Chapter 5. The Breaking Point

Varek’s gaze shifted to me once more, Luna, there’s no time for explanations. But you need to understand, we’ve all been playing a game we didn’t choose. And now, it’s time to face the truth.”

Sydney’s eyes turned cold, his jaw tight. “Varek? ” He scoffed. “How could you—”

“Don’t make this harder than it is,” I said. My voice was steady, but my insides felt like they were shaking.

“Luna, What the hell is going on?”

I glanced at Cedrica, standing there, watching us. Her gaze was distant, but there was a calmness in her eyes that I didn’t understand.

“Cedrica,” I said, my voice soft. “Do you want to go with him? Do you want to leave this place and go with Varek?”

Cedrica’s eyes flicked toward Varek for a brief moment before she nodded, her expression cold, unreadable. “Yes.”

Sydney froze, his eyes bulging in shock. “What?” he gasped. “You’re my daughter! You can’t just… leave!”

“I’m not your daughter,” Cedrica snapped. “Not anymore.”

Sydney staggered back, his hands trembling, his voice shaking. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how you hurt me,”

Cedrica’s voice broke through the tension.

“You think I didn’t notice? You think I didn’t understand what you did to me?”

Her words were like acid, cutting through the years of silence.

“You molested me, Dad. You touched me in ways I couldn’t escape.”

Sydney went silent. His face drained of color. He looked at me as if I was betraying him too.

Flashback...

Cedrica POV

“Don’t make this harder than it is,” I said. My voice was steady, but my insides felt like they were shaking.

“Luna, who is this guy? What the hell is going on?”

I glanced at Cedrica, standing there, watching us. Her gaze was distant, but there was a calmness in her eyes that I didn’t understand.

“Cedrica,” I said, my voice soft. “Do you want to go with him? Do you want to leave this place and go with Varek?”

Cedrica’s eyes flicked toward Varek for a brief moment before she nodded, her expression cold, unreadable. “Yes.”

Sydney froze, his eyes bulging in shock. “What?” he gasped. “You’re my daughter! You can’t just… leave!”

“I’m not your daughter,” Cedrica snapped. “Not anymore.”

Sydney staggered back, his hands trembling, his voice shaking. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how you hurt me,” Cedrica’s voice broke through the tension. “You think I didn’t notice? You think I didn’t understand what you did to me?” Her words were like acid, cutting through the years of silence. “You molested me, Dad. You touched me in ways I couldn’t escape.”

Sydney went silent. His face drained of color. He looked at me as if I was betraying him too.

Flashback…

"You’re lying," Sydney choked out, his voice a hoarse whisper. "That's not true."

"It is," I said, the words a steady stream now, fueled by years of silent rage. "It's all true. I remember everything."

"You were a child," he pleaded, reaching for me. "You didn't understand."

I recoiled from his touch. "I understood enough to know it was wrong. Enough to know I hated it."

"Cedrica, please," he begged. "This is crazy. I’m your father."

"You were my father," I corrected, a cold finality in my tone. "Until you made it clear I was something else to you."

He staggered back, his face a mask of disbelief and pain. "I gave you everything! A good home, a good life!"

"You took everything, too," I shot back. "My innocence. My trust. My childhood." The words were like a dam breaking. "I was 16 when I finally understood what you had taken from me."

I closed my eyes, a flash of memory burning behind my eyelids. Ethan had dropped me off at school, the usual morning routine. But that day, a tall, imposing man was waiting for me. He had a scarred face and a stern expression. He was from a pack I didn’t know, one that was whispered about in hushed tones, known for their ruthlessness. He told me his alpha wanted to see me.

Fear warred with curiosity. I followed him, and we drove to a cabin deep in the woods. When I walked inside, a man was standing by the fireplace, his back to me. When he turned around, I froze. He had my face. The same high cheekbones, the same serious mouth. And his eyes… they were the same piercing blue as mine.

"Dad?" I whispered. But this man wasn’t Sydney.

This man looked just like me.

"Hello, Cedrica," he said, his voice a low rumble. "My daughter."

My mind raced. How could this be? I looked at my hands, at his hands. We were connected.

No wonder Mom and Dad (Sydney) had golden eyes, I thought wildly. But then…, why did Edward have blue eyes, too?

The thought was a jarring puzzle piece that didn't fit.

Suddenly, Sydney’s voice broke through the memory, pulling me back to the present.

"You're making this up!" he yelled. "This is a lie! You’re just… running away with him!" He pointed a shaking finger at Varek. His golden eyes flashed, a primal warning.

I looked at Sydney, at the man I had called Dad my entire life, at the man who had stolen so much from me. The lie had been his. The escape was mine.

"I’m not running away," I said calmly. "I'm going home."

“Cedrica, I never, ” His voice cracked, but Cedrica shook her head, stepping back.

“Yes, you did. I remember everything, and I hated every minute of it. You think I didn’t feel that?” She stepped forward, her voice rising. “But you were my father, and I thought I had no choice.” She looked at Varek then, and something in her eyes softened. “I do now.”

I stood there, in shock, my heart torn between the woman standing in front of me, and the man who I had once called my husband. The man who had broken her, and who had broken me in ways I hadn’t even realized.

“Cedrica…” I whispered.

“I’m going,” she said, her voice firm. “With him.”