerous.
A knock sounded softly at the door.
Before I could answer, it opened.
Caden stepped in first, holding a bouquet of wildflowers that looked like they had been gathered in a hurry. Damien followed, carrying a simpler arrangement, dark blooms with a faint metallic scent of power clinging to them.
Both of them froze when they saw me awake.
“Well you both are getting along,” I teased. Trying to straighten up. They both reached out to me instinctively. I straightened up properly and signed in relief.
“You’re up,” Caden said, relief flooding his voice.
“You scared us,” Damien added, his tone sounded calm but his eyes betrayed him.
I smiled weakly. “I didn’t mean to.”
Caden was at my side in seconds, he set the flowers down on the small table. “How do you feel?”
“Tired,” I admitted. “But better. The pain’s mostly gone.”
Damien nodded, gaze scanning me like he was checking for injuries that weren’t visible. “The healers said you nearly might not make it. But here you are.”
“I did though,” I said quietly. “So stop looking at me like that.”
Caden huffed out a breath. “You’re impossible.”
“And stubborn,” Damien added.
“That too,” I agreed.
They shared a glance. Unspoken things passing between them that made my chest tighten.
Caden cleared his throat. “Your father told us you’d wake soon.”
“He worries too much,” I said automatically, then paused. “Actually… no. He worries just enough.”
Damien leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “He nearly tore the council hall apart.”
“I heard,” I said.
Caden’s jaw tightened. “You shouldn’t have been there. You really went through a lot in the hands of those council members.”
“On the bright side, it made me stronger.”I said softly.
Damien spoke up. “Sera.” I looked at him.
“What happens now?” he asked.
Caden stiffened beside him. “That’s not—”
“It is,” Damien said calmly. “They’ll ask again. You know I'm saying the truth.”
I exhaled slowly. “Ask what?”
Caden met my eyes. “Who you’ll choose.”
It took me by surprise. I had thought I still needed more time. Both of my mates had their good and bad sides. For some reason I couldn't just choose.
“Isn’t that the point of finding a mate?” Caden continued quietly. “To choose and settle the bond.”
Damien’s gaze sharpened. “We won’t share you.”
The words weren’t shouted. They didn’t need to be. They landed with the weight of an oath.
“I don’t want to share her either,” Caden said, voice rough.
My chest tightened painfully. “Stop.”
Both of them looked at me.
“I just woke up,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ve been poisoned, imprisoned, dragged in front of councils, and told I’m something that shouldn’t exist.”
They said nothing.
“I can barely stand,” I continued. “And you’re asking me to decide something that could reshape packs, territories… lives.”
Caden looked down. Damien didn’t, he looked scared, like he had heard something frightening before now.
“I need time,” I said. “I need to recover before thinking about any of this.”
Damien studied my face, searching. “What happens after?”
“After,” I said honestly, “I’ll face it. But not like this.”
Caden nodded slowly. “That’s fair.”
Damien hesitated, then inclined his head. “For now.”
Relief washed through me, though I knew it was temporary.
Footsteps approached outside the room.
The door opened again, and my father stepped back in, followed by a healer who checked my pulse and eyes quickly before leaving us alone.
“You’re making remarkable progress,” my father said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “The poison levels are dropping faster than expected.”
“Good,” I said.
“You’ll be on your feet soon,” My dad continued. “Then we will start the training immediately.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He looked between Caden and Damien, then back to me. “You’ll need training.”
The word sent a ripple of unease through me. “Training for what?”
“To control what you are,” he said simply.
My stomach dropped. “Dad…”
“You can’t walk into what’s coming unprepared,” he continued. “Especially not after what already happened.”
“What’s coming?” I repeated.
His gaze hardened slightly.
“War,”