Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 278: Kragen’s real mother...

Selene POV

The moment Kragen’s father laid eyes on me, I felt the air in the garden shift. His eyes, so cold and sharp, bore into me with a disdain that was impossible to miss. It felt as if my very presence had offended him like I didn’t belong here—in this place or in Kragen’s life. I took a small step back instinctively, but before I could retreat further, Kragen moved.

In one fluid motion, he stepped in front of me, tucking me behind him protectively. His broad shoulders blocked my view of his father, but I could still feel the weight of the man’s stare lingering over me like a dark cloud.

"We’re just here to ask some questions," Kragen said, his voice calm but tense. "Once we’ve gotten what we need, we’ll be on our way."

His father scoffed, the sound bitter and filled with derision. "Questions?" he repeated, his tone dripping with scorn. "You think you can just waltz in here and ask questions like everything is normal? Do you even realize the risk you’re taking? Do you know how worried your mother has been? How the ’Fates’ have doubled their search because of your idiocy?"

Kragen stiffened in front of me. "I know the risks," he replied, his voice dangerously low. "I don’t need a lecture from you about what’s at stake."

The older man’s eyes flickered with anger. "Oh, you don’t need a lecture, do you?" His words were sharp, cutting through the tension. "You’re risking everything—for what? To prove you’re some kind of hero to this mere werewolf?" His eyes darted toward me again, and I felt the sting of his contempt like a physical blow.

The words stung, and I fought the urge to speak, to defend myself, but I stayed silent. This wasn’t my battle. Not yet.

Kragen’s fists clenched at his sides, the muscles in his arms tightening with barely suppressed rage. "Don’t call her that," he growled. "She’s not just some werewolf."

"Then what is she, Kragen?" his father asked, his voice mocking. "What is this creature to you? Do you even know why you’re doing this? Is it because you think you’re in love with her?" He sneered, taking a step closer to Kragen. "You’re not thinking clearly. If you were, you would know that all of this—everything—is bigger than your petty infatuation."

"It’s not just about her," Kragen snapped, his control slipping. "This is about more than that, and you know it. If you didn’t want me involved, maybe you should have kept your emotions in check. Maybe you shouldn’t have dreamed of making love to the Moon Goddess of all creatures."

The garden fell into a sudden, suffocating silence. The accusation hung in the air, heavy and dangerous, and I could feel the tension between them reach its boiling point. I stared at Kragen’s back, stunned by the depth of his anger, and the raw emotion in his words.

His father’s face twisted into a mask of rage. "You don’t understand anything, do you?" he spat. "You think you’re the first to rebel, the first to challenge the path laid out for you? You have no idea what you’re up against. You’re nothing more than a foolish child trying to play a hero in a world that will eat you alive."

Kragen took a step forward, his body radiating fury. "And maybe you shouldn’t have made me into something I never wanted to be."

"Everything I’ve done has been for your survival," his father snapped back. "You should be grateful. You have no idea what kind of sacrifice—"

"Enough!"

My voice came out louder than I intended, ringing through the garden and cutting through their heated exchange. Both men turned to look at me, surprise flickering in their eyes. I felt the weight of their gazes, but I didn’t falter. I had to say something before their argument spiralled further out of control.

"I’m just here to ask questions," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though my heart raced in my chest. "Nothing more. Please, can we all just calm down?"

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Kragen’s father looked at me, really looked at me, for the first time since I’d arrived. The anger in his eyes simmered, but he remained silent, waiting.

I took a deep breath, turning to face him fully. "I know you want to protect Kragen," I said, choosing my words carefully, "just like I want to protect myself. And my family. Right now, we’re all caught in something bigger than us, something we don’t fully understand. That’s why I need answers. I need to know the truth about what’s happening, about everything—including your relationship with the Moon Goddess."

There was a long, tense silence after I finished speaking. Kragen’s father stared at me, his expression unreadable. I held my breath, waiting for his response, hoping that my words had reached him.

Finally, he sighed a weary sound that seemed to carry the weight of centuries. His shoulders sagged slightly as if the fight had drained out of him. "You don’t know what you’re asking," he said, his voice quieter now, though still tinged with bitterness. "The truth... the truth is not what you think it is."

"Then tell me," I urged. "Tell me everything. I deserve to know."

Kragen’s father looked at me for a long moment, and then his gaze shifted to his son. There was something unspoken in the look he gave Kragen, something I couldn’t quite place. Finally, he nodded, as if coming to a decision.

"You want the truth?" he said slowly. "Fine. I’ll tell you."

He took a step back, glancing around the garden as if gathering his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was steady, but there was a deep sadness in his words.

"Long ago, the Moon Goddess and I crossed paths. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t supposed to happen, but we became... entangled. It started innocently enough, but the connection between us grew stronger, and before long, it became something neither of us could control." His eyes darkened as he spoke, the memories painful for him to relive. "But she was never mine to have. The Fates, the gods—they all knew it was a mistake, a dangerous one. Our bond broke rules that should never have been broken. But we didn’t care. We were too consumed by our desire for one another."

I listened in stunned silence, trying to piece together the puzzle of what he was saying. It was almost too much to believe—this ancient, forbidden romance that had changed the course of destiny.

"But it didn’t last," Kragen’s father continued, his voice growing harsher. "It couldn’t. The Fates intervened. They tore us apart, and in their wrath, they cursed me. I was forced to hide, to live in exile, while she... she moved on." He looked away, his jaw clenched tightly. "She became the Moon Goddess in full. Her connection to this world deepened, and her responsibilities grew. There was no place for me in that life."

I felt a pang of sympathy for him, despite everything. The sadness in his voice, the regret—it was impossible to ignore.

"But if she’s not here anymore, then why are we still caught in this mess?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you and Kragen still being hunted by the Fates?"

He looked at me then, his eyes hard. "Because the Fates never forget. They want to erase every trace of what happened between us. And they will stop at nothing to make sure that Kragen—my son—pays for what I did."

I blinked, trying to process everything he was saying. The weight of it all pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. But there was still one thing that didn’t make sense, one piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit.

"Your son," I said slowly, my voice shaking slightly. "If the Moon Goddess was your lover..."

I trailed off, the implication hanging in the air. I turned to Kragen, my heart pounding in my chest. I had assumed, like everyone else, that he was the son of the Moon Goddess. It made sense, given his power, and his connection to her.

But Kragen’s father shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"The Moon Goddess," he said softly, his eyes locking onto mine, "Is not Kragen’s mother."

My breath caught in my throat, the revelation hitting me like a physical blow. I stared at him, stunned, my mind reeling with the implications of his words.

If the Moon Goddess wasn’t Kragen’s mother, then who was? What did that mean for Kragen, for all of us?

Before I could ask, the ground beneath us trembled, a low rumble shaking the very foundations of the garden. The air grew thick, and oppressive, as if the universe itself was reacting to the truth that had just been spoken.

And I knew, at that moment, that everything was about to change.