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00:03my mother was a gorgeous madwoman
00:07made it to the ugliest lowest ranked wolf in the pack
00:10with yellow teeth and nothing to his name
00:14everyone in the pack praised my father
00:22ugly and low ranking but what a devoted mate
00:25then one day a band of rogues crossed
00:30they tore my father open and killed him brutally
00:33my mother stood beside them and clapped her hands with joy
00:37she walked away with the rogues and never looked back
00:39the whole pack called her cold-blooded
00:42they said she was a curse a bad omen
00:44what they didn't know was this
00:46i an eight-year-old girl had hired those rogue wolves to kill my monster father
00:52he was never a good mate never a good father
00:56through the crack in the door i watched brett sander out of the bedroom adjusting his belt with that
01:03look of dark satisfaction on his face
01:07i scrambled back onto my pile of flour sacks
01:11a second later he kicked me
01:13go heat some water for your mother
01:15i didn't say a word
01:17i crawled up and went to the kitchen to start the fire
01:19the smell drifting from my parents room was thick and nauseating
01:23my mother lay on the tangled bedding
01:25naked and still
01:27staring straight up at the ceiling
01:29someone who didn't know better would have thought she was dead
01:36brett would never let anyone see what he did to her in there
01:41i drew hot water from the basin
01:43mixed it carefully with cold until the temperature was right
01:47then worked a rough cloth through it and gently cleaned her body
01:50the moment i touched the bruising on her inner thighs
01:53she seemed to snap awake
01:55she screamed and curled into herself and wouldn't let me near her
02:00her screaming carried through the walls
02:02i pressed my hands together frantic trying to signal her
02:05don't don't if you keep screaming he'll come back
02:09from the yard came the steady rhythm of an axe splitting wood
02:13one strike after another
02:17my mother went silent immediately
02:20the front gate creaked open
02:22it was mrs harrow from next door
02:25brett how's clara doing
02:30he gave a sad little laugh
02:31she's having one of her days
02:33wanted to wash her up and she threw a fit
02:35mrs harrow sighed
02:36you really have it hard you know that
02:39then she asked what he was building
02:41his voice came back
02:42slow and simple
02:43she won't sit stilly for a bath
02:45so i'm making her a special chair
02:46makes it easier on both of us
02:48brett you are something else
02:50that woman is lucky to have you
02:52shame she doesn't understand it
02:54inside the room my mother and i both went cold at the same time
02:58it wasn't a regular chair
03:00the armrests in the back were fitted with locking clamps
03:03we had several things like that in the house
03:05brett called them gifts he made for her
03:07he kept them in the back room
03:08a bench with restraints he said
03:10to make it easier for her to use the toilet
03:12a wooden rocking horse
03:14a swing he said to lift her spirits
03:16the whole pack thought he was devoted
03:17building things for a mate who couldn't even appreciate it
03:20only i knew what those things were for
03:21on the nights brett came home drunk
03:23i would crawl to the doorway and watch through the dark
03:26he would strip her bare and strap her to the wooden horse
03:29then beat her thighs with a cane until the skin split
03:32she would shake and sweat and cry in silence
03:34because her mouth was always stuffed full of something
03:37so no sound could get out
03:38he would laugh while he did it
03:40who would believe it
03:41the highborn princess
03:42on all fours like a dog for me
03:45i used to think he must be as broken as she was
03:50how could my mother have anything to do with a highborn princess
03:56in the daylight he was a different man
03:58patient
03:59humble
03:59well liked for miles in every direction
04:02he kept her clean
04:03he chopped extra wood
04:05and walked farther to sell it
04:06just so we could eat
04:07the pack said she had earned good fortune in a past life
04:10to have a mate like him
04:11i knew from early on that brett was not good enough for my mother
04:14she was soft and warm
04:15and something in the way she held herself
04:17had always felt like it belonged somewhere else
04:19somewhere finer
04:20when she wasn't lost in her own mind
04:22her face was so calm and beautiful it hurt to look at
04:24i always wanted to get closer
04:25brett i hated with everything in me
04:28the yellow teeth
04:29the way he nodded her neck like an animal
04:32as i got older i saw his two faces more clearly
04:37what he did to her he did to me too in his own way
04:40i had no bed
04:41i slept on the flower sacks
04:44he told the pack
04:45i was afraid of the dark
04:46and had to sleep curled at my parents feet
04:48he said he went without food so we could eat
04:51but i caught him alone in the back room more than once
04:53working through a roasted chicken
04:55and a cup of ale
04:56he didn't seem to care that i saw
04:58he'd grab me by the hair
04:59and put his face close to mine
05:01he'd say
05:01say one word
05:03and i'll break your legs
05:06with his clean reputation
05:07even if he hit me once in a while
05:09people would take his side
05:11they'd say i was the difficult one
05:13that the two of us were a weight he carried
05:15so he kept doing it
05:17nothing to fear
05:18when i was older
05:19i started to notice things that didn't add up
05:22brett barely scraped by selling firewood
05:24so where was the money coming from
05:26for all his private meals and drink
05:28then one night
05:29i climbed the crooked tree in the backyard
05:31and finally saw what he'd been hiding
05:34he crept out of the house
05:36and dug up a wooden box
05:37from the base of the wall
05:39in the moonlight
05:40i could see the gold inside it
05:46he lifted a coin
05:47turned it over in his palm
05:49and then tucked it away
05:50and buried the box again
05:51like it had never moved
05:54i was stunned
05:55a bundle of firewood
05:56was worth almost nothing
05:57when did brett ever saved up that much gold coins
06:01the next day
06:01the moment he left for town
06:03i dug up the box and brought it inside
06:08mom we have money
06:09i can get us out of here right now
06:11my mother saw the box and froze
