Rise Of A Shattered Luna (Natalie) by Kave Derry novel Chapter 378

Chapter 278 Dad

Chapter 378 Dad?

Darkness lingered long after consciousness returned

Art, all I could hear was the low, rhythmic hum of machinery vibrating through the floor beneath y body

1 frowned

That wasn’t the sound of the mountains. The granite basin had been silent except for the wind.

A dull ache pulsed behind my right temple, each heartbeat sending another wave of pain through my

my

I groaned quietly, lifting a trembling hand to the injury. My fingertips brushed a strip of fresh bandaging wrapped around my head.

Someone had treated the wound.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open.

A harsh emerald glow flooded my vision.

Rows upon rows of towering server racks stretched across the underground chamber, their indicator lights blinking endlessly in the darkness like thousands of watchful eyes.

Thick cables snaked across the concrete floor before disappearing into reinforced steel walls lined with satellite transmitters, encrypted communications equipment, and surveillance monitors displaying live feeds from different regions of the northern territories.

The air smelled of machine oil, stale diesel fuel, and hot electrical circuits. There were no windows. No sunlight. No way to tell how much time had passed.

Where

My voice came out hoarse. I pushed myself upright, ignoring the dizziness threatening to throw me hack onto the narrow military cot

The room wasn’t simply a bunker. It was a command center. Someone had built an entire intelligence network beneath the mountain.

“You’re awake

The deep voice echoed calmly through the chamber. Every instinct inside me sprang to life

1 jerked toward the sound

A call in stepped from the shadows beside the largest server console. Silver hair framed a face that seemed almost carved from store.

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His features were strikingly familiar, enough to make my heart skip in confusion. Broad shoulders Proud posture.

The unmistakable authority of an Alpha who had spent his life commanding others.

For one impossible heartbeat, I thought I was looking at Waylon.

Then our eyes met.

Ice settled in my veins.

Waylon’s golden eyes always carried warmth beneath their strength.

This man’s didn’t.

His gaze was calculating. Cold. Every movement was measured, as though he viewed the world as nothing more than pieces arranged on a game board.

A slow smile spread across his face. “You’ve grown into quite the capable young woman.”

I remained silent. My fingers quietly searched beneath the cot. No knife. No weapon. Nothing.

He noticed. “I wouldn’t bother looking,” he said with an amused chuckle. “Your equipment has been secured.”

“Who are you?” My voice was sharper now despite the pounding inside my skull. “What is this place!”

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He ignored the second question. Instead, he began walking toward me with unhurried confidence. stopping several feet away.

“So many years,” he murmured thoughtfully. “I’ve watched you from a distance for nearly your entire life

A chill crept through my chest.

I’ve watched you survive. Another step. “I’ve watched you become stronger.” Another. “And I’ve watched you wonder who you really are.”

My breathing became shallow…How do you know that?”

His smile widened. “Because I’ve always known.”

Silence stretched between us. Then he spoke the words that shattered every certainty I had ever possessed

“Yvonne… His golden eyes locked onto mine. I am your father

The room spun. My knees nearly gave out beneath me.

“No.” The denial escaped automatically: “No.. that’s impossible

“Is it?” He folded his hands behind his back. “You’ve spent your entire life searching for your bloodline. His voice remained calm “Now you’ve found it.”

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I stared at him, searching desperately for any sign that this was another elaborate deception. Anylfing

Instead, the more I looked, the more I noticed it.

The shape of his jaw.

The angle of his cheekbones.

The same slight curve in his eyebrows I’d seen reflected in my own face countless times.

Tiny similarities I’d never questioned before suddenly fit together with terrifying precision.

“No…” My whisper broke. “You…”

He inclined his head slightly. “I sent the transmission.”

My stomach twisted.

“I knew curiosity would bring you here.”

“You lied.”

“I omitted details.”

“You manipulated me.”

“I offered you the truth.” His expression never changed. Cold. Controlled. Infuriatingly calm. T’ve waited twenty years for this conversation.”

My fists clenched. “What do you want?”

The man regarded me quietly before answering. “To finish what should have begun long ago.”

His gaze drifted toward one of the massive monitors mounted across the bunker wall. The screen displayed an aerial image of the Nomadic Pack’s caravan moving through the northern ridges.

Natalie’s convoy.

You know who they are?” I demanded.

A faint laugh escaped him. “I know them better than anyone.” He turned back toward me. Twenty years ago, I orchestrated the exchange that changed the fate of two bloodlines”

Every muscle in my body froze.

The child stolen from Waylon’s cradle…” His smile deepened.” was never taken without assistance

My heartbeat thundered painfully.

“It was my design. The words landed like blows. “I built the deception. He spoke with quiet pride. T created the false records. I erased the evidence. I rewrote the lineage registries. I placed Natalie into the

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Summers household.”

Horror washed through me. “You…” I couldn’t finish.

He already understood. “Yes. His eyes gleamed. “I am the architect of the greatest bloodline deception/i recent history

A heavy metallic door hissed open behind him. Footsteps echoed across the concrete.

I instinctively turned.

The amber-eyed man walked into the command center.

He had changed out of the execution cloak, but the disciplined strength in his posture hadn’t softened.

His tactical rifle rested across one shoulder, and despite the emotion he struggled to hide, his face remained composed.

The instant our eyes met, the mate bond stirred again.

Not as violently as before. But enough to make my wolf press desperately against the walls surrounding her.

His jaw tightened. He looked away first.

My father noticed everything.

An amused smile crossed his face. “So…” He looked between us. “You’ve already met.”

Neither of us answered. The silence confirmed it.

“I suppose destiny occasionally enjoys surprising even me.”

The stranger’s expression remained unreadable. “She regained consciousness sooner than expected.” His deep voice was steady. Professional. As though he hadn’t been the one forced to strike me unconscious less than an hour ago.

“I know.” My father nodded. Then his eyes settled on me again, “Yvonne…” He gestured casually toward the amber-eyed man. “This is Kaelen.”

“So that’s your name,” I whispered.

Kaelen’s gaze flickered toward me. Only for a second. Then he looked away again.

“He commands every off-ledger security operation under my authority, my father continued. “My chief executioner. A pause. And… His smile became almost satisfied…your fated mate

The words settled over the room like falling ash.

My hear

emy, Captor All contained within the same man

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+5 Free Con

Kaelenen closed his eyes briefly. A flicker of conflict crossed his features before disappearing beneath years of ruthless discipline. “I’m sorry,” he murmured quietly. “I never wanted our first meeting to happen this way

Before I could answer, my father’s voice cut through the room.

“Sentiment can wait.”

The warmth vanished instantly. His gaze hardened as he looked at both of us.

“The Nomadic Pack is already moving.”

Several surveillance monitors lit up simultaneously, revealing live images of Waylon’s convoy advancing through the northern mountains.

Baron’s rogue forces were visible on another screen, racing toward the same destination from a different direction.

Three armies. One battlefield.

My father smiled. “The game has entered its final phase.” He slowly walked toward the central operations console before resting both hands on the steel surface.

“For twenty years I’ve remained in the shadows while fools believed me dead.” His golden eyes reflected the blinking lights of the servers. “They’ve forgotten who truly controls this board.”

He looked back at me.

“You have a choice, daughter. His voice remained frighteningly calm. “You can reject your blood… or you can embrace the family you were born into.”

A long silence followed.

Then he delivered the order that made my blood run cold.

“You and Kaelenen will help me dismantle the Nomadic Pack.” His smile never faltered. “And if Natalie, Waylon… or Baron stand in our way…”

The underground bunker fell deathly silent.

…then we erase every one of them.”

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