Chapter 38

Victoria's pov

Just as expected, I woke up with a massive headache.

I groaned in agony as I attempted to get up, but the pain shot through my head ten folds at the slightest
movement.

I noticed that I was alone, and it was already bright outside so I knew I must've been sleeping for a
while. I searched for my phone on the night stand without moving my head, being met by a bottle of
pills instead.

I mentally thanked Luka for being so considerate. I needed this.

Slowly getting up, I gulped down two pills with the water that was there, then gently laid back down until
they took effect.

I noticed it was 12:30 in the afternoon, making me feel extra lazy for sleeping this long. I guess I
deserved it though. I had a long night.

Some people forget everything that happened when they wake up the next morning. Me on the other
hand, I remembered everything.

I remembered how I told Kera about them being wolves, I remembered going to Charlette's, I
remembered almost outing Ashley's pregnancy and I remembered telling Luka about my dad.

Well screw my life.

I groaned as I pondered how he'll be taking it. I heard when he said we'll talk ,and he didn't sound
angry. But maybe he didn't think it was rational to take out his rage on me when I was drunk.



Sighing, I dragged myself to the bathroom to shower and changed in comfortable clothes.

I was skeptical about going downstairs, just in case he's there; also, if he told everyone else they might
be resentful towards me too. But I was starving.

I thought about staying in the room and asking Lincoln to bring me food, but a bigger part of me told me
to face my fear.

I slowly crept down the stairs, not wanting to startle any angry wolf around. I entered the living room as
quiet as possible, seeing Emma and Lincoln on their phones.

I knew everything with Lincoln was fine, but I wasn't sure about Emma, so I awkwardly stood to the
side without saying anything.

"You're up early" Emma said with her eyes still glued to her phone. I silently cursed their sense of smell
and hearing, but I knew they would've seen me eventually.

Lincoln finally looked from his phone as I made my way over to them. He offered me a toothy grin
which I returned despite my uneasiness.

"Yea I was tired I guess" I fiddled with the end of my blouse without looking at her.

"You okay? " She asked. I made eye contact with her, seeing that her face held only concern.

Relief flooded me knowing she held nothing against me. It was either that Luka didn't say anything, or
Lincoln was right.

"Yea I just need to see Luka. Is he here? " I asked as I glanced around as if he'd just appear.

"He left this morning, he didn't look too happy" Lincoln informed me, making me uneasy once again.
I sighed, deciding to go get some food to drown my sorrows.



"Vic? "

"Hmm? " I stopped walking to look at Emma.

"I know you probably still don't feel well, but I left my laptop in the music room and I have some work I
promised Ty I would finish for him. Can you go get it please? I'll make you something to eat in the
meanwhile"

I simply smiled and nodded as I mounted the stairs. I knew she didn't like stairs so I figured why not.
Besides, she's the one who kept me safe last night.

I stopped to catch my breath as I reached the third floor. I walked to the door or the music room,
noticing that it was locked. That's weird, I thought with a shrug as I turned to leave.

But before I could head back down, something caught my attention. It was a single rose petal, but it
wasn't alone.

More petals followed all the way down the hall, turning the corner and down the second hall, stopping
right at the door that opened to the balcony.

I stopped when I registered what was happening, my heart rate increasing by the second. I slowly
opened the door, immediately left in awe at the sight in front of me.

I was standing before a small table sitting on the balcony, filled with food and fruits of different kinds.
The petals stopped right in front of the table, where the centerpiece was a cute white vase bundled with
red roses.

The cutest thing though, was Luka with his head on the table, looking as if he was sleeping.

Lincoln and Emma were in on it.



I smiled at the thought as I gently closed the door behind me, making Luka jerk up at the soft sound.
He looked taken aback but quickly registered as he smiled and came over to me.

I immediately grabbed him in a bear hug, feeling overwhelmed by the cute gesture.

"You're finally awake" He whispered, pushing me back slightly so he could look at me.

"I am.. I'm sorry, how long have you been up here? " I noticed that the food consisted mainly of
breakfast dishes, so I knew he planned this to be a breakfast.

"Since 9" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he beamed at me. "I didn't know when you'd
wake up and I asked Emma not to wake you, so the food is practically col-"

I cut him off by crashing my lips to his, which he immediately reacted to. It has been so long and both
of us could feel the want in the kiss. Oh how I've missed him.

We pulled away after a while, panting from the intense kiss. He rested his forehead on mine as he
stared at me intensely.

"I love it" I whispered with a smile. He grabbed a rose from the vase on the table, bringing it to me with
a huge smile on his face.

"I heard what you said last night" I immediately tensed at the mention of last night. He saw my reaction
and quickly attempted to calm me.

"I meant what I said when I told you I could never hate you, and I want you to know that" My eyes burnt
with tears as I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

"We'll talk about that later, but this" He gestured to the wonderful breakfast, " Was my way of
apologizing. I shouldn't have ever accused you of something so terrible"



"Luka, it's okay," I whispered as held his face.

