Chapter 41: Why? 5(Flashback)
His mother’s voice carried on, steady yet weighed down by the past.
"Your father signed the contract, Alex."
The words settled in his chest like iron chains, tightening with every syllable.
"Even knowing it wasn’t in our favor, even knowing it left us vulnerable, he signed it."
The screen flickered, her image distorting briefly before stabilizing.
"Because we had no choice."
Alex’s fingers curled into fists at his sides, his nails biting into his palms, deep enough to draw blood.
No choice.
That’s how desperate we were.
The word desperate rang in his head like a hammer against steel. Over and over. A hollow, mocking echo.
Desperate enough to sign away their future on terms that could have doomed the clans in any case of a serious beast tide.