CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46 TRUTH

Victoria

"Interesting perspective," I replied, keeping my voice level despite the rage bubbling beneath the surface. "Especially considering my mother only entered the picture after you abandoned your mate and son. Tell me, was it before or after you faked your death that you started sleeping with Alpha Grimwood?"

Her perfectly painted lips parted in shock before twisting into an ugly sneer. "You know nothing about my life or my choices."

"I know enough," I countered, moving closer until we were face to face. "I know you’re a pathetic, bitter woman who couldn’t stand that my father found happiness after you left. I know you’ve manipulated Enzo his entire life, twisting him against his own family. And I know that whatever game you’re playing now ends today."

Aurora’s face contorted with rage. "How dare you!" she hissed, her hand flying up to strike me.

Before her palm could connect with my cheek, Jackson moved with supernatural speed, catching her wrist in a firm grip.

"That would be assaulting your Alpha," he stated coldly, his normally mild expression hardened to granite. "I cannot allow that, Luna Aurora."

"Alpha?" she spat, yanking her arm from his grasp. "This half-breed mongrel is no Luna! She has no right to this Pack!"

"Careful, Aurora," I said, my voice deadly calm. "You’re speaking to the daughter of Alpha Dominic Howlthorne and the mate of Alpha Leonard Moretti. Perhaps you’d like to reconsider your tone."

Her nostrils flared with rage. "You think having spread your legs for Moretti gives you authority here? Your mother thought the same—that stealing my mate made her special. Look how that ended for her."

The implication behind her words sent ice through my veins, but I refused to show weakness. Instead, I smiled coldly, channeling every ounce of Leo’s predatory confidence.

"Is that what keeps you awake at night, Aurora? The knowledge that despite all your scheming, my father never loved you the way he loved my mother?" I stepped closer to her, feeling Ava’s strength flowing through me. "That even after you managed to get rid of her, you were still second best in his heart? That must have been... devastating."

Her face contorted with fury. "You insolent little—"

"Or perhaps," I continued, circling her like a wolf stalking prey, "what truly torments you is knowing that history is repeating itself. Your precious son disappeared just like your husband, leaving the pack to me—the daughter of the woman you despised. And now you’re watching me claim everything you thought should be yours."

Aurora’s hand flew up, aiming to strike my face, but her wrist was caught mid-air by Jackson’s lightning-quick reflexes.

"That’s enough," he said firmly, his grip visibly tightening on her arm. "You will not assault our Alpha."

"Our Alpha?" Aurora spat, jerking her arm free. "This girl is nothing! She has no right—"

"She has every right," Jackson cut her off, moving to stand beside me in a clear show of allegiance. "By blood, by mating, and by the pack laws you claim to respect so much, Victoria is our legitimate Alpha now. And you would do well to remember that."

Aurora’s face paled with rage, her perfect features contorting into something ugly and hateful. "This isn’t over," she hissed, turning as if to storm out.

"Actually," I said, my voice carrying a newfound authority that stopped her in her tracks, "it is. You’re not going anywhere yet, Aurora."

She froze, her back stiffening. "You dare to give me orders?"

"I dare much more than that," I replied, moving to block her path to the door. "You’re going to answer some questions for me. Starting with who pulled you from that car crash that supposedly killed you, and exactly what happened between you and my father in that vehicle before the accident."

Aurora’s face drained of all color, confirming my suspicions that she knew far more than she had ever admitted.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she said, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.

"I think you do." I stepped closer, emboldened by Ava’s strength and the knowledge that Jackson stood firmly with me. "I think you know exactly who rescued you after the crash. I think you know why my father died while you somehow survived. And I think whatever Enzo discovered in those blood tests has something to do with all of it."

Her eyes widened fractionally at the mention of the blood tests, and I knew I’d struck a nerve.

"You’re delusional," she whispered.

"Am I?" I challenged. "Then why don’t we call Alpha Marcus Grimwood and ask him directly? I’m sure he’d be fascinated to know we’re discussing his role in all this."

The name hit her like a physical blow. Aurora staggered back, her hand clutching the edge of a nearby chair for support. "How do you—" she began, then caught herself.

"How do I know?" I finished for her, pressing my advantage. "That’s the thing about secrets, Aurora. They have a way of coming to light, especially when people start dying."

Jackson looked between us, confusion evident in his expression, but he maintained his protective stance at my side.

Aurora’s mask of hauteur cracked completely, revealing naked panic beneath. "You have no idea what you’re meddling with," she hissed, her voice barely audible.

I challenged, moving to block her as she tried to edge toward the door again. "What exactly happened that night? And where is Enzo now?"

For a moment, something like genuine pain flashed across her features. "I don’t know where my son is," she admitted, and for once, I believed her. "But if he’s smart, he’s far away from here."

"Why?" I pressed. "What is he running from? What are YOU running from, Aurora?"

She looked at me then, really looked at me, as though seeing me clearly for the first time. "Your father wasn’t the saint you think he was," she said softly. "And that night in the car... he got exactly what he deserved."