Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Chapter 18 - Leo

I walked back into the house to that stale stench of alcohol. My father had been drinking once again. How he was fit for purpose as our pack Beta I had no clue, or why our Alpha tolerated it. He had begun drinking heavily since my mother had passed away, and the amount he drunk only continued to increase over time, along with his anger and resentment toward my sister.

As the years went along, and I grew, I hoped he would grieve for his mate and come to be the man he once was. The care free, loving and fun father. The pack Beta that so many turned to for support. That so many respected. But instead, he seemed to withdraw further and further into himself, and my poor sister never got to experience the father I had witnessed for those first six years of my life. He was as lost to us now as our mother.

Alcohol was not meant to affect us as werewolves, or in the least we were meant to have a greater tolerance to it, but I think that only works when drunk to a certain level. The quantity at which my father drinks would be enough to kill a normal man, of that I was sure, but for him, it was simply enough on most days to numb his pain, and occasionally to make him pass out. The only way he gained a full night’s sleep, he tells me.

Regardless of how much I hate the man he has become, I knew that this was no way for him to live. Grief and loss had destroyed him from the inside out. He had to be in so much agony. Literally feeling like he was dying inisde. But, then sympathy toward him was difficult, when he had become cruel with his grief too. And my sister was the main victim, yet no matter what I do, he simply does not stop.

‘Mari?’ I instantly linked the second I quietly closed the door behind me, hoping that she was not hurt, or locked inside the basement once again…

I could only hope that my father had drunk himself to the point of passing out and Mari had escaped his wickedness. My eyes darted from room to room as I made my way along the hallway of our family home. I may be well past coming of age now, and as upcoming Beta I had been offered the Beta suite within the packhouse, but my loyalty to my sister, and the fierce way I was protective over her, meant I knew I had to stay home for her. She needed me here.

The kitchen was empty. As was the dining room. But, as my eyes drifted over the open doorway of the lounge, I could see, as expected, my father, passed out upon the large sofa. He was laid out like he had literally fallen back upon it, his head upon one arm, and his feet slung across the other arm. His body half on, and half off the comfortable cushions, while his hand rested upon his chest with a bottle of beer in it. If the bottle were not resting upon the cushions of the back of the sofa, he would have found himself wearig the beer… He looked a mess. I shook my head in disgust. This man was never going to change.

‘Mari?’ I tried again, my heart racing now, fear beginning to rush through my body, for the fact she had not replied. Surely he would not have killed her, would he? I knew for a fact he was furious that she had not told him of her fated mate.

It had been a strange day. And Mari meeting her fated mate from our guests from a visiting pack had certainly been unexpected for us all. Yet my Dad, had took it harder than you would think. Maybe, the fact he had to discover it from Alpha Aaron was the issue. That simple fact had enraged him. I, however understood why Mari would not share anything with our Dad. At the end of the day, he was far from a loving and caring parent. And, she likely knew that upon discovering his daughter, or should I say play thing, had met her fated mate he would cross hell and high water to ensure the two were unable to be together. Banishing the man from pack. Locking Mari up. Anything to enforce them not being together. My Dad had to be in control. And to be in control, Mari had to be here, with him.

‘Hmm?’ A sleepy sounding response stumbled through the mindlink, telling me I may well have disturbed my sister while she was sleeping.

‘Aww, sorry, sis, were you sleeping?’ I questioned, probably one of the more stupid questions I had asked.

‘Yeah, I must have dropped off, likely from crying... I ran to my room when Dad…’ Her link broke off, but the emotion was there in her words alone. She didn’t need to say much more. She had not managed to avoid him it seemed. Even if she was hiding out in her room, and he was still vaguely with it he would go searching for her...

I made my way to the stairs, and walked up to her room. My heart aching for her. Mum would hate what our family had become. She was so like Mari. So sweet. Caring. Kind. Naïve. Friendly and loving. She idolised my Dad, but then, he idolised her too. They were the perfect mate pairing. I know it crushed him to lose her, but blaming Mari was unfair.

I tentatively opened her bedroom door, walking inside the familiar room. I spent almost as much time in here as my own bedroom. Comforting my sister. Protecting her. Simply being there for her…

My eyes instantly found her, curled up in a ball under her blanket upon her bed. Looking vulnerable as she always does. “Did he hurt you?”

