"Holly?" I called out through the mind-link. No answer.

Something was wrong. I couldn't place what I was feeling, I simply knew something was wrong-- I just didn't know how wrong. Momentarily, I forgot I was standing in front of Hayden and mind-linked Holly once more, yet there was no answer.

"Theo!" I heard Hayden roar, causing me to snap my head forward. He had lunged from where he was, he was now must closer. I held back a growl, biting my tongue.

No fights. Holly had made herself clear many times, she didn't want innocent to be harmed and if there were fights then there would be no way I could avoid it. The packhouse was both filled and surrounded by innocent people simply watching this unfold.

"I suggest you give me my son and his mate back, immediately." I raised my brows at the man in front of him-- it was taking everything in me not to rip him in shred this very moment.

He is ordering me?

Who does he think he is to even suggest an order to me, I was not inferior to him. If anything, I felt myself to be more superior than him. I'm much younger than the man in front of him, his days were already numbered.

I shook my head, a humourless laugh coming out of my mouth. "Oh no, no. That isn't how this is going to go," I told myself I was going to stand my ground and I was going to follow Holly's directions-- there would be no fights from me.

If Hayden was to attack first, only then would I rip him apart.

Hayden narrowed his eyes at him, slowly stepping closer however I stood my ground, not moving an inch off the ground. He didn't intimidate me, he could only dream about having that kind of power of me.

"Is that so?" I couldn't help but let a smirk all upon my lips. I felt like I had one top on him-- for once.

All my life, this is the man that haunted my thoughts. There aren't many days where you will find yourself face to face with your biggest enemy.

"I suggest, " I copied his tone from previously, almost tauntingly. "--you return both Adrian and Ella to me." The man in front of me scoffed at me, letting out a chuckle of his own.

"And why would I do that?" He let out another chuckle before shaking his head at him. "You have some nerve ordering me around on my land-- you forget you're trespassing." Once again, I held back a growl.

My mind momentarily wandered back to when Hayden had found himself trespassing on my territory looking for Holly. Hypocrite.

"I feel like I can persuade you to reconsider," I let a smirk slip on my lips, stepping back before gripping Jack by the head, forcing him to step in front of me with my hand firmly on his neck. Grey followed in suit, doing the same to Lia who let out a squeal from the impact.

Jack's throat rumbled under my hand, I squeezed for a second warningly. Do not ruin this. I thought to myself. I could feel victory coming so close to me, I watched a flash of fear in Hayden's eyes as he saw his own son-- the only heir to his throne-- inches from my sharp claws.

"Theo, don't you da--" I cut him off, tutting at him tauntingly.

"That didn't sound like an apology to me?"

"An apology?" He choked out. "You think I would apologise to you?" Hayden huffed at me, crossing his arms over his chest. Suddenly, all the emotions drained out of his eyes-- almost as if I was staring back at a black hole.

My feelings were mixed but I forced them not to show, I didn't know how I should be feeling at the moment. His emotions doing a 360 made me question myself for a second.

"Do it,"

"What?" I asked, my eyes piercing back at Alpha Hayden. Do what? I felt Jack gulp through my hand, causing me to glance at him quickly.

All of a sudden, this didn't feel right.

"Kill him," Hayden spoke bluntly before nudging to Lia in the hands of Grey. "Her too," My mouth fell ajar at him, Jack stiffening in my hands.

"Dad--" Jack was cut off by his own father, who was paying no attention to him nor his mate who was noticeably shaking.

"I said, kill him already." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Unless you were just pulling my leg?" He taunted, a smirk of his own falling onto his face.

I couldn't help the shock that was evident on my face, quickly stoning my face from any emotion, however, deep down I was still just as shocked as my face perceived.

Was this man a respectful father who cared for his children, or was he just power-thirsty? It automatically made me sick looking at the man in front of me-- he was willing to sacrifice the life of his son's and his mate's just so I no longer had leverage over him to retrieve my own siblings.

This man truly was a monster.

I didn't know what to do-- I made no move to end Jack's life.

"You're willing to end your son's life?" I finally spoke, shock evident in my words. "Are you that desperate for power that you would happily watch your son die?" Hayden looked at him, his eyes dead but a smirk still on his face.

"Of course I would never wish my son death-- I just know that you wouldn't do anything?" The shock within me quickly faded and was soon replaced with rage.

So that's what this is about? He didn't believe me?

"I wouldn't, no?"

He laughed humourlessly at me, shaking his head. "Holly would never forgive you!" I let out a growl, my teeth gritted as I barred them at the man in front of me.

He was using my mate against me. He knew that Holly definitely would not forgive me if I harmed Jack in any way.

"What good are Adrian and Cardella to you?" I spat viciously, loosening my grip on Jack's slightly. He wasn't buying anything.

Our plan has failed.

He let out another chuckle. "Oh is that their names? Never bothered to learn them." I went to lunge at him, I could only see red and all I wanted to was rip him limb from limb. Instead of doing so, however, Jack held me back with his words;

"Think of Holly!" He whispered harshly, stopping me in my tracks. I growled lowly, I did promise Holly I wouldn't throw the first punch-- but it was killing me not to do so.

Before anything else could be said, a figure appeared at the doorway of the packhouse. It was a woman. She walked out of the doorway and down the porch stairs slowly, her eyes directly focused on the ground she was walking on almost as if she was being careful with how she was walking. Her hair had fallen in front of her face, I couldn't see her face.

"What going on?" She spoke, her voice cracking slightly before she cleared her throat. "Hayden?" She called out to her Alpha.

