Fighting For Him

Chapter 27

When I am woken the next morning I can tell that it is early. It wasn’t a noise that had disturbed me but the feeling that I am being watched. I grumble something unintelligible but the shadow that hangs over me doesn’t go anywhere and then I smell it. Pancakes. I crack one I eye open and stare up at my visitor but from this angle my dad’s face is blocked out by a large tray.

“Morning dad.” I grumble whilst stretching my good arm above my head. I scoot over and he settles himself and the tray down on the side of my bed. I take in the pancake stack, still steaming, with a pot of warm syrup and a pile of blueberries, a glass of fresh orange sits next to the plate. I raise an eyebrow. “Not that I am complaining but what’s all this for?”

“Well it’s eight o’clock in the morning.” I knew it was early! “You seemed to have a rough day yesterday.” It wasn’t a bad day at all just a confusing one but I don’t correct him. Looking at the food in front of me my stomach growls and my dad indicates to the knife and fork on the tray. “Also you are coming to work with me today.” He says in a rush. I pause and look up at him. So these pancakes are a ploy or maybe the work of a guilty conscience.

“I’m what?” Going to work with dad would mean spending the day on the grounds of the pack house.

“You’re coming with me. So you have the next hour to eat and get dressed.”

“But dad…”

“No buts Scar. After whatever happened between you and Liam yesterday I knew you would resist this idea but I’m going to have to put my foot down on this one baby girl. You can’t train but maybe you will still be able to pick something up by watching others. I’ve decided that we shall do this once a week every week until the final round.” He has a point there but that would still mean being in closer proximity to Liam then I really want to be. The pancakes are no longer quite so appetising but I pour the syrup over the top and cut into them a sign to my father that I have accepted his peace offering and his deal. He stands up and walks to my door. “Be downstairs in an hour.”

55 minutes later I am downstairs putting my plate in the dishwasher and the breakfast tray back in the cupboard, it had been extremely difficult getting dressed without my mum around to help but somehow I had managed it, although I won’t be winning any beauty awards today. “Good, you’re ready.” My dad enters the room in his usual work attire that consists of grey jogging bottoms, black polo shirt, grey hoodie and baseball cap, everything is emblazoned with our packs coat of arms. To me he always looks like a P.E. teacher and I guess that is sort of what he is.  He frowns at my arm. “Have you taken your medication?”

“Yes dad.” I sigh, I’m sure my parents think I am incapable of remembering anything.

“Okay, let’s go then. I think you’re really going to like this year’s recruits.” I can tell he is still feeling guilty about taking me with him. Last night I had gone to my room, my feelings all over the place, and hadn’t come out again. My dad is the first family member I have seen in about twenty-four hours. To him my behaviour from last night means one thing; Liam upset me. He knows that there is a possibility that Liam will be walking around his own property and like any good father he wants to protect me from any and every possible hurt, but I can tell that his resolve is strong so I just follow him out of the door.

We pull up outside the main doors to the pack house and, as usual, someone comes to move the car to wherever the garage is. I was hoping that we would only be outside but no luck, my father jogs up the steps to the main doors and holds it open, standing to one side to allow me to pass. I’m pretty used to the large open space of the entrance hall but when my dad takes me down a corridor to the left I automatically lose my bearings as we make our way down a corridor that I have never been down before. How big is this place? I start to get frustrated with how much of this place there is and how hard it is to get around. How could anyone live here?