08: Rogue Town

SUNSHINE:

All eyes were trained at Knoxx. 

My mouth opened and closed, clearly, no words forming in my mind. His brothers were also surprised at his decision. They did not want Knoxx's decision.

"Brother. Why would you stop her?" Beta Benedict asked. "You wanted her to move out. That's what we all want."

"Benedict. Not a word from you anymore. You made me feel embarrassed. The five of you talk like women!" he scolded. "How could you say those words?"

"Darling..." Mother said. She put her hands on my stepfather's arm. "Please don't get your anger ahead of you. You might say something later that you would regret."

Mother was always like that. She acted like a peacemaker in the family. Acting like a bridge between me and her husband's family.

"No, darling. These boys need to earn their lesson."

"Alpha Ezra. With all due respect, would you help Alpha Knoxx change his mind?" I said politely even if I was seething inside.

My mind refused and could not accept this kind of punishment Knoxx was giving. Over what? For being his mate?

"My decision is final. I won't give you my approval to return to your old pack. You belong to me now," Knoxx declared with conviction.

A shiver ran down my spine. Why did his words feel like it had a double meaning?

'Why are you doing this, Knoxx? Why? I am already giving you a favor. For fuck's sake! Please don't give me additional problems. I'm already tired of this life! Release me!' I screamed inside his head.

He flinched but did not lose his cool.

"Father..." I started using the words Alpha Ezra wanted to hear for a long time. "Please help me change Alpha Knoxx's decision. You are our father. I'm sure he will listen to you."

Alpha Ezra's expression softened, hearing me call him Father.

"Yes, my daughter. I will help you." He cleared his throat and hardened his expression when it shifted to Knoxx.

'Look who's an actress,' Knoxx stated inside my head. 'How long will you fool the old man into believing you're a good woman?'

'I am good. It's only your evil personality that said I am not. You're taking this to the highest level? I will make sure I will not stop without a fight.'

Knoxx chuckled inside my head. 'You're thinking too much.'

Just as Alpha Ezra opened his mouth, Knoxx declared, "I won't change my mind, Father. She will stay in my pack. Don't force me to use my alpha position to make you stop this."

The table suddenly went eerily silent. 

"You're going to use your position to your father? I, who was the former alpha of this pack? What other things are you willing to do to embarrass your father?"

The room was filled with tension.

My other stepbrothers drank their wine while the beta put his hand on Knoxx's shoulder.  Benedict shook his head. 

"I'm not trying to do that, Father. All I want is for you to accept my decision as the owner of her."

"Nobody owned her except herself. She is part of the family. Our family. Treat her as your sister."

Knoxx leaned on the chair, clearly not wanting to back away.

"Why would I, Father? That woman hasn't shown her worth."

"And if I did? Can you let me go, Brother?" I interjected.

Knoxx thought for a moment before saying, "What are the things you can do, woman? The only thing you are good at is following your beloved Jericho. You never leave his side, don't you?"

He was right.

Others secretly called me Jericho's slut. But I did not care about them. But Jericho's opinion of me.

"So what if I did? Everything was in the past, Brother. Tell me something that I would do so that you will approve of my plan."

"I will think about it."

"No. Fine. I will allow you to decide on what you will do with Sunshine. But there's something you two have to do. Knoxx. Son. You can use this as an opportunity to discover what Sunshine could do."

The brothers' attention awakened.

"You're getting our attention, Father. Tell us what that is."

"Pacify the chaos at Rogue Town together. If you two succeed, I will not contradict anymore with your decisions, Son."

"R-Rogue Town? Isn't it the most chaotic place outside our pack, Alpha Ezra?" I asked as bile rose from my throat.

It had been three years since there was chaos there. Alpha Ezra had tried his best to have a peace treaty with the rogues, but he never succeeded.

"Yes, Sunshine. That's the place. My informants had informed me that they were planning something big. A war against this pack. This is getting out of hand. Unfortunately. Something must be done."

"Killing them all is the best thing to do, father. Why don't you accept my proposal?" Knoxx said.

Alpha Ezra emptied the contents of his wine glass.

"There was already a lot of blood spilled on our soil, Son. Enough is enough. This time, I will try to settle this peacefully. And you two will be the ones who will help me. Succeed and I will accept that you are now worthy to inherit the alpha position, Knoxx."

The position was forcefully handed to the eldest of Alpha Ezra's sons because they did not want him to marry Mother.

But until now, Alpha Ezra continued to monitor the pack's affairs, not completely trusting his own son.

So saying he will acknowledge Knoxx as the new alpha would be a challenge for my second chance mate.

"Is that a promise, Father?" Knoxx asked, smiling. 

"I vow it."

Knoxx stood. "I'm on it whether the woman comes with me."

"She should join you or else, you are not following the end of the bargain. You two will be going there at Rogue Town. Is that okay with you, Sunshine?"

Heck no! 

Imagining the place was already scary enough, but if it meant that was the only way where I could go back again to my pack? I could not turn down the opportunity.

"I'm on it."

"Father. Rogue Town is no longer the same place as before," Beta Benedict reminded. "The woman will be killed at first sight. How could you send a woman as weak as your stepdaughter there?"

"I-I can handle myself well," I said. "I can fight." I knew some moves and I hoped I would be able to use that when the opportunity asked for it.

"You will only drag down the alpha."

"I won't," I responded. "I will do everything I can. Knoxx is not the only one who is not willing to lose. Me as well. I will go with Brother." My second chance mate, I added in my mind.