The Day He Knelt, I Married a Don Novel

---- Chapter 2 Deep down, I knew the truth. The monsters at The Obedience Den were guilty, yes-but at the root of it all, it was Blake who had sent our daughters to that hell. The real murderer wasn't some faceless beast. It was their own father. Sierra stiffened at my words, then exhaled softly, as if steeling herself. "Alright. I'll talk to Grandpa." The moment her footsteps faded, I collapsed into myself, sobbing uncontrollably-years of pain and heartbreak pouring out in ragged, broken cries. Thad joined the White Moon Pack when I was eight years old. That was the year I met Blake.

Our grandfathers had fought side by side in that bloody war no one would like to bring up again. Miles, the grandfather of Blake, owed his life to my grandfather-a debt forged in blood and battle. ---- But my parents had died in an accident shortly after I was born, leaving me in my grandfather's care. And when he, too, passed away when I was eight, Miles took me in without hesitation. For years, Miles and Sierra had treated me like family- like a true member of the pack. So for seven years, ever since the mate bond had sealed between Blake and me, I had stayed.

Through his coldness, his neglect, his cruelty-I stayed. I bore his pups. I managed the pack. I tried to be the best Luna I can. I told myself that even if he never loved me, my daughters were enough. They gave my life meaning. But now... Now, I had nothing. Time blurred. Eventually, Sierra returned. "Grandpa wants to see you." Miles was waiting in his study, seated in his favorite armchair by the window. His aged eyes, usually sharp with authority, softened when they met mine. "I heard everything from Sierra. You' ve suffered too much, child." ---- Apause.

Then, quietly- "After the funeral tomorrow... if you wish to leave, you may. That boy doesn't deserve you. I won't let him waste any more of your life." I didn't speak. Instead, I bowed deeply, my tears splattering onto the polished oak floor. I was grateful-for the pack, for the home they had given me for over twenty years. But forgiveness? That was impossible. Not for Blake. Not for the man who had killed my daughters. When I returned to my room, Blake was already there, leaning against the doorframe with a sneer. "What, couldn't wait to run to Grandpa and tattle?

Do you really think winning over him and Sierra will make me play the devoted mate, Lena?" The sight of him sent a tidal wave of hatred crashing through me. I wanted to tear his throat out. I wanted to watch him bleed. ---- But then- Amemory. Soft, giggling voices. "Mommy, I love Daddy so much! He's the handsomest Alpha in the whole kindergarten!" "Mommy, will Daddy come home tonight?

We miss him!" "We love you the most in the whole world, Mommy, And Daddy is second!" And their last words, whispered weakly as I cradled their broken bodies at The Obedience Den - "Mommy, don't fight with Daddy because of us... It's our fault. We weren't good..." I sucked in a sharp breath and walked past Blake without a word, sinking onto the edge of the bed. My silence only infuriated him further. Ina flash, he grabbed me, throwing me onto the mattress and pinning my wrists above my head. His weight pressed down, suffocating. "What's your game now?

You sent Sierra to drag me back, and now you' re giving me the cold shoulder?" ---- His lips descended toward mine. I twisted my face away-then sank my teeth into his lower lip, hard. Blake recoiled with a snarl, blood blooming on his mouth. "Lena! Have you lost your damn mind?!" He wiped the blood away, his glare venomous. "I hate this act of yours. That innocent, wounded little Jamb routine-is that how you've got Grandpa wrapped around your finger? You call me back just to play hard to get?

Pathetic." "And it's because of your weakness that the girls-" I bit down on my own lip until copper filled my mouth. Then, softly- "They're dead." The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Blake froze. For the first time in years, his mask of arrogance cracked -just for a second. But it was enough. ---- Isawit. The flicker of something raw. Something human. Then, just as quickly, it was gone. His grip on my wrists tightened. "What did you say?" I met his eyes, my voice hollow. "Our daughters are dead, Blake. You killed them."