Chapter 222
Kara
As Midnight Estate came into view—the massive stone structure with its warm lights glowing in the windows—I felt something settle in my chest. Not quite peace, but maybe the beginning of it.
Asher turned in his seat to face me fully, and I saw something flicker across his face—nervousness? Excitement? Through the bond, I felt all three of them radiating anticipation mixed with anxiety.
"We have a surprise for you," Asher said, his voice carefully neutral.
I blinked. "A surprise?"
Blake's arm tightened around my shoulders. "We hired someone. A legal expert. To help you learn everything you'll need as Luna."
"Nicholas Everett," Cole supplied. "One of the best—specializes in pack law, territory disputes, Luna protocols. He's been waiting for you to come home so you could start."
"You hired me a tutor?" My voice came out smaller than I'd intended. "For Luna duties?"
"You're brilliant," Asher said firmly. "You mastered calculus in a supply closet with textbooks you had to hide. Imagine what you'll accomplish with actual resources and support." Pride radiated through our bond. "Nicholas has prepared a complete curriculum—pack history, legal frameworks, everything."
The warmth in my chest expanded. They'd thought about this. Planned for it. Not to control me, but to give me the tools I needed.
"He's inside?" I asked.
"Waiting in the study," Blake confirmed, already reaching for the door handle. "Ready whenever you are, baby."
But as Asher helped me out of the car, I felt the shift before we'd even crossed the threshold. The warmth evaporated like morning frost, replaced by something cold and crackling with tension.
Victoria stood in the center of the foyer, posture rigid, her lily-and-cedar scent sharp with barely contained emotion. Beside her, Marcus maintained his usual stoic expression, though his oak-and-leather scent carried undertones of wariness. And across from them both sat someone I'd never seen before.
He was tall—maybe six-foot-two—with silver-gray hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Pale gray eyes assessed me with an intensity that made my wolf stir. His hands, resting on the chair's arms, were covered in scars. His scent hit me like a physical blow—rust and tobacco, overlaid with something darker.
Through the bond, I felt my Alphas' instant reaction. Blake's gunpowder scent spiked aggressively. Cole's mint sharpened. Asher shifted into Alpha mode, every line of his body radiating controlled authority.
I took an involuntary step backward, my hand instinctively moving to rest on my still-flat stomach.
"Asher. Blake. Cole." Victoria's voice was ice over steel. "You have a visitor."
The silver-haired man rose with fluid grace, his pale eyes never leaving my face. "I came to see my granddaughter."
The world tilted. Through the bond, I felt Blake and Cole move to flank me while Asher stepped forward, placing himself between me and this stranger.
"Dmitri Morozov," Victoria said, each syllable dripping with old poison. "Member of the Eclipse Court. And Celeste's father." She paused. "Kara's grandfather."
My breath caught. Grandfather. My mother's father. A man I'd never known existed.
Dmitri's pale eyes softened as they met mine. "Kara," he said, and my name in his rough voice sounded like a prayer and an apology. "I've been looking for you for a very long time."
Victoria's laugh was sharp. "How convenient that you show up now, after she's been claimed by three Alphas and survived being kidnapped by the very organization you belong to."
"Belonged to," Dmitri corrected. "Past tense, Victoria. The Court and I parted ways when they murdered my daughter and destroyed my son-in-law." His gaze shifted back to me. "I came because I heard what happened. Because I needed to see that you were safe."
"She's safe," Asher said, his Alpha voice carrying command. "She's under our protection. She's carrying our children. And she's been through enough without unexpected visitors—"
"To what?" Dmitri interrupted. "To care about her welfare? To try to be family she was denied for ten years?" His attention fixed on Victoria. "To clean up the mess you made when you kept her from me, when you lied to Connor about her treatment, when you let her believe she had no one?"
Victoria went white, then flushed with fury. "I protected her—"
"You enslaved her," Dmitri said flatly. "You made her work like a servant to pay off debts that were never hers. You stood by while she was bullied and degraded." His voice dropped to something dangerous. "Don't you dare claim you protected her."
The tension became unbearable, scents clashing until I could barely breathe. Through the bond, I felt my Alphas' warring impulses—wanting to defend me, to remove me from this, to assert their authority. But also their restraint, their determination to let me choose.
I took a shaky breath. All eyes turned to me.
"Grandfather." The word felt strange but somehow right. Dmitri's eyes widened. "Thank you for coming. I'd like to know about my mother. About my family. But I'm very tired, and I just found out I'm carrying triplets, and I really need to rest."
Through the bond, I felt my Alphas' fierce pride.
"Tonight," I continued, looking directly at Dmitri. "Could we talk tonight? At dinner? When I've had time to rest?"
Dmitri's expression softened. He inclined his head respectfully. "Of course, child. I waited ten years. I can wait a few more hours."
The simple acceptance made my eyes burn. I nodded, not trusting my voice, and felt Blake's hand settle on the small of my back.
"Then if we're done here," Asher said, "we'll take our mate upstairs. She needs to meet her tutor and begin learning what she'll need to know as Luna." His gaze swept over Victoria and Marcus with cool dismissal before settling on Dmitri with slightly less hostility. "Dinner is at seven. You're welcome to join us then."
Dmitri nodded, then surprised me by dropping to one knee, head bowed. "Luna Kara. Future Alpha of Silver Frost Pack. I pledge my loyalty to you and to the lives you carry. Whatever you need, I am yours to command."
The pledge hung in the air, heavy with old magic. Through the bond, I felt Asher's surprise, Blake's suspicion, Cole's cautious approval.
I stepped forward, away from Blake's protective touch, and placed my hand on Dmitri's bowed head. His hair was coarse under my palm. I felt him tremble.
"I accept your pledge," I said quietly. "And I ask only that you tell me the truth. About my mother, about my father, about everything. No more lies. No more secrets."
"No more secrets," Dmitri agreed, his voice rough with emotion. "I swear it."
When he rose and left—Marcus showing him to a guest room—I sagged slightly. Cole was there immediately, his mint scent wrapping around me.
"Come on, Luna," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Let's get you to your surprise."