The Prophecy: Orphaned Princess (Prophecy Series Book 2)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kalea

After Mr. Scout dropped me off at home, I said thank you and goodbye and that I would see him tomorrow at school. I shut the door of his car but was surprised that he didn’t leave right away. I didn’t look back, but as soon as I was inside the house and closed the door, I heard his car pull out of the driveway. I figured he wanted to make sure that I got in the house safely, even though it was only a ten-foot walk.

I threw my bookbag onto the couch and face-planted myself on the opposite side. I was startled to hear someone clear their throat,

“AH!” I sat up and looked at the recliner to see my father.

“Dad! You scared the crap out of me!” I shouted at him as I sat up and held my chest. “Why are you home? Mom said you were coming home late?” I asked him as I composed myself and sat up straight.

“I was injured during training, sweetie. The Beta sent me home to rest,” he replied. That’s when I saw that he had a sling supporting his left arm.

“Daddy, what happened?” I asked with concern as I went and kneeled next to him.

“It’s a dislocated shoulder. Nothing major. It doesn’t even hurt anymore. I should be fine in the morning.”

“Does mom know?”

“She does. She saw it happen. She’s the one who forced me to go to pack hospital.”

“Of course, you didn’t want to, am I right?” I asked, giving him a knowing look. Omega or not, Dad was still a werewolf, and all werewolves had some sort of pride in them—especially male werewolves.

“Since when does a werewolf want to go to the pack hospital, Two-Tone?” he replied.

“Ugh,” I grunted at this ridiculous nickname for me. Knowing that he would be fine, I returned to my seat on the couch and slumped while resting my head on the cushion.

“Kalea, what happened to your head?” he asked. I looked over at him and lifted an eyebrow in confusion. That’s when I remembered what happened at school with Hailey.

“Oh, um …”

“Did someone hit you?!” he growled while sitting up, his eyes turning black.

“No, Dad!” I said initially, but I knew he wouldn’t buy it. “Well, not exactly,” I changed my answer. He glared at me, wanting to hear an actual answer. I puffed out my cheeks and rolled my eyes, knowing he wouldn’t let this go. “Fine. Hailey slammed my head against the locker because I mocked her for trying to steal my lunch money.”

“THAT LITTLE B*TCH!” my father snarled, standing to his feet while ripping away his sling.

“DAD! You can’t do anything! She’s the Alpha’s daughter! You know how highly he thinks of his kids!” I said, standing before him, knowing he would run over there and rip her head off.

“And you’re my daughter! Physical assault against a pack member is against the law! As the Alpha’s daughter, she should know that better than anyone!” he snapped at me, trying to push me away.

“Dad! You going over there and starting sh*t is only going to make things worse for me!” I defended, making him stop and lock eyes with me. He struggled with his wolf but finally calmed down, and his eyes returned to their normal brown. “Dad, sit,” I told him, pushing him back towards the recliner. He took his seat and let out a frustrated breath. He looked at the side of my head and ran his finger across what I assumed was a massive bruise I hadn’t noticed.

“I can’t believe that brat had the audacity to harm you physically,” he said softly.

“I’m okay, Dad. I promise. It wasn’t even that hard, anyway. She doesn’t have her wolf yet, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Besides, Mr. Scout saw and gave her Saturday detention this weekend. He even threatened to make her do it next week and pull her out of the graduation ceremony if she tried to talk back,” I tell him with a smirk. He snuffed but smirked as well. I knew that would make him feel a little bit better.

“That reminds me, who was that that dropped you off? Where is your bike?”

“That was Mr. Scout. My bike was stolen … again, and I’m pretty sure that it was Hailey’s doing.”

“Well, tell your teacher that I said thank you. Mr. Scout seems like a good man and wolf.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to have any qualms against us or the pack. He is a lone wolf, after all. That is probably why he can get away with punishing Hailey. He doesn’t answer to Alpha Harding.”

“Speaking of, I will have to report this to him. Regardless if she’s his daughter, she must obey pack laws just like the rest of us. Even more so because she’s the Alpha’s daughter.”

“Dad, don’t, please,” I begged him.

