John White was once a man who I loved unconditionally. Growing up when I was a small child I spent years running loops round him. I used to be his princess and he gave me my first taste of unconditional love. He read me bedtime stories, tucked me in bed tightly, checked under my bed for monsters. John White protected and cherished my mother, he would always hold her tightly, kiss her softly, tease her relentlessly. My mother was the centre of his world. Whenever he told me stories about mates, I would wish upon a star that I had someone like him in my life.
As I reached my teenage years, his work load got heavier, he got busier. I wanted to spend time with my friends or I would be busy doing my homework. By the time his work load eased, he would look at me as if he didn't recognise me. Those looks soon turned into scowls of disgust. His soft and kind words would taunt me and disregard me. He would speak words of hate, refuse my small requests for money when I needed school supplies. The father who once loved me unconditionally, hated me.
My father was once a tall and proud man. His shoulders were thick from working out, his aura oozed with power. He had aged over the years and had slight wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. However when I look at him now, standing in front of the pack, his face looks worn, his body has shrunk in size making him look lanky and weak. The child in me yearned for the father who loved me once upon a time.
Elder Reece looks at the man in front of him, clutching onto his cane. He gestures to one of the other pack members to bring a chair for him to sit on while he was questioned. Elder Roberts was looking at my father in familiarity with a sympathetic look.
"Can you confirm that you are the father of Leanne and Louise White, Retired Beta John White?" Elder Reece questioned.
"Yes I am." He said as he took his seat in the chair that was graciously brought forward.
"How would you describe your relationship with your daughters John?" Elder Robert questioned.
My father hung his head. "My daughters and I are estranged from each other. I do not speak with Leanne for the shame that she has brought on my family. I do not have any relation with my daughter Louise since her eighteenth birthday when she left the pack." My father replies.
"Could you explain what caused your daughter to leave the pack when she was eighteen years of age?" Elder Reece asks.
My father lets out a deep sigh. "I can not say for certain what specifically caused my daughter to leave the Redbridge pack but I believe it is due to her true mate rejecting her. However, I believe that is only one of the reasons that contributed to her leaving her home."
"Could you please elaborate John White?" Elder Reece pushes his tone is sharp and his facial expression is nothing but unimpressed by his words.
My father's head hangs. "My wife and I didn't treat Louise well. She was neglected and at times verbally abused by our family. We would often shame her, ignore her presence, we outcasted her from our family when she didn't deserve it."
"John what are you saying-" My mother starts to shout from her seat.
"MRS WHITE, YOU WILL BE QUIET AND YOU WILL NOT SPEAK UNLESS REQUESTED BY YOUR ELDERS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Elder Reece ruthlessly commanded through the room. The power of his order was like nothing I imagined, I saw many bow their head. My mother tightly pursed her lips and I saw her lift her neck in submission. She gave them a tight nod of the head and clenched her eyes tightly.
"Excellent. Could you expand on your statement John?" Elder Robert Questioned.
"Louise never deserved our treatment. We thought that Louise was involved with a terrible Rouge group that was responsible for the trafficking of children and the dealing of drugs. We believed that Louise was engaging in sexual activities with unmated males. For that we ignored her or verbally abused her. She never spoke a bad word back, she simply became quiet and would often disappear into the background until a new rumour came to light." My father replied with tears forming in the corner of his eyes. I could see his gaze seeking me out.
"How did you come to find out when Louise was not responsible for what she was accused of at the time?" Elder Reece interjected.
"When Leanne's child was kidnapped and killed." My father states bluntly.
"You were Beta at the time of these Rumours is that correct?" Elder Robert continued his line of questioning.
"Yes I was. My wife was also Beta Female at the time." He nods his head.
"Did you ever investigate the rumours surrounding your daughter Louise?" Elder Robert asked.
"No we did not." My father whispers.
"Why?" Elder Robert spits out.
