Freeing Starr✔️

Chapter 47 ~ Father, Daughter Talk

Starr's POV

My heart raced as we stared at each other. There was a faint smile tilting his lips. As I continued to look into his eyes, which reminded me so much of my own, I saw something that had my body shuddering in disgust.

His wolf.

Behind his eyes was the faint image of a rabid wolf. The wolf could barely stand, drool leaking from its muzzle as it tilted its head to the side. Instead of the luscious fur that usually accompanied these images, there were many red patches of skin littered across its body, as if the fur was torn out of its skin and refused to grow back.

The wolf was mangy, skinny, and looked to be starving. Its eyes were dull and staring at me with a blank expression. I could tell that even though it saw me, it didn't really see me. It didn't recognize me.

This was the first time I had seen anything like it.

Without realizing it, a tear slipped down my cheek. Was this what a wolf who had lost its mate looked like?

My voice was hoarse as I opened it to choke out, "You're sick."

My father tilted his head, "Are you crying because you miss me? Because if we're being honest. I missed you very much, Starr."

"I'm sorry," I hung my head to get the image out of my mind and murmured. All the hostility that I thought I'd have for him flew straight out of the window. I could see he was slowly dying. It's been years since he's lost his mate. His mental health had already deteriorated to the point where the man he once was couldn't be reached at all.

I knew I wasn't supposed to think like this but I couldn't help myself. The reason why he lost his mate in the first place was because of me. I felt like it was necessary for me to apologize at least once before I ended things. Nothing he did was right after my mother's death, yet right now all I felt was pity.

A hand brushing against my cheek had me snapping my head up and I leaned away from his touch as my skin crawled.

"You're sorry yet you're so repulsed by me. Did I hurt you this badly? You know that I love you, right?"

My eyes narrowed in on him, "You don't love me."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was my first time talking back to him in such a hard tone. I knew he was shocked.

He quickly recovered and his smile widened. "What makes you think that?"

I built up what little strength I had despite the pain radiating from my arms to stand up straight. My slouched posture against the wall was a pain for my back. The cold from the floor had me cringing as it seeped into my bare feet. Surprisingly, the effects of the wolfsbane was starting to fade and the numbness from my fingers were coming back. I had no idea how long it's been but barely being able to stand was killing me.

I faced my father with not one ounce of fear in me. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. I might have been before I saw his mental state earlier, but not now.

I finally spoke up for myself, "You don't love me. If you do then you don't love me enough. Not as a daughter. You wouldn't have hurt me."

"Is that how you see it? I only hurt you because you wouldn't listen to me." He moved to touch my cheek again.

I twisted my head and snapped, "Don't touch me."

"This is new. Since when did you learn to tell me no?" His voice darkened as he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

I avoided looking into his eyes, not wanting to see that awful image again and muttered, "Since I finally realized that you're not as scary as you make yourself out to be. I won't shy away anymore."