The Vet Assistant

Chapter 36

Calista pushed her blonde hair behind her ear and took a step into the cell, making both men look up. "Aerwyna," her uncle growled and pulled on the chains that held his arms above his head. "Get me out of here now."

"No," She glared at him.

"Why you little bitch," Jaxon glared. "This is no way to treat your family."

"You are absolutely correct," she said calmly while nodding. "Guess it is a good thing you aren't my family, then."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jaxon asked, "I am your blood!"

"Blood isn't family," She shook her head. "And brothers don't treat their sisters the way you have treated me in the past."

The men looked at one another with proud smiles on their faces as they listened to her stand up for herself, even Owen had his trademark millimeter smile on his face.

"Blood is family," her uncle seethed and she shook her head.

"No, it isn't," she smirked and crossed her arms. "Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what. Just because I was born into your family doesn't mean that I have to tolerate your lies, drama, manipulation, and disrespect anymore. And also, being genetically related to someone doesn't make you family. Things like love, support, trust, honesty, acceptance, protection, security, gratitude, respect, and loyalty are just a few things that make a family. The both of you have not given me nothing but trouble. That isn't family, you aren't family."

"After everything I have done for you, you little brat!" The former king shouted and tried to lunge at her but she remained just out of distance. A shiver went through her but the Blackbourne Toma took a step closer to her and they saw relief flash across her face before determination replaced it.

"You have done nothing for me except bring me pain!" She snapped. "Sure you were the man I looked up to when I was a child after my parents died but after I became a teenager something in you changed and you started treating me like I was nothing and only a mere puppet to get what you wanted! You only cared about me when it was in front of others or you knew you were being watched! Behind the castle walls I was nothing to either one of you! I heard the discussions of already planning my funeral and how you really didn't want to attend but it was necessary. I heard the talks of possibly prolonging my treatments to get further sympathy from the kingdom. I heard everything! I was nothing but a pawn to you and I want to know why! Why treat me this way if I was family?

"Because we could," Jaxon smirked. "We could get what we wanted that way."

"You asshole," she clenched her fists.

"Yeah and?" He smirked, "We already established that."

"I need to know why," she sighed. "What changed to make you hate me so much?"

The both of them chuckled, "Guess she never figured it out," the former king smirked.

"Figured what out?" She asked confused.

"Tell me, Little Sister," Jaxon said sarcastically, "have you been back to our lovely kingdom since you became a hypocrite and did exactly what you said you will never do?"

"What are you talking about?" She glared. What was he talking about?

"Did you not say that you would rather die than marry strangers?" He asked while looking at her slyly. She could tell that he was up to something. "Then you did almost die with that little starvation stunt that you pulled and still ended up marrying the very man we arranged for you to marry anyway. So therefore, you are a hypocrite."

"Actually, no I am not," she smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest sassily. "I said I would not marry complete strangers and I have not."

"What the hell are you talking about?" her uncle asked.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I knew the men I married; therefore, they were not strangers ergo I am not a hypocrite."

"You abandoned the kingdom, though," her brother glared. "You abandoned your obligations, your titles, your status and then tried to steal the kingdom from us by spreading lies."

"I never spread lies about you but you can think what you want, you are going to anyway," she sighed. "But that is not the point, why did you do it? What did you mean that I haven't figured it out yet?"

"I might as well tell you, Little Sister, since I doubt your husbands will let us leave here alive," Jaxon chuckled then sighed.

"Don't," the former king growled. "We swore we would take it to the grave. Keep your mouth shut, Boy, if you know what's good for you."

"What are you talking about?" Calista asked pissed. "Tell me the truth."

Jaxon glared at Calista, "I treated you the way I did because I hated you, Aerwyna. You took everything from me, everything."

"What are you talking about, Brother?"

He lunged at her, "I'm not your brother, you stupid bitch!"