"No, let me apologize," he insisted. I sighed and stayed silent.

"I'm so, so sorry that I accused you of being unfaithful to me and hurting you the way I did. I couldn't
sleep at night knowing that I hurt you" He sighed, bringing me to sit on his lap on the chair.

"Last night when you told me the reason why you still haven't forgiven me, I was thinking about how
right you were. I still can't forgive myself. But I really can't forgive myself for making you feel the way
you felt." He held my face so I was looking directly at him.

"I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I promise you Victoria, I will never hurt you like
that again, and I'll never use your weaknesses against you"

He gently held my hand and kissed it, not breaking eye contact once.

"The past days have been hell without you, knowing I did you wrong and knowing you weren't with me.
But I won't ever feel better about myself unless you forgive me. When you forgive me, I'll forgive
myself. I love you Victoria" He whispered. "I love you so much and I want to put this behind us. I want
us to go back to how we were, or better. I'll always regret that dreadful day and I'll spend everyday
making it better, but I need you Angel. So will you please forgive me?"

I nodded frantically, since the words wouldn't leave my lips. I gently kissed him again, savoring the
taste of his lips. A couple seconds after he broke the kiss, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a
small velvet box.

He opened it, revealing a beautiful white gold ring, with the cutest little heart-shaped stone in the
middle.



"This is a promise ring; I got it a couple days after I marked you." He gently slipped it on my finger,
where it fit perfectly.

"The moonstone signifies new beginnings, and I chose it in a heart shape because I want it to signify a
new chapter of our lives. It's my promise that I will love you as long as I live, Victoria. And I know I'm
not perfect, but I won't hurt you or let anything or anyone hurt you" He pulled me to his chest, kissing
my head softly.

"I promise"

I closed my eyes tightly as I held onto him for dear life. No one in this world has ever made me feel the
way Luka does.

" I forgive you Luka, and I love you too" I mumbled in his chest. I felt his muscles loosen, and I didn't
even notice how tense he was.

When I woke up today, my last guess would've been a balcony breakfast, a whole hearted apology and
a beautiful promise ring from Luka.

He's literally the best.

My tummy suddenly started growling, reminding us both that it still hasn't been fed. A light chuckle
escaped my lips as I sat in my own chair, placing the beautiful rose he gave me on the table.

It was then that I got to really observe the ring. On the inside I noticed 'My Angel' was carved in a
gorgeous italic font, which made my smile brighter.

Even though it looked brand new, it also looked like a family heirloom that has been passed down. But
knowing it was uniquely mine made me love it a hundred times more.

"You like it? " He smiled, popping a strawberry in his mouth.



"I love it!" I squealed, ready to go kiss him again but my stomach said otherwise.

We ate in almost silence as I filled my tummy to its greatest capacity with the delicious food Luka
prepared by himself. Yep, he cooked it all.

The best.

After feeling satisfied, I prepared myself to start a next conversation I wish I didn't need to have.

"Um Luka? " I started, already feeling nervous. "Why aren't you upset about the man that you hate the
most being my dad? " I looked up from my plate to see his expression.

I couldn't read it for once, and that actually scared me.

"I know you Victoria, and I knew him. You're nothing like that man. The only thing that hurt me is the
fact that you actually thought you were like him in any way, and that I'd hate you for it" He sighed as his
expression changed back to calm and sweet. Whew.

"I talked to Lincoln, and he told me how scared you were about us resenting you for it. But I assure you
Angel, we don't hold any ties to you and him. I'm actually glad that you never knew that vile creature.
You deserve better"

He held my hand from across the table, and my heart soared for probably the umpteenth time today.

"All my life people have left me for far less, and I still had that fear that it would push you guys away. I
knew how much you guys suffered because of him, I just thought... " I trailed, not knowing how to end
the sentence.

Luka sighed and took me out of my chair, placing me on his lap again. He pushed a lock of hair behind
my ear and gently cupped my face.



"We're all smarter than that. Yes I know he's the most hated man among our family, but you're not him.
You're one of us. I admit, at first it struck me as a surprise and if I'd found out before I got to know you,
then maybe things would've gone different. But I know you and that golden heart of yours.

"It's nothing like his. And you, my love, are nothing like him. So please don't compare yourself to that
monster. He left you when you were just a baby and to think, he's been in the town ever since.

"You deserve better than to consider him a dad. He just merely made you, probably the only good thing
he's ever done" We shared a short chuckle before he continued. "I want us to forget about him, move
on. He won't steal our happiness any longer, from this day forward... Agreed? "

I smiled brightly at him before dropping kisses all over his face, then gently rested my head on his
shoulder.

"Agreed"

We spent the next hour either making out or talking about random things. I told him about my few days
with Kera and he told me funny stories of his teenage years.

It was really refreshing to know that we bounced back this well. It was nice.

His phone went off, interrupting our little throwback session.

"That's my cue baby. I got to go"

I pouted slightly at the mention of him leaving.

