Night Flame

Ch. 22 - Family By Blood - pt. 2

Chapter 22 - Family By Blood - Part 2

June of the Shadowwolves

"Now that we're finally alone, I guess it's time for a story." And so he begins, "you see, when your mother ran away from Blood Hounds, she met this nothing less than wonderful man," his tone is mocking us but his gaze is set on Graham who tenses beside me. "He looked just like you, except you carry my sister's hair and lips.

"I would have taken you with us when I rescued my sister from the claws of that black wolf – even the colour let me know he was rotten – but you were simply too tainted already to be re-educated. So what other choice did I have other than to leave you behind with that monster?"

Beside me, Graham growls lowly, dangerously and I grab his hand to keep him from doing something rash. "You took my mother from me?!" he almost shouts. My uncle flinches when hearing the loud noise, but nods his head anyway; smirking while he does it – the audacity!

"Of course it would have been ideal if I had found her before she already got a child, and I wasn't aware that she was carrying another pup." My uncle doesn't sound remorseful in the slightest. "But I had hopes for you little June. Yet I guess being conceived out of such a bastard as your father was, you had no chance on becoming pure and good. You were bound to retaliate like you did. That did not keep me from loving you and providing you a home, though."

I scoff at his words, I may not have known my biological father but I trust that my mother would not have fallen for just any man. Besides, Graham turned out just fine in my opinion.

And what is that about providing me with a home? The man surely is delusional.

"You didn't provide me with love, though." I gently touch the forbidden subject. "If you'd just left me and my mother with my father and Graham..."

His eyes widen and I swear smoke is coming out of his nose. "The princess wanted more love?!" He shouts angrily. "I have kept you safe from the dangerous outside world for as long as I could, if that isn't love then..."

"But you didn't protect me from these guards who continuously beat me. Even you, my dear uncle, couldn't keep from raising your hand at me from time to time."

My words have him falling silent and he seems to genuinely think about it. "But you were disobedient, of course I had to discipline you," he tries to reason with me.

"But I didn't do anything, how could I if I was kept safely?"

"Because you had too much of your father in you! You were impure, tainted. I tried to beat it out of you. Your mother was blinded, she tried to get me to stop, but I was only trying to help you. I never gave up the hope of cleansing you from the grim and dust that was put on you by your worthless father. Your brother was a lost case, but you could be salvaged – or so I thought."

Graham grips my hand 'til the point he's hurting me and I yelp while trying to free my hand. "Don't you dare talk about my father that way!" He yells angrily and I can tell he has difficulties to reign himself in. "My father was a great man and he would have loved June like no other father could have ever done!"

"Graham..." I whisper softly to get him aware of the fact he's hurting me. But he's too distracted by his anger to notice the pain he's inflicting on me.

"See what I mean, little June?" he says, completely ignoring Graham's outburst as if it's nothing. This has Graham fuming even more and he lets go of my hand and starts pacing. I look at him in worry. He's getting way too riled up by my uncle's words, but then again, he hasn't had years to get accustomed to my uncle's antics. "His barbaric ways are already engraved in his ruthless mind."