The room fell silent and my thoughts echoed loudly.

Everything moved in slow motion, including the time it took for the words to register.

The father that I had blamed for abandoning me, was killed by Gabriel's father? Jaxon's father. And Gabriel had been aware of it.

Adam's words replayed in my head over and over again, but I found myself numb and detached from reality. So many questions ran through my mind. Why had my mother hidden the truth? Did Jaxon and Ava know the truth too?

When my eyes landed on the auburn haired girl, her shocked face told me she hadn't known. Her gaze was on me, eyes filled with sadness and pain. She mimed something that I could not understand, or did not want to understand.

Alexander had called my name a couple of times both out loud and in the mind link, but I was too stunned to respond to him.

Everyone around me seemed to know my father, Alpha Joseph, except for me. Now, the only thing I knew about him was that he had been murdered and taken from me.

"Shit," I heard my mate mutter by my side. "All of you leave, I need to make sure my girl is alright."

"But," Adam responded before Alexander cut him off.

"I will tell her the rest. Thank you Adam," he told the curly haired boy sternly.

I watched as the people around us slowly exited. They all gave me a pitiful look. Ava didn't seem to want to leave but Matteo guided her away. I wasn't sure how to feel.

Alexander turned me in his arms, bringing my focus on him.

"Oh, baby," he murmured, bringing his hand to wipe at my cheek. "I am so sorry."

Only then did I snap out of my trance and realised that I was crying.

"What just happened?" I asked, but my voice came out in a whisper.

"Seeing you like this makes me want to dig up that bastard's grave," Alexander snarled, his forehead creasing.

"They killed my father," I whimpered, the words finally registering. "Growing up, I hated him and blamed him for abandoning us, but Gabriel's father took him away from us."

When the sobs that I had suppressed finally escaped, Alexander pulled me close in to him and let me cry.

"I'm here, baby," he cooed, rubbing my lower back soothingly. "I should have made him suffer before killing him, if only I had known what he did to you sooner."

I sniffled at his words and pulled away slightly. "How did you know?"

"We had one of the pups locked up," he explained, whilst tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "After Dyami tortured her enough to get her to speak, she revealed the truth."

I took a moment to process his words, wondering when this had all taken place.

"What Adam told you," he mumbled, his gaze holding mine. "That was just a fraction of the truth."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened. "I have never regretted anything in my life, but I do regret not torturing that loser."

His words saddened me. I could see how much it was affecting him. Gabriel had been a good friend of his at one point, and to feel betrayed by him in various ways, that was taking a toll on him.

I squeezed his hand. "He's gone. You killed him," I reminded him as I watched colour return to his eyes. "He can't hurt us anymore."

"He tore your life apart," he said, his voice hard.

He raised my hand to his lips and pecked the back gently.

"I can't believe he faked being an Alpha," I blurted, as if the words finally clicked in my head. "Who even does that?"

My mate's gaze dropped on to my hand and he scoffed. "Only that loser would be desperate enough to do something like that," he retorted. "The pup we had captured told us some things, things that I wish to not repeat but you deserve to know."

His eyes travelled back on me, and there was a flash in them. I didn't respond, instead waited for him to speak.

"It angers me when I think about what you have had to go through because of him," he continued, his voice low. His eyes darkened again. "I could not help myself but kill the pup when she revealed the truth. It was unbearable, I also almost attacked Dyami when he pulled me away."

On their own accord, tears blurred my vision and escaped from my eyes. Alexander appeared so vulnerable right before me. We had both suffered so much at the cost of Gabriel.

"Alexander," I whispered, cupping his tensed jaw with my hand.

"Lyra, I have never lost control like I did the moment I found out. I was furious, I still am," he fumed, his voice harsh. "I need you to know the truth but I would rather you did not."

I sniffled and pulled my touch away from him, attending to the wetness on my cheek. Swiftly, I dried my face with my hands.