Again, Jack stiffened in my hands.

"Mum?"

✧

"Mum?" I spoke, my mouth falling ajar as my eyes fell on my ill mother. I couldn't believe what I was seeing-- last time I had seen her, she was bedridden and was barely able to move without the help of someone else.

She lifted her head up, brushing her brunette face behind her eye to show a small smile on her. "Hey, honey." She spoke up, her voice ringing through my ears, she sounded so healthy.

I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know how to act.

I wanted to hug her so badly, but the chains that were wrapped around me prevented me from doing so, inwardly I cursed Theo.

"But I--" I stuttered, my eyes never leaving my mother's. I almost felt that if I even blink too long, she would collapse or even disappear. "--I don't get it, what happened? You were ill?"

The small fell on her face slightly, causing my emotions to jolt. What was wrong, was she hurt? Immediately I scanned her body for any wounds, however, found nothing.

"Oh honey," She sighed, stepping closer to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I noticed my father stiffen behind her.

"Reese--" She turned her head at him sharply, I couldn't see the emotion on her face but her tone was definitely unhappy.

"Do not speak to me," She snapped at him and my eyes went wide as I watched the two stare at each other, my father almost looked sad? My eyes flickered back to my mother, looking at widely at her tone.

Never in my life has she snapped at him like that-- yes my mother and father would get into their arguments just like every pair would do, but never did she sound like this. This sounded disgusted.

"Mum, what's wrong?" I asked, begging to just touch her yet I was still trapped in my own cage-- I was the one that volunteered to be chained after all. I glanced at Theo for a moment, nudging to the chains and momentarily ignoring the searing burns that sat on my skin, I tried not to move so much.

Theo looked me up and down before sighing and unchaining me, hissing slightly at the feel of silver on his skin but he was an Alpha, he would take it. I bit my tongue down as he unchained me, the hot burning sensation travelling through my body every time the chain moved.

Finally, the chain was off and I was able to hold my mother in my hands. I instantly grabbed her, throwing my hands over her and she did the same, instinctively squeezing my waist as she buried her face in my neck.

"I missed you," She spoke through the hug, her arms still tight around my body.

"Mum," I spoke, gently pulling away from her but still keeping contact with her skin. "Tell me what's going on," I asked gently, my eyes instantly softening as I looked back at her.

I knew my mother, and something was definitely wrong with her. For starters, she wasn't fazed at the sight of Theo or his pack holding both myself and Lia hostage.

She sighed again, her head falling down as she looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know what your father was going until it was too late." She cried to me, fiddling with her hands as she spoke to the ground below us.

Something was very-- very wrong.

"Mum, what are you going on about?" I lifted her head by gently pushing a finger on her chin, noticing her eyes glassy with tears already spilt. I felt my heart clench just looking at her.

"About the Hampton sibling, and their blood."

I felt Theo stiffen behind me, stepping closer to my mother and I. I couldn't help but instinctively protect her for him-- I knew he didn't mean any harm to her but my wolf and I went to protect her regardless.

"What do you mean, their blood?" Theo seethed, his voice low as his eyes narrowed towards my mother. I let out a warning growl, baring my teeth at him.

My mother shuffled behind me, clearing the path between herself and Theo. I went to stop her, however, she gently pushed me back, giving me a nod for approval. She wasn't afraid of this man one bit.

She moved from behind me, stepping closer to the Alpha of Black Dawn.

She sighed before speaking. "I don't know why and I don't know when it began-- but my mate has been injecting the blood of your siblings into my veins." My eyes popped wide open at her words.

Everyone was gobsmacked and I looked back up at my father-- he looked both sad and disappointed at his mate. Did he feel betrayed?

My mother turned to my father once again, before speaking up again. "I don't know how he even found out about this-- but he discovered that Hampton blood can momentarily heal the illness I've had for years, ever since I met your father." She turned back to Theo and I, a pain-stricken expression clear on her face.

"He took your brother from you with the intention to slowly drain his blood into me-- when I found out about this I instantly stopped it, barely saving the blood that he had left."

I could see Theo shaking next to me and I could feel my own heart breaking into two as I glanced back at my father, sending his a look as if to ask; 'Is this true?' but he didn't meet my gaze.

My head fell and I looked down to the ground. So, this was truly who my father was?

He was a monster.

"He took your sister as revenge for Jack and Lia, he couldn't let himself believe that both his children would willingly leave. After all, he doesn't do too well with abandonment." Hayden growled lowly at his mate at her words, causing my mother to sharply turn around with eyes wide.

"Reese, what are you doi--"

"I said," She snapped. "Do not speak to me, you are the biggest disappointment in my lif--" I stopped herself from finishing the sentence, her hand clutching to her chest.

"Mum!" I yelled out, finding myself instantly by her side as she bent herself down. She was trying to breathe, taking hefty breaths in and out and causing herself to break into a coughing fit.

Her breathing began uneven as she gripped onto my arm. I instinctively grabbed her and made my way into the house with her in my arms. The warriors guarding the house made no move to stop me, I was the future Alpha after all.

Before making my way completely into the house, I turned and looked back at Theo.

"You know what to do," I spoke clear with my chest high. I felt my heart clenching slightly as I looked down at the Alpha of Black Dawn.

"But Holly, she said--" I cut off him.

"She'll forgive, I'll make sure of it," I reassured him, before looking back at my dad who looked at me with wide eyes, I could see the disbelief in his eyes. "Just--" I narrowed my eyes down at him. "Kill him,"

This man was not my father.

Not any more.

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