Zara’s POV
“Where the hell have you been?!” The office windows shook and rattled as my dad yelled. His wrath appeared to have grown since we last saw him.
“I haven’t been gone that long.” I calmly countered, looking to Beta John for support.
Beta John, on the other hand, remained silent while maintaining his trademark grin. He probably wants to see how I react in this situation.
“Oh, Goddess, Zara!” As soon as I heard my mom’s concerned voice, she hurried up to me and seized me.
I hadn’t heard the office door open, and I wasn’t particularly pleased to see her now.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” While she was taking my temperature and looking for signs of foul play, she continued to ask questions.
I rolled my eyes, gently grabbed her hands, and pushed her away from me.
“Mom, I’m doing fine,” I declared. “Nothing is wrong with me.”
“You had been absent for such a long time; we were deeply concerned about your well-being,” she expressed.
Staring into her eyes, I furrowed my brows.
“She appears quite concerned,” Kaya remarked.
“I doubt that it’s because of my absence,” I said. Although my mom and I got along well, her priorities weren’t quite in the right places at times.
“I don’t understand,” I said, turning my focus to Beta John.
“Zara,” Levi said, placing his hand on my shoulder to capture my attention, causing my gaze to unintentionally shift towards him.
“That’s what I have been trying to tell you earlier. You’ve been absent for nearly a week!
“The ball is in three days,” my mother shrieked, seemingly nervous about that.
I internally rolled my eyes. That was typically something my mother would worry about.
“I guess the dressmaker would not be able to finish your dress on time!” Kaya commented.
“That’s the last thing I am worried about,” I replied. “I can make another plan.”
I turned my focus back to Beta John.
“Convince me it is not true,” I said to him.
His piercing blue eyes met mine as he shifted his attention to me, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
I couldn’t tell if his wrath was directed at me or my dad. He was unquestionably upset about whatever it was.
Returning his focus to whatever was outside the window, he exclaimed, “It is true!”
“How in the world did that happen?” Out of frustration, I lost my temper.
Beta John did nothing but gaze out the window.
“Is it because of my heat?” I linked him, feeling irritated.
“Yes, and no,” he replied, turning back to face me.
“Tell me!” My father roared and slammed his fists on his desk, and my gaze snapped toward him. “Or so help me, Goddess, I will lock Beta John up for treason!”
“Treason?” I inquired as I crossed the room to my father’s desk, furrowing my brows in anticipation. “On what grounds?” I hissed at him, silencing him.
My father’s wrath built as he locked eyes with me for an instant, as if he were seeking something.
“He kidnapped the future Luna of this pack and kept her hostage!” he said.
“Kidnapping and keeping me hostage?” I scowled. “He would never do anything like that. His role was indeed crucial in my rescue!”
Looking back at Beta John, my dad’s eyes widened with confusion.
“He has disappeared for the same number of days as you have!” Both of you have returned at the same time. Could that be a mere coincidence? I really doubt it!” My father sneered, his dark eyes flickering as he balled his fist.
When I asked Beta John how he knew where to find me, his response impressed me.
“I am blessed with the ability to pick up the faintest scent,” he said. “Even though your wolf did his best to hide it, I could tell you were in heat. To make sure you didn’t get into any trouble, I tracked your smell.”
“Why?” I wanted to know. It wasn’t necessary for him to take such action. There was no debt between us, and Beta John has always viewed me as an inconvenience and a bother.
Beta John simply grinned and locked eyes with me. Warm and welcoming, his steely blue eyes betrayed his impending statement concerning the primary cause of his absence.
I promised the goddess that I would always ensure your well-being. It is my duty… I would keep my word to both you and the goddess.”
Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to those words than what John had said.
“It is absurd!” In an effort to get my father to stop talking, I became frustrated and slammed my fists on the desk. “When I was at my most vulnerable, Beta John came along and helped me. He never left my side as I trembled in agony!”
“I don’t understand,” my mother whispered.
“I have gone into heat!” I exclaimed, the sensation of excruciating agony still vivid in my memory.
“Why didn’t he call for your mate?” my mother inquired. “Levi could have come and helped you!”
“Because Levi is not my mate, mother!” I snapped. “He is gay for goddess’ sake!”
My mom slumped into her chair in astonishment. She appeared on the verge of passing out or becoming ill.
But I could tell by the look of astonishment on my father’s face that he wasn’t startled; he just stared at me in amazement. He must have suspected something about Levi’s status.
“You lied! You two have been lying all this time!” He screamed and cleared his table.
“Like father, like daughter,” I calmly stated, even though I wanted to lash out in wrath.
“What is that supposed to mean?” my mother asked, shifting her gaze between my father and me.
“My brother,” I said as I locked eyes with my father. His expression quickly changed from fury to defeat.
“Rick,” my mom said with a quiver in her voice. “What is Zara talking about?”
With a plea in his eyes, my dad’s attention suddenly shifted to his mate.
“Tell her father,” I said. “Tell my mother about the brutality my twin brother endured in her womb the night of the attack. Describe to her how you told the servant to bury him in an unmarked grave. I can’t believe you still don’t acknowledge him as your son!”
“Your mother was in critical condition, Zara,” my father cut in. “What else could I have done? She wasn’t in a condition to…”
“And after that? Did you inform her once she had recovered from her injuries?”
My father remained silent, and my mother sobbed. She was unaware that she gave birth to twins.
“You neglected to inform her about my brother. You chose to keep quiet about him!”
My dad looked down at his hands. He was trembling.
I went on to say, “You were aware of the prophecy,” as I stepped closer to his desk. “And you are a firm believer. You decided to hide everything to prevent it from happening.”
“It’s not true,” he declared. “I fought for everyone’s safety! My goal was to ensure your safety!”
“By keeping everything a secret?” I roared in anger. “If you had informed me and your mate, we could have prepared accordingly. Now it is too late. Your selfishness got us into this mess in the first place!”
Having said that, I gestured to Levi that I wanted to leave, and we headed out.
But I never thought that my day would turn out to be better than I thought it would.
****