5. Word of Warning

I sat next to Krista in the high school office. She was smirking, her arms crossed over her chest, and her head leaned back against the wall behind us. Another one of our classmates came out of the office and winked at us before heading out. Principal Miles stood outside his door and motioned me in. Sighing, I got up and walked over to his office.

“Well, this is the first time this year I’ve had you in my office.” Principal Miles sat down behind his desk. “I’d hope we didn’t need to do this until the official meeting at the end of the year.”

Chuckling, I sat down across from him. “I mean, you know I love this office.”

It was true. He’d turned his office into a bit of a dark academia vibe. The walls were painted a dark blue with gold accents everywhere. There were black bookshelves lining two of the four walls and most were filled with leather bound editions. He’d added in a few more mystical pieces to complete the look. Plus, his desk was a huge dark wood centerpiece that was intricately craved with multiple wolves on the front.

“Winter, your sister is blaming you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course she is. I didn’t talk to Krista. I didn’t throw it. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even know Maverick asked for it. I’m on the other side of her. Mrs. Cross was talking and she was giving us a wonderful speech.”

“And?” He’d already heard this from everyone else.

“And…Rebecca may have said that she hoped the next teacher was hot because she didn’t want to learn from a fat teacher again.”

Principal Miles rubbed his face with his hand. “She’s only gotten worse this year. I’ve had multiple complaints from teachers and students. I’ll need to speak with Beta Caleb but I know what he is going to say.”

“If they are too weak, then they need to fall in line?” I offered.

There were a few sayings my dad had. They tend to go on rotation but considering how tired he has been lately, he might need to retire this saying before it came back to bite him. Principal Miles sighed and shook his head.

“I will bring in Krista, her parents, your parents, and Rebecca, since they are the main culprits of this. They can work this out. I just wanted you to be aware that your sister is putting the blame on your shoulders.”

A warning. He was giving me a warning. One of the few things he could do without alerting my dad. Or putting his job in jeopardy. I nodded and got up, grabbing my backpack.

“Be safe, Winter.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Principal Miles. I appreciate it.”

Stepping out, my dad and Hannah were in the office already. Krista was sitting further away but her parents weren’t here yet. She gave me a strained smile as I walked into the main office area.

My dad saw me and growled. “Of course it’s you. It’s always you. You are the problem…”

“Beta Caleb.” Principal Miles stepped out of his office. “If you don’t mind coming in with Rebecca, we can wait for Krista’s parents.”

“No need. We are here.”

I was always floored by Krista’s Mom. She was gorgeous. Today, her hair was combed out in a natural afro, much like Krista’s. She carried herself with such elegance and grace. Right now she was wearing a suit with high heels. From what Krista tried to explain from what little she knew, her mom worked for the Council of Elders. They were the overseers of all the races. Her dad was the trophy husband but he loved it.

He was handsome and strong. I knew he was one of the warriors of our pack but I didn’t know at what level. He was darker than both Krista and her mom but his smile made him more approachable. They had always been very nice and welcoming, despite the few rough interactions with my dad over the years.

“Come, Krista. Let’s see what Principal Miles needs to speak with us about.”

I stepped out of the way as Krista shrugged on her backpack and walked past me. She winked and mouthed out , ‘You owe me Friday’. Groaning, I shook my head and headed out of the office. Since all my classmates needed to be spoken to, everyone had emptied out of the halls already. The school was pretty empty, but I decided instead of disappearing into the library that I’d just head home.

It was rare, but getting to step into the house without anyone home was heaven. It felt completely different. Putting my backpack in my room, I headed back into the kitchen to make dinner. At least, I would eat what I could while I made dinner for the family. If it was going to be as bad as I thought, then there would be a chance I wouldn’t get to eat.

A half an hour later, the door slammed open and then slammed shut. Rebecca was wailing and flew up stairs. Her door slammed shut before either my dad or Hannah got into the kitchen. Hannah got to me first, pulling me away from the counter and throwing me against the wall.