06:12her pupils went small
06:14her whole body locked up
06:16i grabbed her arm
06:17come on
06:18we have to go before he gets back
06:19she gave me a sharp look
06:21and for just a moment
06:22i thought she was really seeing me
06:24then she snapped back
06:26she laughed and knocked the box out of my hands
06:28and gold coins scattered across the floor
06:31while i scrambled to collect them
06:32she picked up the box and started turning it over
06:34found a hidden latch
06:36and out slid a small pendant
06:37pack crest
06:38old design
06:39the markings intricate and worn
06:42she pressed it to her cheek
06:43and rocked back and forth
06:44making soft sounds
06:46i felt something twist hard in my chest
06:48she recognized it
06:50i eased it out of her hands
06:51and looked it over carefully
06:53then the gate rattled
06:54my heart stopped
06:56i shoved the coins back into the box
06:58and kicked it under the bed
06:59aria
07:00you and your mother okay in there
07:04it was mrs harrow
07:05we're fine
07:06she knocked over a bowl
07:07i cleaned it up
07:08i kept my voice steady
07:12i waited until i heard her footsteps move away
07:14then i grabbed what i could
07:15and hauled my mother toward the door
07:17but when i pushed the gate open
07:19mrs harrow was right there
07:21so were three other women from the pack
07:23she hadn't left at all
07:24where do you think you're taking her aria
07:27just for some air
07:28down by the creek
07:30they closed in
07:32you're too young to be out alone with her
07:34wait for your father
07:35go back inside
07:36my stomach dropped
07:38my mother had no idea what was happening
07:41she stood there playing with a wild flower
07:43laughing quietly to herself
07:45i turned us around
07:47behind me i heard them whispering
07:50no wonder brett worries
07:52stepping out for an hour
07:53and this girl nearly runs off with the poor woman
07:55he's lucky he asked us to keep watch
07:58those two are nothing but trouble for him
08:00he had set watchers on us
08:02we couldn't get out
08:03when he came back his face was iron
08:05he went to the yard first to check the box
08:07i had buried it exactly where it was
08:09he came inside
08:11he locked the doors and the windows
08:13and dragged out the chair from the back room
08:15doesn't matter whose idea it was
08:17you don't listen there are consequences
08:19he patted my cheek
08:20don't worry
08:21i won't mark you
08:23can't have the pack asking questions
08:25then he grabbed my mother by the hair
08:27stuffed something in her mouth
08:28and strapped her into that chair
08:34her legs were forced apart
08:35he pulled down her clothes in front of me
08:37and beat her thighs with a cane
08:38she was shaking
08:39sweat running down her face
08:40tears she couldn't wipe away
08:41i threw myself at his legs
08:43stop
08:45please
08:46i'll never do it again
08:47he shook me off
08:48i hit the floor
08:49and tried to press my head down
08:52try anything else
08:53and she pays for it
08:55if she doesn't survive it
08:56that's on you
08:57he caught my arm before i could
09:00every time you hurt yourself
09:03she gets another strike
09:04go ahead
09:05try it
09:08i went completely still
09:10that night i lay in the back room
09:12with my hands over my ears
09:14and cried until the flower sacks were soaked
09:18brett kept us locked in for seven days
09:20when he was finally sure my mother was no different than before
09:23he took me out with him
09:24brett
09:24bringing your girl along today
09:26he put on his tired long-suffering face
09:29she's getting older
09:30living around her mother like this
09:31what's she gonna learn
09:33i want to get her set up with something useful
09:35isn't that thoughtful
09:36aria's lucky to have a father like you
09:38i kept my eyes on the ground
09:40he was going to sell me
09:41he wanted me far away
09:42so i couldn't try to run again
09:44in wolftown
09:44he handed me to a black market dealer
09:46he told the man to sell me as far away as possible
09:48lots of demands
09:49didn't leave a single coin extra
09:51cheap
09:52bastard
09:53so they weren't friends
09:55that was useful
09:56i know how to get you twice the price
10:00i sketched a design on a scrap of paper
10:02sell me to someone with this crest on their coat
10:05their vehicles
10:06their estate gates
10:08you'll get double the standard rate
10:10guaranteed
10:13what is that
10:17i made up a story on the spot
10:19i found an injured alpha's son in the woods once
10:23his pendant had this crest
10:26he told me he'd repay whoever helped him
10:30why didn't your father mention this
10:32if my father knew would you be involved at all
10:34he hits me every day
10:36i'm not giving him the satisfaction
10:38the dealer turned it over in his mind
10:39then shrugged
10:40fine
10:40i'm heading north anyway
10:43i'll take the gamble
10:44but if you've lied to me
10:45you've got my life in your hands
10:47i'm not stupid enough to lie
10:49so we traveled north
10:50one by one the other children with us were sold
10:52we kept moving
10:53we finally reached where the alpha king lived
10:56i still hadn't seen the crest anywhere
10:57the dealer was watching me with darker and darker eyes
11:01i was starting to doubt myself
11:03then a convoy swept through the road ahead of us
11:05and nearly upended a stall at the roadside
11:07the dealer cursed the dust out of his mouth
11:09looked up and saw me staring at the vehicles with everything i had
11:12there
11:12finally
11:13there it was
11:14those vehicles were covered in the exact crest
11:17i had memorized and drawn from the pendant
11:19you're sure that's the one
11:20the pack you saved someone from
11:22we just walked into the territory of rogue alpha riker
11:24i stepped straight into the road
11:26and planted myself in front of the lead vehicle
11:28the driver hadn't seen me coming
11:30the whole convoy launched to a stop
11:31he yelled at me
11:32a guard grabbed me by the collar and swung me towards me
11:34rogue alpha
11:35i have something that belongs to you
11:38silence from inside
11:42years ago
11:43the pureblood daughter of the shen pack was taken by rogues
11:46they searched everywhere and found nothing
11:49riker never stopped looking
11:50he had worn the matching half of the pendant on his belt every single day
11:54waiting for the moment he could use it to find his sister
