The Second Chance Wolf Chapter 07

The Second Chance Wolf Chapter 07

Early the next morning, I finished my morning run and walked out of the training grounds, wiping the sweat

from my forehead.

The security guard at the front gate suddenly called out to me.

“Hope Rosales? Someone is here to see you. They said they’re your parents, Alpha Rafe and Luna Helene.”

I stopped in my tracks.

The warmth in my eyes disappeared instantly.

Looking toward the gate, I saw two familiar figures standing beneath the sycamore trees.

My parents.

They had flown through the night to the territory of the Eclipseborn Pack.

It had only been a few days since I last saw them, yet they looked years older.

Their eyes were bloodshot, and streaks of gray had appeared in their hair.

The moment Mom spotted me, she completely lost control.

She hurried toward me, reaching out to hold me. I stepped back before she could touch me.

Her eyes were already red with tears, “Hope… my Hope…”

I stood where I was, quietly watching them.

As if they were complete strangers.

Dad remained behind her.

When he saw the indifference in my eyes, his throat tightened, but no words came out.

Mom choked back sobs as tears streamed down her face.

“I’m sorry, Hope. We were wrong. We didn’t know you got into Royal Fang Academy.”

“We didn’t know you’d suffered so much.”

“Why didn’t you tell us? If you had, we never would have treated you that way.”

She apologized over and over, trying to close the distance between us.

I calmly took another half step back, avoiding her outstretched hand once again.

I looked directly into her eyes, “So… your love for me only existed if I was good enough?”

Mom froze.

Her face turned even paler, “No… that’s not…”

“I don’t want to hear your explanation.”

“I’m doing very well now.”

Dad finally spoke. His voice was hoarse.

“Hope, we didn’t come here today to force you into anything. We just wanted you to know that we love you

too.”

“The whole pack cares about you.”

“If we’d known you were accepted, we would have celebrated with you.”

I met his gaze calmly, “That’s not necessary.”

A childhood memory surfaced in my mind.

Whenever Mom and Dad played games with Anna and me, I was always cast as the bad child.

The example they used to teach my sister how to behave.

I gave a faint smile, “I’m done playing the role of the bad child in your little game.”

Mom looked up at me through tear-filled eyes, “Hope… are you still blaming us? Please forgive us.”

“We really know we were wrong.”

Dad let out a weary sigh, “The slap that day… I was wrong. I acted impulsively. I only wanted you to become more mature.”

“That’s why, as soon as we learned you’d been accepted into Royal Fang Academy, we came here overnight.”

“We neglected you before. But from now on, we’ll take good care of you.”

I listened quietly, my expression unchanged, “I’m doing just fine.”

I glanced at my watch, “I have class.”

Then I turned and disappeared into the flow of students crossing the campus.

Behind me, Mom called my name through her tears.

I never looked back.

Some warmth arrived too late.

If I turned around now, it would only mean joining them in hurting the girl I used to be.

Before leaving, they entrusted an envelope to the campus security guard.

After a full day of training, I walked out of the training grounds, exhausted.

The guard handed me a thick manila envelope.

“Alpha Rafe and Luna Helene asked me to make sure this reached you before they left.”

I looked down at it and slowly opened it. Inside was a neatly stacked bundle of cash.

Twenty thousand dollars.

Beneath it rested a folded note.

The paper was slightly wrinkled, marked with faint water stains. As though tears had fallen onto it.

Only a few short lines were written across the page.