“He killed him.” She whispered, and her words sent a cold chill across my body. I don’t need her to clarify who she means, for the tears within her eyes are enough to tell me; not to mention the suspicions I already had. All my thoughts upon hearing of the attack, and the moment I learned of who this man was, I knew who was responsible. Mari's words only confirmed it.

“To stop you being together?” I suggested. I had clung to a tiny shred of hope he would not be the one responsible. That he would have the heart not to sink so low. But it seemed I had credited my father with too much decency. All my doubts were in fact right.

“Because I ruined his fate, he said he had to ruin mine.” She said before sobs erupted from her body. Instantly I made my way across the room, sitting upon the bed, to wrap her within my arms. This man was out of control. His mind did not work in a logical way. Mari had never ruined his fate. Mum had died while giving birth, of that there was no denying but that could never be blamed upon the child being born. And the fact my Dad held all his blame, hate and resentment upon that child, even all these years later showed how messed up he had become…

“I am so sorry, Mari.” I whispered, holding her tightly to my chest, her body shaking with pained sobs. Her tears already soaking the front of my shirt through.

“I wanted to leave. He was my one way out.” She mumbled through her tears. Of course, she would have held all her dreams upon her fated mate. I think in some way, we all did. “Dad says I will be here forever.” She added, before her body shivered within my arms.

Anger pulsed through every vein within my body, my wolf, Nyx snarled in anger at the very suggestion of the future our Dad planned for our sister. But I do all I can to stay calm. Mari needed me right now, and she needed me to support her, not make things worse. But a sound from the doorway changes that. A throat clearing, before a low chuckle…

“Aww, what a touching scene.” Dad slurred with venom, his darkened eyes aimed toward me and my sister.

He knew the pain he was causing. He had to. This whole situtation is a f****d up mess. I know for most they would run away. But Mari had been isolated for so much of her life, intentionally, I believe, on my Dad’s part, and she would be terrified to make that bold step. Being a rogue took skill. Guts. Bravery. And my Dad had took any of that away from Mari.Never allowing those things to be developed. Because I don’t think her wolf had ever developed, or if she had she was weak. Any talk of her wolf was always quickly brushed away, like it was a taboo subject, so it was one I avoided, so as not to make her feel uncomfortable. To me, she was my sister, with or without a wolf. Weak or strong. But, without her wolf she could never protect herself the way a rogue should, so she would have to live within the human world, and this was somewhere she had little experience of. I feared, likely as much as she did, she could be just as much in danger there.

“Look what you have done!” I roared, causing Mari to slip from my embrace, her eyes looking at me with fear now. She hated when Dad and I argued. She disliked any confrontation. Likely because of how our Dad had treated her over the years. But this was warranted right now. He deserved everything I was about to give him, and more…

That same chuckle slipped out. “Oh yeah. Exactly what she deserved. Now she can experience the pain of loss. The suffering.” He said coldly, a sneer upon his face aimed toward my sister. I stood from the bed, my fists clenched, ready to attack. Nyx lingered, ready to push forward to shift if needed...

“You sure you want to go there?” Dad snarled. “Because I sure as hell don’t think you do, little one. You forget, I have your title in my hands. Would you want me to have that title with your name upon shredded up and given to someone else?” That same threat again, and the thing was, I know he means it. He has been so close before when I have helped Mari when he told me not to.

This title means everything to me, and the look upon my Dad's face tells me he knows that, as he continues. “That goes for breathing a damn word about any of this, son.” His tone was icy upon that last word, like the very thought I was his repulsed him. “You want to ruin your mother’s memory by slandering our family name? You may hate me, but I know damn well you do not hate her, and nor do you want to destroy her reputation or memory. And, no matter the things you say, you know they listen to me. I would hate to have to imply you were the issue. Or that precious little sister of yours.” His eyes burned into my soul, as my fists fell to my sides. He knew what he was doing, because he knew I would do nothing with those threats held over me… I ran my hand over my face, in nothing but frustration and sheer disappointment in myself. I was letting my sister down. But I was trapped, just as she was…