Chapter 168: Chapter 168
Kyra’s POV
We went straight to the Nightfall Pack house after Snow’s discharge. Every protective instinct in me screamed to take my daughter home. The fear that Nathan might take her away from me clawed at my insides. I couldn’t stop staring at Snow while she chatted happily, perched on her father’s lap as if she’d always belonged there.
"Kyra, stay for tonight," Luna Marlene said, her warm hand caressing my arm.
I was surprised she wasn’t furious about me hiding Snow’s true parentage. Perhaps she’d suspected all along. Shame washed over me in waves.
"I’m sorry..."
She smiled gently, shaking her head. "Nothing matters more than you and my granddaughter’s safety. I understand everything, Kyra."
I managed a smile, covering her hand with mine. I felt Nathan’s gaze burning into me. When I looked his way, he quickly returned his attention to our daughter.
I pressed my lips together and sighed. I decided to stay. I needed to ensure he wouldn’t take Snow from me. We needed to talk.
After dinner, I retreated to the guest room, my mind racing. I had watched Nathan tuck Snow into bed, his tenderness with her making my heart ache. Now I needed to figure out what to say to him.
"He has every right to be furious," Sylvia whispered inside me.
"I know," I answered mentally. "But I need to make sure he won’t take Snow away."
It didn’t matter if he lashed out. It didn’t matter if he never forgave me. All that mattered was making sure he wouldn’t deprive me of my daughter... just as I had done to him.
Once I gathered my courage, I left the guest room and knocked on Nathan’s door, careful not to wake Snow sleeping inside.
"It’s open, Kyra."
I turned toward the voice. It was Phoebe, offering me a gentle smile.
"Umm... Is Nathan inside?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Nathan’s in the pool area."
"Thanks, Phoebe."
After giving her a final smile, I headed downstairs to the pool area. The speech I’d rehearsed vanished from my mind the moment I spotted Nathan sitting at the edge of the pool, a glass of whiskey in hand. I froze a few feet away, facing his back.
"Phoebe, I told you I don’t want to—" His words died when he turned and realized it wasn’t his sister.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I hugged myself protectively.
"Uh..."
His eyes were cold enough to make me shiver. "You should sleep now," he said, his voice hard with barely controlled anger.
I took a deep breath. "Can we... talk?"
He looked away without answering. Taking his silence as permission, I approached and sat about three feet away from him. Between us sat a bottle of whiskey and his glass.
"I just want to... apologize."
He hissed. "You’re punishing me, right? You don’t have to apologize."
I bit my lip and shook my head. "No! That’s not true, Nathan. Hiding the truth about Snow wasn’t my intention—"
"You had so many chances to tell me the truth, Kyra," he cut me off. "But you didn’t. You chose to hide it. The only reason I can think of is because of what I did to you in the past—"
"That wasn’t the reason, Nathan."
"Then what was it? Tell me..." His eyes blazed with anger and disappointment.
"I-I was scared..."
"Scared? Scared of what, Kyra? My daughter almost died!" His voice rose. "She had to face a life or death situation before I discovered the truth. What if something had happened to her? Huh?"
I looked down, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I’m sorry..."
"My daughter was hiding the pain of not knowing her father," he continued. "You didn’t know that, Kyra! You were too busy nurturing your hatred—"
"That’s not true!" Tears streamed down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away, but not before he noticed.
His lips parted, his brow furrowing.
"T-That’s not true," I repeated, my voice trembling. "God knows how much I wanted to be a perfect mother, but I couldn’t be. I was terrified of getting hurt again. I was scared my daughter would see how the people I love wounded me so deeply. I was scared she would get hurt too. I-I protected her too much, and I’m sorry that I ended up hurting you."
I couldn’t contain my emotions anymore. Tears flowed freely while he stared at my face, his expression unreadable. All I wanted was to know his intentions regarding our daughter.
I met his gaze and gathered all my strength for the words I needed to say.
"P-Please, don’t take her away from me," I begged. "She’s my life, Nathan. She’s the thin thread connecting me to my sanity. I’d lose my mind if I lost her. So please... hate me all you want, but don’t take my daughter away."
