Chapter 297 - 31: Silent Invitation

Ramon entered the room, his imposing frame blocking the light from the hallway. The glow of the dying embers glinted off his iron signet ring. His gaze shifted from Sonia to Dane; his voice, cold and devoid of anger, was all the more menacing for it.

"You speak as if you have a choice, Dane," Ramon said. "You will answer Vance’s summons. And you will marry Aurora."

Dane let out a short, bitter laugh as he stepped away from the door. "I will do no such thing. And please don’t lecture me on the politics of this, Father. I know who Vance is. I know the strength of his pack, the connection he has in this city, and I know exactly what this alliance means on paper. There is no need to explain the realities of our survival to me as if I were a child." His jaw tightened as he stared at his father’s impassive face. "And yet, I will not marry her. I will never bind my fate—or that of our lineage—to the Vance family."

"You cannot afford the luxury of pride," Sonia interjected, taking a quick step toward him. "Dane, listen to your father. Vance will crush us if we humiliate him by rejecting his daughter, he’s the lycan king. He will drive us out of this city because he can. You are an Alpha now; you must think of your people."

"I am thinking of our people," Dane retorted, turning to face her. "Vance is a tyrant. He will take what belongs to us and add it to his own, conscript our young men into his pack, and humiliate us—Father first, then me—because, deep down, he will always view his pack as superior to ours. I refuse to spend my life beside a woman whose father would respect none of my boundaries! Marrying Aurora would mean handing over our freedom and our heritage to a tyrant."

Ramon took a heavy step toward his son; the floorboards creaked under his weight. "You will do whatever is necessary to preserve this pack. If I have to drag you to the altar myself, you will marry Aurora. I am your father, and you will obey."

"I will marry Destiny," Dane declared, his voice cutting through the stifling heat of the room with absolute determination. "If I must take a wife to secure the bloodline, then I will take her. I will lead her to the altar before sunset tomorrow. I heard the story of when you ruled this pack. I knew what you did to my mother but she still loved and respects you. I won’t be you father. And I will never act or take the step you took."

Sonia gasped in horror, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth. "Destiny? Have you completely lost your mind? Why will you talk to your father like that, Dane?"

"It is my choice," Dane stated in an icy tone. "And, don’t forget I am the Alpha of this pack now. Not you, nor him,"

"It is not your choice!" Ramon thundered, his voice cold as steel. "I will never give my blessing to such a dishonorable union! I will not allow a beggar to take the place of the Bloodmoon matriarch!"

"Then you won’t have to," Dane retorted, stepping forward to confront his father directly, standing face-to-face with the man who had ruled the pack for thirty years. "If you lack the courage—if you let Vance force this marriage upon you, if you are willing to sell your own son to a tyrant out of fear—then keep your blessing. Keep your title. The moment you enforce this contract with Vance, I will renounce my status as Alpha. I will strip myself of my birthright and go into exile from this pack forever. Let us see what remains of your alliance with Vance when he realizes that the heir he coveted has left the pack."

Sonia’s face went pale. "Dane... no. You wouldn’t do that."

"Give it a try," Dane murmured, shifting his gaze from his mother to his father.

Neither of them said a word. Ramon stared at his son, his chest heaving, his mouth set in a hard, bloodless line. For the first time, the old Alpha looked at his heir and saw someone he could no longer break.

Without waiting for another word, Dane turned on his heel, pulled down the heavy iron handle, and opened the oak door. He strode into the hallway, letting the door slam shut behind him with a resounding crash that echoed through the silent corridors.

Dane’s boots struck the cold floor with a rapid, deliberate rhythm as he navigated the winding passages of the house, heading straight for her.

He needed to see the woman who had suddenly become the axis around which his entire universe revolved.

He reached the guest pavilion without taking his eyes off the ground, barely registering the estate surroundings until he was there.

Just as Henrik had promised, two guards stood watch before the arched entrance.

As Dane approached, both men instantly straightened, snapped to attention, and crossed their right arms over their chests.

"My Lord," the captain of the guard said, bowing his head respectfully.

"At ease," Dane said calmly.

Dane raised his hand and knocked three times.

The muffled voices inside fell silent at once. A heavy silence settled over the room. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Dane waited patiently.

The heavy wooden bolt scraped against the doorframe as it was slid back from the inside. The door slowly opened, revealing the tall, weathered figure of Destiny’s father.

The old farmer looked exhausted by the journey and the hostility of the keep. Dark circles of fatigue ringed his eyes, his gray hair was tied back loosely at the nape of his neck, and his simple linen tunic was frayed at the cuffs. Yet, as he stood in the doorway, he exuded a calm, unshakable dignity that seemed entirely out of place for a man his father dismissed as a mere outcast.

Finally, without a word, Destiny’s father stepped back, opening the door wider to invite him in.

Dane crossed the threshold.

The sitting room was small but cozy, warmed by a modest fire burning in the corner hearth. Seated at a small wooden table, Destiny’s mother had her hands wrapped around a cup of herbal tea. Destiny stood by the window, her back to the light, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder. Her hand rested on the back of a carved chair.

Upon seeing Dane enter, she gave a small gasp of surprise, yet her face remained impassive, marked by a guarded caution.

Dane stopped a few paces into the room and bowed respectfully to the young woman’s parents before turning his gaze to Destiny. The anger that had consumed him during his confrontation with Ramon and Sonia seemed to vanish, giving way to a deep, aching sincerity.

"I offer you my apologies," Dane said in a low, gentle voice. "I apologize again for the way you were treated today. My House’s arrogance is... unforgivable."

Destiny watched him in silence, her dark eyes searching his face for the slightest sign of duplicity. "You don’t have to apologize for your father’s House, Dane. We knew what to expect when we followed you here."

"Even so," Dane continued, taking a half-step forward, his gaze locked on hers. He glanced briefly at her parents, who were watching him in silence, before turning his full attention back to Destiny.

"I want to make things right. Starting with this morning. Can I speak with you in private?" he asked gently. "I want to make amends for breakfast."