CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196: HER REAL FATHER

Aeron’s POV~

I sat there in the quiet room, trying to look calm. On the outside, I probably did; I was still and silent...the perfect picture of control. But inside, my heart was beating too fast. It refused to calm down.

Kael’s words still echoed in my head.

"She’s here, Aeron. Selena...I saw her."

At first, I thought he had finally lost it. I was almost ready to mourn my brother for good. Kael was always reckless, but this... this was too much. I stared at him for a long time in the morning...waiting for the joke. But he didn’t laugh. His eyes were serious and bright, almost glowing with something I hadn’t seen in the entire year.

It was hope.

And that was the moment I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

I didn’t believe him at first. I didn’t want to. Because if he was wrong, if it turned out to be just another illusion or another cruel twist of fate... I wasn’t sure I could handle it again.

But when he said she had looked at him, that she had spoken, that she had gotten angry at him just like before ... something inside me broke loose.

That fire... only Selene had it.

Only she could make Kael grin like that even after nearly getting bitten.

I remember how I almost stood up that very moment. I was ready to go, to find her myself. To see if she was real. To make sure it wasn’t some trick my brothers were playing.

If Luca hadn’t stopped me, I probably would’ve kicked the door open and barged into her room like a fool.

But I didn’t.

Because deep down, I knew she’d hate that.

She must’ve been furious already... Kael had a way of doing that to people, and I could only imagine how she’d react if another one of us showed up uninvited.

So I waited.

With so much patience, I didn’t even know it existed in me.

I sat there quietly, pretending to think about something else, but my mind wasn’t on them. Every few seconds, I’d glance at the door, half-expecting someone to walk in and tell me it was all a lie.

But no one did.

And then... it happened.

The moment I sensed her presence in the hall, my whole body went still. It was like the air itself changed...softer, but heavier at the same time.

I didn’t even see her yet. I just knew.

My wolf stirred inside me, restless and alert. My chest tightened, my breath caught, and before I even realized it, I was already on my feet.

Every step she took closer made my heartbeat louder.

And then I saw her.

Walking through the crowd, calm and graceful...but I could see the way her hands trembled slightly, the way her eyes flicked around like she was trying not to be seen.

She looked so real and divine at the same time.

For a second, I couldn’t breathe. I just stood there, staring at her like an idiot.

The same hair. The same eyes. The same fire that used to challenge me every time we spoke.

I thought I’d forgotten what it felt like to have her near, but the moment my gaze found her, it all came back... the pull, the warmth, the chaos.

And then I moved.

Before I even knew it, my body was already reacting. My feet carried me toward her, steady but quick.

I didn’t think. I couldn’t.

All I knew was that she was there... in front of me, after everything, and I needed to reach her before the moment disappeared.

When she finally looked up and saw me, time stopped.

Her eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across her face, and I felt something sharp twist in my chest.

I should’ve said something. Anything. But all I could do was take her hand.

It was trembling in my hands. I didn’t know whether she was as nervous as me or not, but just touching her sent a tingle down my entire spine, and I realized just how much I have missed her.

And when I bent down and pressed my lips to her skin, I felt it...that spark. The same one I used to pretend didn’t exist between us.

She froze, just like I knew she would. And for a heartbeat, it felt like the world had gone completely silent.

I didn’t care about the crowd, or the whispers, or the king sitting a few seats away.

All I saw was her.

And all I could think was how close I had come to losing this moment forever.

When I finally lifted my head, I met her eyes again. They were trembling slightly, but they were still fierce.

"The princess is looking beautiful tonight," I said quietly. My voice sounded calm, but my heart was a storm.

She didn’t answer. She just stared at me, eyes wide, lips parted like she was trying to find words and couldn’t.

And somehow, that silence felt louder than anything she could’ve said.

When I let go of her hand, it felt wrong, like I was giving something up.

But I had to.

I had to show her that I wasn’t like Kael. That I could be patient. That I wouldn’t scare her away.

Even if my chest still ached from how much I wanted to just hold her.

So I stepped back. I said nothing more. And I watched as Luca, Lucian, and Kael each took their turn...each one struggling in their own way to hide what they felt.

And I realized something.

No matter how long it had been, no matter what she’d gone through... None of us had ever really moved on.

After some time, we were all finally seated around the long table. The noise of the hall had quieted, replaced by the soft sound of music and the low chatter of people trying to sound important.

I didn’t hear a word they said. My mind was somewhere else.

Because that was when he arrived.

Lord Maximus.

I had heard of him before... the man everyone called a legend, the one who disappeared years ago without a trace. I knew about him, but I had never met him.

Until now.

The moment he entered the hall, the atmosphere shifted. Even the air seemed to straighten itself, like the room recognized his power before anyone else did.

I looked at him once... and then again.

It took me a second to place it... that feeling of familiarity. I’d seen him before. Once in that pack with Vaelen, I hadn’t known who he was back then. But now, looking at him... and then looking at her sitting not far from him... it suddenly made sense.

They looked alike.

Not just in features... though that too was clear. The same sharp eyes. The same calm but dangerous kind of presence. Even a blind man could tell they were father and daughter.

Selene sat straight, elegant, her head held high like she didn’t even notice the gazes on her. Lord Maximus was the same...quiet, composed, his face unreadable but his aura filling the entire hall.

I stared between them, and a strange warmth spread through my chest.

So it was true.

She really was his daughter.

And now I finally understood. The fire in her blood. The pride in her eyes. That fearless defiance that made her stand even when the world tried to crush her.

It didn’t come from that coward she once called father. No... that man could never have created someone like her.

It came from him.

Lord Maximus.

Suddenly, everything fit.

The way she carried herself. The way she fought back even when she had nothing left. That spirit... it was his.

But then another thought came, and it burned in my chest.

If he was her real father... then why?

Why had she been forced to live in that blood-soaked pack all those years? Why hadn’t he come for her? Why did she have to suffer, alone, thinking no one in the world cared enough to save her?

I clenched my jaw, forcing the anger down. This wasn’t the time. The answers could wait.

Right now, I just kept watching them, the two of them sitting side by side, a picture of calm strength. And for some reason, it felt right. Like the world had finally corrected something that had been broken for too long.

She looked... peaceful, almost. Not smiling, not relaxed, but calmer than I’d seen her in a long time.

Maybe because she finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

And I decided then, quietly, without saying a word, that I wouldn’t let anything take that away from her again.

If Lord Maximus was truly her father, then fine. Let him be. But I would still be by her side.

Always.

Whether she needed me or not.

Because after everything that happened, after all the pain and distance, I couldn’t stand the thought of her being alone again.

Not now. Not ever.