Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Kora

“I still can’t believe you’re really here,” I said, glancing at my father from the couch in the living room of the packhouse.

“I know, kora,” Oswald replied, looking around with dreamy eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here.” We sat silently for a moment, and I could feel the awkward tension between us. I knew we had much catching up to do, but I needed to figure out where to start.

“Um, so………. how have you been?” I asked, trying to break the ice.

“Surviving,” he said with a weak smile. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad to be back. Everything is so different now.”

Without his best friend, he meant. My heart ached for our lost aApha and my father’s part in it.

Over the past few weeks, we had started to bond. We went on runs together in wolf form and even shared a few laughs; despite our progress, I could tell that my father was still struggling with being back in our pack. It didn’t help that there was so much quiet discord among our members, as well.

“You’re not adjusting well, are you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

My father sighed heavily. “It’s just… a lot to process, you know? I never thought I’d be back here, especially not after what I did”

I could feel the weight of his guilt in his words, and I wished I could take it away. But I knew that wasn’t possible. It truly hadn’t been his fault. He’d been controlled by an evil witch, after all.

“I’m just glad you’re trying,” I said, reassuringly touching his arm.

An nalise entered the room as if on cue. I could feel the tension rise in the air, and I knew my father felt it too.

“Hello, Oswald, An nalise said coldly, giving him a d*rty look.

I was shocked she’d spoken to him at all, given how much she hated him.

“Hello, An nalise, my father replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

The pair stared at each other for a long moment before An nalise sniffed and turned away, waltzing over to a small group of women-who were all watching the exchange with rapt attention.

1 grimaced.

Everyone knew that An nalise still blamed my father for the death of her husband, our former Alpha, and that she was having a hard time forgiving him..

But we all also knew that my father was not truly to blame. He had been controlled by a powerful witch when he had committed the crime, and he had been powerless to resist her influence, just like every other wolf she’d snared over the years

I wanted to remind An nalise of that—to make her see that my father was not a monster,

But I didn’t know how to broach the subject when she and I could barely stand to sit through my Luna lessons. She wasn’t exactly fond of me either, despite the fact I’d married her son.

So, instead of lingering on how I could talk to her, I focused on building a relationship with my father, hoping that

over time, An nalise would see that he was not the same man who had killed her husband. We shared stories of our past, and I was really getting to know him for the first time. It was different than my foggy memories and the handful of diary entries I’d gotten to read; I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all, but having him here was a relief.

I knew he had made mistakes, and I also knew he was trying to make amends.

That was all that mattered to me.

An nalise walked toward us a bit later, hands folded primly against her skirts as she avoided looking at Oswald entirely.

“Kora, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, her eyes darting toward my father.

“Sure.” I said, standing up and following her to the other side of the room.

“What do you think of him?” she asked, nodding toward my father.

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to play dumb.

“You know what I mean,” she said, her voice low. “Do you think Oswald has changed?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering. “Yes, I do. He’s not the same man who killed your husband. He was under a witch’s control, remember.” My words did not appear to soothe her from how her delicate jaw flexed.

An nalise shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “That’s not an excuse, Kora. He still killed my mate. He still ripped our pack apart.”

“I know what he did when he was under her control,” I said, my voice softening. “But he’s trying to make up for it He’s trying to be a better person.”

An nalise sighed heavily, her eyes flickering with sadness. “I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive him for what he’s done.”

I watched her leave the room before returning to my father, who was staring at the floor.

“Everything okay?” I asked, taking a seat beside him.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I wish I could make things right with An nalise. I wish I could undo the past.”

“You can’t,” I said, touching his shoulder. “But you can make things better in the present. Just keep trying. Dad. That’s all anyone can ask of you.”

I sighed heavily, feeling frustrated and helpless. It was like they were stuck in the past, unable to move forward.

But I knew that giving up wasn’t an option. As Luna, it was my duty to bring our pack together and keep the peace. And that meant finding a way to make things right between my father and An nalise.

“I’ll talk to her,” I said, determined. “I’ll try to make her see that you’re not the same person who did those things.”

My father looked at me with gratitude. “Thank you, Kora. I appreciate it.”

The next day, I steeled myself to talk to my mother-in-law before our lessons. This needed to be done if we were ever going to get anywhere as a family-or a pack.

“An nalise, can we talk?” I asked as I dropped into the chair across from her.

“What is it you need, Kora?” she asked, not bothering to look up as she sighed.

“I want to talk about my father,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I know you’re still hurting, but I think it’s time to start moving forward.”

An nalise snorted. “Move forward? How can I move forward when he’s still here, reminding me of everything he’s done?”

“As I said yesterday, he’s not the same person, An nalise,” I said, my voice softening. “He’s trying to make amends, to be a better person. He’s your packmate, and he deserves your respect.”

An nalise looked up at me, her eyes flashing with anger. “You don’t understand, Kora. You didn’t lose your mate to him.”

“No, I didn’t,” I said, my anger rising. “But I’ve lost my mother, and I know what it’s like to grieve. Forgiveness isn’t about excusing what someone did. It’s about letting go of the anger and the pain so you can move forward.”

An nalise looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. We had all been wronged or played a part in the slow deterioration of our pack since that day. Somehow, it was Mason and I who were stuck cleaning up the messes of our parents, though, and that was frustrating.

Without acknowledging what I’d said, An nalise smoothly transitioned into our lessons. I tried to keep my temper in check at being dismissed. Again.