Chapter 131 The secret shared 2

Chapter 131: Chapter 131 The secret shared 2

Talia’s POV

"Are you scared of it?" he asked.

I was quiet for a moment. "Yes," I said finally. "Not of the power itself, but of what I might become if I lose control."

I had seen what power did to people. Vivienne had power, and she used it to hurt, to destroy, and to make herself feel big, by making others feel small. I did not want to become her, and I did not want to become someone who used her voice to command instead of connect, to control instead of care, and to destroy instead of protect.

"You will not lose control," he said with too much confidence in his voice.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because you are afraid of losing it," he said. "That fear will keep you grounded."

I wanted to believe him, and I wanted to trust his words.

"Tell me about Cresswood," he continued.

My chest tightened. I looked away, but his hand came up to cup my cheek, turning my face back toward him.

"Luna Talia," he said. "Tell me."

I took another deep breath, then I began.

I told him about the storage room where I slept, with the thin mattress and the cracked walls.

The walls had big cracks. I used to trace them with my eyes when I could not sleep, follow the lines like a map, and pretend that they led somewhere else, somewhere far away, and somewhere safe.

Sometimes I talked to them, and told them some of my secrets. They never answered, but they never judged either. They just listened, like Kaelen was listening now.

I told him about the cold water I used to wash my face every morning, and the old dresses that did not fit. I told him about the hunger, the nights I went to bed with nothing in my stomach, and the mornings I woke up wishing I had not woken up at all.

I told him about Celeste. About the slaps and the insults and the way she looked at me like I was something she wanted to step on. About the time she broke my favorite cup just to watch me cry, and the time she locked me in the storage room for three days because I accidentally looked at her when she told me not to.

Her face flashed in my mind.

I remembered the sneer, the cold eyes, and the way her lips curled when she said my name; Like it was poison, or like I was poison.

She had called me ugly, worthless, and a mistake. And for all those years, I had believed her. But Kaelen did not see ugly when he looked at me, he saw something else that I was still learning to see.

I told him about Vivienne. About the way she smiled while she hurt me, and the way she pretended I did not exist when guests were around. About the time she made me scrub the same floor three times because Celeste had walked mud across it, and I had not cleaned it fast enough.

I told him about my father. About how he never looked at me, never spoke to me, and never protected me. About how he sat at the dinner table with Vivienne and Celeste while I ate scraps in the kitchen.

The word “father” felt strange on my tongue. He had never acted like one, he had never held me when I cried, never protected me when I was scared, and never even looked at me unless Vivienne forced him to.

He was a stranger who shared my blood, and nothing more. I had stopped hoping he would change, but a part of me still wished he had.

I told Kaelen everything.

Kaelen’s jaw tightened as I spoke. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and I could see the anger building behind his eyes. But he did not interrupt, he just listened.

"They hit you," he said when I finished.

I nodded.

"How many times?" he asked.

I looked down at my hands. "I stopped counting."

The number did not matter. What mattered was that it happened, over and over, day after day, and year after year. I had learned to expect it, to brace for it, and to swallow the pain and keep moving.

But I should not have had to.

No one should have to. And Kaelen’s anger was not just for me, it was for every wolf who had suffered the same, and for every child who had been hurt by the people who were supposed to protect them.

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he pulled me close again, and his arms wrapped around me so tight I could barely breathe.

"You will never go back there," he said, and his voice was low and fierce. "You will never be treated like that again. I swear it."

I closed my eyes and leaned into him. His chest was warm against my cheek, and his heart was beating fast beneath my ear.

For the first time in fifteen years, I felt safe. And for the first time in fifteen years, I believed someone.

The fire crackled, and the shadows danced, as Kaelen held me, and I held him back.

Outside our room, the pack house was quiet. But somewhere in the shadows, I knew Serena was still asking questions, and I knew the third trial was coming, and I still had to pass it.

I did not know if I was ready.

But for now, in this moment, I felt safe knowing that I was not alone.

I pressed my face into his chest and breathed him in, filled with pine scent, warmth, and safety. His arms were still around me, and his heart was still beating against mine.

I did not know what tomorrow would bring, and I did not know if I would pass the third trial. But I knew I would not face it alone. And that was enough for tonight.