When Crumbling Walls Reveal Paths Leading Toward Forgotten Horizons by Zev Arden Flint 99

Chapter 99 

Faith’s Pov 

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+25 Points 

“You are the most despicable people I have ever seen ” I said and my voice was shaky at first, but it grew stronger with every memory that flashed through my mind. “My whole life, I’ve been abused. My whole life, I’ve been insecure, scared, unwanted and unloved.” 

My mother’s face, usually so composed, flickered with something I couldn’t quite name. My father looked grim. “Faith,” he started, his voice a low rumble, “all we ever did was try to protect you.” 

I let out a harsh laugh. It wasn’t a happy sound; it was bitter, full of years of resenting them. “Protect me? Stop your nonsense!” I shot back, my voice rising. “If you were protecting me, if that’s all you ever wanted, then why did you bring me back here? Why was it suddenly okay for me to be mated to Astor?” 

They exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them that only made my blood boil more. My mother finally spoke, her voice strained. “We had no choice, Faith.” 

“No choice?” I scoffed. “You had a choice. You had a choice the day I was born. You had the choice to keep your own daughter. To raise me, to protect me. Even if a little bit of whatever prophecy nonsense you’re spouting is true, you could have protected me then. But you didn’t. You chose to abandon me. You gave me away like I was nothing, like I was some broken toy you didn’t want to touch.” The pain of that abandonment, fresh and raw, ripped through me again. It felt like a physical blow, even after all these years. 

My father took a step forward, his hands open as if asking me to understand. “The prophecy is very real, Faith. It’s why you are a white wolf. It’s why we couldn’t-” 

I cut him off, shaking my head. “I don’t care about any of that! I don’t care about prophecies or white wolves or whatever grand plan you think you’re part of. All I ever cared about was being loved.” My voice cracked. “Why didn’t you show me any kind of love or attention when I came home? If you really wanted to protect me, the way you claim, then why did you treat me like some second–hand thing you didn’t even want to touch? I did everything. I tried so hard to be good, to be useful, to earn even a flicker of your attention, but you looked at me like I was invisible. Like I simply wasn’t there.” 

My mother’s eyes dropped, but my father held my gaze. “We know we have faults, Faith. We know we made mistakes. And we’re going to try and fix that. But for now, the most important thing is protecting you. Making sure nobody knows that you are the white wolf.” 

“Fix it?” I laughed again, a harsh, humorless sound. “It’s too late to ‘fix‘ a lifetime of neglect. 

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< Chapter 99 

And I don’t want your protection! Get out of my sight. Get out of my pack.” 

+25 Points> 

My father’s jaw tightened. “You should stop being selfish, Faith. You need to think about your son now. You’re a mother.” 

That was it. That was the line. My body went rigid, a cold anger replacing the burning hurt. “Don’t you dare,” I hissed, stepping closer, my eyes narrowed. “Don’t you ever tell me about being a mother. I think about my son in every single action I take. Unlike you. I would never do anything that would endanger or hurt my son. So I will not take any advice or any lessons from people who gave away their own daughter. Do you understand me?” 

They stood there, silent, defeated. My father’s shoulders slumped a little. “There’s still a lot we haven’t told you, Faith.” 

“Keep it,” I told them, my voice flat, empty of all emotion now. “Keep your secrets. Keep your nonsense. I’ve had enough.” 

I just needed to get away, to breathe. Luckily it was still early morning so everybody was probably still asleep. 

I found myself outside, near the training grounds, where a small wooden bench sat under an oak tree. I sank onto it, my arms wrapped around myself. I tried to stay strong, to keep the rigid mask on my face, but the dam had been broken. The tears spilled over, hot and unending, tracing paths down my cheeks. My shoulders shook with silent sobs. It hurt. Everything hurt. The betrayal, the abandonment, the hollow ache of a childhood ripped away. I closed my eyes, wishing I could disappear. 

I somehow managed to move past that life and everything that I endured and everything was tolerable when I thought that another woman kidnapped me and basically exchanged me with her daughter because she wanted better for her daughter but not that my own parents 

did that to me. 

Then, a small, gentle hand touched my shoulder. 

I gasped, startled, and opened my eyes. Through the blur of my tears, a familiar little face looked up at me. Isabella. Her big, innocent eyes were full of concern. 

“Aunty Faith?” she whispered, her voice soft. “Why are you sad?” 

I quickly wiped my eyes, trying to compose myself. “Isabella? What are you doing out here? It’s still so early. Why aren’t you home?” 

She tilted her head. “Mommy isn’t there. I woke up, and she wasn’t in her bed. I was looking 

for her.” 

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< Chapter 99 

+25 Points 

My heart ached for her. I reached out, pulling her gently onto my lap. She fit perfectly, a warm, small weight against me. As I held her, trying to comfort her, I inhaled and caught her scent. 

It was strange. Conflicting. There was a faint familiarity to it, something that tugged at a memory I couldn’t quite place. But at the same time, something about it didn’t smell quite right. I blinked, pushing the thought away. It’s just your emotions, Faith, I told myself. You’re upset. You’re imagining things. 

“You shouldn’t leave the house when your parents aren’t there, sweetie,” I murmured, stroking her hair. “Your mommy must love you very much, you know. You were probably just asleep, and she didn’t want to wake you. You should have waited for her.” 

Isabella nodded, burying her face into my chest. “Okay,” she mumbled. Then, she wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, squeezing me tight. 

And just like that, the world shifted. The warmth of her small hug, the innocent trust emanating from her, immediately calmed me. It was like Marco’s presence, that instant peace he brought me. For a moment, the heavy weight of my anger and sorrow lifted. I held her closer, breathing in her childhood innocence. 

But the moment of peace was shattered. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” 

A furious voice ripped through the quiet morning. I looked up, startled, to see Alice striding towards us, her face a mask of rage. Her eyes, usually so soft, were narrowed and fixed on me, full of a chilling accusation.