“Kalea, I wouldn’t be surprised if the principal already reported it. Or even your teacher. Mr. Scout may not belong to our pack, but I’m sure he knows pack laws more than anyone. It’s why he can get away with being a lone wolf.” I sighed in frustration, knowing that he was right. Because Mr. Scout had given detention, it would have been reported to the school principal, who also happened to be our pack’s Delta female and Hailey’s maternal aunt. She was the Luna’s older sister, and everyone knew she couldn’t stand the Alpha children’s bad manners. If anything, she was always fighting with the Luna because of it and saying that how she and the Alpha raised Josh and Hailey would doom the pack because of how immature they were.

“I’m going to go get some homework done,” I say and stand up, but as soon as I do, I receive a mind-link. Weird, I know, but given that he’s the Alpha, he can link with all pack members, shifted or not.

Kalea.

Yes, Alpha?

Report to my office at the packhouse at once.

Yes, Alpha. Shall I bring my father with me?

No, this will be quick. It doesn’t require a parent.

Yes, Alpha. I will be right there.

The link severed, and I looked down at my father, who had a knowing gaze. He knew that the Alpha had summoned me.

“It probably has to do with Hailey,” my father told me. I nodded my head and made my way to the packhouse. This was going to be interesting.

Hailey

“HAILEY HARDING! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!” my father roared at me. I bowed my head immediately and sent a glare towards my aunt.

When I got home from school, I wanted to change and do some major shopping for graduation, but my father told me to come to his office. When I saw Aunt Minny, short for Minerva, sitting across from him at his desk, and the dirty look she gave me when I walked in, I knew she had told him what happened at school.

“She was being disrespectful! I had to remind her of her place, Daddy!” I defended.

“With what authority? You’re nothing in this pack!” he shouted at me and slammed his hand on the table. “Just because you are my daughter does not mean you have any kind of hearsay or authority! Who do you think you are hitting a pack member!?” he scolded me.

“Honey, be gentle. She’s only a child,” my mother said, putting her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He shoved her away.

“This is why she is the way she is! You coddle her too much! She’s going to be 18 in less than a month, and she still acts as if she’s a child!” Aunt Minny chastised my mother. “She assaulted another pack member!”

“And what if it was self-defense!?” my mother countered.

“Self-defense!? Mandy admitted to doing it because she wanted to teach Kalea a lesson!” Minny yelled and threw her hands up as if she couldn’t believe my mother's stupidness.

“ENOUGH!” my father boomed. Everyone lowered their heads except for my mother. She just turned to face away from him. “I’ve called Kalea here.”

“You what!?” I exclaimed.

“I want to hear her side of the story. As an Alpha, I have to hear both sides. I’ve heard what your Aunt Minny had to say, but I need to hear it from her. It’s only fair.”

“But Dad!”

“Sweetheart!” my mother and I said at the same time.

“I said enough!” he boomed again, and we both shut our mouths. We both shot glares of hatred toward my aunt, who didn’t even seem fazed by it. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” the door opened, and in walked my worst nightmare.

“Alpha, you wanted to see me?” she asked, pretending to be all nice and sweet. She looked around the room and saw me. Her facial expression was blank, and she just blinked without saying anything.

“Kalea, please, come have a seat,” my father said while pointing to my aunt's chair. She got up and let Kalea sit. I glared at Kalea as soon as her a*s hit the cushion, but my father growled at me. “Mandy, Minny, please leave the room,” he directed my mom and aunt. They both left and closed the door behind them.

“What can I do for you, Alpha?” Kalea asked him.

“Kalea, it has been brought to my attention that my daughter committed a heinous act against you. But before I can do anything about it, I need your statement on what happened. Can you do that?” my father asked with slight annoyance in his tone.

“Is that really necessary?” Kalea asked.

“I’m afraid it is,” he replied. Kalea sighed and nodded her head. My father turned around to grab what I assumed was the tape recorder so he could record it for the pack records since he had to. When he wasn’t looking, I nudged Kalea with my elbow and stared at her. She glared right back at me. I grabbed her arm, pulled her towards me, and whispered in her ear as low as I could so only she could hear me.

“You’re going to tell him that you slipped and fell. If you even think of ratting me out, I’ll make your already sorry excuse of a life even more miserable. Do you fucking hear me, orphan bitch?” I gritted my teeth. When my father turned back around, I pretended nothing happened. Kalea rolled her eyes and puffed her bangs out of her hair.

“Kalea, whenever you’re ready,” my father said, placing the recorder on the desk. Kalea looked at it, then me, and then back at my father. I could see the wheels turning in her head. “Kalea?”

