“You're going to apologize.” My mother spoke with irritation clearly in her voice.
“I already did. Now let me go.” I spoke tugging on the ropes that bound my wrist, legs, and torso to the metal chair.
“In front of her father.” My mother spoke growling, “You have jeopardized a very important alliance and you are going to fix this mistake.”
“Or else?” I ask, there is always an or else.
“Or else you drop out of that foolish college, leave those disgusting humans behind, and take your place running this pack.” My mother says leaning down, our faces mere inches from each other.
“One day that threat will mean nothing to me. One day I will take my place as alpha of this pack and that day you and your disgusting husband you call my father will feel how my siblings and I have felt all our lives-“
“You will do no such thing.” My mother speaks, her hand raised as if she is about to hit me. She won’t, she never has and never will. That is the one line they never crossed. They never hurt us physically. Whether it was a sliver of conscience or they didn't want us to have any proof of anything. Not that we ever tried, we knew better.
“Now, go get dressed. Be quick, the Lilles will be here any minute.” My mother says as she cuts my binds. I turn towards the stairs turning around only once to see my mother staring at me with a solemn smile before I turn around and jog up the stairs toward my old bedroom.
“Mr. and Mrs. Lilles, it's so good to see you again,” I hear my mother say, “ and you must be Ava. It's been so long, you were this tall the last time I saw you.” my mother finishes, I hear that sickly sweet smile she always wears in front of others in her voice.
“Hello, Amanda. It's good to see you again,” I hear a vaguely familiar woman's voice say.
“I wish they were under different circumstances,” a man's voice booms. Richard Lilles. I remember hearing his voice most often laugh boom from the study and up into my room, I could never resist smiling at his voice. It was always loud and gravelly but warm and welcoming, the kind of voice you hear when you think of a dad. Well, anyone other than mine. My dad’s voice was deep and at times booming but never welcoming or warm. And I can't even think of the last time he laughed.
“Yes, I am very sorry about the situation my daughter has caused.”
“Situation? Your daughter-”
“Where is Ainsley?” I hear a familiar warm but stern voice ask with a subtle sniff. Ava.
“She’s getting ready for dinner, she should be ready any minute.” my mother says queuing me.
“I didn't know we were having dinner,” I say, shoving my hand into my pants pockets. My eyes float over to the Lilles, inspecting each one. Mr.Lilles has the same honey hair, fading and turning grayish with age, and a well-groomed beard barely past stubble all pulled together with a well-tailored dark navy suit. Mrs. Lilles relatively the same as my fading memories of her, with dark fawn hair also graying but not as much as Mr. Lilles, she's wearing a dark red dress that pairs well with Mr. Lille's suit. They always like showing off their differences. Then Ava. Fawn hair with streaks of blonde, her facial features were much like both of her parents' large blue eyes pale yet light. And her eyes were on me. Until they weren't, suddenly they drift past me, a frown creeping onto her face. Her frown quickly turns to a scowl, a growl following it catching my mother and Mr. and Mrs. Lille's attention. Confused, I begin to turn around only to stop at that oh-so-familiar feeling.
“Honey bee, there you are.” my father says with his fake smile and even faker cheery voice, as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“Dad,” I say, trying my best not to cringe. I hate the touch of other people. Specific people touching me don't bother me, people I'm comfortable with and trust and my father was most definitely not one of those people. And he knew it, I had always been this way and so had he. He’d gone out of his way to make me uncomfortable like this.
“So, how's college?” my father asks his attention purely on me.
“Fine, Dad,” I say, trying to squirm out of his hold only to have him tighten his grip.
“That's weird cause yesterday I got a call from the dean yesterday informing me that your grades were slipping. You're gonna have to work on that or you and I are gonna have a problem,” he says in a joking voice, I knew it wasn't. It was a threat. Ava must have picked up on it causing a loud growl to erupt from the doorway. It wasn't nearly as threatening as an alphas growl but it was authoritative, a beta maybe?
“Ava,” Mrs. Lille speaks surprised at her daughter's reaction.
“He threatened her,” Ava says through clenched teeth.
“Ava, he is an alpha and we are in his home-”
“And she's my mate. I don't care if he's her father, hell he could be god for all I care I will not have him threaten her.” Ava yells, so angry she's growling at her mother. The word mate causes everyone except me and Ava to go as solid as statues.
“Mate. What a wonderful surprise,” my mother speaks a genuine smile that could split her face in half, the first genuine one I've seen since I was a kid.
“Ava, why didn't you tell me?” Mrs. Lille asks with excitement clear in her voice as she nearly jumps up and down.
“Us,” Mr. Lille corrects so excited he doesn't even try to keep himself from bouncing like a child on Christmas day.
“Honey bee, is this true?” my father asks, turning me in his arms. A huge smile almost bigger than the one on my mother's face. Before I can answer Ava steps forward with a warning growl.
“Get your hands off of her.”
“I will not. She is my daughter-” Before my father could finish I gently put some distance between us. Turning to Ava, “Relax. I'm okay-”
“He-”
“He didn't,” I say hoping she couldn't tell I was lying, technically I wasn't lying he hadn't threatened me that wasn't much of a threat compared to the other stuff. Besides, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. At first, she didn't seem to believe me but with a stern reassuring nod she slowly relaxed her stance and her body relaxed.
“Dad, I apologize she thought I was in danger and did what any sane wolf would do and attempted to protect her mate. I'm sorry, I sent the wrong signal,” I apologize, trying my best to seem genuine.
My father nods with a smile, “I'm just glad to see you have a mate that will go to war for you. I'm happy for you honey bee.” my father finishes pulling me into a brief tight hug, “Now, let's have dinner.”
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