Alexander dropped his hand on to my lap.

"If there is more, I want to know," I told him, sternly.

I wasn't sure what else there could be, but I wanted to know the whole truth now rather than find out later.

Alexander rubbed the small of my back softly, and nodded.

"Of course," he agreed. "After Lionel claimed the pack, your father's pack, as his own, he needed to make sure the future generations to come carried Alpha blood in their veins."

Alexander shifted uncomfortably under me, and he subconsciously squeezed my waist tightly.

I placed my hand over his on my lap.

"Gabriel became Lionel's puppet," Alexander continued. "His aim to make you his Luna was because you carry Alpha blood."

"Because my father was an Alpha?" I questioned, but already knew the answer.

"Precisely," he confirmed. "Lionel was smart. What better way to create a future generation with Alpha blood running in their veins than to mate with the late Alpha's daughter?'

His words made me frown, but I didn't have time to ponder on Alexander's words before he spoke again.

"The bastard had Gabriel keep tabs on you and make you his," he concluded.

Gabriel had wanted me so desperately, all because I had Alpha blood in me? The thoughts running through my mind at the truth made me feel disgusted. I had been a mere object to him.

"It all makes sense now," I muttered, feeling an ache in my chest.

"That's not all," Alexander sighed loudly and eyed me cautiously. "When I say Gabriel kept tabs on you..."

His sentence cut short, and I arched my brow at my mate. He seemed like he was struggling to formulate his words.

"What is it?"

His nails dug in to my waist, letting me know that his Wolf was at bay. My gaze dropped on his white knuckles, before I glanced back up to meet his dark eyes.

"When Gabriel received the Alpha title, his father was dying. He needed to speed up the process— with you."

His words confused me. "How so?"

My mate inhaled a shaky breath. "He had to find a weakness to trap you in his plans," Alexander explained, hesitantly. "I am already aware that Pale Moon are not very considerate of orphaned Wolves."

"How do you know about that?"

"Many people in my pack are orphans from Pale Moon," my mate explained, a low growl erupting from his chest. "He was attacking my pack, demanded for members, and yet kicked out the ones he thought were weak."

His words made perfect sense. There really had been no orphaned Wolves in Pale Moon, and that had been my biggest concern when my mother had passed away.

Alexander pulled me closer in to him, his head nestled in my neck.

"I never mean to hurt you, baby," he murmured against my mark, calming me down.

"You aren't," I assured him, not understanding where his sudden words came from.

He lifted his head, keeping his face incredibly close to mine.

"I will when I disclose the rest," he said, lowly. "Gabriel found your weakness and made you an orphan to proceed with his plans."

My eyes fluttered in a panic at his words. Alexander's movement mirrored my own; completely still. I could hear my breathing loudly.

The words echoed, Gabriel made you an orphan.

"I don't think I understood you right," I whispered but tears were already spilling from my eyes. "What do you mean when you say he made me an orphan? Gabriel wouldn't kill...," the words trailed off as the truth hit me like a hard brick.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Alexander apologised and pulled me to him.

Tears continued to spill silently, my heart was beating frantically inside of my chest and I was completely paralysed in my mate's arms. I could hardly breathe as a tight feeling spread across my chest.

Memories of how I had found my mother lifeless at home with no explanation finally made sense. She had been killed by Gabriel, for his own selfish needs. His father had taken mine and he had taken my mother. They had tore my family apart for a title.

I pushed at Alexander, causing for him to pull away and frown at me. Before he could question my actions, I hopped off of his lap and stepped away from him.

"Alexander, I don't know what I'm capable of right now. I don't want to hurt you," I whimpered, my tears blurring my vision.

"Baby, it's alright, come here," he ushered, gesturing with his hand.

I shook my head at him, my tears spilling everywhere, and before I could speak another word, I had leaped out of the house and shifted.

My Wolf was beyond furious, and I let her sprint to find the one person I wanted to see right now.

Jaxon.