"Do you have to? " I tried my best to look sad, hoping that it'll strike a nerve. For crying out loud we just
got each other back!



"I'm afraid so. I have to help Ty with some rounds for the pack. It's been too long since I've- I mean
we've arranged new ones, and Ty isn't that good at it" He said while I hopped off him.

"Plus Lincoln asked me to get you for the afternoon, I don't know why but as long as you're safe I don't
really mind"

My curiosity spiked at the mention of this. I knew Lincoln loved my company, but we always just hung
out without him asking permission from Luka. Something must've been different.

This got me enough motivation to not argue with Luka any longer, so we went down and met everyone
else in the living room.

They all smirked at me, and that's when I noticed everyone knew about his little plan today.

Ty and Luka left shortly after he threatened Lincoln about my safety, and gave me one last kiss. Lincoln
had informed me that he had something to show me, but wouldn't tell me what.

It was eating away at me because we've been driving for about two and a half hours since we left the
house; and if my life didn't depend on it, I would've kicked his ass right there in the car.

Minutes after, we pulled onto a street filled with beautiful homes. I realized we were about thirty minutes
out of town to the North, somewhere I haven't been before.

I gave Lincoln a questioning look as he drove past houses slowly, peering at each one carefully.

"Lincoln, where are we? " I asked, feeling utterly frustrated with him ignoring me. My feelings felt ten
times amplified than they should have, and I was about to rip this wolf's head off.

He ignored me for a few more houses, stopping directly in front of a beautiful white house that looked
cozy.



"Okay don't be mad...." He trailed off, holding his hands up defensively.

"Why would I be mad? " I asked calmly, not wanting him to withhold any information.

"We as wolves don't get to go to highschool and colleges like you guys do, some packs allow their
wolves to attend a human school, but our pack ensured we had our own"

"Where are you getting at Lincoln? " I was growing impatient and the sudden change in topic was
irritating me.

"However we are aware that we are half human, so we got the choice to choose what human skill we'd
like to major in. Most of us attended colleges online, but I went physically since I wanted to have direct
and tangible training for the skill I chose. " He explained slowly.

"And what may that skill be? " I raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Computer programming and internet tracking" My breath hitched as I put it all together.

I quickly looked to the house that we were currently pulled up beside and started panicking.

"Lincoln no I can't do this" I rushed out as I grabbed the key from him to restart the engine.

"Hey look at me Vic, calm down." He did some slow breathing exercises which calmed me down
slightly.

"Look I knew you wouldn't have agreed to it so that's why I didn't tell you. But don't you have
questions? Don't you want to ease that itching suspicion about Micheal actually being your dad? " I
snapped my head to him wide eyed.

"Yes I know you have doubts, and this can ease those doubts" He added and I simply looked away, not
saying anything.



"I know it's a lot and you can hate me after this, but when you told me your story, I thought that maybe
if you had some answers, you'd be able to think about everything and not feel that much pain again"

"And what if I don't like the answers? " I asked with a shaky voice. I wasn't ready for this.

"You're strong Vic, you can do this. But if you don't try, you'll never know. " When I didn't say anything
else, he sighed.

"Look, you can go talk to her and get whatever answers you can get, or you can just say the words and
I'll take you back. But will you ever find peace while having all those whys, hows and what ifs
unanswered?" He gently turned my face so I was facing him.

"I knew I might've overstepped, but you mean a lot to me and I do whatever it takes to ensure that the
people I care about are happy. When I knew I could find her, which I did after two days of knowing, I
knew I had to do this for you," he said gently.

"So please, take this opportunity. If not today, we can go back and come back another day. But if you
don't, you'll spend forever wondering what if you actually talked to her, what could you have learnt. I'll
support any decision, but I really do hope you do this. "

I sat quietly for a second, letting my thoughts wonder.

This was really hard for me, but I knew Lincoln was right. If I didn't take this opportunity, I'd spend the
rest of my life wondering..

I roughly grabbed him in a hug, letting my gratitude for him seep through the gesture. He gently kissed
my head, whispering a welcome before pulling away.

We sat for a few more minutes, preparing for what I was about to face. After gathering my thoughts and
the ounce of confidence I had, I left the car.



We slowly walked to the door that Lincoln said was hers with him right behind me. I spent about five
minutes with my finger on the doorbell, my anxiety growing by the second.

I finally got the courage to press it, and the door opened seconds after revealing the face I've only ever
seen in pictures.

It's her.

"Hello, can I help you? " She asked.

My heart pounded in my chest at the sound of her voice. I've never known what it sounded like. I stood
there just staring at her, not even noticing I hadn't answered.

"Yes actually" Lincoln stepped up when he noticed that the words were stuck in my throat. "Miss
Deslandes, this is Victoria"

Her eyes widened a fraction, as she threw her hands over her mouth with a gasp. Realization lit her
features as her eyes watered by the second.

I took a step towards her, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible.

"My name is Victoria Deslandes. I'm your daughter"


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