“Yes, Alpha. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to figure out if lying to prevent future bullying from your b*tch of a daughter is worth it,” Kalea said.

“Excuse me?” my father snarled.

“Did I stutter, Alpha? Hailey just told me that I should lie to you. Otherwise, she would make my life a living hell. And I’m trying to think if I should lie or not,” Kalea responded without hesitation. This b*tch had a f*cking death wish. I couldn’t believe she would directly oust me to my dad.

“YOU F*CKING B*TCH!” I screamed and grabbed her by the hair. “AHHHH!!!” I screamed while shaking her head with all of my strength. “YOU’RE LUCKY I DON’T HAVE MY WOLF YET!!! I WOULD F*CKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, threw her to the floor, and kicked her head.

“HAILEY!!!” my father roared, shaking the office. The door flew open as my mother, and Minny came rushing in.

“Oh, my goddess, Kalea, are you alright?!” Minny asked while helping her to her feet.

“Minny, take her to the pack hospital and make sure she doesn’t have a head injury that can cause permanent damage,” my father growled. The door closed behind them, and I turned to my father.

“Do you realize WHAT YOU’VE JUST DONE!?!” he screamed at the top of his lungs while throwing the vase on the floor. I shuddered in fear as his wolf came forward.

“Micah! Micah!” my mother shouted as she tried to calm him down. Which worked, but only enough to get his wolf to retreat. My father was still very much pissed off at me.

“You realize that you attacked a pack member!? You threatened to kill her! In my office! Where there are cameras!” he yelled while getting my face. “Even your brother wasn’t that stupid! He at least kept the bullying to words! He never physically touched her because he knew it was against the law to assault a pack member unprovoked! Yet you did it twice in a single day! HOW CAN YOU BE SO F*CKING STUPID!? Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised; you take after your mother, after all,” he spat.

“Micah!?” my mother gasped.

“What?! Did I say something wrong?! You are stupid! And it appears that your daughter has taken after you! And now, I am bound by law to punish her!”

“Micah, she’s your daughter! And she’s only 17!” my mother exclaimed.

“And she’s lucky she’s only f*cking 17! Had she been 18, I would have to turn her over to the elders, who would decide her fate!” He snapped at her, making her step back. “Hailey, since you’re still a minor, I can’t give you an actual werewolf punishment. But I can give you a human one. You’re grounded. You will have no graduation ceremony, and the party will be canceled!”

“BUT DAD!”

“Micah, we can’t cancel the graduation party! It’s for the entire pack and all of the graduating seniors! It’s just not just for Hailey! Don’t punish the entire pack!” my mother quickly opposed.

“Fine, but you’re still grounded and will not attend graduation. I will tell your aunt to bring your diploma to the packhouse.”

“DADDY! THIS ISN’T FAIR!!” I cried.

“YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF! Had you kept your hands to yourself, this would never have happened! I couldn't care less about that sorry excuse of a werewolf! But she’s still a pack member, and we have laws to follow. Your mother and I condoned the bullying and name-calling. We specifically told you never to harm her physically, yet you couldn’t even listen to that! Your punishment is fair and just! Now get the f*ck out of my sight!” I stood and ran out of his office crying. This was all Kalea’s fault. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut and lie, but she couldn’t even do that right. I was going to make the b*tch pay tomorrow.

“You’re a f*cking idiot; you do know that right?” I turned to see my brother Josh standing in the hallway with his arms crossed and leaning on the wall.

“What do you want, Josh!?” I shouted at him.

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you? You just had to hit her?”

“She was being disrespectful!”

“She’s always disrespectful. She’s an Omega b*tch who defies her superiors. You don’t think I didn’t hit her for shits and giggles, do you? I’ve wanted to smash her face into the ground more than I can count, but I restrained myself.”

“Why!?”

“Why? Because Daddy dearest threatened to take away the Alpha title from me if I hit her. Omega orphan or not, Kalea is still a pack member, and as future Alpha, I had to refrain from hitting her if I wanted my birthright. Now I suggest you keep your head down until graduation and the b*tch turns 18.”

“Why? What does it matter when she turns 18?” I asked him. His eyes darted to the side, and he let out a slight snarl.

“Just do what Dad says and stop getting into trouble. Kalea will be out of our hair in due time,” he said and walked away. I furrowed my brows at him. Josh knew something that I didn’t, but what?