Chapter 4
JACE
A small figure with bouncing light brown curls charged into the room, her ice-blue eyes—identical to mine—sparkling with excitement.
"Daddy!" Aurora exclaimed, launching herself toward me without hesitation.
My stern expression instantly melted as I caught my daughter, lifting her onto my lap. The transformation was remarkable—from imposing pack leader to doting father in the blink of an eye.
"Hello, my little princess," I said, my voice softening considerably. "Ready for dinner?"
Aurora nodded eagerly, her curls bobbing with the movement. "Yes, Daddy. Betty made my favorite blueberry muffins today!"
Hunter smiled at the scene, the tension in the room dissipating completely. Aurora had that effect on everyone in the pack—her innocent joy was a ray of sunshine in our often-complicated world.
"I'll finalize the arrangements for our visitors," Hunter said, moving toward the door. "Enjoy your dinner."
I nodded my thanks, then turned my attention back to my daughter. At nearly four years old, Aurora was the center of my world—my reason for continuing when everything had seemed lost.
"Let's go see about those muffins, shall we?" I said, standing with Aurora perched comfortably in my arms.
We made our way through the pack house to the communal dining hall. The large room was arranged with long wooden tables surrounding a central fire pit, the walls adorned with portraits of previous Alphas—my ancestors who had led the Moon Shadow Pack through generations of prosperity and hardship.
Pack members nodded respectfully as I passed, many smiling warmly at Aurora. Though she was still too young to shift, everyone knew she carried the Carter bloodline and would one day display the extraordinary power that marked our heritage.
Dinner was a welcome respite from the day's tensions. Aurora chatted animatedly about her day at the pack's nursery, describing the lessons she'd learned and the games she'd played with the other pups. I listened attentively, savoring these simple moments.
These are the moments worth fighting for, I thought as I watched my daughter bite into a blueberry muffin, purple juice staining her lips. These are the moments worth protecting.
After dinner, I carried a sleepy Aurora back to our quarters on the top floor of the pack house. Our living space was comfortable but not ostentatious—I had never believed in flaunting my status through material possessions. What mattered was providing a loving home for my daughter.
Aurora's room was decorated with forest murals and stuffed animals. We spent the evening playing together before settling in to watch Aurora's favorite movie, "Beauty and the Beast." I smiled at the irony—a werewolf Alpha and his daughter watching a story about a beast finding love.
Before the movie finished, Aurora had fallen asleep against my chest, her face peaceful in slumber. I gently carried her to bed, tucking her in and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Sleep tight, baby girl," I whispered.
For several minutes, I just watched her sleep, my heart full of love and fierce protectiveness. Then, making sure she was sound asleep, I quietly slipped out of our quarters.
I close the door to my quarters and drop into my chair. The day's weight settles on my shoulders. In the silence, my mind returns to that day five years ago. The memory I never wanted to revisit.
Five Years Ago
I stood watching Vanessa pack her bags. As Alpha of Moon Shadow Pack, I couldn't understand why my mate—my daughter's mother—would abandon us.
"Vanessa, please talk to me," I said, my voice strained. "What's happening?"
She stepped away from my reach, her golden curls catching the light. "Don't, Jace. I've had enough."
"Enough of what?" I asked.
"Everything." She zipped her bag with finality. "This life. The Luna duties. Being a mother."
Phantom, my black wolf, howled within me. "Aurora needs her mother. She's barely months old."
"I don't want her!" Vanessa snapped, eyes cold as winter. "Keep her. I want freedom, not a crying infant tying me down."
"We could travel when Aurora's older—"
"No." She grabbed her luggage. "I don't want to be a mother, a Luna, or your mate."
Pain ripped through me when she spoke the formal words: "I, Vanessa Wintercrest, reject you, Alpha Jace Carter, and my daughter Aurora. I renounce my position as Luna of Moon Shadow Pack."
"Goodbye, Jace."
She walked out without looking back. Phantom's anguish mirrored my own as I fell to my knees, my chest burning from our severed bond.
A whimper drew me to the nursery. Aurora cried in her crib, sensing her mother's abandonment. I lifted her against my chest.
"Daddy's here," I whispered. "I'll never leave you."
I needed to end the last thread connecting me to Vanessa. For both our sakes.
"I, Jace Carter, accept your rejection. As Alpha of Moon Shadow Pack, I banish you from pack territory."
With those words, the final connection broke. Relief mixed with grief as I looked down at Aurora. Her eyes—exactly mine—stared back. I made a silent promise: I would become everything she needed. I would protect her at any cost.
-FLASHBACK END-
At twenty-eight, I lead one of North America's most powerful packs. Few know why I'm different. My inner circle understands: I descend from the Primal Wolves, carrying the purest bloodline that once ruled all werewolf kind.
My ancestor was the daughter of the last Wolf King who ruled five centuries ago. She fell in love with a warrior wolf, birthing a son in secret. To protect him from those who would destroy the royal line, they gave the child to a childless Alpha couple. Each generation since has carried this secret burden - the blood of kings running through our veins, waiting for the right time to reclaim our destiny.
When Phantom awakened in me at seventeen, the pack watched as I transformed into a massive silver-backed black wolf, proving the Carter lineage was real.
The ancient markings on Phantom's back - the royal sigil visible only to those who know what to look for - confirmed what the elders had whispered: I wasn't just meant to lead a pack. The prophecy spoke of one who would unite the scattered packs under a single crown again.