Chapter 173
Carlos’s POV
I exhaled slowly, choosing my words with care. Doris wasn’t the real issue. My father had always found someone to criticize, someone who didn’t fit into his vision of perfection. I leaned forward slightly, meeting his piercing gaze.
“Have you already decided, then?” I asked calmly. “Is Estelle your choice for the royal consort? Have you already chosen her?”
His expression softened, but only slightly. “Of course,” he said, as if the answer was obvious. “She’s everything a Queen Luna should be–graceful, poised, and loyal to the pack.”
I couldn’t help the wry smile that appeared on my lips. “Perfect?” I repeated, leaning back in my chair. “Do you remember what happened with Faye?”
A flicker of confusion crossed his face. “Estelle pushed her into the lake and ran off. If Faye hadn’t been strong enough to save herself, she might have drowned. That’s your perfect Queen Luna?”
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t hesitate. “They were just children,” he said dismissively. “Back then, it wasn’t uncommon for pups to test their strength against one another, it’s what the werewolf genes made them do.”
“It’s in our nature, some are born stronger, others weaker. Besides, Faye wasn’t innocent either. She teased Estelle about being an orphan. It’s only natural for her to lash out.”
I did not consider his explanation important because he was defending her. It was too easy for him to defend Estelle, but I wasn’t done yet.
“And what about her comments about being a ‘nerd“?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. “She used to call herself that and claim she hated people who spent all their time reading. She even made fun of herself to fit in.”
He actually chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re hardly one to talk, Carlos. You were the same way when you were young–always with your nose in a book. You hated physical
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training. Didn’t I have to push you to exercise?”
Trodded, acknowledging his point. “That’s true,” I admitted. “But I didn’t ridicule others for the same habits I had. Estelle, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy mocking people as much as she enjoyed pretending to be someone she wasn’t.”
A
His eyes narrowed slightly, and I pressed on. “Why is it, Father, that you always find excuses for Estelle’s behavior?” I asked.
“You call Doris calculating, but Estelle has spent her entire life keeping track of who’s better, who’s worse, who’s useful, and who isn’t. Why is it that everyone else is a ‘meanie‘ in your eyes, but she gets a free pass?”
For a moment, the room was silent. He stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he sighed, leaning back in his chair.
“You’ve grown, Carlos,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a mix of relief and disappointment. “But that doesn’t change the fact that a shallow woman like Doris is unfit to be the future Queen Luna.”
straightened, my resolve hardening. “Dear King Alpha,” I said, my voice firm but respectful, “I am not the perfect heir you want me to be. And if I’m not perfect, why should my royal consort have to be the ideal Queen Luna?”
His hand slammed down on the table, the sound ringing through the room like a thunderclap. “Watch your attitude,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
I didn’t move. His anger was something I had grown accustomed to, and I wouldn’t let it
affect me now.
“With all due respect, Father,” I replied evenly, “leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about
fairness.
It’s about making decisions based on what’s right, not on who fits an image you’ve constructed in your head. If we can’t see beyond our own biases, how can we expect the pack to trust us to lead them?”
For a long moment, he said nothing as he stared at me. The tension in the room was Suffocating, but I held my ground. This wasn’t just about Doris or Estelle. This was about
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hapter 173
how he saw me, how he saw the future of our pack.
Finally, he stood, pacing slowly around the room. “You’re stubborn,” he muttered, almost to
himself. “Stubborn and naive. The world isn’t as forgiving as you think it is.”
“And I’m not as naive as you think I am,” I countered, my voice soft but unyielding.
He stopped pacing, turning to face me with a look I couldn’t quite read. “We’ll continue this discussion later,” he said finally, his tone curt. “You’re dismissed.”
I hesitated for a brief moment, then stood and bowed slightly. Without another word, I left the room, my heart pounding in my chest.
The corridor outside was dimly lit, the flickering torches casting long shadows on the stone walls. I walked slowly, my mind racing.
This wasn’t the first time I’d clashed with my father, and it wouldn’t be the last. But today felt different.
I had spoken my truth, and I would continue to do so, no matter how many times he tried to silence me.
Leadership wasn’t about power or perfection. It was about integrity, about standing up for what
you believed in even when it meant standing alone.
And that was a lesson the King Alpha would have to learn, whether he liked it or not.
I stopped at the door to the courtyard, the wind’s howl cutting through the silence. I wasn’t afraid of standing alone, what scared me was living a life where my voice didn’t matter! If carving my own path meant facing the storm, then so be it.
