Chapter 242

Chapter 242

Hazel's POV

"Father."

This word hung heavily in the air between us, carrying years of pain and resentment.

I watched as Hollis's face froze, his smug, condescending expression cracking like thin ice under too much weight.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You heard me." I felt remarkably calm, as if I were observing this confrontation from outside my body.

"I'm your daughter. The one you banished when I was twelve because I hadn't awakened my wolf."

His eyes narrowed as he scanned my face, memories visibly struggling to surface in his mind.

"That's impossible," he stammered. "Absolutely impossible..."

"What's impossible, Dad?" I injected every ounce of venom I could muster into that last word. "That you didn't have the patience to wait and see if I'd ever awaken my wolf? That you couldn't love me unconditionally, even if I never had a wolf? Well, surprise!" I spread my arms wide. "Here I am, standing right in front of you. I'm Hazel. You banished your own daughter, a future Guardian. Getting any memories back now?"

The recognition in his eyes quickly transformed into rage.

"How dare you!" he roared, raising his hand to strike me.

I caught his wrist mid-air with one hand, holding it firmly despite his struggles to break free. His eyes widened in shock as he realized he couldn't overpower me.

"Does your mate know?" I asked, my voice deadly calm as I nodded toward the young woman standing behind him, protectively clutching their toddler.

"Does she know you had another woman, that your betrayal killed her? Does she know you had another child, and your indifference nearly killed her too?"

I could see horror dawning in his mate's eyes. She clearly had no knowledge of my mother or me. I felt no desire to hurt her, but my father's lies needed to be exposed. I even wondered if his pack knew the truth.

"Shut your mouth, you bitch!" my father snarled, still trying to wrench his arm from my grip.

"Oh, Father." I tightened my hold just enough to make him wince. "The days of you intimidating me are over. The days of you abusing me are over."

I leaned in closer, our faces just inches apart.

"You know my mother died on my sixteenth birthday, don't you? I'm sure you knew exactly what you were doing when you marked your new mate that day, forcing me to watch my mother die in my arms."

I quickly released him, watching with satisfaction as he stumbled backward. His face contorted with humiliation and fury.

"What do you want?" he growled through clenched teeth.

I'd thought I would tremble when facing this tyrant from my past, but instead, I felt liberated. I was no longer that defenseless little girl. Now I could protect what mattered to me.

"I want my pack," I stated clearly, feeling Lupa's power rise within me. "I am its rightful heir, the true Alpha. I've come to reclaim what's mine."

I heard gasps from the crowd gathered around us.

My father's face twisted with the same humiliation I remembered from the day he'd banished me.

"You'll have to fight me for it," he spat.

"With pleasure." I smiled coldly. "I'll show you the same 'mercy' you showed my mother. You have one week to prepare, Alpha." I emphasized his title with contempt, then turned to his mate, softening my tone.

"I have nothing against you. You clearly didn't know about my mother or me. As long as you don't interfere with my claim to the Alpha position, you're welcome to stay with the pack." I paused, making sure she understood my next words. "But I suggest you think carefully about whether you still want this man as your mate when I come to challenge him."

I turned back to my father, letting my eyes flash with Lupa's golden glow.

"For what you did to my mother, to me, and to our pack, I will kill you."

"You think you can just come here and threaten to take our pack?" Another Alpha stepped forward, his chest puffed up with indignation. "I don't care if you're a Guardian. I'm not afraid of you."

Several others nodded in agreement behind him, a chorus of disapproval rising.

Before I could respond, Skylar and Grace appeared at my sides, forming a united front.

"We don't exist to oppress others," Skylar said calmly, "but to stand against tyranny and dictators." Without warning, she released her Guardian aura, its force immediately driving the challenging Alpha to his knees, forcing him to bare his throat in submission.

Grace's eyes scanned the crowd, Seraphina's golden glow shimmering beneath the surface.

"Would anyone else like to question the power of Guardians? Hazel and I would be happy to demonstrate our abilities as well, though we can't control our auras quite like Skylar. One move from us, and all of you will be on your knees."

I watched my father finally grasp the situation he found himself in. Fear crept into his eyes as he looked at me.

"One week, Alpha," I reminded him. Without another word, he turned and walked away, his shoulders stiff with tension.

I stood with my Guardian sisters, ready to face any further challenges. Our mates moved to our sides, their presence a silent declaration of support.

As Skylar withdrew her aura, the fallen Alpha was helped to his feet by his Beta. The crowd slowly dispersed, murmuring among themselves.

Steven came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"So, are we planning to incorporate another pack into our already substantial one?" he asked, his tone light but his question serious.

I turned in his embrace, leaning against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I should have discussed this with you first, but until I faced him just now, I didn't fully realize what I wanted."

He pressed his forehead against mine. "Good thing the Elders are here. I'll talk to them about expanding our territory. That land between us and the canyon should be available. We'll need to borrow money to purchase it, but with our pack starting to generate income, we should manage."

"If it's not enough, Ethan and I will help," William offered, coming over with his arm around Grace.

"Any idea how many pack members we might be taking in?" Steven asked me.

"About one hundred seventy-five," a deep voice answered from behind me.

I turned to see a familiar face.

"Stephen." I stepped away from Steven's embrace. "I owe you a debt of gratitude."

He shook his head. "No, I should have done more. I didn't know, didn't realize what was happening. As his Gamma, I should have seen it."

"Will the pack follow me?" I asked, watching his reaction carefully.

Stephen studied me for a long moment.

"The pack has suffered for a long time. They will follow you, accept you as their true Alpha."

Are you ready for this responsibility? Lupa asked within me.

I didn't hesitate. More than ready. This is what we were meant to do.

Standing surrounded by friends and allies, I felt a sense of purpose settle over me.

The frightened child my father had banished was gone.

In her place stood a Guardian, an Alpha, ready to reclaim what was rightfully hers.