CHAPTER 22: FAMILIAL TIES 2

LOUISA

“Breathe, Lou,” I whisper to myself. “Just breathe. You can handle this. You have handled worse confrontations. This is nothing.”

My parents arrived less than an hour ago and had been shown into a room to wait for me. Tammy had shown up with two caretakers and had even stayed behind to watch over them while another wolf had led me here.

Except now… I have been standing in front of the door for more than five minutes and I just can't seem to get my legs to move.

“Come on, Lou,” I whisper again, shaking my fingers out. “Just move.”

But I don't. I can't. I thought I could handle this.

That I could handle seeing them again, but I can't. All of a sudden, I am that girl again. Hiding from her father.

Scared.

Alone

And then… a hand slips into mine. Warm. Strong. Confident.

I lift my head to see Travis standing by my side, his eyes on mine, firm. Warm.

“You are not alone you know?” He says quietly. “At least… you don't have to be. I am right here with you, if you would have me.”

“Please…” I whisper, and I hate how scared and little I sound. But I can't help it. I can't do this on my own

“You have me,” he says, his face seriously. “I am not going anywhere.”

I don't say anything else to that, instead, I give him a small grateful smile before taking a deep breath and then nodding.

“Let's do this,” I whisper.

He nods before reaching forward and pushing the door open.

I walk in first to see my parents sitting on a cream leather couch, looking tense and on edge before they sight me. And then… My father is on his feet, his eyes wide with anger and his face going red rapidly with rage.

“About time!” He snarls at me as he stomps towards me. “Do you have any idea the kind of disgrace you have brought me? You useless, stupid-” his voice fades out the moment Travis walks in behind me, closing the door with a resounding click.

“Who are you?” My father snails at him, only for Travis to raise an amused eyebrow.

“Really?” Travis asks with a sarcastic smile. “Has Gauna truly failed in educating his wolves on who Alphas are? Or is foolish arrogance and ignorance just a thing with your pack?”

“Excuse me?! How dare you?!”

“This is Alpha Travis of the Tryst pack,” I tell my dad. I almost add the word “father”… but the word won't just pass my throat.

“What…? Alpha?” I watch as the shock flashes though his face, clearly not expecting someone like Travis, especially the way Gaines must have maligned him. “Alpha.. I didn't… I didn't know. My sincerest apologies. I was so overwhelmed and upset over my daughter's disgraceful behavior… I lost my manners.”

“Hilarious,” I mutter quietly to myself. “You never had them.”

Travis sends me a look before he nods at my father. “I can understand that,” he says.

“I know you don't have children, Alpha so you might not understand the grief this girl has given us. And now, to inflict herself up on your presence and cause problems in the politics of pack relationships… I can't imagine how put out you must be.”

“I am not put out,” Travis replies. “Louisa is very much welcome in my pack and has caused no hassle for me. I understand that might not be the same situation for you. So… why don't you just tell us why you are here? Hmm?”

“Ah… I see,” my father responds, clearly put out that Travis isn't buying his act. “Very well. I and my wife are here to get our daughter of your hands. I mean… take her back home,” he says, correcting himself at Travis look. “Her disobedience has gone on long enough and it is time she is out to order.”

“I am not a child you can just order around!” I snap at him, unable to control my temeor any longer. “I am a damn adult and you will treat me as such-”

“Quiet, girl!” He snarls at me, his eyes flashing the usual golden color of the wolf. “The men aee talking. Have you lost your taring so much that you have forgotten your place? Never mind, that will be corrected -”

“I know my place and it is not with you-”

“I said QUIET!”

“No! You keep quiet! This sis not the Blood Moon Pack, in case you have forgotten. And I know you all have subscribed to an archaic thinking, but that is not the case for the rest of the world. In civilized societies, it is considered rude and uncultured to interrupt a person when they are talking.”

“You.. you…”

“And to your reason for being here, you can forget it. I am not going anywhere with you.”

He lets out a deep, scornful laugh at that. “You speak like you have a choice. You might have chosen to be a rogue, but you are still a member of this family. I have authority over you, or have you forgotten your lessons.”

“Oh… yes. Let's talk about the lessons. Your incomplete lessons designed to keep people bound and ignorant. Imagine my great surprise in my years as a rogue when I heard about the clause to renounce your family and the authority they have over you.”

Ah. That is it.

The fear.

I see it crawl into his face.

“You all did it intentionally, didn't you?” I continue. “You wretched, unsecure, slavers parading yourselves as men, using ignorance as a weapon. Sorry but not sorry to burst your bubble. I have become quite educated. And I know quite a lot.”

“You… you don't know what you are talking about…”

“Oh… but I do,” I say as walk up straight to him, my heart bring with all the rage and anger I had buried all those years ago out of fear. “So, dear father. Whith what I know now… what do you think I am about to do?”