I was in loss of words. I didn't know what to say. I never even prepared for this moment nor I thought it would ever come.
My Dad spoke. Oh. He spoke for long after we settled down. There were a few questions I had, not many, just a few and he answered them. He didn't ask me anything. Although from his eyes I could tell he wanted to know about me but in that moment, my throat was tied and I was in a terrible bubble of disbelief.
His eyes were sympathetic when I gave him the little details of my younger years with Barry and how Mom kept this all a secret from me until I figured it out on my own. The atmosphere of the room changed quick when I began spilling more details about Barry, the bad ones, the ones my real Dad would might not want to hear.
"Where is that man right now?" He interrupted me. I wasn't even done with the half of the story. We were still in my younger years, just a few months after Mom got separated from Barry.
There was still so much more.
So much more of my life.
I took a sharp breath and met my Dad's gaze that was filled with fury. Drawing myself together, I replied in a cold tone, "I—I killed him, shortly after I learned the truth." Shock washed over his features and before he said anything more, I continued, "It's okay. I'm not getting charged for murder and it wasn't really brutal. He was sleeping when I killed him."
It was something I was proud of and as day passed by, I couldn't help but applaud myself for taking this huge step, for giving Barry the death he deserved, for ending his life.
Xalorad was right when he mentioned that once you'd kill someone, you would want to do it again...and again. There weren't many people who did wrong with me but there were a few that crossed my mind when I thought about blood and murder.
My Dad nodded, simply nodded. "How did you get away with it?" He was curious and no longer surprised.
"I was gifted with protection from my Alpha." I replied, stating the truth. If it weren't for Xalorad, I would've been behind bars for murdering a Beta. "I hope you won't feel ashamed for what kind of daughter you have but killing Barry was the only option I had, it was the only I could've ever been happy. I would totally understand if you don't want to see me agai—"
"No, don't ever say that again," He cut me, loudly. "I—I'm proud of you. You took matters in your own hand and killed who hurt you." He gave me a smile, not the warm one father's would give their daughters. "Although, it brings me sorrow to learn what you've been dealing with all these years. If your mother had only knocked at my door once, things would've been quite different."
I narrowed my eyes at my fingers and found them turning against each other. "I can't blame her." I murmured. She wasn't at fault, no one was except for Barry.
"Neither can I." He agreed with me.
There was a moment of long silence before he switched the topics and stood up from his seat and stretched while reaching for the crystal glasses on the side shelf of the room.
"If I knew you were coming, I would've throw a feast." He laughed, bringing me a glass of wine. He knew I was old enough to drink. He had been keeping track of me ever since I was born.
I smiled a little and took his offer. "I didn't know myself. If it weren't for that bitch outside, I would've landed elsewhere." I replied, shaking my head.
"Missy?"
My smile disappeared and I cocked my head at my Dad. How did he know her fake name? "Uh—do you know her?"
"She's a sweet girl, she often lingers around here and the packs surroundings us." He replied.
I had only had one word for her Artemis. Liar. That faux bitch was a big fat liar. She had not only been mingling in my hometown but also everywhere. And she terrified me for no reason. She knew who my father was from the beginning. She spotted him at first when we arrived here and she knew exactly where to take me.
I processed her lie and snatched in a quick breath. As much as I wanted to spoil her name and rant about her evilness, I had to stop and be the better person.
"Yeah, she kind of flew me here," I said, bringing sweet words to my lips and then changing them instantly. "And Missy is not her name."
"I'm aware. She a Goddess." My Dad took his seat and sat back down before continuing. "Almost five years back, there was a lot of trouble around here and it was then Alphas were informed about the underworld—the demons escaping, the dead turning up alive and all those sorts of things. Artemis helped me and a few others with keeping demons off their lands."
I was amazed with the knowledge he held. Some of things, I didn't even know. I knew the Moon Goddess was captured five years ago and locked up in hell because she caused disruptions between the two worlds but that was all I knew.
"Yeah, she can be helpful sometimes." I lied while giving a stiff smile back at my Dad. My soul ached and quivered whenever I mentioned Artemis and good together.
"So, tell me more about yourself." He asked, his voice strong.
I spilled the last thing that was eating me up. It was the greatest thing I was holding back and I needed to tell him as soon as I could, before anything bad happened. Alphas were known to not like each other and the pack my Dad led wasn't on the good side of Xalorad's.
"I'm mated to my Alpha."
His eyes froze at me. "What? We aren't talking about that womanizer demon from hell, right?"
Wow. I chugged down the whole glass of whatever wine he gave me and then turned my head back at him. "It's him."
He jolted up, anger in his face as he paced around me. I cornered away, in fright. Anticipation and past fears made my heart race.
"When I invited him here years ago—which I shouldn't have, there wasn't a single female he left with virtue. He reeked of females, alcohol and a whole lot of ego."
"It was years ago," My eyes widened a little over the few facts I received about my mate from my own father. "And it's too late now..."
Dad stopped shuffling around for a second and crouched over me before lowering his tone as he saw the terror on my face. "It's never too late, Marissa. That man—"
"I love him."
There was a tense hour between my Dad and me but it got over pretty soon when I told the good things about Xalorad to him. It gave him another point of view and he understood. I knew what kind of man I was mating with, where he came from, what he had done, what he was but there was nothing in this world that could've stopped me from feeling what I felt for Xalorad.
It meant to happen.
We were meant to be mates.
Each time I saw him, I felt the little tingles at the bottom of my stomach and they grew, they grew so much that I could feel them at my heart now. It was an overwhelming feeling but I enjoyed it, I loved it.
Xalorad was perfect, whether his dark eyes were filled with lust or murder or appreciation. I didn't care about what he had done in his past or what he was going to doing in his future. I only cared about the present, the present where I was with him.
And the more time I spent farther away from him, the more I realized of the intense yet frustrating feelings I had for him. It wasn't until the argument with my Dad that I spilled the truth.
During dinner, I introduced Hannah, my best friend, to my Dad and ignored the existence of Artemis for as long as I could. She was just here to mingle and pick a bone with me and I had no intentions of giving her a bone anytime soon so I kept it casual.
After a long day of laughters, blabbering, whimpering, anger and everything else, my Dad left for some work and allowed us to sleep at his house for as long as we were staying here.
"Sleep with me," I dragged Hannah to the guest room I selected for myself and her. "I don't want to be alone tonight."
Artemis was in the corner, hands folded against her chest, "Neither do I and she's my girlfriend."
I rolled my eyes, "You can go back to hell or do something else. Goddess' don't even sleep. Give me a break." I spat out, rudely.
She stepped forward, "Maybe I'll just appear in your dreams and show you a few more nasty things to keep you awake for the rest of your life." She threatened me, again.
"Hannah!" I cried out, tugging her hand. I wanted her to be with me. We were always together and I needed her right now. Artemis could always find another girl to cuddle with or whatever they did.
"Okay, okay, wait!" Hannah exclaimed, "Go in, I'll be back in a moment." She turned her to me and said before taking Artemis' hand and walking away in the dark.
I grunted and went inside the room before throwing the sheets over myself and laying down, alone. Minutes passed by and I assumed Hannah wouldn't return but she did, with lipstick smeared all over her mouth.
"I told you I would be back." Hannah smiled at me.
"Good," I shifted on the bed. "I've so many things to talk about."
"I know, that's why I'm here!" She got under the sheets beside me and made herself comfortable. "I told Missy I'd be with her tomorrow night since you need me tonight."
"Better." I looked up at the ceiling whenever her name popped up. She was just so irritating and exhausting.
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