12:06get the horses
12:07we ride for the border pack now
12:12hold on
12:14hooves mammered the road
12:16wind screamed past my ears
12:19mom
12:20wait a little longer
12:22riker i'm coming
12:24three days
12:25no real sleep
12:26we finally reached the outskirts of the border pack where i'd grown up
12:30riker had the horses hidden in the tree line
12:33he took a small unit of enforcers and followed me on foot through the edge of the settlement
12:39it was dusk
12:42cooking smoke drifted up from the houses
12:47everything looked quiet
12:50nobody knew what was about to hit them
12:53our house was at the far eastern edge
12:55from a distance i could already see brett sitting in the yard splitting wood
12:59humming something tuneless
13:00that easy humble look on his face
13:03nothing like the thing he became at night
13:04i dug my nails into my palm
13:06the hatred came up slow and thick
13:12do we move
13:13the lead enforcer asked quietly
13:15riker's eyes were cold
13:17check on clara first
13:20we circled around to the back of the yard
13:22and looked over the low fence
13:24my mother was sitting on the doorstep with a wildflower in her hand smiling at nothing
13:29her hair was loose and tangled
13:31her clothes were patched all over
13:34even so
13:35there was something in the way she held herself that none of it could touch
13:39brett finished with the wood and walked over to her
13:42he brushed a hand over her hair soft and easy
13:45clara
13:46hungry
13:47i'll get dinner started
13:49anyone watching would have called him a good man
13:52i knew exactly what lived behind that voice
13:54sure enough my mother flinched away from his hand
13:57fear flashed through her eyes
13:59quick as a spark
14:00brett's face went flat
14:01he caught himself aware the neighbors might be watching
14:04and turned back toward the house without a word
14:06riker's voice was ice
14:07take him
14:08the enforcers went over the fence like water
14:10brett didn't have time to react
14:12they had him pinned to the ground before he could shout
14:15he struggled and yelled
14:17who are you get off me you've got the wrong house
14:21riker walked into the yard and looked down at him
14:23he didn't bother hiding what was in his eyes
14:30brett
14:41brett blinked up at him
14:42then his eyes caught the half pendant on ryer's belt
14:45and his face went white
14:46i don't know you
14:48you've got the wrong guy
14:54you tortured my mother for over a decade and now you want to say wrong man
14:58my mother startled at the noise
15:00the flower fell from her hand
15:01she looked between us
15:02confused
15:03then her eyes landed on riker's face
15:05her lips moved
15:06clara
15:07she made a small broken sound
15:09riker crossed the yard fast and crouched in front of her
15:12his voice cracked
15:14it's me it's reich your brother
15:16i'm here to take you home
15:17she stared at him for a long time
15:19then two tears ran down her face
15:21she reached toward him
15:22fingers shaking
15:23and pulled her hand back
15:24like she was afraid to touch him in case he disappeared
15:26i paid for clara
15:27she's mine
15:28what business is it of yours what i do with her
15:30brett saw it all and knew it was over
15:32he still pushed
15:35paid for her
15:43she is the pure blood daughter of the shen pack
15:46you think coin changes that
15:49you know where that money came from
15:51rogue raids
15:53trafficking
15:55that's your coin
15:56here is what actually happened
15:59brett had known exactly who my mother was from the start
16:04he wanted the shen pack's wealth
16:06and he wanted her
16:07so he worked with the rogues who took her
16:10then he played the part of the simple woodcutter
16:13who bought a mad woman for almost nothing
16:16locked her in this backwater settlement
16:18and told everyone she'd lost her mind
16:21the coin he buried
16:23part of it is cut from the rogues
16:25part of it from selling off her jewelry piece by piece
16:30the neighbors had heard the commotion
16:32they gathered at the fence
16:35mrs harrow and the other women were among them
16:38nobody spoke
16:43then rikers enforcers dragged out the back room restraints
16:46the chair with the locking clamps
16:47the wooden horse
16:48all of it and set it in the yard
16:51the crowd went silent
16:52then the murmuring started
16:54i never would have thought it
16:55he seemed like such a decent man
16:57no wonder she lost her mind
16:58anyone would
16:59mrs harrow's face cycled through several colors
17:02she stepped forward and bowed her head toward ryok and my mother
17:05i'm sorry
17:06i believed him
17:07i helped him watch them
17:08i owe you both more than i can say
17:11the other women who had kept guard for brett came forward too
17:14some of them were crying
17:15i watched them and felt nothing
17:16their gossip and their blind trust
17:19had been part of the weight pressing down on us all those years
17:21an apology didn't change that
17:27riker had brett bound and the back room cleared out completely
17:30when the enforcers carried the restraints into the yard
17:33the crowd made a sound all at once
17:35everyone staring at brett with disgust
17:38take him to the capital pack dungeon
17:40full interrogation
17:41i want him to answer for every single thing he's done
17:44riker's voice was flat and fine
17:46as they dragged brett away
17:47he turned and fixed me and my mother with a stare full of poison
17:50i'll come back for you too
17:51dead or alive
17:52i looked back at him and didn't blink
17:55good riddance
17:56riker helped my mother to her feet and gently smoothed back her hair
18:00clara
18:01we're going home
18:02no one is ever gonna hurt you again
18:04she looked at him
18:05then she broke
18:06she pressed her face against his shoulder and sobbed
18:09and through it she was saying brother over and over
18:11muffled and raw
18:12i knew in that moment she was truly back
18:14it wasn't a sudden recovery
18:15it was that seeing someone who loved her cracked open everything she had held
18:18locked inside for over a decade
18:20and all of it came flooding out at once
18:22riker had someone gather the few things my mother used daily
18:24then he picked her up and looked at me
18:26aria
18:27let's go
18:28i nodded
18:29i followed him out of that yard
18:31one step at a time
18:34at the edge of the settlement i looked back once
