Marked By the Pureblood Alpha (Deanna and Luis) novel Chapter 325

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**Chapter 325: Can’t Change Your Childhood**

Luis’s gaze darkened, a shadow passing over his features as the corners of his lips curled into a subtle smile. His voice, low and smooth, caressed the air between them. “You’re remarkably astute.”

A delicate blush tinted Deanna’s cheeks at his compliment, warmth flooding her face.

“Don’t divert the conversation, Luis. Just tell me what I asked,” she insisted, her tone firm yet laced with a hint of concern.

Luis paused, the silence stretching between them like a taut string. He rarely delved into the depths of his past. In his world, vulnerability was akin to offering a dagger to an enemy; it was a sign of weakness, a precursor to failure. But as Deanna’s inquisitive eyes bore into him, filled with anticipation and empathy, a flicker of desire to share his truth ignited within him.

“I have a cousin named Grant,” he began, his voice steady but tinged with an underlying tension. “He belongs to the side family of the Mooncrown Pack. His ambitions are insatiable, and he covets the Alpha position with a fervor that knows no bounds. He even attempted to take my father’s life.”

Luis’s expression hardened as he recalled the betrayal. “My father, despite everything, still valued family. He chose to banish Grant from our pack instead of exacting a harsher punishment, forbidding him from ever returning to Nordvale.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, a heavy silence enveloping them. “After my father succumbed to the Blood Moon Curse, Grant somehow learned about it. He has made several attempts to return, and now he seeks my demise. If I were to vanish, the Mooncrown Pack would fall into his hands.”

Deanna’s fingertips instinctively clenched into fists, the reality of Luis’s father’s fate striking her like a thunderclap.

“So, this trip to Euron… it was all a trap set by him?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, fear threading through her words.

“Yes,” Luis confirmed, his tone unwavering. “At this moment, he remains oblivious to the fact that the curse has been lifted. That gives me an advantage.”

Deanna’s mind raced as she processed his revelation. While Luis’s words conveyed a sense of simplicity, she could vividly recall the harrowing sight of his wounds, realizing just how perilous his situation truly was.

“How old were you when all of this happened?” she inquired, her voice softening as she sought to understand the boy behind the man.

“What?” Luis blinked, momentarily lost in thought before meeting her gaze, comprehension dawning on him. “I was six.”

“So, Ruth raised you from that point onward?”

“Mm.” A small laugh escaped Luis’s lips, a bitter sound that echoed in the stillness.

“Have you ever heard of heir grooming?” he asked, his tone shifting as he delved into the dark corners of his upbringing.

Deanna shook her head, curiosity piqued.

“It’s a process designed to mold someone into a cold-blooded, ruthless, and logical leader,” he explained, the words heavy with the weight of his experience. “It requires a brutal kind of training.”

Her heart ached for him, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What about your mother? Surely, a mother wouldn’t allow her child to be raised like a machine, devoid of warmth, just for the sake of the pack’s legacy.”

Luis’s expression shifted, shadows clouding his features as he recalled a painful memory. “A month after my father died… she was kidnapped and killed.”