“How dare you! How fucking dare you! She is your sister!”

I shook my head. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You think my daughter is lying? That you didn’t tell your best friend to pour juice all over her?” My dad stood in the kitchen, glaring at me.

“I’m your daughter too. I didn’t do it. The entire class told Principal Miles what happened. Even Mrs. Cross did. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even…”

Hannah screamed at me. “My daughter was bullied! She was bullied! You think that is okay? She is going to be the next Beta!”

“The only bully in that entire school is Becca!”

I slammed my mouth shut as Hannah’s hand hit my cheek. Unlike Rebecca, Hannah did have some power behind her swing. It snapped my head to the side and I almost hit my forehead on the refrigerator. She was livid. Her wolf evident in her eyes.

“I will take care of this.”

Dad grabbed my hair and pulled me out of the house. I stumbled after him, trying to not fall. My eyes filled with tears as my head felt like it was getting pulled a part.

“Dad…please…I didn’t…”

“Shut up! You are lucky I kept you around. You are lucky that when we took the blood test you happened to mine. I wouldn’t believe it and I still hardly do. You are worthless. You dare treat your sister, my real daughter and your future Beta, like that? You aren’t even worth the oxygen you breathe, the food I provide you, or the roof over your head. Somehow your mother still managed to carry you to term and I will forever hate her for that.”

He threw me into the back shed and I let out a small squeak as my back hit the wood. His boot was first. Over and over he kicked me but just as yesterday, there wasn’t the same power behind it as there had been. I curled up in a ball as he continued. Eventually, he switched to the piece of wood that might have been an old handle to a shovel.

There were a few times I had to cry out. I couldn’t hold it back. Still, I did my best to protect face and anything else vital. His wooden stick actually cracked and he tossed it away into the shed. Squatting down, I heard the crackle of his knees. He grabbed my neck and lifted me up to look him in the eyes.

“You are nothing, Winter. Know your place. You better change your attitude regarding your sister or you’re going to find yourself in a world of hurt when she takes over as Beta. No one is going to save you. You will be all alone. Once you’re eighteen, I no longer have to be responsible for you. I don’t need to see your face again. I’ll never need to see your stupid mother’s face again.”

Tears spilled over but I didn’t say anything. What could I? This was my dad but at the same time, he killed my mother. Their mate bond withered into nothing and it killed her while he was perfectly fine. She died of a broken heart because her fated mate cheated on her with her younger sister. Because he chose Rebecca over me.

He looked like he was going to say something else but he didn’t. His hand finally let my neck go and my head hit the floor. Gasping for air, I couldn’t help but be happy when he turned away from me. Leaving the shed, he shut the door behind him and locked it. Lying there, I could hear his footsteps fall away before I heard the back door slam shut.

Sobs broke out as I curled up into a ball. I couldn’t understand it. Why he hated me so much. Why he hated my mother so much. It didn’t make any sense. They were supposed to be fated. Even if they didn’t know one another, their mate bond should have pulled them together. Should have helped a little. Why did he even mark my mother to begin with if he hated her? Instead, he pursued her younger sister after they were mated? He would even be denying Hannah the fated mate she probably had.

All those questions didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I survived. Another night, I survived. I wondered if, deep down, he knew that Rebecca wasn’t Beta material. If he knew she was lying and all of this was just to appease Hannah. It would be too late though. Even if he turned around tomorrow and told me was sorry. That he wanted us to be father and daughter again, I would still kick him out.

I hated that I hated him. I hated that I wanted them to feel the same pain I did. It was an ugly feeling. One I knew my mother would scold me for. One I scolded myself for. It just hurt. All of it just hurt so bad. Sometimes, I wanted to give up. Sometimes I felt like this wasn’t worth it.

But it was all I had left. All I could hold onto. All this time would have been a waste. So, I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep on the floor of the shed, hoping that it wouldn’t be too cold when I woke up.