Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Chapter 17 - Mari

I found myself waking up to the slamming of the front door. I must have been more tired than I realised. Either that or I had exhausted myself with the amount of crying I had done. Whichever it was, sleep had found me one way or another, and it appeared I had passed out curled up upon the large sofa within our lounge. I jerked awake with shock, and fear as that familiar scent hit me. The scent of my father. And unfortunately for me, the stench of alcohol.

There were no other sounds within the house, telling me that Leo must not be home yet, perhaps having returned to training or the jobs that were expected of him within pack with him being the upcoming Beta. I swallowed heavily, quickly pulling myself up to sitting, just as my Dad barged through the doorway, a darkened glare in my direction. I noted the way his eyes moved critically around the room, before focusing back upon me.

“So you did your f*****g chores then.” He snarled. “Good. Grieving is not going to bring him back. Time for you to move on.”

That flood of grief rushed through my body once more. A feeling I believed I may have to get used to. I raised my brows in shock, while inside I felt like I was falling apart. I needed support. Care. Something I knew my father was incapable of. But, today I had lost my fated mate. He had been through that pain, so how could he be so cold? So callous? No, I may not have known him properly, but that man was my fated mate all the same. My future.

Hurt from my father's own reaction stung at me. “Is that what you did with Mum?” I said, without even thinking as Dad made his way to the adjoining door to the kitchen. The second the words were from my lips I regretted them. I may have been thinking them, momentarily, and they slipped out... But now, my father was frozen upon the spot, spinning to look at me with a coldness I don’t think I have ever seen from him, and I have seen some coldness over the years…

My heart pounded within my chest as I awaited the worst. But as I tentatively raised my eyes in the direction of my Dad, I could see he was standing, not coming for me the way that I expected. He was simply staring at me. His eyes narrowed, and his dark. Perhaps in shock at my bluntness. My braveness. My foolishness. Because that was what I was. A fool. He was not going to allow me to say such things…

Never mind him not allowing me to say such things, I know deep down I should not have said what I did. The words tumbled from my mouth before I had a chance to process what I was doing. And by then, it was too late. I could see from where I sat the fists of my father clenching and unclenching as his hands and arms trembled in fury. My words had angered him; and understandably so. It was just how he was going to react that was the unpredictable thing right now...

He raised his head a little, his chin jutted out in defiance as he looked down his nose at me. “What did you f*****g say?” He roared.

“Nothing.” I mumbled, truly wishing I had said nothing now. My father’s temper could be bad at the best of times, even more so after he drunk to his limits. But the words that had slipped from my mouth would only fuel that anger. Maybe I deserved what was likely to come…

“Oh, nothing? Are you sure about that? Because it did not sound like nothing to me, Mari! Seems to me that you like to lie lately, bitch.” He snapped. “But you know what really angers me? That you f*****g dare bring your mother into this. Your own mother. My mate!”

His tone had gone beyond angry now. I did not know what to think. My words were not aimed at my mother. They were aimed at him, but he would never see it that way. My father saw things the way he wanted to, and would never consider any other view nor opinion. In his mind he was always correct. And right now, he believed his anger was deserved. His whole body was pulled into a fighting stance. Defensive. Angry. While I wrapped my arms around myself in a protective position.

“I am sorry.” I whispered, fear radiating through every part of me.

“Sorry for what?” He demanded. “Your f*****g nerve to drag her into this all because you lost a man that may or may not have been fated to you? A man that you likely hoped would save you from the mess you created all by yourself. Or the fact that you were the one that f*****g killed her?!”

My shoulders sagged at his words. There it was again. The blame for my own mother’s death. It was not the first time he had blamed me for this, and I knew it would not be the last. My Mum, a woman I had sadly never got to spend a day with, a woman that had apparently cherished every day she had carried me safely within her belly. Excited to be able to hold me within her arms, yt it was a day that never came, because instead, she became one of those rare she-wolves that passes away during child birth. Complications due to child birth. Something out of my control. Something even the doctors were unable to control or help with. Ultimately, I was a baby, I did not intentionally kill my own mother on the way out like my father implies.

Does he not realise as much as he does that she was here? That I would do anything to have her here with us right now? How many times over the years I have wished for that. Questioning how different life could be if she had not left me. Sadly, I don't think he does, because he was never one to discuss her, nor his feelings. Guarding himself, and putting all mention of my mother to the side. Instead blaming me for the reason she was no longer here. A guilt I would forever feel, because of him...

“Can we just leave it?” I whispered going to stand, thinking I would go for a walk and see where my brother was. Maybe he could return home with me. At least if Leo was home my Dad was less likely to be at his worst. Plus, I needed fresh air. The atmosphere right now because of the tension created by my Dad was near suffocating…

“Leave it?” Dad’s brows were raised, his eyes searching mine for something, but what I did not know. “If only life was that simple, huh. Well, let me tell you, fate was never going to be your saviour. You ruined my fate, so I was always going to ensure I ruined yours.”

Those words send a cold chill across my body, which only increased as I noticed the sickening smirk etched into my own father's features. This could only mean one thing. That rogue attack that had been reported, just as I had discussed with my brother, had not occurred. The one within my pack that had attacked stood right in front of me, and I didn’t need to search too hard for an answer as to why. His reasoning was perfectly clear. Sickening as it was… Revenge.