CHAPTER 52: LIES, LOVE AND THE SUMMONS.

Slater

"I know it’s hard, Dad, but accepting that Charis is your bastard son, Eamon was the best decision. It’s the only thing that would keep her safe."

My father sighed heavily in the desk chair, rubbing his temples. After a long moment, he looked up. "If this blows up in our faces... can we even trust Vale?"

"It won’t," I cut him off. "He’s a student now based on recommendation and not by you. We need to give Mom a heads-up about it and hope she understands, but this is the only way to keep her safe."

"I’ll try," my dad nodded, "but your mother will not like this. I can know for sure."

So, the truth was that Headmistress Vale had implored my father to let Charis keep using our surname and pack affiliation. She knew Charis was a girl, too. But Charis had lied to me about that.

"You still love her?" My dad asked suddenly, studying my face.

My eyes dropped to my clasped hands.

"Yeah," I nodded after a pause. "It’s difficult to hate her, even though I want to. She thought Riley was some girl I was cheating on her with. Someone sent her pictures, and I’m willing to bet it was her father. He was never in support of our union."

"That’s not enough reason to break up with someone, Slater," my father said gently. "You two dated for two years, and you were fated mates. That kind of bond doesn’t just fall apart overnight because she saw you with a woman."

"She was pregnant, Dad," I said. "The hormones, the fear, made her cranky all the time. She would cry at the drop of a hat and scream at me for breathing too loudly. I was looking forward to becoming a dad, you know."

My dad sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "What happened to the baby? Do you know?"

I looked down at my hands again, massaging my fingers to stop them from trembling and to stop myself from crying.

"She said her father forced her to a-abort it. But..." I swallowed hard, meeting my father’s gaze. "I don’t believe her. She has a scar along her lower abdomen. I don’t know if she’s lying to protect me or if something worse happened, but I can’t forget it."

My father leaned forward. "Alpha Silas is a lot of things. Arrogant, Cruel. But he loves his daughter. You think he really asked her to do away with the baby? Besides, he’s going crazy over not finding his daughter. Perhaps..."

"He’s going crazy because the alliance between Stormrock and Crestborne cannot happen without Charis. He doesn’t love her, Dad. I’ve seen how he’d abuse Charis, and to think he was ready to trade her to Darian Blackmoor for a seat at the Alpha King’s table and some trade rights... don’t pity him, Dad."

"But people do that every day, Slater. People give their children in marriage to other packs to buy favour and secure many things. You know how the competition in our world is?"

"She has marks and welts all over her body from her father’s beatings and Darian trying to force himself on her. There’s a reason why Darian Blackmoor has been single for the longest time. He’s like 25 years old but without a mate and multiple dating records to his name. It’s the way he treats women. If I were a parent, I wouldn’t take Darian even if he came with all the wealth in the world."

"Don’t just take sides, Slater," my father sighed, leaning back in the chair. "She broke up with you because she thought you were cheating. What makes you think she’s telling the truth?"

"Charis will not run away from her house, disguise herself as a boy for the fun of it, Dad. Besides, I’ve seen the marks and the welts. She wasn’t lying."

The expression on my dad’s face shifted to a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "You just reunited barely a week ago, and you’re already peeling off each other’s clothes?"

My eyes widened with horror. "Dad!"

He chuckled. "Is that why you texted me to bring you a box of condoms? I was beginning to wonder why you needed a box. Well, that explains it."

I lowered my head in embarrassment. "It’s not like that. We weren’t—I was only helping her dress the wounds on her back. Nothing has happened."

"Yet..." he snickered. "You’re asking for a box of condoms. To use as a bandage?"

"Dad!"

"Fine, I just wish you’d be more careful. I trust that you can make good decisions on your own, just don’t be reckless. The last thing Charis would want right now is to get pregnant in this situation."

I groaned. "I didn’t say we were going to..." I trailed off as I caught the lopsided grin on my father’s face. "Fine, we might, who knows. We’re not even on speaking terms these days, but Zair misses her and..."

"So, now it’s Zair’s fault?" my father teased again.

I rubbed a hand over my face, then changed the subject. "How’s Mom doing?"

My father’s expression softened. "She’s fine. She’s coping. The therapy is working. She’s coming to terms with the fact that we might never see Ri—"

"Don’t say that, Dad," I interrupted him. "I can bet everything that Riley is still alive and well. We need to look in the right places, and I promise I’ll get her back."

My father nodded slowly, sighing. "Your mom misses you every day, and she wishes you could come home."

"I will come home," I said. "And not just me, I’ll come home with my sister. I’m onto a lot of leads, and I’m sure something good will come out of it soon. Just tell Mom to have faith in me."

"Be careful, Slater. You’re too young to be playing detective."

"I’m 20, Dad... I am a father to a dead child...trust me, I’ll be fine and I’m taking all the necessary precautions."

My father opened his mouth to respond when the chime of the doorbell shattered the silence.

My brows knitted together as I checked the time. It was a few minutes after 6:00 a.m.

"Are you expecting anyone?" My dad asked, frowning at the door.

"No," I shook my head and moved to the door as the doorbell rang again. My father crept and stood behind me. I looked through the peephole, recognising the black uniform of a school sentinel.

"It’s a sentinel," I informed my father and with a puzzled expression, opened the door.

A tall, stern-faced sentinel stood in the hallway.

"I’m here for Eamon Riggs," she said as soon as I came into view.

My stomach dropped. "Why?"

"Direct orders from Headmistress Vale," the sentinel replied curtly.

I leaned against the doorframe, using my body as a barrier to access my room. "School activities don’t begin until 8 a.m. He’s asleep, come back then."

"My orders are to bring him immediately. It’s urgent," the sentinel insisted.

"And my responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of every student in this school, including Eamon, who happens to be my brother," I shot back. "Unless there’s an emergency that directly threatens the school, Eamon is sleeping. Come back at the appropriate time."

"This is not a request," the sentinel came forward, as if preparing to force herself into the room. Her hand hovered near the baton clipped to her hip. "Stand aside."

"This is harassment," I countered, standing firm. "You have no authority to forcibly remove a student from their dormitory without proper cause or documentation. I am the Beta Prime. How dare you reach for your weapon in front of me?"

My father cleared his throat from behind me, stepping into the sentinel’s vision line.

The sentinel looked up, startled. "Alpha Raymond," she greeted, stiffening. "I didn’t see you."

"Is there a problem here?" my dad asked, coming to stand next to me, blocking the entire entrance.

"Alpha Raymond," the sentinel said immediately and in a more respectful tone. "I have direct orders from the headmistress to bring the student Eamon Riggs."

"At six in the morning?" my father arched his brows. "That seems rather unusual. What exactly has this student done to warrant such urgent attention?"

The sentinel hesitated, clearly not expecting to have to explain herself to my father. "I...I wasn’t given specifics, sir. Only that he needed to be brought to the headmistress’s office immediately."

"Is there a legal mandate signed by the Alpha King himself? If there’s non,e then you will not be dragging anyone from their bed before daylight. It is either you return to the headmistress and request a proper explanation, or you come back later."

"But the headmistress..."

"Tell her that I will not allow Eamon, my son, to be dragged out of bed by this time," My father said fiercely. "Now leave before it turns ugly."

The sentinel bowed politely. "I’ll... I’ll relay your message, Alpha."

"You do that," my father said with a dismissive nod.

As the sentinel retreated down the hallway, I closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

"That was strange," I muttered.

"Very strange," my father agreed. "Something tells me this has everything to do with your Charis and very little to do with school policy."