18:37the house sat small and gray in the last of the light
18:39every bad thing that had ever happened to me lived in that house
18:43i was never coming back
18:44but it wasn't over yet
18:46we hadn't gone far when a message reached ryer
18:48brett had tried to run during transport and been restrained on the spot
18:51riker didn't want to risk anything overnight
18:53he decided to lock brett in the local pack cells in the nearest town and move out in the morning
18:58that night i lay on an actual bed in the inn and stared at the ceiling
19:01brett's voice kept running in my head
19:03i'll come back for you too
19:05i knew what he was
19:06even if the pack court dealt with him that wouldn't be enough
19:10not for what he did to her
19:11not for what he did to me
19:13everything came back in flashes
19:14every night
19:15every sound from that back room
19:17just past midnight i got up quietly
19:18slipped past the enforcers
19:20and walked out of the inn
19:21i remembered the cells were at the west end of town
19:23i made my way there by memory
19:25staying in the shadows
19:26the streets were empty
19:27a few lanterns swaying
19:32i had a handful of sharp stones in my sleeve that i'd picked up on the road
19:36just in case i ran into a patrol
19:37the cell block wasn't heavily guarded
19:39two old pack warriors were dozing by the front
19:42i held my breath and worked my way around to the backyard
19:45low wall there
19:46i climbed it slowly using the weeds along the base for footing
19:50and dropped down on the other side
19:52the yard was still
19:53just leaves moving in the wind
19:55i found brett's cell from the direction i'd clocked earlier that day
19:58he was in the last section
20:00curled in the corner snoring
20:01i pulled out the wire i'd had since the dealer
20:04lit it from his pack during the journey north
20:06thinking it might come in useful
20:07turned out i was right
20:09i worked it into the lock carefully and turned it slow
20:12a soft click
20:13the door swung open
20:14i pushed it just enough to get through
20:16bread stirred
20:18his eyes opened
20:22he looked at me
20:23first confused
20:24then a slow grin spread across his face
20:27well are you here to break me out or finish me off
20:30finish you off
20:31i said it without feeling anything
20:33the grin stopped
20:34his eyes went uncertain
20:35you wouldn't dare
20:36i'm your father
20:38you were never a father
20:40i didn't raise my voice
20:41you remember what you did to her
20:44what you did to me
20:45every night of it
20:46i pulled out the knife
20:48i'd lifted it off one of riker's enforcers
20:50during the afternoon when he was reorganizing his gear
20:53and wasn't watching his belt
20:54i'd seen it and made my decision right then
20:57today i collect for her
20:59and for myself
21:01brett started backing towards the corner
21:03he was begging
21:05aria
21:05i'll change
21:06i swear it just let me walk
21:09let you walk
21:09i thought of her bruises
21:11i thought of the flower sacks
21:13i thought of every locked door
21:15and every stuffed scream
21:17and every night i spent with my hands over my ears
21:22did you ever think about letting her go
21:26i didn't stop walking toward him
21:32he lunged for the knife
21:35i was ready
21:36i stepped aside and drove the blade into his chest
21:39with everything i had
21:42brett's eyes went wide
21:44he looked at me like he still couldn't believe it
21:46blood came up into his mouth
21:48he got out one sentence
21:50you
21:52you'll regret this
21:54then he went down and didn't move again
21:57i looked at the blood on my hands
21:59no fear
22:00just a stillness i hadn't felt in years
22:03it was done
22:04i wiped the blade
22:06tucked it away
22:07and slipped back out of the cell
22:11back through the yard
22:13back to the inn before first light
22:16i lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling again
22:19sleep didn't come
22:21the image of it kept repeating in my head
22:23i didn't regret it
22:25not once
22:27he had destroyed her life and taken my childhood
22:30and he had never lost a single night's sleep over it
22:33he deserved what he got
22:34by morning brett's body had been found
22:37word moved fast through the town
22:40some said he took his own life out of guilt
22:43others said a rival had settled a score
22:49riker ordered an investigation
22:52the cell had left nothing behind
22:56and with my mother needing urgent care
22:58he didn't press it long
23:01he had brett's body disposed of in the creek
23:04at the edge of the old settlement
23:06the pack members there found it
23:08and assumed he'd brought it on himself
23:10they stood by the water and cursed him
23:12said he'd gotten what came to a man
23:14who treated his maid that way
23:16none of them knew it was me
23:18who had actually done it
23:21the girl he had treated
23:22like something that didn't matter
23:26we rode north toward the capital pack
23:31my mother leaned against riker
23:33for most of the journey
23:34but she was clearer now
23:37occasionally she surfaced
23:38and said a few words to us
23:41riker said he had the best pack healers waiting
23:45he would get her well
23:46he promised it
23:49i sat by the window
23:51and watched the landscape change
23:55i had come such a long way
23:57from that border settlement
23:59from everything that had happened there
24:02i knew our lives were about to become
24:04something completely different
24:07but the damage that had been done
24:09didn't just disappear
24:12you carry it
24:13you learn to carry it differently
24:19a few days later
24:21we reached the capital pack
24:25riker's estate was large
24:27and well fortified
24:28nothing like the crumpling house
24:29i had grown up in
24:31my mother took it all in
24:33with wide
24:34uncertain eyes
24:37the space seemed to confuse her
24:43rike put us in the best suite
24:45in the east wing
24:46it had a small garden
24:48and pond
24:52he sent for the pack healer
24:54immediately
24:54the healer examined my mother
24:57and shook his head
25:00alpha rider
25:01she has sustained
25:02serious psychological trauma
25:04over a long period
25:05prolonged fear and abuse
25:07recovery is possible
25:09but it will take time
25:10you cannot rush it
25:12riker told him to spare nothing
25:15he arranged daily treatment
25:17had someone tend to her meals personally
25:22kept her routine as calm
