His Estranged Mate

CHAPTER 29: Dual of the Alphas (Part 2)

CONNOR

I kneel in front of my father, my knees scraped and bleeding, staining the carpet as I wait for him to finish with his punishment. We are in his pack office where everything he says is followed to the T.

He's currently sitting in his chair behind the desk with a cigar in his hand, and a glass of whiskey in the other. He's drunk which means he has no control over his emotions and that's why I am kneeling here in front of him, after getting caught while hanging out with the pack's weakest wolves.

"You know that we are Alphas. We don't mingle with the pack, we rule over them," he says, his voice rougher because of the alcohol. I nod even when I want to say a big no., I am fifteen for fuck's sake. I know a lot of things about the pack, I am not a kid anymore.

"Do you want to say anything?" he asks and I lift my head to look at him. He's standing now, his face is expressionless, well that's expected. He never wears his expression on his face. He's carefree but only when he's with my mom but nowadays even those events have disappeared.

"Dad, it's good to be friends with your pack. They'll share their problems better if we are friendly with them." I watch as he makes my way towards me and in the next instant, I feel a slap on my face, the force causing me to fall back on my side.

I wipe off the blood trickling from the corner of my lips, trying not to wince. He doesn't like when I show that his beatings hurt.

"We are not here to play house, Connor. We rule this pack. We show our dominance. We don't befriend our subordinates," he growls the last words, bending down to pull me up by my hair. I get up not in the mood of getting another slap.

"You should be punished. You should know your place," he says and then walks up to his desk. He puts his cigar on the ashtray and then opens the bottom drawer to remove a cane.

I feel a little shiver of fear run down my spine but otherwise, I try to be as calm as possible. I should get used to this I think to myself for I've been receiving beatings from my father since I shifted into my wolf at 11 years of age.

"Strip, Connor," he orders and I feel dread crawl up my spine. I swallow and maintain a stoic expression to lessen the number of beatings that I am sure I am going to receive today.

He's drunk, he's angry and he caught me with friends whom he doesn't approve of. I am going to receive at least 15 whips today. I do as he says; he always whips me where the marks won't be visible. I remove my shirt and pants, standing in front of my father in my underwear and wait for him to turn. I want to run but I know it's of no use. He always catches me, making it look like a fun run in front of the pack members but when we are alone, he punishes me all the more severely.

"You are learning. Good," he says and then turns, picks up the cane and motions me to kneel.

I do and brace myself for the first bite of that cane on my back.

Almost a decade old, the memory flashes in my mind, fresh as all other painful memories. Cursing at the timing of that memory, I shift into my wolf in the training field of my pack where my father had already shifted into his wolf.

My mother comes in front of me and leans down to land a kiss on my furry forehead.

"My child, unleash the Alpha within you. May the Goddess be with you," she whispers above my head, her voice very low but I hear her clearly.

I nod at her and then she turns to stand beside me, signalling Natalie, a neutral wolf to be the referee in our dual. I agree. My father won't raise a hand on a female at least he's not that cruel.