CHAPTER 23: CUT OUT THE ROT.

LOUISA

“You don't know what you are doing…” he begins. “I won't let you.”

“I, Louisa Stone…”

“SHUT UP!”

“...a rogue by choice,” I continue, ignoring his screams.

“I SAID SHUT UP GIRL! DO YOU HEAR ME!” he snarls as he launches himself at me but Travis is faster. He grabs him by the arms and locks them behind his back.

“Continue,” Travis tells me.

“...stand here, before the goddess and witnesses. I call on all to witness my choice, swine never to regret. I remove my ties to the Roarke Family. I remove their authority over me. As of today, I stand apart from them. Never to acknowledge them as blood.”

“Lou,” my mother whines as a blue line glows between her, me, and my dad. It glows and glows, so bright that we all have to shield our eyes from it and then… it snaps.

It is done.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” My father roars as he pushes off Travis in adrenaline and rushes at me, slamming me against the wall, his claws scratching at my neck but he is not there for long.

Travis snatches him by the cuff of his shirt and flings him across the room into the wall, while my mother scrambles away from the chaos and straight into my arms.

Just as I had planned.

“I really shouldn't be surprised. Your Alpha is Gaines after all,” Travis says as he looks down at my father on the ground, just as the doors burst open and more wolves rush in.

“Alpha!”

“We heard a fight,” they say.

“It seems Gaines has passed on his unappealing traits to his pack members, failing to teach them basic courtesy when in the presence of his betters.”

"LET ME GO!” My father continues to snarl. “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT IN THIS CONVERSATION!”

“On the contrary,” Travis replies. “I have every right. You see, I have offered asylum to Louisa. Which means as far as anyone in your goddamn pack is concerned, she is my responsibility and has my protection. And anyone who cares to attack her, disrespects me.”

“You have no right! She is my daughter! I do not accept. I-”

Travis looks over at me as my father continues to ramble, nodding towards the door. A signal for me to go with my mother

Just as I wanted.

“Come on, Mom,” I say as I pull her towards the door. “Let's leave them to handle him.”

“No… no… we can't… I can't…”

“Mom, trust me,” I say as I pull her out of the room

“Where the hell do you think you are going?!” We hear my father snarl. “Get back here! Gwen! GWEN!”

He continues screaming my mother's name but I don't let her turn around. I will never let her go back to that man, ever again.

“You have to let me go back to him, Lou,” she begs. “You know he gets and it is only going to get worse the longer I stay away.”

“He is going to hit you again, mother.”

“No-”

“Don't lie to me,” I cut her off. “Dont think I have forgotten the catalyst that made me become a rogue.”

“You threw him out the window.”

“He was hitting you, mother! You, who have never trained in your life. He was using his whole strength against you. Again. And I know it has only gotten worse since I left.”

“That is just the way it is-”

“No! It is not!” I snap. “It is that way only in Blood Moon Pack! They keep women down, weak because they know that is the only place they can show their pathetic excuse of strength. Put them outside and they are seen for what they really are, pathetic, undiscipled, spineless, and abusive. They can't challenge their fellow men because they know they won't win. That is why they are so misogynistic and abusive. They are themselves for their weekends and put in on the women!”

“You can't say this things about your pack…”

“It is not my pack! Not anymore. A pack is supposed to be your safety, your peace, your family. Not your oppressor.”

“Is that why you are renouncing us? Because we oppressed you?”

“I am not renouncing you, Mom. I am offering you a chance to breathe.”

“What… What do you mean?”

“You can ask for asylum. Travis is willing to give it to you but you have to ask it yourself.”

“Travis… who is Travis? And what are you saying? Asylum? I can't ask for asylum! Your father-”

“Will just have to figure out who his new punching bag will be!” I snap. “Travis is the alpha of this sock and he is willing to take you in.”

“No… why would he do that? Don't play games with me Louisa.”

“I am not playing games, Mom. I am not, I swear. You… leaving you with him, knowing how you would suffer was one to the hardest and most painful I went through. But because of that decision… I was able to raise my children away from that toxic environment.”

“Chil… children? What children? You have children? When? How? Who is the father? Lou!”

“Calm down, mom! I will explain everything later but I need you to-”

“No!” She snaps, loudly.

It is enough to shut me up.

“What?” I ask stupidly.

“I am not going to ask anything until you answer my questions!”

“Okay. Okay. Yes, I have children. They are twins. I found out I was pregnant when I was on the run.”

“On the run? When you became a rogue? Was he…”

“No, Mom. I was pregnant before I left the pack. It was a one night stand.”

“Oh… how…”

“It doesn't matter. What you need to know is that Travis will accept your request for asylum, all I need you to do is ask him.’

“But why would he?”

“Because… because he is the father of my children.”

A beat fo silce.

Then another.

Then-

“What?!”