The Alpha's Favour

XLIII

It was a no brainer that I wouldn't be riding with Tristan.

So Uncle Victor suggesting that we drive behind them in his pick up saved the awkwardness of anyone outrightly saying that it would be best if I wasn't in such close proximity to Tristan

We left the rest of the Benson kids in a cloud of confusion. One that was surrounding me as well at the moment in all honesty.

There was something Uncle Victor had to tell me about my mother and for some reason, we couldn't be in the house when he did.

Anxiety ate at me and I just wished he would blurt it out already.

But another part of me willed myself to understand that there was a reason we were heading to HQ for this information to be disclosed.

Honestly, part of me didn't even want to know what it could be. My view of two of my favourite people in this world had already been horribly marred and I just couldn't take more bomb shells that would change the way I would see my mother forever.

I wiped my hands on my jeans and stared at the black SUV that Tristan was currently in.

I wondered if he hated me. Part of me knew that Tristan could never truly hate me but I knew it was possible for him to despise me. Or hold some resentment.

Bridget wasn't beside him because of me. The pack was in chaos because of me and lives had been lost...

"You okay, kiddo?" Uncle Victor asked from beside me.

"Uhm - yeah - I just..."

I turned to look at him. "Is this gonna hurt? This news as well because-"

I stopped myself before I could say what I was thinking. I was scared. Completely and utterly terrified of more heart ache.

Uncle Victor responded by putting his hand on mine and squeezing.

"I just want you to know that whatever happens, you've got me. Always. Okay, kiddo?"

I didn't know what that meant but I nodded anyway.

Of course I knew Uncle Victor would always be there for me but at what point was he going to finally accept that I was a destructive presence. Before I got here, his life and his family's was so peaceful.

"Uncle Victor, about me moving away from Woodfell -"

"Let's talk about that later, baby girl." He spoke, patting my hand before refocusing on the road.

I could tell something was bothering him just by his body language and I knew somehow a lot of it had to do with the conversation we were about to have.

"Hey old man, relax, those grey hairs are gonna get you." I teased.

Uncle Victor smiled but weakly and I could have sworn I saw tears forming in his eyes.

"Hey. Want me to put on some of Kirk Franklin's greatest hits?" I asked sounding enthused.

I didn't like seeing Uncle Victor sad. And I knew how he handled sadness, he pushed it away. His it and locked it tight and went off to be by himself. It's how he had reacted when we found out Roman had been a spy.

Now that I think about it, Roman handled sadness that way too. I knew Roman was sad or upset when he suddenly chose to be on his own.

Solitude was the answer to heightened emotions for him.

Even when he got too happy, he would push it down and try to suppress it.

It's only now that I realised that it must have been a Van Cliffe thing. Maybe that's what they had been taught to do.