bChapter 216 /b

Reba’s bPOV /b

Marianne appeared beside me, her voice low and dangerous. Ronald took an involuntary step back, hisposure cracking slightly.

“Marianne, I was merely-”

Do not forget,” she interrupted, her eyes cold, “that your daughter vited packw. You should be grateful she still breathes.

Ronald’s face paled slightly. For all his posturing, Marianne was the mate of the current Alpha and mother to the next. Her power in the pack was considerable.

“The Silver Moon Shadow Pack is not to be trifled with,” Marianne continued, her voice barely above a whisper but carrying undeniable authority. “Leave. Now.”

Ronald hesitated, then nodded stiffly. “My apologies for any… misunderstanding.” He retreated with bas /bmuch dignity as he could muster, but I could sense his humiliation and rage.

Once he was gone, I turned to Marianne, genuinely surprised by her intervention. “Thank you, Mrs. Sterling.”

She studied me for a moment, her eyes assessing. “Don’t let such men ruin your wedding night. The pack is watching how you handle challenges.”

Despite her practical reasoning, I felt something shift between us. Perhaps there was hope for our rtionship after all. As she moved away, I was struck again by thoughts of my own mother. Marianne’s protective instinct, however politically motivated, had reminded me sharply of what I was missing.

bI /bscanned the room for my father, suddenly needing his presence. Finding him near the refreshment table, I made my way over, nodding politely to pack members as I passed.

“Dad,” I said, touching his arm. My voice sounded strained even to my own ears. “I’ve been thinking about Mom. I want to see herb… /btonight.”

His expression immediately shifted to one of difort. His eyes darted away from mine, and he swallowed hard. “Sweetheart, it’s your wedding day. Maybe tomorrow, or next week would be better.”

“I don’t want to wait until she’s ready to forgive me,” I insisted, gripping his arm tighter. “Even if she’s angry, I want to see her on this special day.”

My father’s face contorted with pain. He looked around, then guided me to a quieter corner of the room, his hand trembling slightly against my back.

“Rebab, /bsweetheart, things aren’t what you think…” he began, his voice strained and uneven.

sense of foreboding settled in my stomach. “What do you mean? What’s going on?b” /b

He ran a hand over his faceb, /bsuddenly looking much older than his yearsb. /bDeep lines appeared around his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before. “I didn’t want to tell you today of all daysb./b” fnea42 Follow current nov?ls on find?novel/fnea42

b15:16 /bbSun/bb, /bbSep /bb28 /b

A

“Tell me what? My voice rose slightly, drawing a few nces our way.

“Let’s step outside,” he said quietly.

Heart hammering against my ribs, I followed him through the French doors onto a small terrace overlooking the garden. The night air was cool against my skin, a wee relief from the warmth of the ballroom. Fairy lights twinkled in the surrounding trees, creating a magical atmosphere that now felt wrong against my father’s grim expression.

“Dad, you’re scaring me. What’s happening with Mom?”

He took both my hands in his, his own trembling noticeably. “Reba, your mother… she has pancreatic cancer.”

The world seemed to stop. I couldn’t breathe. “What? No… How long have you known?”

“She was diagnosed three months ago,” he said, voice breaking, eyes filling with tears. “She didn’t want you to know.”

Tears burned in my eyes, blurring my vision. “Three months? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“She made me promise,” he whispered, his grip on my hands tightening. “You know how stubborn she is. She said you had enough to deal with–the pregnancy, the transformation, bing Luna. She didn’t want to be another burden.”

“That wasn’t her decision to make!” I cried, anger mixing with grief. My voice shook with emotion. b“/bOr yours! She’s my mother!”

My father nodded, epting my anger. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but she was bso /badamant.”

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5 days ago

Jason was shot, not car ident ???

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