He was likely up there in his office trying to weigh up the odds of her actually doing that, how much more it would tick her off to punish her. Likely if it would tick his own Beta off, if his daughter turned herself rogue or just left the pack to find, join and pledge loyalty to another.
What the hell did it matter anyway? Her so-called father likely didn’t care at all for her. Only his son, he’d been the first one to stab her in the back, likely from the day her mother told him they were having a girl and not a boy.
It took an hour for Lindal and Beckham to come back with her suitcase and Lindal looked right at her. “Your mum is not happy.”
“I don’t really care anymore.” She stated, and she didn’t.
They had no idea how she felt right this minute, what was even going on in her life, the pup she carried, because she’d wanted to tell Slade first, so he didn’t hear it from anyone else, do it the right way. The right way?’ she thought. Unlike them, who didn’t even care to do things the right way with her demotion, and removal from her place in the future Alpha Unit.
Her parents, her mother and father had wanted all her life, for Hayden to have been born first, to be the Beta Heir of this pack, uncaring of how it actually made her feel all her life, the pain it had caused her every single day to know that. Something, she’d had to bury and push aside, had learned how to do by covering it up with sarcasm.
The only ones to know it actually did truly hurt her and every day, was the unit. Slade himself understood it. Or she’d thought so, he had actually found her a long time ago when she was 12, just sitting in the woods unable to cope with it anymore; after hearing her family talk about it openly in the Beta’s suite, and had turned away.
She’d let it all out that day, and he’d seen it, actually had sat down with her and pulled her into his lap and hugged her to him, told her she was his Beta. That he didn’t want her brother, had stayed with her, and consoled and comforted her. She’d actually hugged him back, sobbed right into his chest, while he’d rubbed her back and ran a hand though her hair. Tried and comforted her, had listed to her as she confided in him, just how much it hurt, how she struggled to hide that pain every day.
How she felt that her own parents didn’t believe in her, that she was a mistake to them; was actually how she felt. He knew that a part of her still felt that right this minute, she had felt that way because they’d had Hayden so quickly to replace her. She wasn’t needed by them; this pack.
She’d actually felt her and Slade’s bond that day strengthen, had trusted him completely from that day, and now he was just like them, he’d lied to her, just like they had, when had all the deception started? She didn’t know. But really what did it matter? That bond between him and her was gone, obliterated. Her bond to any of the leadership was gone now, and she didn’t even care, couldn’t care right this minute.
She looked at her suitcase. It was large and dark green with black straps, a Rock Vintage suitcase, it was a part of a fully matching set of three. “The other two?” she asked.
“Your mother wouldn’t let us take them.” Lindal stated, “I did try, she told me to tell you and I quote ‘Oriana, can come here and collect them herself, so that I and her father can talk to her.’ Wouldn’t hand them over. She sounded annoyed that I was there, to get them even, then she muttered something about you not talking to anyone, and when you came to get them, she would talk to you.”
She wasn’t talking to anyone, “Really, I will go to her and her Mate!…and why would I talk to any of them,” she muttered “what did they think was going to happen, when they all just stab me in the back.”
“I told her you’d be staying here for the night.” Beckham stated “I’ll leave you two, to it.” He said and headed inside. She knew why he’d told her mother that, and why he was going inside, likely didn’t approve himself the way things were done, but was staying out of it. He was, she knew, looking to be a full member of this pack’s hierarchy, a full Elite Warrior two steps below the Alpha and his unit.
“I told her, at least a couple.” Lindal smiled at her gently.
“Who knows where I’ll be by then?” She murmured.
“Don’t be like that, my place is your place now.”
“I’ll likely be in the cells by then.” She muttered.
“What? Why?” Lindal frowned.
“Alpha Roman, has already threatened me with punishment.” She shrugged “Just for not keeping a mind-link open to him, there are three forms of punishment for that. The cells, shaming post and cuffed with silver.” She told Lindal “But what does he bloody expect? It’s barely been,” she looked at her watch “Two hours since they all stabbed me in the back. Does he think I’m just going to fall in line, smile and say I’m all good, I understand? Be all, roll over and sit boo boo, like a good little doggy would. I’m done with that.” She stated flatly.
Lindal just sighed “Come on in, when you’re ready, Ori. First door on your right down the hall is yours.”
“Thanks.” She nodded “I might just stay out here for a bit though.” She watched Lindal nod and go inside.
She just sat out there and stared at that suitcase, wondered if there was even anything in it. They had to know she wasn’t going to be moving back into the Beta’s family suite. It was never going to happen. She would never go back to the top floor, would never go back into that packhouse with all of them.
She reached out after several minutes and laid it down, unzipped it, to see what was in it, most of her clothes all neatly folded, she saw, so her own mother had packed her things. She recognised the style of the way it was packed. Saw there was a note attached to an outfit she’d not even worn yet, a night clubbing outfit at that.
‘Really Oriana, you think this is appropriate attire for your status.’
She stared at it ‘are you fucking kidding me, she thought bitterly. Her own mother had packed her things, knowing they were all stabbing her in the back, and she’d taken time to write a note and attach it to an outfit, as for was it appropriate for her status? ‘what fucking status?’ She didn’t have one anymore, was now nothing to this pack.
She’d been demoted from her position of heir to the Beta bloodline, even if something happened to Hayden, she’d been demoted from that position. Was no longer considered an heir at all to that bloodline.
They would not ask her to step up, would find another in another pack and bring them here. She held no status other than she-wolf, now. Her bloodline was relegated to naught for this pack. Might as well be an omega now.
They had taken everything from her, and still her mother had found a way to criticize her. On the worst day of her life, she could still find a way to compound on her pain. Didn’t even have to do it in person, nooo, put it in writing for all to see and read.
She stood up and stared angrily at that card in her hand, “Yes, it fucking is, appropriate to my status.” She grated out and pulled her clothes off right there, pulled that skimpy out fit on, uncaring that she was completely naked in the front yard of Lindal’s house.
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