25:24and consistent as possible
25:29i had my own room
25:31soft clothes
25:33food i had never seen before
25:36i still couldn't fully relax
25:39it felt like a dream
25:40i might wake up from
25:41and find myself back
25:43on the flower sacks
25:44riker noticed
25:45he made time for me
25:46he told me about my mother
25:48when she was young
25:49said she had been bright
25:50and full of life
25:51talented at everything
25:52she put her hands to
25:52well known across the capital
25:54for it
25:54her name clara he said
25:56was meant to mean something
25:56clear and untroubled
25:58a life without hardship
25:59then things went the way they went
26:01aria
26:01he said
26:02resting a hand on my head
26:03his voice was gentle
26:05this is your home now
26:06i'm your uncle
26:07and nobody is going to hurt you
26:08or your mother again
26:09whatever you want to learn
26:10i'll find you the best teacher for it
26:12i looked at him
26:12he meant every word
26:14i had never had that before
26:16someone who meant it
26:17i said
26:21i want to learn to read
26:23and i want to learn to fight
26:24so i can protect her
26:28done
26:31he smiled
26:32i'll have a teacher here tomorrow
26:34the days passed
26:35my mother got better slowly
26:37she was lucid for longer stretches
26:39she started to remember things
26:41one afternoon
26:42she looked at the flowers in the garden
26:44and said quietly
26:45we had flowers like these at home
26:47my mother planted them
26:49i went still for a moment
26:51then cried
26:51it was the first time
26:53she had clearly reached back
26:55into her past
26:56and found something real
26:57reicher heard about it
26:58and had flowers
27:00brought from the old
27:01shen family home
27:02and replanted in the garden
27:03i threw myself into learning
27:05up before light to study
27:07practicing by lamp after dark
27:09i knew that being strong
27:10was the only way
27:12to never be at someone else's mercy again
27:14then
27:14just as things were starting to settle
27:16bad news came in from the capital
27:22someone had filed a formal complaint
27:24reicher had abused his authority
27:25by privately imprisoning a pack member
27:27and had mobilized enforcers
27:29for personal matters
27:29the alpha king was furious
27:31he ordered a full investigation
27:33it was the work of slade
27:35a senior pack official
27:36who had been looking for a way
27:38to bring reigen down for years
27:40the two had always been enemies
27:43slade had seized on the brett situation
27:45and shaped it into a weapon
27:47reicher was summoned before the alpha king
27:50and dressed down in front of the court
27:52the alpha king didn't strip him of everything
27:55his past record carried weight
27:57but reicher lost a portion of his command authority
28:00and was ordered to stand down
28:01while the investigation continued
28:03the atmosphere in the estate shifted
28:06immediately
28:07pack members who had been warm to us
28:10cooled off
28:11some of the staff got lazy
28:13stopped looking after my mother
28:15as carefully as they had before
28:17i watched reicher
28:19wearing down under the pressure
28:20and didn't know how to help him
28:22my mother felt the change in the house too
28:25her episodes came back
28:27she would shout
28:29that people were coming for her
28:33i stayed with my mother around the clock
28:36keeping her calm
28:37it's okay
28:37i'm right here
28:39nobody is getting to you
28:40i held her close
28:42and kept my voice steady
28:43she shook in my arms
28:45and kept whispering
28:46they're coming
28:47they're going to take me
28:48i rubbed her back
28:50and let the tears run
28:51without wiping them
28:52i made myself a quiet promise
28:54i would find a way to help reichen
28:57i was not going to let slade win
28:59then it hit me
29:01the wooden box
29:02from brett's hiding spot
29:03under the wall
29:03there had been letters in it
29:05not just coin and the pendant
29:07letters
29:08i had been too focused on running
29:09to read them properly
29:10but now i thought
29:11those letters recorded brett's dealings
29:13with the rogues
29:14and if slade was connected to any of it
29:16they might be the thread
29:17that unraveled him
29:20i told reicher
29:23his expression shifted
29:26he sent a unit back
29:27to the border settlement
29:28that same day
29:34the letters came back
29:36and they were exactly
29:37what we needed
29:38brett had kept detailed records
29:40his arrangement with the rogues
29:42his correspondence with people
29:44working under slade
29:45trafficking
29:45extortion
29:46payments
29:47the rogues who had taken my mother
29:50had been operating
29:52under slade's protection
29:53the whole time
29:56slade used them
29:57to take the family members
29:58of officials
29:59who wouldn't cooperate
30:00then held those people
30:01as leverage
30:05reicher brought everything
30:06before the alpha king
30:07in person
30:08he laid out the full picture
30:10and named slade
30:11for what he was
30:13the alpha king read
30:15through the letters
30:15and understood
30:16he had been wrong
30:18about reicher
30:19he reinstated reicher's
30:21full command
30:21on the spot
30:22and ordered slade
30:24and everyone connected
30:25to him brought in
30:27every person
30:28who had worked
30:28to bring reicher down
30:30got what they deserved
30:33the crisis was finished
30:35the estate went quiet again
30:37in the best way
30:43my mother continued to improve
30:45she could hold a full conversation now
30:47most of her memory was back
30:50one afternoon
30:51she took my hand and said
30:54aria
30:54aria
30:54thank you
30:56without you
30:56i would have stayed
30:57in that place forever
30:59and never found my way out
31:00i shook my head
31:02my throat was tight
31:04mom
31:04i should be thanking you
31:06you protected me
31:07just by still being there
31:08you gave me a reason
31:10to keep going
31:10reicher walked over
31:12and looked at us both
31:12with something quiet
31:13and satisfied
31:14in his face
31:15clara
31:15aria
31:16this family stays together
31:18from here on out
31:19i looked at the two of them
31:20and felt the warmth of it
31:21settle in my chest
31:22the dark days were behind us
31:24whatever came next
31:25we would face it together
31:27reicher gave me a new name
31:28aria shen
31:29he said he wanted me
31:31to carry the past with me
31:32not as a wound
31:33but as something
