radicalducati Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Cassandra’s POV
I stood over my father, watching as a flicker of fear crossed his face. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. He was shaken, and I relished the moment.
“Who am I?” I asked again, my voice sharp as a blade.
He swallowed hard. “You are my child, Cassandra.”
A slow smile spread across my lips. “Good,” I murmured before turning toward the guards standing at the entrance. “Bring the Pack Doctor.”
The guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances, before disappearing down the hall.
Moments later, they returned, dragging a frail-looking woman between them. She stumbled forward, her eyes darting nervously from me to my father.
My father’s breath hitched when he saw her. “Cassandra, what have you done?”
Ignoring him, I walked up to the Pack Doctor and pushed her to the ground, ensuring she was kneeling at my feet. “Speak,” I commanded, my voice cold and merciless. “Tell me the truth.”
She trembled but nodded. “It is as you suspect,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “You were switched at birth. The true heir of the Lunar Flame was taken from her rightful place because of what your grandfather did.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”
She hesitated, glancing at my father as if seeking permission, but I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. “I said, explain.”
With a shuddering breath, she continued, “Your grandfather misused the Lunar Flame. He wielded it without the Luna’s consent, using it to decimate the Indigo Pack and several others. The Luna, your supposed mother, was blamed for his actions. She couldn’t bear the shame or the guilt of being labeled a traitor. She took her own life.”
Silence filled the room.
I let go of her chin, stepping back as the weight of her words settled in. “And my birth?”
The Pack Doctor clenched her fists. “Before the Luna’s death, she made a decision to switch you with another child. The real daughter of the Crimson Pack was sent away, and you were placed in her stead.”
My father remained silent.
I turned to him, my voice rising. “Is this true?”
He opened his mouth but said nothing. I stepped closer, my fingers itching toward the hilt of my sword. “Is that why the Indigo Pack came searching for me? Because I am nothing more than a stolen child?”
His silence was damning.
My vision blurred with rage. I unsheathed my sword and placed the blade against his neck. “Say something!”
His eyes flickered with emotion, but he still did not answer. I pressed the blade harder, feeling his pulse hammer beneath the steel.
“I—” He inhaled sharply, finally about to speak when I pulled my sword away abruptly. He exhaled, a mixture of relief and dread crossing his face.
I turned to the guards. “Take him to the cell.”
The room fell deathly silent.
Gasps echoed around me as my order sank in. My father stiffened, his expression twisting in disbelief. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I met his gaze, my eyes cold and unwavering. “You stole my birthright. You stole my identity. And now you expect me to remain loyal to you?” I shook my head. “You are no longer fit to lead.”
The guards hesitated, looking between us.
“Now!” I barked.
They jumped into action, seizing my father by the arms. He struggled, his face turning red with fury. “Cassandra! I am still your father! And I am the Alpha of this pack!”
“No, you’re not an Alpha anymore,” I corrected, stepping closer to whisper in his ear. “And you were never my father. You made sure of that the moment you stole my life.”
He stilled, his face paling. The guards dragged him away, his shouts echoing down the hallway.
I turned to the remaining council members. “Anyone else wish to question my authority?”
No one spoke. No one dared.