Chapter 76 Father, Betrayed Me

• KING THEORON'S POV
• I knew what I had to do, though it tore at me with every passing second. Taking my daughter back to Aurelia without her mate would break her heart, but the weight of my crown left me no choice. The Astor family of the Thunder Howl pack was cursed, its shadow stretched long across generations, and the thought of my daughter’s pup inheriting that curse filled me with dread. Aurelia could not gamble its future on uncertain blood. My kingdom had to continue ruling the continent, and the only way to ensure that was to secure a rightful heir.
• Yet even as I told myself this, my feet betrayed my turmoil. I paced back and forth, my steps sharp against the floor. My eyes kept finding their way back to the sight that pained me most: Reika and Apollo holding hands, fingers locked as if letting go meant death itself. Their bond was unshakable, I could see it, feel it. And every time I looked at them, I saw a reflection of my own past.