Chapter 7: The Truth My Family Buried

I stared at Victor.

“What do you mean, the truth about why my family lost me?”

No one answered immediately.

Emmett’s expression turned grim as he dismissed the messenger with a wave of his hand.

“Leave us.”

The man bowed and quickly disappeared down the corridor.

I looked from Emmett to Victor.

“I deserve an explanation.”

Victor nodded slowly.

“You do.”

He gestured toward the sitting room.

“Come. There are things you should have known years ago.”

We entered the room, and the doors closed behind us.

Victor lowered himself into an armchair while Emmett remained standing beside me.

Elena sat across from us, her expression unusually solemn.

Victor folded his hands over the top of his cane.

“Twenty-four years ago, the Jennings family had two daughters.”

My breath caught.

“Chloe and me?”

“No.” Victor shook his head. “At that time, Chloe had not yet been born.”

I stared at him.

“Then who was the second daughter?”

Victor’s gaze softened.

“You.”

A strange chill ran down my spine.

“I know I was born into the Jennings family.”

“You were,” he said. “But your birth was surrounded by a secret.”

He paused before continuing.

“Your mother gave birth to twins.”

My mind went blank.

Twins.

I had never heard that before.

Diana had always told me that I was her only biological daughter besides Chloe.

“What happened to the other child?” I asked.

Victor’s eyes darkened.

“You were the other child.”

Silence filled the room.

I looked at Emmett.

He was staring at Victor with the same surprise I felt.

“Then why was I abandoned?”

Victor sighed.

“Because someone believed your existence threatened the future of both Riverbend and Ironwood.”

My fingers curled into my palms.

“Who?”

“We never discovered the entire truth.”

Victor’s voice became heavier.

“But the person responsible had access to the Jennings household and knew about the old marriage agreement.”

A memory flashed through my mind.

A tiny farmhouse.

An elderly woman holding me in her arms.

The same woman who had raised me after finding me alone near the edge of town.

I had always assumed I had simply been abandoned.

But now I wondered if someone had deliberately taken me away.

“Why would anyone do that?”

Victor looked toward Emmett.

“Because your bloodline is unusual.”

I frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Emmett finally spoke.

“Your wolf.”

I looked at him.

“What about it?”

“You told me your wolf never awakened.”

I nodded.

In my previous life, I had been considered one of the weakest wolves in Riverbend.

I had never shifted properly, and the pack physicians had always said my wolf was unusually dormant.

Emmett stepped closer.

“That may not be a weakness.”

Victor continued for him.

“There is an old bloodline among the northern packs. Wolves carrying it can suppress their abilities until they meet their fated mate.”

My heart began pounding.

“And you think I have that bloodline?”

Victor nodded.

“We believe you do.”

I suddenly understood why Ironwood had offered such an enormous marriage settlement.

Why the old agreement had been so important.

Why someone had stolen the records.

And why Emmett had reacted so strongly when he touched me.

But one question remained.

“If my family knew I was important, why did they treat me like a burden?”

Victor’s expression turned grim.

“Because Robert and Diana were not the only people making decisions for the Jennings family.”

I froze.

“Who else?”

Before Victor could answer, the door suddenly opened.

A guard rushed inside.

“Alpha, we have another problem.”

Emmett turned sharply.

“What now?”

The guard swallowed.

“A message arrived from Riverbend.”

He handed Emmett a sealed envelope.

Emmett broke the seal and read it.

His expression changed instantly.

“What does it say?” I asked.

He handed the paper to me.

The message was short.

Robert Jennings had officially requested that the Ironwood marriage contract be annulled.

His reason was even more shocking.

He claimed I had deceived Ironwood about my identity and had no right to marry the Alpha.

I stared at the words.

Then I laughed softly.

“Now they care about my identity?”

Emmett’s jaw tightened.

“They want you back.”

I folded the letter.

“They can want whatever they like.”

For thirty years, I had begged the Jennings family to see me as their daughter.

Now that I had finally walked away, they suddenly wanted me back.

Victor studied me carefully.

“Laurel, this is more serious than it appears.”

“I know.”

I looked toward the window.

Somewhere beyond the Ironwood gates, the people who had once discarded me were already making their next move.

But this time, I wasn't the helpless girl they remembered.

And I wasn't going back.