Chapter 2

Aria's POV

I can never forget that day in a hurry. It's been a year since my utter humiliation on my birthday, and on that same day, my mum decided to leave my dad, and in doing so, she left me. I couldn't reach her even over the phone; it was like she disappeared off the face of the earth.

Everything changed drastically after that. I got to realise the type of person the man I called Dad all through my life really is.

Months after that, we lost the Alpha. They tried to attack another pack—him, my dad, and some other members of our pack—and a lot of them were massacred by that other pack. Only a few were able to escape, my dad inclusive. I can understand that; my dad can never stand by anyone, only himself. He is that selfish.

One year after the worst day of my life, I can't even find it in my heart to celebrate my birthday. I just want to be left alone and reminisce about the good old days.

“Aria! Aria!! Come out here immediately!” my dad's voice boomed from his room.

I stood up and walked down the hallway to his room.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Uhm… I was just trying to rest.”

“You're resting? Why? Is there anything that you've been doing to help grow this family, or are you of any relevance to this pack as a whole?” he asked.

I kept quiet. With my head bowed in shame, I fiddled with my hands.

“Go and freshen up, we're going somewhere,” he instructed me.

“Dad, where are we going?”

He growled at me, and I shifted back in fear. “I've warned you not to call me Dad. I'm not your father. Do I make myself clear?” he said in annoyance.

“Now go and get yourself prepared. Put on something nice. I cannot have you looking like a pig.”

I hurried out of his room, a room that reminded me too much of my mother. I can't even deny the fact that I miss her terribly. She had always treated me right, but I still don't understand why she left me. She could have taken me along, but the way she left was sudden. My dad was trying to fight her right there in the forest, and it's all my fault. Everything wouldn't have happened if I had shifted.

I quickly entered my room, had my bath, and wore my dress that's a bit worn out before I walked down to the living room, where my dad was waiting for me.

He sensed my presence without looking in my direction.

“Let's go,” he said.

I quickly followed him, trying to keep up with his pace.

The walk was quiet, and not a word was exchanged between us. After a while, I saw the Alpha's den in sight. Since the day I was humiliated by Bale, then publicly humiliated because I couldn't change, I have never been to this den. Not even when the Alpha died and Bale became our new Alpha. I was shaking in fear.

“Why are we going there?” I tried asking my dad.

He simply ignored me and opened the door without knocking.

“Good morning, Alpha,” he greeted Bale, who was seated in his living room.

“Tim!” Bale said, addressing my dad by his name.

“Why are you here?” he asked, looking from me to my dad.

“I need to see you urgently,” my dad told him.

“Well, feel free to talk.”

“I need them to leave,” my dad said, pointing at Bale's friends who were seated in the living room.

“Oh, Deckard cannot leave. It's like you've not been informed; he's the new Beta, or rather, he's my Beta, so he cannot leave. Whatever you want to discuss can be said in his presence,” he retorted.

“What do you mean by new Beta?” my dad asked, raising his voice by a notch. “I remain the Beta of this pack until someone challenges me for my title, and last I checked, no one has done that, not even Deckard here,” he said, getting all agitated.

As quiet as I can be, I had to sit down and avoid being placed in the middle of their banter.

“Do you think after what you pulled that led to my dad's death, that I'll still trust you to be the Beta of this pack? Tim, you set my dad up. You lured him to his death. You made him attack Bloodmoon Pack, of all packs. Haven't you heard of that pack? The Alpha is untouchable, and you dared make my dad go there, after which you abandoned him.” Bale stood up, his eyes glowed, and he tried using his height to intimidate my dad.

“Say whatever you have to say and get out of my den immediately!” Bale said in a low, threatening tone.

My dad looked around, with discomfort clearly written all over him.

“Bale…” my dad began.

“It's Alpha to you!” Deckard shouted at my dad, with his eyes glowing.

“Stay out of it, Deckard,” Bale said to his so-called Beta.

“Alpha, what I want to tell you is in your own interest. I don't see the need for these people to be here. Please believe me, you would want to hear me out,” my dad pleaded his case, seeing that he couldn't outnumber them.

“But your daughter would be here? Someone who's a nobody? Someone who's a mere human?” Bale asked, shifting his gaze to me, sizing me up from head to toe.

“I'm not a human, I'm a wolf,” I defended myself with a look of annoyance.

“Shut up and don't speak in my presence unless you've been asked to do so,” Bale hollered at me.

I stared hard at him but decided to keep quiet.

He shifted his gaze to my dad, and they stared at each other long and hard. After a while, Bale said, “Everyone out!”

His people started trooping out until it was just me, my dad, and Bale left in the room.

“Aria, wait outside,” my dad said, looking at me for the first time since we arrived here.

“But… I thought you wanted me here. That's why you brought me here,” I said.

“Well, I want you here, but not right now. I need to discuss something with your Alpha, and if I tell you to do something, do it without questioning me,” he said with an air of finality.

I stood up and walked out of the door, trying not to feel the sting of his brutality.

While they talked in muted voices inside the den, I sat by the side, and I couldn't help but miss Rita. I really do miss her, and because of how callous my dad has become, she had to reduce the number of times she came to our den.

After about an hour, when the sun was already going down, my dad finally called for me.

I hurriedly entered the den, already itching for us to be done with whatever we came here for so that I could go back to the solitude and comfort of my room.

“Ari?” my dad called out to me.

Ari? Did he just call me Ari? I really can't remember the last time he called me that.

“You would be spending the night with your Alpha. Whatever he asks you to do, you must do it,” my dad said.

Dread filled my body upon hearing what my dad said.

“What? Why must I spend the night here?” I asked, looking between my dad and Bale.