MATED TO THE BEAST ALPHA BROTHERS
Chapter 24: Unveiling the wolf.

Chapter 24: Unveiling the wolf.

Haelyn pressed her back against the hallway wall, trying to calm her racing heart. What were they hiding? The tension in the air felt thick and unsettling, almost suffocating. She knew something wasn’t right, and she couldn’t just walk away from it now.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. In fact, she had only been wandering the halls, trying to clear her mind, when she heard the muffled voices. And then... she heard her name.

"She has a right to know, Cerius," Marlyil insisted, her voice tinged with frustration. "We can’t keep this from her forever."

Cerius sighed heavily. "And what do you think will happen once she finds out?"

Seraphis’s voice was calm, but there was a hard edge to it. "She’ll be angry, yes. Confused. But she deserves the truth. Arthur’s been using her like a pawn her entire life. Don’t you think she should know why?"

Haelyn frowned, pressing her ear closer. Arthur? Using her?

"She just needs time to adjust," Cerius muttered, sounding almost resigned. "There’s already so much she’s dealing with. I don’t want to burden her with this too."

Marlyil didn’t seem convinced. "She’s not a child anymore, Cerius. Hiding it from her isn’t going to protect her. In fact, it’s making things worse."

Seraphis let out an exasperated sigh. "We can’t keep pretending that everything is fine. Arthur’s obsession is only growing. What if he finds out? What if he discovers who she really is?"

Haelyn’s heart dropped. Who she really is? What were they talking about?

"She’s not safe as long as she’s in the dark," Marlyil added. "You know that."

The words pushed Haelyn over the edge. She couldn’t stand the secrecy any longer. With a surge of adrenaline, she shoved the door open.

The room fell silent.

Three pairs of eyes...Cerius, Marlyil, and Seraphis...snapped toward the door, all showing varying degrees of shock and alarm.

Haelyn stood in the doorway, her fists clenched at her sides, barely holding herself together. "Tell me what’s going on. What have you been hiding from me?"

Cerius opened his mouth, but no words came out. For the first time, he looked completely at a loss.

Haelyn stepped further into the room, her voice shaking. "Why did Arthur treat me like I was worthless? Why did he act like I was some burden? What am I not understanding?" Her gaze locked on Cerius, pleading for answers. "Who am I really?"

Seraphis shifted uneasily, and Marlyil glanced at Cerius, waiting for him to speak.

Finally, Cerius sighed, running a hand down his face. "Haelyn... you’re not who you think you are."

The room was deathly silent.

"What does that mean?" Haelyn demanded, the tension in her chest growing tighter.

Cerius’s voice was soft, hesitant. "It means that Arthur Beckett is not your father."

The words slammed into her like a physical blow. Haelyn took a step back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No. That’s... that’s not possible."

Seraphis moved closer, her voice gentle. "It’s true, Haelyn. Arthur was never your father."

Haelyn’s breath caught in her throat. "Then who...?"

Cerius took a step forward, his face a mix of guilt and sorrow. "I am. I am your real father."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Haelyn’s knees buckled, and she grabbed onto the back of a chair to steady herself. No, this couldn’t be true. Her mind couldn’t grasp it, couldn’t make sense of the overwhelming tide of emotions crashing through her.

"Why?" she finally managed to whisper, tears stinging her eyes. "Why would you leave me with him? Why would you let him treat me like that if you were my father?"

Cerius’s jaw clenched, his eyes filled with pain. "I thought it was the only way to keep you safe. Arthur... he would have killed you if he’d known who you really were."

Haelyn’s voice rose, hysterical. "Safe? How was I safe with him? He hated me! He...." Her voice broke. "He ruined my life."

Marlyil stepped forward, her hand outstretched as if to comfort her. "Haelyn, we didn’t know how to tell you. We never wanted you to be hurt."

Haelyn jerked away, shaking her head. "No. You should have told me! You should have..." She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. "You all knew, didn’t you? You knew, and you just... just let me live a lie!"

She stumbled backward, desperate to escape, to get out of this room that suddenly felt too small.

"Haelyn...." Cerius started, but she was already gone, the door slamming behind her.

Archer leaned back in his chair at the pack house, feeling exhausted but resolved. He needed to focus. Everything with Haelyn was spinning out of control, but he had responsibilities.

Ravi and Xander were going over reports, the usual updates on border patrols, rogue sightings, and security concerns. Archer barely heard them, his thoughts consumed by Haelyn’s absence.

He needed to make things right. Somehow.

The office door opened, and Lyra sauntered in, a playful smile on her lips. "I figured you could use a break," she said, holding up a bottle of whiskey. "One drink couldn’t hurt, right?"

Archer sighed but nodded. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

He watched absentmindedly as she poured the amber liquid into a glass, his thoughts miles away. He took the drink and downed it in one gulp.

"Thanks, Lyra," he said, setting the glass down. "I needed that."

Lyra’s smile widened, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Anything for you, Archer."

He didn’t notice the way she watched him as she left the room, or the lingering satisfaction on her face.

But soon, he would.

Arthur paced back and forth in his study, muttering under his breath. "They can’t hide forever. She can’t hide forever."

Layla lounged on the couch, smirking. "You seem tense, Father."

Arthur shot her a glare. "Not now, Layla."

The door slammed open.

Arthur froze as Haelyn walked in, her blue eyes blazing with fury.

Layla straightened, and Helen rose from her chair, surprise clear on their faces.

"Haelyn," Arthur said slowly, watching her closely. "What are you doing here?"

"Enough of the lies," she said, her voice sharp. "I know the truth. I know you’re not my father."

Arthur’s face darkened, but before he could speak, Malcolm stepped forward, sneering. "You shouldn’t be here, little girl."

He moved to grab her, but Haelyn’s eyes flashed blue. She grabbed his arm and, with a swift motion, threw him across the room.

Malcolm crashed into a side table, gasping for air.

Layla’s eyes widened. "What the hell?"

Arthur’s face turned white as a sheet. "You... you are just like your witch of a mother." His voice trembled. "You inherited her powers!"

Haelyn stepped closer, her voice ice-cold. "I’m not afraid of you anymore, Arthur. Whatever you did to my mother, whatever you plan to do to me...I won’t let it happen."

Malcolm struggled to his feet, snarling. He shifted into his wolf form and lunged at her.

But Haelyn was faster. She caught him by the throat and slammed him into a tree outside, her strength fueled by anger and newfound power.

Arthur’s hands shook. "Stay away from me!" he shouted, backing away.

Haelyn’s eyes narrowed. "I’m done with your threats. I’m done being scared."

But suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her stomach, and she doubled over, clutching her middle.

Archer.

She heard her wolf’s voice in her mind, urgent, desperate. "He’s in danger."

Without another word, Haelyn turned and ran, leaving a stunned Arthur, Helen, Layla, and Malcolm in her wake.