31:34that had made me
31:35who i was
31:35i liked it
31:37it felt like starting over
31:38it felt like hope
31:43my mother made a full recovery
31:44she picked up everything
31:46she had loved before
31:47music
31:48painting
31:48writing
31:49she filled her days
31:50and was happy
31:51she taught me too
31:52said a woman needed
31:53her own strength
31:54and her own voice
31:55not just someone else
31:56to rely on
31:57i didn't slow down either
31:58beyond my studies
32:00i trained with the estate's
32:01combat instructor every day
32:03i knew that real protection
32:04came from real ability
32:07the instructor saw i was serious
32:09and pushed me hard
32:11i got good fast
32:12in quieter moments
32:14my mother told me more
32:15about what had happened
32:16she said the rogues
32:18had taken her
32:18because slade wanted
32:19to force my grandfather
32:20into surrendering
32:21his command authority
32:22over the pack
32:23my grandfather refused
32:25so slade took her
32:26as a threat
32:27my grandfather had
32:28protected the family
32:29and kept searching
32:30for her in secret
32:31all those years
32:33when he found out
32:34i was safe
32:35he couldn't sleep
32:36for days
32:36she smiled
32:38but her eyes
32:39were wet
32:40he's old now
32:41and not well
32:43he can't make the trip
32:44to the capital
32:45when things settle
32:46we'll all go to him
32:48i nodded
32:49i had never met him
32:51but i already felt
32:52something for him
32:53a man who had spent years
32:55quietly looking
32:56and never stopped
33:00time passed
33:01i grew up
33:03alpha hairs
33:04and high-ranking sons
33:05from across the capital
33:06made their interest known
33:07i turned them all down
33:08i could see what most of them
33:10were after
33:11riker's standing
33:12the shen name
33:14not me
33:14riker understood
33:16without me having to explain
33:17he said
33:20aria
33:21i'm not looking for
33:22a powerful match for you
33:24i just want you to find
33:26someone who's genuinely
33:27in your corner
33:29whatever you decide
33:30i'm behind you
33:33i was grateful
33:34every time he said
33:35something like that
33:37having him
33:38was the luckiest thing
33:39that had ever happened
33:40to me
33:40then riker brought me
33:42and my mother
33:43to a formal gathering
33:44at the royal estate
33:45that was where i met
33:46prince caden
33:47he was the alpha king's
33:49younger brother
33:50known for being fair
33:51capable
33:52and well respected
33:53across the pack hierarchy
33:55when he saw me
33:56he didn't look at me
33:57the way most men did
33:59no calculation in it
34:01he just greeted me
34:02and asked how i was doing
34:05we talked for a while
34:06he was sharp
34:07and he actually cared
34:08about the lower ranked
34:09wolves in the pack
34:11when he heard a little
34:12of what my mother
34:13and i had been through
34:14he said simply
34:16if you ever need help
34:18come find me
34:24after that
34:25prince caden
34:26came by riker's estate
34:27regularly
34:27sometimes to talk
34:29strategy with riker
34:30sometimes just to sit
34:31with me and my mother
34:32and spend time
34:33he was always respectful
34:34never pushed anything
34:35it was the first time
34:36i had been around a man
34:37and felt completely at ease
34:39i started to like him
34:41then i started to feel
34:42guilty about liking him
34:43i was the daughter
34:45of a criminal
34:45what brett had done
34:47wasn't my fault
34:47but i was still his daughter
34:49and i had that past
34:51all of it
34:53my mother saw
34:54what was happening
34:57she took my hand
35:01aria
35:03none of what happened
35:04to you is your fault
35:05you are brave
35:07and you are good
35:08and you deserve
35:09someone who sees that
35:13prince caden
35:14is a good man
35:16if you feel something
35:17for him
35:18don't talk yourself
35:18out of it
35:20riker said the same
35:22i trust your instincts
35:24he's the kind of man
35:25you can count on
35:27if you want this
35:29i'll stand behind you
35:33with the two of them
35:34backing me
35:34i finally said
35:36what i felt out loud
35:40prince caden smiled
35:41when i told him
35:42he took my hand
35:44aria
35:44i've known for a while
35:47i love how strong you are
35:48i love how kind you are
35:50i don't care about your past
35:52i want to spend the rest
35:53of my life with you
35:56the alpha king
35:57gave his blessing
36:00the ceremony was held
36:02at riker's estate
36:03and the whole place
36:04was lit up
36:05and loud
36:05with celebration
36:08i sat in the carriage
36:10on the way
36:10to my new home
36:12and felt something
36:14i hadn't felt
36:14in a very long time
36:20uncomplicated happiness
36:22caden treated me well
36:23every single day
36:24after that
36:25he never brought up
36:26my past
36:27and he didn't allow
36:28anyone else to either
36:30he was good
36:30to my mother too
36:31he spent time
36:33with her
36:33walked with her
36:34made her feel like
36:35she had gained a son
36:37my mother's health
36:39stayed strong
36:40she started visiting
36:42the local pack temple
36:43regularly
36:45lighting candles
36:46for everyone she loved
36:48she also used
36:49her own savings
36:50to open a shelter
36:51for orphaned girls
36:52in the capital
36:54a place where they
36:55could learn
36:55and eat
36:56and be safe
36:57so they wouldn't
36:58have to grow up
36:59the way i did
37:00i stayed busy
37:01alongside her
37:02i followed caden's lead
37:04in paying attention
37:04to the lower ranked wolves
37:06helping where we could
37:07and i used what i had
37:09learned in training
37:09to watch over the girls
37:10in the shelter
37:11and make sure no one
37:12came near them
37:13with bad intentions
37:18one day a letter arrived
37:19from the old border
37:20settlement
37:21it was from mrs harrow
37:23she said everyone there
37:25now knew the full truth
37:26about brett
37:27they knew what had been
37:28done to me and my mother
37:30she said people were
37:31ashamed they hadn't
37:32seen it and hadn't
37:33helped
37:33she said the settlement
37:34had a lot of respect
37:35for us now
37:36and hoped we might
37:37visit someday
37:38i held the letter
37:39and sat with it
37:40for a while
37:40they had finally
37:41understood
37:42i didn't go back
37:43the hurt ran too deep
37:45and i had no desire
37:46to walk back
37:46into those memories
37:47but i wrote her a reply
37:48i told her that my
