Howls of the Lost | Now Published!

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The silence from the other end of the line was deafening. Logan's mouth had fallen open, so I reached over and shut it for him, offering a small smile. 

"Torian?" I heard my father finally choke out.

"No. It's the tooth-fairy," I snapped.

"Where are you?" he demanded, trying to sound intimidating and in control when in fact his voice was shaking.

"Somewhere in Virginia," I replied, feigning nonchalance.

He sighed. "You're so close to home . . ."

"That hell hole is not my home."

"Torian, do not speak to me like that," he replied, matching the venom in my voice.

"Why? Because you're my father? Because you treated me so well while I was there?" My fist slammed down onto the counter, causing the glasses on it to rattle. "Oh wait, no! It has to be because you told your youngest daughter she was a disgrace to the family! Is that why I should show you respect, Victor?" I spat his name as if it were a curse. Realizing I had nearly been shouting, I had to take a deep breath to calm myself.

"Torian, I'll admit what I did was wrong, but there's nothing I can do about it now." He sighed heavily into the phone. "And it doesn't sound like you're anywhere near forgiveness."

"No, I'm not. But I didn't call just to check in after all these years." Closing my eyes, I ground my teeth together. Whether I wanted to or not, I needed to do this. "I need your help," I growled.

"What kind of help?" he asked, apprehension creeping into his voice.

"The pack's help. The help of my family," I finally said after a few beats of silence. Logan wrapped his arms around me and I leaned into him, thankful for his support.

Victor easily picked up on the weariness in my voice. "What have you gotten yourself into, Torian?" he asked.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blew out a breath as I prepared to let them back into my life and tell him the whole story. I walked him through meeting Logan, as well as everything that led up to meeting Xander. He listened, not interrupting me once. "He's wiped out nearly the entire pack here. We have so few wolves left. Victor please, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an emergency. I need the pack's help," I finished.

"Torian, do you know how hard it's going to be to –" He was cut off by a loud scuffling as another phone in the house I had once called home was picked up.

"Rin? Rin is that you?" the voice I had missed so much echoed over the phone.

"Jake," I whispered, blinking furiously to stop the tears that were threatening to overflow

"It is you!" he yelled. "You're alive! Are you okay? When are you coming home? Or are you even coming home? I miss you so much, Rin," he rambled.

"Jacob!" our father barked.

"Sorry."

"Now, Torian," Victor started. "Do you know how hard it's going to be to uproot a pack this size?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm asking you as your daughter, start to redeem yourself." My fists clenched of their own accord. "Please, do this for me. Show me that you're sorry. Prove to me that you want to be in my life."

The silence that followed as he made his decision nearly killed me.

Jacob was the one to break it.

"C'mon, Dad! Ever since her birthday the year she left you've been wallowing, kicking yourself in the ass for letting her get away. You know you want her back home. Admit it or not, but you miss her as much as I do," he said, his voice growing soft towards the end.