How could this even be possible?
For werewolves, bloodlines were unmistakable. From the moment a pup was born, the parents could sense and recognize their child by scent alone. For an Alpha bloodline, the connection was even stronger; the father could often feel the presence of his cub while the mother was still pregnant. And at birth, the pup's scent would only grow more distinct.
So how could they possibly claim that she wasn't the daughter of the York family?
"I-It's impossible…" Ashley whispered, instinctively rejecting the idea. It made no sense. She looked at the parents who had raised her, the brothers who had protected her for eighteen years. Yet her voice came out weak, trembling, like a frightened calf cornered by predators.
"Mom… Dad… please tell me what Brent said isn't true…" she pleaded, her eyes searching theirs desperately, hoping, praying, that this was some cruel misunderstanding.
"Ashley."
After a long, suffocating silence, her father finally spoke. His voice was heavy and stern, not the voice of a father addressing his daughter, but that of a judge speaking to a criminal.
The moment she heard it, Ashley felt her heart shatter all over again. In the span of mere seconds, it seemed to break a thousand times. She felt drained, hollow, as though no amount of crying or screaming could fill the emptiness spreading through her chest.
Then her father delivered the truth.
"What Brent said is true. We only just discovered that you are not our biological daughter."
He exhaled slowly, as if releasing a burden that had weighed on him since last night. When his gaze returned to her, it had turned sharp and cold, so cold it felt as though it could cut her and the woman on the floor to pieces.
After all, for eighteen years, Ashley had unknowingly taken Maddison's place. She had lived in comfort, respect, and privilege, while their real daughter had suffered in her stead, treated worse than a rat in a gutter, humiliated day after day, harassed, and called names too cruel to repeat.
Now that they had discovered Maddison was their real daughter, the truth, unbelievable as it was, had been accepted with little resistance.
As for how such a switch could have happened… only Ashley's real mother could answer that.
And that was precisely why Nathan had brought the woman here.
"Of course," Brent sneered. "How could a wolfless mutt like you ever be the daughter of an Alpha? My father and mother are both powerful wolves, carrying Alpha and Beta bloodlines. It would have been natural for them to give birth to a strong Alpha heir, or someone even stronger."
He laughed coldly.
"But look at you. Do you really think you deserve the respect of our pack members? The title of an Alpha's daughter? In your dreams. A fish eye can never become a pearl, no matter how hard it tries to pretend."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Maddison before returning to Ashley.
"It was only after last night's ceremony that we discovered the truth. Maddison carries not only the York scent, but her wolf is identical to Father's, the kind that only appears in our bloodline. In fact, she has the purest Alpha blood among the three of us siblings."
His voice dropped, sharp and merciless. "But you… What do you even have?"
Brent didn't bother softening his words, uncaring that each one struck Ashley like a blade to the heart.
Yes, every word Brent spoke felt like a blade driving deeper into Ashley's chest.
She felt insecure because she couldn't shift, and everyone in the pack saw it clearly.
She had built years of respect, admiration, and affection from the people around her. She had stood like a princess on a lofty throne, someone others aspired to be, someone admired, even idolized. She had been the apple of everyone's eye.
And now, in a matter of just one night, she had fallen from that height straight into the mud.
The same people who once looked up to her now seemed ready to trample her. Even the family she had known for eighteen years didn't step forward to protect her. Instead, they stood there, demanding answers, demanding justice.
But what could she possibly say?
That she didn't know what had happened? That she was just as innocent as Maddison? That the blame should fall on the woman lying on the floor, the stranger she had only just learned was her real mother?
Her mind spun helplessly.
She wanted to beg her family to understand, but no words came to her. It felt as though she were sinking deeper and deeper into thick mud, powerless to stop it, while everyone simply stood by and watched her drown, with cold, satisfied expressions on their faces.
Ashley bit her lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood, forcing herself not to cry. Tears wouldn't change what was happening now. With reddened eyes, she looked at the woman sitting silently on the floor. As if sensing her gaze, the woman slowly lifted her head, her body trembling.
She parted her lips, but no words came out, as though she, too, was lost.
Ashley didn't even know what she was supposed to feel toward this woman. Should she be grateful for the eighteen years of comfort and luxury she had unknowingly enjoyed because of her? Or should she be angry that everything had led to this moment?
The conflicting emotions churned violently inside her, leaving her unsure of what to say or do. Nathan, once her anchor, remained silent as well, and she knew she could no longer rely on him now. So she kept staring at the woman, waiting.
At last, the woman seemed to find her voice. She spoke in a trembling tone, looking small and terrified.
"I… I didn't do anything. Please, believe me…"
"Liar!" Brent growled. His canines appeared, and his nails sharpened into claws, as if he were ready to lunge at the woman for daring to speak.
"Brent, stand down," Alpha Derek ordered.
A heavy wave of Alpha aura pressed down on Brent, forcing his wolf into submission. With visible effort, Brent reined himself in and slowly shifted back to his human form, though his chest still rose and fell with anger as he continued to glare at the woman.
Beside him, Maddison's eyes burned with naked hatred, as if she wished the woman had never existed. All the humiliation and suffering she had endured to survive until this day seemed to surface at once. Then her gaze shifted to Ashley, carrying the same venom, as though she were already calculating how to make Ashley's life as miserable as her own had been.
"You say you didn't do it, so that makes it true?" Alpha Derek growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Though he still held his temper, it was obvious his wolf was close to the surface. His eyes glowed gold, and the oppressive aura in the room grew heavier and colder. Ashley felt her knees nearly buckle under the pressure. The woman kneeling on the floor was already groveling, shaking her head frantically as sobs tore from her trembling lips.
Without another word, Alpha Derek hurled a hard-covered folder at her. It struck her forehead with a dull thud. Blood immediately trickled down her skin, but she did not dare look up as the folder fell to the ground between them.
Despite her fear, Ashley forced herself to step forward. With trembling hands, she picked up the folder and opened it.
Inside were the paternity test results and DNA reports between Alpha Derek, Luna Cynthia, Maddison, and Ashley.
The results were mercilessly clear.
Both Alpha Derek and Luna Cynthia showed a 99.99% parent-child match with Maddison.
While there was no genetic match with Ashley at all.
The document left no room for doubt that Maddison was their true daughter by blood, and Ashley was not related to them in any way.
Now, with proof of Maddison's bloodline and the paternity test laid bare before them, anything Ashley or her biological mother said would sound like nothing more than excuses.
The only reason they had brought the woman here was to hear her motive and to learn how she had managed to deceive an Alpha. How had she swapped the infants? How had she masked Ashley's scent and concealed Maddison's so completely that Alpha Derek and his family never sensed the exchange?
The one thing they still lacked was the hospital's CCTV footage from that year. Every record had mysteriously vanished, leaving a crucial gap in the truth. If they had possessed that evidence, they would never have allowed this woman to step into their home. To them, her very presence felt like a filthy stain on their living room, her scent an offense to their senses.
For everything Maddison had endured over the years, they would have gladly taken revenge and tortured the woman without hesitation.
But because they did not know exactly what had happened that night, they restrained themselves. They wanted the full truth first.
After that… they would deal with her.
And that, of course, included Ashley.