37:50mother and i were well
37:51that i had forgiven
37:52the people there
37:53that i hoped they
37:54would live clearly
37:54from now on
37:55and not be fooled
37:56by appearances again
37:58years went by
37:59caden and i had a daughter
38:01we named her nora
38:03we wanted her to have
38:04a life that was
38:05steady and safe
38:06my mother lit up
38:08every time she saw
38:08her granddaughter
38:09rica was still
38:10protecting the pack's
38:11borders
38:14i thought about
38:14the border settlement
38:15sometimes
38:17about brett
38:18and what he had
38:19done
38:20there was still
38:21a thread of anger
38:21when i did
38:23but mostly what i felt
38:25was release
38:26the suffering
38:27had made me harder
38:28in the places
38:29that needed to be
38:30hard
38:32i was grateful
38:33for the life
38:33i had now
38:34because i knew
38:35exactly what the
38:36other kind
38:36looked like
38:38the secret
38:38of what i had
38:39done to brett
38:40would stay buried
38:41in me forever
38:43i didn't regret it
38:45it was the right
38:46ending for the life
38:47he had chosen to
38:47live
38:48from here forward
38:49all i wanted was
38:50this
38:51my mother
38:52riker
38:53caden
38:53nora
38:54all of us
38:55together
38:56the past
38:57sealed away
38:57where it
38:58belonged
39:00bring light
39:01in the courtyard
39:02warm and clear
39:04my mother sat
39:05in the garden
39:05teaching noah
39:06a song
39:07the melody
39:08drifting out
39:08across the yard
39:09caden stood
39:10beside me
39:11and held my
39:11hand
39:12look at all
39:13of this
39:14i looked
39:15i smiled
39:16i know
39:17everything that
39:18had broken us
39:19had turned into
39:20something else
39:20in the end
39:21fuel
39:23armor
39:24foundation
39:26as long as
39:27we moved forward
39:28with good hearts
39:29we would be fine
39:30i believe that
39:31few more years
39:32passed
39:33nora grew up
39:34steady and bright
39:34with caden's
39:35calm and my
39:36stubbornness in
39:36equal measure
39:37she loved sitting
39:38with my mother
39:38and asking for
39:39stories
39:40my mother gave
39:41her the good
39:41ones
39:41the old
39:42shen family
39:43home
39:43the history
39:44of the pack
39:44things that
39:45made nora laugh
39:46or ask questions
39:47she never told
39:48her about the
39:49border settlement
39:50i understood
39:51why
39:52she wanted
39:53nora to grow
39:53up inside
39:54something clean
39:57that autumn
39:58rika came back
39:59to the capital
40:00from the front
40:00with news
40:04the rogue threat
40:05at the border
40:06had been broken
40:06the territory
40:08was secure
40:09families out there
40:10could finally
40:10stop looking
40:11over their
40:11shoulders
40:12the alpha
40:13king held
40:14a formal
40:14celebration
40:15and caden's
40:16household was
40:17invited
40:17at the gathering
40:18the alpha
40:19king looked at
40:20me and caden
40:21and then at
40:22nora beside us
40:23and said to
40:24raya
40:24your niece has
40:26built herself
40:26quite a life
40:27good mate
40:29good family
40:30good daughter
40:31reich said
40:32she did it
40:33herself
40:35caden just
40:36had the good
40:36sense to
40:37recognize it
40:38caden squeezed
40:39my hand
40:41having aria is
40:42the lucky part
40:43that's all mine
40:44later in the
40:45evening an
40:46older council
40:46member brought
40:47up slade's
40:48case
40:49a lot of
40:50good families
40:51had been hurt
40:52by that man
40:53and it was a
40:54relief that at
40:55aria shin had
40:56come through it
40:57everyone looked
40:58at me
40:58i stood and
40:59raised my
41:00glass
41:03the pain was
41:04real
41:06but it taught
41:07me that justice
41:07takes its time
41:08and then it
41:09arrives
41:09we have peace
41:10now and the
41:11people i love
41:12are safe
41:13that is
41:14everything
41:15the room
41:16responded
41:16warmly
41:17the alpha
41:18king nodded
41:18i had learned
41:20to wear what
41:20had happened
41:20to me as
41:21strength
41:21instead of
41:22shame
41:25we went
41:26back to
41:26rikers estate
41:27after the
41:27gathering
41:28all of us
41:29together
41:30late that
41:31night my
41:31mother and
41:31i sat in
41:32the garden
41:32looking at
41:33the flowers
41:34she was
41:35quiet for a
41:36long time
41:36then she
41:37said
41:38aria
41:40brett wasn't
41:41always the
41:41way he
41:41became
41:42i looked
41:43at her
41:43we had
41:44never
41:44spoken
41:45his
41:45name
41:45i had
41:46assumed
41:47she had
41:47put him
41:47behind her
41:48completely
41:48when i first
41:49arrived at
41:50that settlement
41:50he was just
41:51an ordinary
41:52man
41:53not kind
41:54but not what
41:55he turned
41:55into either
41:56her eyes
41:57went somewhere
41:57distant
41:58the rogues
41:59came back
41:59for him
42:00later
42:01threatened
42:01to kill
42:02everyone
42:02he knew
42:03if he
42:03let me
42:03go
42:03he was
42:04weak
42:04by nature
42:05and greedy
42:05on top
42:06of it
42:06he just
42:07kept
42:07choosing
42:07wrong
42:08until there
42:08was nothing
42:09decent
42:09left in
42:09him
42:10i sat
42:10with that
42:11i still
42:12hated
42:12what brett
42:13had done
42:13every bit
42:14of it
42:14but what
42:16my mother
42:16said
42:16reminded me
42:17that people
42:17make choices
42:18and then
42:18more choices
42:19and eventually
42:21there's nothing
42:21left of whoever
42:22they started
42:23as
42:24that still
42:25doesn't make
42:26any of it
42:26acceptable
42:27i said
42:28no
42:28she nodded
42:30and held
42:30and held
42:30my hand
42:31it
42:32it
42:32doesn't
42:32i'm
42:33not
42:33defending
42:33him
42:34i just
42:35don't
42:35want
42:35you
42:35carrying
42:36the weight
42:36of it
42:36anymore
42:37you killed
42:38him to protect
42:38us
42:39i have never
42:39blamed you
42:40for that
42:40put it down
42:41at aria
42:41we have too
42:42much good
42:42in front of us
42:43i felt the tears
42:44before i realized
42:45they were there
42:45all these years
42:46i had thought
42:47i was over it
42:47but there were
42:48still nights
42:49when it came
42:49back
42:49her words
42:50cut through
42:50the last
42:51of it
42:51i hear you
42:52mom
42:53i held
42:53on to her
42:54no more
42:55looking back
42:56we just
42:57live
42:59she pressed
43:00her hand
43:00against my
43:01back
43:02yes
43:04we just
43:05live
43:06then winter
43:07brought word
43:08from the old
43:08shen family
43:09home
43:09my grandfather
43:11was failing
43:12and wanted
43:13to see us