My father inhales deeply. "We were scared that if we started an investigation into our daughter she would have been banished from the pack for her actions. We also found her room to be smelling of sex and unknown and unmated male wolfs. We believed that was evidence enough to believe that the rumours surrounding our daughter was true."
"Interesting. Did you ever speak to Louise about the allegations against her name?" Elder Reece questions.
"No we never questioned her. We judged before getting her side of the story." He sighs out.
"Did Louise ever deny the allegations?" Elder Robert continues.
My father's eyes shift to my mother who lets out a loud sob that echos through the room. He takes a deep breath and I hear his voice start to crack. "She did." Elder Robert gestured with his hand for him to continue speaking. "She denied the allegations whenever we spoke or accused us. We never gave her any opportunity to elaborate with her side of the story. Before she left there was a big argument between me, my wife and Louise. Louise explained that her sister had been using her identity and had been having sex in her room to get away with her bad behaviour. By this point we thought that she was lying, nothing she could have said would have changed our minds. Louise explained that she had never once associated with any rouge and that it was her sister who was involved."
"What happened then?" Elder Reece stated.
I saw my father winced uncomfortably in his chair. I knew he didn't want to share what happened next. The memory was still sharp in my mind at how cruel my mother had been and how my father stood by idly and did nothing. He looked up to Elder Reece as if he was begging him with his eyes for him not to share the truth of what happened the night when I was rejected by Jacob and left the pack.
"She explained that Leanne was stealing her mate, that she had been impregnated by a wolf who was not her true mate. We didn't believe her, we thought she was trying to ruin her sister like she was. My wife-" He sobbed out in the room. I turned my head and refused to look in his direction.
"Your wife what Mr White?" Elder Reece stated in a clipped tone.
"My wife dragged Louise by her hair into our family room and whipped her with a belt that was laced in wolfsbane." He whispered out.
The room broke out in gasps, I could see and hear some women crying at the cruelty of my parents. The pain that I could feel was unfathomable. I felt Benji's grip tighten on my hand. I couldn't help the tears that were pouring down my face. I had never repeated what had aspired that night, my heart hurt whenever I thought about that night.
My mother whipped me continuously, her cold and hard gaze fell on me. She held no shame for what she had done. My father stood by with his arms folded, not speaking a word as he watched my mother abuse me. Then there was my sister who was stood in the corner smirking at my pain, it was that night that she realised that she had won in destroying my life. She had taken everything away from me, my parents love and respect, even my mate. She was living the life that was destined for me.
"My daughter disappeared after that, she never showed her face. I went eight years without seeing the child that I had raised. I didn't realise what I had lost until it was too late. I only realised my mistakes, - no my sins when Leanne had lost her child. It was then that she revealed the truth. I don't even think Leanne meant to reveal the truth." He hung his head in shame.
"Was this the reason you retired as Beta?" Elder Robert sighed out. I could tell he already knew the answer, but he was unwilling to make any assumptions.
"Yes. After Leanne's secrets were revealed I had made the decision that I was not worthy or suitable to be Beta for I couldn't see the deception that was in front of my eyes. I condemned my own daughter without an investigation. Me and my wife saw ourselves as judge, jury and executioner. I passed on my resignation immediately. My wife and child Leanne took on the role of Omegas to atone for our sins" My father explained.
"Very well." Elder Reece said with pursed lips. I could see the disappointment that lingered in his gaze as he looked at the pathetic man that sat in front of him. "Do you have anything you want to add to your statement?"
"I am truly sorry for the sins I have committed against my daughter Louise. I am a terrible father and I didn't deserve a child who was so self-less. I am ashamed to say that I had no part in raising her and will forever repent my poor decisions, not just as a Beta but most importantly as a father." He finishes.
Elder Robert gives him a tight nod and gestures for him to get up and return to his seat. It's then that the next announcement made that sends cold shivers down my spine.
"Margaret White, Retired Beta Female, mother of Louise and Leanne White would you please step forward to provide your statement?"