07: Permission

SUNSHINE:

"Alpha Ezra…" I started, forcing my tears to come out. 

I began acting and sniffed as if I was about to cry. 

Alpha Ezra growled. "Knoxx!"

"Father. I'm sure the alpha had some excuse. We cannot arrive at a hasty decision. Brother is rational," the second stated. Bernard. The beta of the pack.

Of course, the beta would always side with the alpha. In this house, it would always be me against the five of them. Me against these five powerful men in this pack. 

However, I was done with being the submissive type. It was also the reason why Aloha Jericho cheated on me. He thought I was easy to fool. 

"Alpha Ezra...did you know that Alpha Knoxx was the one who told me that Alpha Jericho was having an affair? Yes. A few minutes before the wedding. He was that kind of dick."

"Hey! Watch your mouth! That is the aloha you're referring to!" Beta Benedict roared. 

"Benedict! Lower your voice."

"But Father. Can't you see that woman is making us fight among ourselves?"

"Sunshine, keep quiet."

Keep quiet? 

It felt like my heart was being ripped to pieces. How could Mother be so unfair? 

"You're asking the impossible, Mother."

Stepfather sucked in a breath and glared at his son. 

"Why did you do that, Knoxx? To your sister?"

Knoxx's face was bright red and he clenched his fist.

"It was what you said, Father. That we are family. It was one way of protecting my sister. I protected her from future pain."

Sister? He never treated me as his sister. More like his enemy. His sworn enemy. 

"Really, Brother?" I asked, still sniffing. "Why did you have to do it right at my wedding? If you truly cared about me, you should have told me beforehand. You're so cruel, you know that?"

My other stepbrothers glowered at me. Of course, they would be siding with Alpha Knoxx. In their eyes, I was their evil stepsister.

"It was meant to protect you from cheaters like him. Would you rather marry someone who will fuck anyone whenever you're not around?" 

Protect me, huh? More like you hated me that much. The timing was too great.

"I should be the one to decide on that. I already accepted that you don't care about me. The five of you. I am okay with that. I understand your feelings, but telling me that my soon-to-be groom was cheating on me was too much, Brother." 

My heart broke into tiny little pieces when I remembered about it again. 

"Would you rather have someone who was there with you, but was not faithful to you?" he pressed. "If you like him that much, you run to him and we don't care what will happen to you anymore."

I inhaled deeply.

His hate must be bigger than our bond for he acted as if there was nothing between us. I envy him. 

"Use your brain, woman," Knoxx continued. "Deep down, you know I'm telling the truth."

I did. But could he blame me? I thought Jericho was the one after offering him everything I had.

I hated how Knoxx was right, but my heart could not accept that. 

"Knoxx. Regardless of your intention, you must not be that heartless. Think of what Sunshine would feel."

Knoxx smiled. I'm victorious. 

Alpha Ezra understood why he had to do that. 

"I will consider that next time, Father. Rest assured that I did it for Sunshine's benefit. Not mine."

My other stepbrothers sighed in relief. 

'Everything will backfire on you, woman,' Knoxx declared inside my head. 

"But you still have to say you're sorry, Knoxx."

"What? Do I look like a child? I'm the alpha of this pack, Father."

"Darling. Let the kids settle them on their own," Mother said. Softly.

"He needed to know it was also wrong, darling. He hurt our daughter."

I looked away. 

Our daughter. 

Alpha Ezra was kind and never made me feel like I was an outsider. It was only his son and my own mother. I wished…this was only a normal family where my stepbrothers would think that I was not competing against them.

"You ruined her wedding. You hurt your sister. It's enough to make you say your apologies. Sons," he addressed the five men. "All I wanted is for the six of you to get along with each other. Is that difficult to do?"

It was difficult for their pride. Especially my second chance mate.

Second chance mate. 

I still could not wrap my mind around how the heck we were paired with each other. Why is the person who ruined my wedding?  I could accept anyone. But not my stepbrother who never wanted me in the first place.

"It won't happen, Alpha Ezra."

"Why?" My gaze shifted to Mother.

"This might be hasty, but I would like to inform everyone that I'm planning to go back to my previous pack."

Mother sucked in a breath.

"Return to our pack where you will be treated like a slave? Have you lost your mind, Sunshine? How could you think about that after rejecting Alpha Jericho?"

What do you want me to do, Mother? Die in this place? Repeatedly remember my painful relationship?

Not going to happen.

"We were slaves before, Mother. But after Alpha Ezra brought us here, we were no longer slaves. The alpha might consider that."

"Or he would not." Mother shook her head. Alpha Ezra was suddenly on her side, consoling her. 

I envy Mother. She had the best men that she could have while me? I was paired with jerks who did not even know how to take care of their mates. My first mate was a cheater. My second chance mate was my stepbrother. A bastard and a bully.

"That's what I am trying to say. Why would you go back to the place where you will only be ordered and bullied?"

"Because that is the place where Father was buried, Mother. I want to stay there until my last breath. I would not take it against you if you will not join me, Mother. After all, you are now in good hands."

Besides, coming into this place brought nothing but pain. I met Jericho, my mate. But then what?  Staying in this was already painful.

"Sunshine. Can you please at least wait for your second chance mate? Maybe he is different than Alpha Jericho."

Knoxx and I locked eyes and his eyes were telling me that I should continue to keep my mouth shut or he would punish me. 

"I no longer wished to find my mate."

Mother's eyes simmered with tears. 

"If your Father is alive, he will like it when you stay in this pack. This is our pack now, Sunshine. Why would you go there? Was it about Alpha Jericho and your marriage? Sunshine. We will help you move on with the pain. Just stay here, please?" she begged.

It was also about that.

But the heaviest reason was because of Knoxx. I could not stay in the same place as him. I could not tolerate being with him especially now that I knew we were mates.

And I was certain the same goes for him.

"I won't allow it!" Mother cried. "Going back is suicide, Sunshine. If not for Ezra, we were long dead by now."

Staying here felt like I was dead.

I felt empty. It was Jericho who brought happiness to my life. But now that he had broken up, there was nothing worth living for.

"Mother. I already made up my mind. I had been thinking about this for the whole week. Tomorrow. I will start my journey."

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Knoxx playing with his food. I did not know what he was thinking. But I bet he was happy now. Happy that the woman whom he hated so much would be gone for the rest of his life. 

'Are you happy now, Brother? With me gone on your pack, the fact that we were mates will be forever buried in the sand. No one will know, Brother. No one.'

He lifted his gaze and the corner of his lips lifted. 

'I am exhilarated. Talk to you long to decide.'

'I will do the favor of erasing my presence in your pack,' I responded. 'I hope you will be happy now.'

'Very happy,' he answered through our link. 

"Alpha Knoxx," I started. "Please allow me to give your blessing as a member of your pack. I would forever be happy if you would allow me."

Knoxx smiled. He looked like a devil in my eyes and the way he smiled. Something was telling me that he was up to no good.

"Everyone knows I am the source of your headache, Brother. With me gone in this pack, you can now be at ease."

No one will also know your secret.

"Sunshine…you have to think about this repeatedly," Mother urged. "If you are there, how can we protect you? If you are here, your brothers can protect you."

You don't know what you're talking about, Mom. You never knew what I experienced in this pack because you were always glued to Alpha Ezra. I was the forgotten daughter.

How I wished I had the guts to tell her that without feeling guilty. 

"No, Mother. My decision is final. I'm…sorry. With the alpha's permission, I will be preparing my things this evening."

"Sunshine. You are not thinking straight at all."

"Like I said, I have think about it a couple of times."

"I won't allow it," Knoxx said all of a sudden.