43:14one last
43:14time
43:18rigen arranged
43:19everything
43:19immediately
43:20we set out
43:21that same
43:21night
43:21all of us
43:22together
43:22the shen
43:24family
43:24home
43:24sat deep
43:25in the
43:25countryside
43:26old stone
43:27and quiet
43:27water
43:28and everything
43:28exactly as my
43:29mother had
43:30described it
43:30across all those
43:31years of telling
43:32me stories
43:33my grandfather
43:33was in bed
43:34and very weak
43:35when he saw
43:36my mother
43:36walk through
43:37the door
43:37something came
43:38back into his
43:39eyes
43:39clara
43:40my clara
43:42he reached
43:43for her hand
43:44and held it
43:45and cried
43:46my mother
43:46pressed her
43:47face close
43:47to his
43:49i'm sorry
43:50it took so
43:51long
43:51i'm so
43:52sorry
43:53you're here
43:55that's all
43:55that matters
43:56he looked past
43:57her at me
43:58and cade
43:58and little
43:59nora
43:59this is my
44:00granddaughter
44:01and my
44:02great-granddaughter
44:04my mother
44:05introduced us
44:05i came forward
44:07and knelt
44:08by the bed
44:09grandfather
44:10nora
44:11followed
44:11great-grandfather
44:15he smiled
44:17then he looked
44:18at riker
44:19you never
44:20stopped looking
44:21i knew you
44:22wouldn't
44:23thank you
44:24son
44:24riker's jaw
44:26was tight
44:26that's what i was
44:27supposed to do
44:28we stayed for
44:29two weeks
44:30he slipped
44:31away
44:31quietly
44:31near the
44:32end
44:35after the
44:35funeral
44:36we stayed
44:36on at the
44:37old house
44:37for a while
44:38my mother
44:38walked through
44:39every room
44:39in every
44:40corner of
44:40the garden
44:40remembering
44:41some of
44:42it made
44:42her laugh
44:43some of
44:43it made
44:44her cry
44:44the day
44:45we left
44:45she stood
44:46at the
44:46front gate
44:47for a long
44:47moment
44:48and then
44:48bowed
44:48her head
44:49low
44:52i'm going
44:53now
44:54i'll come
44:54back and
44:55visit
44:56i knew
44:57she had
44:57made her
44:57peace
44:58with it
44:58all of
44:59it
44:59back in
45:00the
45:00capital
45:00things
45:00returned
45:01to their
45:01steady
45:01rhythm
45:02nora
45:02was in
45:03lessons
45:03caden
45:04was busy
45:04with
45:04pack
45:05matters
45:05i managed
45:06the household
45:06and looked
45:07after my
45:07mother and
45:08made regular
45:08visits to
45:09the shelter
45:09one afternoon
45:10a new
45:11girl arrived
45:11her name
45:12was
45:12petra
45:12something
45:13about
45:13the way
45:13she held
45:14herself
45:14reminded
45:15me of
45:15my mother
45:15when she
45:16was young
45:16in old
45:17portraits
45:17i'd
45:17seen
45:18petra
45:18had been
45:19trafficked
45:19and had
45:19gotten
45:20out
45:20her
45:20family
45:21was
45:21gone
45:21i saw
45:22myself
45:23in the
45:23way
45:23she
45:23kept
45:23her
45:24eyes
45:24down
45:24i brought
45:25her
45:25close
45:27taught
45:27her
45:27to read
45:28taught
45:29her
45:29to
45:29fight
45:30i told
45:31her
45:31you are
45:32allowed
45:32to be
45:33soft
45:33you are
45:34not
45:34allowed
45:35to be
45:35helpless
45:36whatever
45:36comes
45:37stand
45:38up
45:38protect
45:39yourself
45:42petra
45:43was sharp
45:43and she
45:43worked
45:44hard
45:44she came
45:45out of
45:45her shell
45:45faster
45:46than i
45:46expected
45:46the
45:47warriness
45:47in her
45:48face
45:48started to
45:49soften
45:49into something
45:50more open
45:50i knew
45:51helping her
45:51was also
45:52finishing
45:52something for
45:53that younger
45:54version of
45:54me who had
45:55no one
45:55another decade
45:56went by
45:57nora married a
45:58young enforcer
45:59from a good
45:59family
45:59steady and honest
46:00they were happy
46:01together
46:01petra became one
46:02of the lead
46:03teachers at the
46:03shelter
46:04passing along
46:04everything i had
46:05given her to
46:05the next round of
46:06girls who came
46:07through the doors
46:07my mother was
46:08still strong
46:09she visited the
46:10shelter every week
46:11sometimes teaching
46:12music
46:12sometimes just
46:13sitting with the
46:14younger ones
46:16reicher had
46:16retired from
46:17active duty
46:18at last
46:18he bought a
46:19place outside
46:20the capital
46:20and was
46:21by all accounts
46:22enjoying doing
46:23almost nothing
46:23that winter we
46:25all gathered at
46:25the estate for
46:26the new year
46:26celebration
46:27nora came with
46:28her mate and
46:28their children
46:29petra brought
46:30several of the
46:30shelter girls
46:32the courtyard was
46:33full of noise
46:34and warmth
46:34i looked at all
46:38of it and felt
46:38something settle
46:39deep in my chest
46:40the little girl
46:41who used to sleep
46:42on flower sacks
46:43and dream of
46:43nothing bigger
46:44than one day
46:44getting her
46:45mother out
46:46she could never
46:46have imagined
46:47this
46:47the children
46:48fell asleep
46:49eventually
46:50the yard
46:51went quiet
46:52caden stood
46:53with me
46:53and we watched
46:54the lights
46:55going off
46:55across the sky
46:57what are you
46:57thinking about
46:58he asked
46:59i think about
47:00where we'd be
47:01without that
47:01pendant
47:02without reicher
47:03he took my
47:03hand
47:04no
47:05that's not
47:06what got you
47:06here
47:07you were already
47:07on your way
47:08you would have
47:09found another
47:09path
47:09you always
47:10would have
47:12i leaned into
47:13him and let
47:13that land
47:14the lights
47:15kept bursting
47:15open above
47:16us
47:16bright and then
47:17gone and then
47:18bright again
47:19the secret of
47:20what i had done
47:20to brett would
47:21stay in me
47:21until the end
47:22but it wasn't
47:23a shadow anymore
47:24it was just
47:25part of the
47:25story
47:25a reminder to
47:27hold tight
47:27to what i had
47:28to guard the
47:29people around
47:29me
47:29that was enough
47:30that was
47:31everything
47:32all i wanted
47:33for whatever
47:33time remained
47:34was this
47:35my mother
47:36well
47:37reiger at
47:38peace
47:38caden beside
47:40me
47:40nora and her
47:41family
47:41petra and her
47:43girls
47:44the hard years
47:45had become
47:45light i could
47:46see by
47:46and i believed
47:48with everything
47:48in me
47:49keep moving
47:50keep loving
47:51keep your eyes
47:52forward
47:53there is always
47:54a way through
47:55there is always
47:57something worth
47:58reaching for
47:58on the other
47:59side
47:59you
48:00you
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