Moonlit Bonds

Chapter fifteen : Secrets Beneath the Surface

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the pack's territory. The calm of the night was deceptive, a fragile veil over the growing unrest within the pack. The tension after the rogue attack had been palpable, but there was something more, something deeper that was weighing heavily on Kai.

His family.

Kai had always been cold with them, a behavior that most in the pack chalked up to his nature as an alpha—stoic, hardened by responsibility. But the truth was far more complicated, far more painful than anyone realized.

Kai stood at the edge of the pack's territory, gazing out into the vast forest. His mind, however, was far from the present. Memories of his family flickered through his thoughts like ghosts haunting him, pulling him back to a time when he was younger, more vulnerable.

He hadn't spoken to his parents or siblings in any meaningful way in years. Sure, they lived within the pack's territory, part of the same community, but there was a rift between them that no one else seemed to notice. A chasm that had been growing ever since Kai had taken on the mantle of alpha.

No one knew how his family treated him. To the outside world, they seemed like the perfect family—supportive, united. But behind closed doors, it was a different story.

Kai's father had never been satisfied with him. As the previous alpha, he had high expectations for his eldest son, expectations that Kai could never seem to meet. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how many times he proved himself, it was never enough. His father's cold, distant demeanor had been a constant in Kai's life, a reminder that he would always fall short.

His mother wasn't much better. She had never been overtly cruel, but her disappointment was always clear in the way she looked at him, the way she spoke to him. She had wanted a son who was softer, who would be more attuned to the emotional needs of the pack, not the hardened warrior that Kai had become.

And then there were his siblings—each of them eager to prove themselves in the shadow of their older brother, each of them more loved, more cherished by their parents. Kai had tried, in the early years, to forge a bond with them, but their jealousy and resentment had poisoned any chance of a real relationship. They saw him as the obstacle to their own ambitions, and their coldness only mirrored what he received from his parents.

It wasn't just coldness, though. There were moments—cutting remarks, subtle jabs—that pierced deeper than any wound from battle. The way they would belittle his leadership decisions when no one else was around, the way they questioned his competence, his worthiness as alpha. They had a way of making him feel small, of making him doubt himself, even when the rest of the pack looked up to him with respect and admiration.

Kai had learned to shut it out, to lock away the hurt and the bitterness. He told himself it didn't matter, that he didn't need their approval. But the truth was, their words had carved deep scars into his heart, scars that never seemed to heal.

He had buried those feelings for so long, built walls so high around his heart that not even his family could reach him. He had distanced himself, emotionally and physically, from them, focusing all his energy on the pack, on being the alpha they needed him to be.

But now, standing in the quiet of the night, those old wounds throbbed painfully, reopening in ways he hadn't anticipated. He hadn't wanted to think about them, hadn't wanted to let their cruelty into his life again, but he couldn't avoid it any longer.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled Kai from his thoughts. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Couldn't sleep?" Luca's voice was soft, cautious.

Kai didn't respond immediately. He kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, his posture stiff. "What are you doing out here?"

Luca shrugged, coming to stand beside him. "Saw you leave the house. Figured you could use some company."

Kai clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to push Luca away. He wasn't in the mood for talking, for opening up. But Luca, as always, didn't give up easily.

"You've been distant," Luca said quietly. "More than usual, I mean. I can tell something's bothering you."

Kai huffed, the sound bitter. "It's nothing."

Luca raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "That's the worst lie you've told me yet."

Kai shot him a glare, but there was no real anger behind it. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's my family."

Luca's expression shifted, his silver eyes softening. "What about them?"

Kai hesitated, unsure how much he wanted to reveal. But the weight of his family's mistreatment had been bearing down on him for so long, and for the first time, he found himself wanting to share that burden with someone. With Luca.

"They don't treat me the way people think they do," Kai began, his voice low. "Everyone assumes we're close, that they support me as alpha. But the truth is, they've never respected me. My father... my siblings... they've always looked down on me, always found ways to make me feel like I'm not good enough."

Luca's eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face. "I had no idea."

"Of course you didn't," Kai muttered. "No one does. I've spent years pretending everything's fine, keeping my distance. It's easier that way."

Luca frowned, his gaze searching Kai's face. "That sounds... lonely."

Kai's chest tightened at the word. It was lonely. But he had never allowed himself to admit it.

"I don't need their approval," Kai said, though the words sounded hollow even to him. "I've built this pack up without them. I don't need them."

Luca's hand brushed lightly against Kai's arm, a small, comforting gesture. "Maybe you don't need them. But that doesn't mean what they've done doesn't hurt."

Kai flinched slightly at the truth of Luca's words. He wanted to deny it, to push away the vulnerability that was creeping up on him. But Luca's presence, his understanding, made it harder to maintain his usual defenses.

"They don't deserve to have you," Luca added quietly. "You've done more for this pack than any of them ever could. You're a better alpha than your father ever was."

Kai turned to look at Luca, his heart pounding at the sincerity in his voice. Luca's silver eyes held no judgment, no pity—only unwavering belief in him.

For a moment, Kai let himself lean into that belief, let himself accept that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as alone as he had always thought.