Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

12 Why Are You Here

It had only been a day. As I returned to that familiar place—forgive me for not wanting to call it "home"—I felt a sense of uneasiness.

Everything that happened at the banquet yesterday felt like a dream to me.

It all happened too quickly, and I hadn't fully awakened from the beautiful dream.

Just a day ago, I thought I had everything—family, love, and a soon-to-be sweet family of my own. But now I have lost everything, and my heart was filled with indifference and burning fury for revenge.

As I opened the car door, I stared coldly at the house not far away. My wolf was always by my side. I knew that no matter what happened next, she would stand with me.

After a moment, I turned to the driver who had brought me here and said, "Thank you for bringing me here, sir. Please wait for me at the door for a while. I'll go in and pack my things. It shouldn't take long."

The driver politely asked, "Miss, do you want me to accompany you inside? Alfred instructed me before he left to ensure your safety."

"No, thank you."

I declined the driver's offer. But I have to admit that his words brought a hint of warmth to me. I adjusted the expression on my face, raised my head high, and walked confidently to the house. I took out the key and opened the door.

"Joe, I—"

Cathy was holding a fork, sitting at the dining table, and spluttering while saying something to my ex-boyfriend, Joe. Her face still had a band-aid on it. The swelling caused by the slap I gave her made her head look like a pig's. She hadn't even swallowed what was in her mouth while speaking, and her overwhelming anger distorted her facial features to varying degrees.

Based on my knowledge of her, whenever she had this kind of expression, she was definitely badmouthing someone behind their back. She had always been unpopular at school, and almost all of our classmates had issues with her.

Considering what happened yesterday, even without hearing, I knew she was probably insulting me.

But who cared?

My arrival left the family sitting at the dining table dumbfounded. It was clear they were having lunch, something I could see clearly through the window from outside. Everyone stared at me in astonishment, including Cathy, who had just been badmouthing me to Joe.

Her lips trembled, frozen at a strange angle. Her protruding goldfish-like eyes stared straight at me, full of disbelief. Joe, sitting next to her, accidentally squeezed out too much ketchup, spilling it all over the table. Even though his clothes and hair were covered in tomato sauce, he was oblivious, just staring blankly at me.

My stepmother and father sat on the other side of the dining table. Their expressions were equally comical.

But I simply curved the corners of my mouth without a hint of a smile, glanced past them, and headed straight upstairs.

It wasn't until I opened my own bedroom door that I heard a commotion downstairs. It sounded like someone had accidentally broken dishes. Soon after, Cathy's angry and incredulous scream followed, "Why are you here, Claire!?"

I couldn't be bothered by her. But clearly, Cathy wasn't someone who would easily give up.

She ran up the stairs like a rampaging rhinoceros and stood at the entrance of my room, staring at me with eyes that seemed to devour me, filled with malice. "How dare you come back after embarrassing our pack in front of the royal members?"

"So what?"

I forcefully stuffed my clothes into my suitcase and turned to her, raising a mocking smile. "I'm not the one who stole my sister's boyfriend, and I'm not the one who was publicly reprimanded by His Highness at the banquet yesterday. Tell me, Cathy, who exactly caused the embarrassment in front of the royal members?"

Cathy's angry expression made me think she would pounce on me the next second and we would fight again. But perhaps yesterday's fight taught her a lesson, making her realize she wasn't my match. So in the end, she only gritted her teeth and stood in place until Joe hurriedly ran up as well.

"Claire!" He called my name as he used to, not even noticing Cathy's pleading gaze towards him. "You're back?"

His tone was filled with anticipation. Cathy was seething with jealousy. "Joe, I'm still here!"

"I know," Joe glanced at her strangely, "Didn't we just sit together for a meal? I'm talking to Claire now."

"Joe!" Cathy roared in exasperation, "I want to remind you that I am your fated mate now! You proposed to me just yesterday!"

She raised her left hand, still wearing that expensive diamond ring. Joe bought it with my money. Then he lowered his head and mumbled a response. His voice was somewhat muffled, probably saying, "I know. You don't have to remind me."

Witnessing this drama while packing my things, I couldn't help but let out a deep, contemptuous laugh.

It was very ridiculous, no matter which way I looked at it.

"What are you laughing at?" Cathy glared at me, loudly demanding, "I suggest you apologize to father and me, admit that it was your foolishness that ruined everything. If you kneel down and beg for my forgiveness, maybe I can help persuade father to give you a chance at redemption!"

I saw a mocking curve forming at the corner of her mouth as she stared at me with venomous eyes. I knew countless cutting words were about to pierce me like knives in the next second.

But I didn't give her that chance.

"Go to hell," I finished packing the album with my mother's photos, forcefully closed the suitcase, and stood up straight. "I won't come back here again. Congratulations, Cathy, from today, you are father's only daughter."

"What?"

Before Cathy could speak, Joe eagerly interrupted her, "Where are you going, Claire? This is your home!"

"I have no home," I said to him in a calm, judgmental tone. I slowly looked around with a cold gaze, taking in the mess I had caused. But there wasn't much that I could truly take with me.

Because most of it belonged to Cathy and my stepmother, like their cosmetics and clothes.

"And besides, this could never be my home."

As I uttered those words, I didn't look into Joe's eyes. My gaze went past him, fixed directly on the man standing silently behind him and Cathy.

It was my father.

My father stared at me with a dark expression, his powerful Alpha aura making others take a step back. Cathy quickly glanced up at our father, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

'You're in big trouble now.'

She looked at me with a smile, mouthing the words.

Every time before I was punished by our father or when she wanted to play dirty, Cathy would speak to me with this gloating expression.

I closed my eyes, trying hard to calm my racing heart.

Then, I heard my father's cold voice, barely containing his anger:

"Come downstairs with me, Claire."