The Exiled Alpha

Chapter nine

I felt completely drained after school. Physically and mentally. Samantha disappears to go check up on Tyler, while Thomas locks himself in his room. He's been quiet ever since lunch, practically being trapped in his own head.

I collapse on the sofa in the living room with a loud sigh, my head dropping in my hands. I felt hopeless. Everything is spiraling down and I don't know how to stop it from falling apart. I have met my mate at the worst time in my life and he's a part of the enemy pack to my delight. And his annoying sister isn't going to stop verbally bullying me any time soon.

I hear moving come from somewhere behind me, making me look up to see my father standing there. His blue eyes stare at me and I feel the weight of his gaze pressing like boulders against my shoulders. He walks towards me, walking around the sofa and sitting down on the dark leather.

"How was school today?" He asks me and I sigh through my nose again, dropping my head back into my hands. "Awful." I mumble, pulling at my hair with my slender fingers. They thread through the blond locks and I feel my mother's wedding ring catch on them. The wedding ring was the only thing left of my mother and father couldn't bear to have it on a chain around his neck. He gave it to me, to have something of her's. I wear it on my right ring finger, usually fidgeting with it when I feel nervous or stressed.

"They're in school, aren't they?" Father asks me and I lift my gaze up to him. I lock eyes with the same crystal blue orbs as my own and nod. "And they are dreadful. I feel like my head is going to explode because of them." I explain, pulling my hands out of my hair and looking down at my mother's wedding ring. "One is practically stalking me, the other is pushing my buttons. The third one is all full of himself. And the fourth looks like she doesn't even want to be there." I grumble, twisting the silver bound on my finger, so the diamond rocks look up to me. "I almost wolfed out when Rebecca was pushing my buttons and then I let that anger out on a guy, who wanted to humiliate me in front of the whole school."

My dad is quietly sitting next to me and listening to me ramble on about my stressful day, letting me pile everything I'm holding in on him.

"I hope you didn't critically hurt the guy, who tried to humiliate you. You know, we don't use our powers in human fights." That rule has been repeated more than several times in this household, because of my anger issues and Tyler's ego. "I know, dad. I just smacked him with a tray, that's all." I mumble out, still staring down at the ring. My shoulders slump down in exhaustion. I feel my father's strong arm wrap around them and pull me into him. I rest my head on his shoulder and stare down at the diamond rocks on the wedding ring. There are three of them. One big one in the middle and two smaller ones on each side of the middle.

"What would mom do if she were still alive?" I ask aloud, hearing my father inhale sharply at my question. It's been three years since mom died and dad doesn't really talk much about her. He gets too emotional and sad. I can smell the regret and sadness radiating off of him and I press my lips tightly together.

I don't expect him to answer me at all, but he lets out a shaky breath and then starts speaking.

"Eira was a born leader from the start. Not like me. She knew exactly what sacrifices have to be made so the pack survives. She was even supposed to lead her own pack before she met me." Dad trails off, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. This is the first time I hear about her place as a female Alpha in her previous pack. I didn't even know her parents, my grandparents that I have never met, are the Luna and Alpha.

"The River Ash pack is a very strong pack and she was a strong willed leader. But after she met me, the position of the leader of the pack went to her younger sister."

I stay silent, drinking in all of the information about my mother. I have never known I have an aunt somewhere out in the world.

"Eira was the one who put this pack on their feet and made more of the important decisions. At first, I was just blindly following her as the Alpha and her mate. But she told me I had to learn how to lead my own people, how to be their figure of authority." Dad sighs a little and squeezes his arm tighter around me. I look up to him, watching as wrinkles form around his eyes, as a gentle smile rests on his face.