Chapter 34
Harper’s POV
My father glares at me like I’ve committed a crime. The heat coming out of his eyes right now sends a small shiver skittering down my spine as memories of that glare resurface.
I realize that he’s never liked me, but to make such a baseless accusation like this, in front of the leaders of our pack is uncalled for. For so many years, I was on the receiving end of his hatred, and it was for no reason.
He’s always been biased towards Sierra while treating me like I was worth less than her.
“How are you such a snake, Henry?” I ask, dropping Logan’s arm and fully facing my father.
His mouth drops open at my use of his name instead of a more respectful title.
“You are to address me properly, girl,” he growls, even more angry now. The room around us quiets down, no doubt paying attention to what I’m sure is about to be an interesting spectacle from their view.
“Why should I? You don’t address me respectfully, and I don’t respect you, so I will call you what I like,” I snap back. His face grows redder at my words, and a sliver of satisfaction fills my chest.
I never fought back or talked back when I lived with him. I was too scared, but not anymore.
“How dare you—”
“How dare I? I’m not a child you can push around and bully anymore, Henry,” I hiss, interrupting him because I know he hates it. It drives him crazy when someone he thinks is of lower status interrupts him.
His eyes bulge out of his head, like those toys you squeeze, and I can practically see the steam getting ready to blow.
“You—”
“You are in no position to order me around anymore,” I tell him, interrupting again. His mouth snaps shut, before it opens and closes then opens again, as he tries to process what’s happening.
As the former Beta, not many people would speak up against him, but he’s not the Beta anymore, and he doesn’t have control over me.
“I’m your father!” He finally shouts. My stepmother startles beside him, jumping back and staring at him in shock.
A spiteful, sharp laugh falls from me as I glare at him, “You lost that title the day you fully chose Sierra over me. You remember that day, don’t you?” He doesn’t answer, so I stalk forward and grab him by the collar of his designer shirt, “You remember… it was the day you forcefully ripped my wolf from me and kicked me out of the pack without reason!”
The room falls deathly silent now at my scream. It’s so quiet that you can hear my heavy breathing. My stepmother gasps, her hand covering her mouth in either shock or horror.
Someone touches my back, and when I look back, it’s Logan. He nods, silently letting me know I have his support. Him being here and offering his aid means more to me than he knows. Honestly, it gives me the strength and courage to keep going.
My father swats my hand away, easily breaking my hold with his superior strength, “I did that because you disgraced our family with your actions.”
“You mean getting marked when I didn’t ask for it? How is that my fault?” I shout again, unable to bring my anger under control. His reasoning is pathetic and ridiculous.
“It doesn’t matter now. Your consequences were satisfactory—”
I shove him back and scream, “For you, maybe! I don’t believe I should have been punished for something that your precious little stepdaughter forced upon me!”
Another gasp, but I don’t look to see who it was. I don’t care because this has been something I’ve wanted to say all along and this time, I will not go unheard. Everyone will know what Sierra did.
“The past year of my life has been a living hell because of your bias toward Sierra,” I snarl at my useless father. “Do you know what I’ve been through? What you put me through? You left me alone and defenseless in the world, not even bothering to listen to my side of the story.” I throw my arm out and point at his precious daughter. She shrinks back, leaning into Lucas’s arm like he can save her.
Not today.
“She drugged me and then sent men to find and assault me!”
“Can you prove that?” Sierra shrieks defensively. She moves to my father’s side and wraps an arm around his shoulders, acting like the defenseless little victim. Like always. “Daddy, are you okay?” She asks.
“I’m fine, Princess.”
“See, Daddy,” Sierra points at me. “I told you she came back to get revenge.”
Something inside me snaps, and before I realize it, I’m in front of Sierra. I grab her by the wrist and drag her from my father.
I glare at him, “Are you so weak that you still allow her to manipulate you?”
“I am not weak,” my father growls. I laugh.
“That’s the only thing I said that makes you angry?” I ask. “Shouldn’t you at least feel a little bit apologetic for what you’ve done? Do you even care that my accusations about Sierra might be true?”
My father merely growls and orders, “Release your sister this instant.”
Everyone watches as I tighten my hold on Sierra’s wrist. She whimpers, acting like it hurts, but I know- and I’m sure everyone else knows- that she could easily break my hold if she wanted to. She’s a werewolf, and right now, I’m a wolfless woman, which means she’s stronger than me.
I don’t have werewolf strength.
Scoffing, I release Sierra and push her away from me. Lucas darts toward Sierra, catching her before she can hit the wall or fall. He pulls her to his chest and lifts her wrist, checking it for injury.
As if I could actually hurt her.
My chest squeezes with irritation and pain as he holds her. Is he also on Sierra’s side? I look around the room to find everyone watching me. Are all of them on her side?
My father grabs my arm and pulls me forward to look at him as he hisses, ““No one can manipulate me because I’m stronger than that.”
“Strong? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that your wolf is dead and—”
“Shut your mouth!”
My hand flies forward, cracking across my father’s face and eliciting several gasps from around the room. My stepmother rushes to his side, cupping his cheek and glaring at me. I narrow my eyes and step toward her, which makes her flinch back.
“I won’t be silent!” I growl. “Not anymore. You have no right to speak to me this way or treat me like I’m less than her!”
I’m tired of being treated like dirt.
Lucas and Logan both step toward me in that moment, and everyone, including me, turns to look at them.
“I think this has gone on long enough,” Lucas says, and Logan nods, agreeing with him.
“Harper is my mate now, so she will be treated with respect.”
My father looks between his Alpha and Logan as if weighing their words. After a moment, he moves back a few steps.
However, Lucas isn’t finished because he speaks again, “Stripping someone of their wolf for being marked wrongly is not acceptable. You abused your power as Beta and unjustly sentenced Harper.”
Lucas motions for me to come closer, and I hesitate. I don’t want to be closer to my father than I need to be.
When he notices I don’t move, he sighs and turns to my father again, “You will be punished accordingly once this banquet has ended, but for now, you will apologize.”
My father’s jaw drops as he stares at Lucas. Then, he turns to look at the former Alpha who merely turns away. The silence from the former Alpha is loud, telling my father that he won’t side with my father anymore.
No one moves, and eventually, my father huffs and looks at me.
“I’m sorry.”
That’s it. No sincerity. Just words.
“Well,” Logan claps. “Now that he’s apologized, we can move on with this dinner.”
A sharp spike of anger pierces my chest at Logan’s dismissal of the pathetic apology, but I grit my teeth and move toward the table like everyone else.
There will be more time to deal with my father.
I’ll make sure of it.
