Chapter 679: What Remains When It Breaks

Ronan and his father stared at each other, the weight of everything said and unsaid pressing heavily into the space between them.

Before either of them could speak again, Orion stood.

"Can we all calm down?" he asked quietly.

His voice was not raised, but it carried through the hall with ease, steady and controlled in a way that demanded attention without forcing it.

Daniel turned toward him, anger still sharp in his expression.

"I am not so certain I can," he said. "Not when it comes to this. I stand by what I said. Sophia leaves the pack."

"Dad—" Ronan began, but Orion cut him off, his gaze still fixed on Daniel.

"I understand why you are reacting this way," Orion said. "The Enclave hurt us. Victoria especially. I understand that. But I will be honest with you—if Sophia leaves, then I leave too."

The words landed harder than anything that had been said so far.

"Orion!" Caspian exclaimed in shock.

Orion glanced at him briefly, then back at Daniel.

"What?" he asked calmly. "He does not want her in the pack, and I am not leaving her."

"Do not be stupid, Orion," Mary snapped. "You are the Alpha."

"And Sophia is my mate," Orion replied without hesitation. "I am not going anywhere without her. If all of you are going to decide this without even listening to her side of the story, then you may as well send me away with her. Besides, there are people in this pack who could do a better job at being Alpha than I can."

The statement caused a ripple through the remaining council members.

Daniel went quiet for a moment, his jaw tightening as he processed Orion’s words. Then he scoffed, turning sharply toward the exit.

The anger around him felt almost tangible as he walked out of the hall without another word.

Ronan dragged a hand through his hair, frustration clear in the movement. He sat down heavily, only to push his chair back almost immediately.

"Fuck this," he muttered before striding out after him.

"You would abandon your people for someone who is literally the enemy?" Mary asked Orion, disbelief etched into her face.

"But is Sophia actually the enemy?" Orion asked her in return.

Mary let out a sharp breath.

"You know what we suffered at the hands of her mother."

"Yes," Orion said. "I do. But I also know that if it was not for Sophia, we would not even be alive right now. Perhaps when you can look past everything else, you will understand why I would rather stand with her than stand without her."

Mary shook her head, her expression hardening.

"Or perhaps you simply do not care about your people anymore," she said. "You are so blinded by love that you would neglect them entirely."

She did not wait for a response.

"Fuck this," she muttered again before turning and walking out of the hall.

One by one, the others began to follow.

Madam Tyler rose slowly from her seat, her expression thoughtful but troubled.

"I need time," she said quietly. "This is not something I can decide immediately."

Caspian nodded.

"Same here," he added. "This is... a lot."

Eldric adjusted his glasses and stood as well.

"I will consider everything," he said. "That is all I can say for now."

They left soon after, the hall emptying in a slow, deliberate way that made the silence heavier with each passing moment.

Sophia stood then.

Orion noticed immediately how drained she looked. The brightness in her eyes had dimmed, replaced with something quieter, more fragile. There was a sheen of tears gathered there, though she held them back with visible effort.

"I will see you later," she said softly.

She did not wait for a response before turning and leaving the hall.

The silence that followed lingered.

Tobias exhaled and dragged a hand down his face.

"That... was not what I was expecting," he admitted.

Lysander nodded slowly.

"This is going to be far more difficult than we thought."

---

Ronan found Daniel at home.

Barrels of alcohol were scattered across the floor, some already opened, others still sealed. Daniel was moving between them with purpose, as if keeping his hands busy would keep his thoughts from catching up with him.

Ronan sighed quietly before stepping forward to help.

Neither of them spoke at first.

They worked in silence, shifting barrels, arranging them, moving them again for no real reason other than to fill the space between them.

Daniel glanced at Ronan once but said nothing.

Eventually, the silence broke.

"Was I really not a good father to you and your brother?" Daniel asked.

The question came out softer than anything he had said in the hall.

Ronan paused.

He did not answer immediately.

Then after a while, he nodded.

Daniel exhaled slowly, the breath leaving him heavier than expected.

They continued working in silence for a moment before Daniel spoke again.

"I did not think I was that bad," he said. "I thought I did what a father was supposed to do. I know it was not much, especially after the plague, but it was never my intention to ignore you and your brother."

Ronan nodded slightly.

"I know that," he said. "But the truth is, the pack always came first. You did spend time with us sometimes. I was friends with Orion, so we were always getting into trouble together. Sneaking into the office, pretending we were important, acting like we understood the things you and his father talked about."

A faint smile touched his face.

"And every time you caught us, you were not angry. Neither was his father. You would sit with us instead, talk to us, give advice, tell us stories."

The smile faded slightly.

"But those moments were not enough," Ronan continued. "You were always in the office. Always with Orion’s father. And even when you came home, you were exhausted. Mum would send us outside so we would not disturb you."

Daniel’s hands stilled.

Ronan continued quietly.

"You used to promise her things," he said. "You would tell her you would be back early. That you would spend time together. That you would dance with her."

His voice softened.

"She always waited."

Daniel’s jaw tightened.