Healing the Ruthless Alpha novel Chapter 4

My head smacked to the side from the heavy blow my father dealt me. His eyes darkened with anger as he glared down at me.

“Where did you think you were going?” He spat with his eyes red and his hands crossed. “Did you plan to disgrace me on such an important day?” He grabbed me by my collar and shook me until my teeth chattered.

“I am old enough to leave today.” I gritted out, spitting out blood from the injury his blow caused. “Or did you forget your own child’s birthday!?” I sneered at him. My tone earned me another resounding smack that had me wobbling on my feet.

“You are no child of mine,” he spat at me. “No child of mine would put me through all you have put me through!” He snarled.

From his words, one would think he had been the one to suffer the abuse of an entire pack. A passerby hearing his words would think I used to beat him, waking him up with a belt on his back in the middle of the night. Someone who did not know our family would think I was the one who used to call him names. They would think I called him a monster, good for nothing, bitch, nonentity, and other unsavoury words.

“Yes, I resigned myself to being fatherless years ago.” I closed my eyes and sank to my knees which were unable to hold me up for much longer.

I spent all these years trying to please my father, to make him look at me and see someone worth loving, to smile at me even once. All my life, I wanted a father. I would have been happy with a smile. One kind word would have lifted my spirits but my father was kind to everyone except me.

“If I am not your daughter, how can I bring disgrace to you?” My heart bled as I looked down at my shaky hands. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to cave into my emotions to cry. Exhaustion swarmed me all of a sudden, overwhelming me.

“Don’t you dare talk back at me.” He pointed a threatening finger at my face. “I have lost so much for you and your existence is still costing me!” He screamed. His red face would frighten me any other day but at that point, with dawn upon us, I could not muster any more emotions.

Leaving Silver Moon had been my consolation for the past eighteen months. Every slap I endured, every kick, every insult and every spit on my face, I reminded myself that it would not be for long. The only consolation I had in this wretched pack was the thought of the freedom that awaited me at the end of the borders.

An hour ago, two men pointed guns at me. I heard the sounds of the guns cocking as they aimed at my head. Throughout my life, I faced death a number of times but today was the first time I stared in the face of death and he stared right back with the face of a gun. Terror chilled my blood and a cold sweat broke out on my skin.

I could do nothing as they approached me and put me in handcuffs like a fugitive, leading me back to the pack house.

Kade, that bastard!

Leaving a pack was not a crime as long as the wolf was old enough. At twenty-one, I was old enough to decide to leave these people! Why did he have to make me a criminal for doing something everyone had the right to?

Goddess, why was I faced with such a cruel life? Did I have to suffer all these till I dropped dead? Would I be tied down in this pack forever or would I manage to escape only to wake up one day with my face plastered on various doors as a wanted criminal of the Silver Moon pack?

“I wish you were never born.” My father spat those words and turned to leave me behind. In the dungeons. For the simple act of exercising my right as a wolf shifter.

“I wish I was never born too.” At that moment, not existing would be so much better than existing in these conditions.

“You have no right to say that when my mate died birthing your useless ass.” My father pulled me from the floor by my collar, my dress ripping a bit as he raised me. “Who taught you to be ungrateful?” He hissed in my face. His putrid breath made me hold my breath.