The Moon Kissed

3 √

Chapter 3| He's Okay

"I'm so sorry, Caline." Celia murmured sadly after I finished telling her about Salmon.

He should be coming out of surgery right now, according to Marissa, but I couldn't see him right now because he was still on sleeping drugs. It was clean and successful.

"It's ok. You didn't know." I tell her as we walk to my house. My Dad sat on the porch while Talia played in the yard with Celia's little sister, Auria. When she spotted me, she giggled and tackled me into one of her sisterly hugs.

A small smile covered my face. "Hey there monster, you look happy." I mused and she grinned.

"Auria came over today!" She exclaimed loudly and I glanced back, seeing that Auria was indeed at our house. An involuntary snort escaped my throat at the sight of her blue mouth curtesy of the ice-pops that Dad had brought out.

Ari, you look like an idiot!" Celia yelled out with a wild grin blooming on her lips. "Come on! We're going home!" Auria made a disagreeing sound in her throat, but a quick glare from Celia got her up and moving.

"I'll see you tomorrow, home slice." I told Celia as she turned to me. She visibly cringed at my words, and I laughed a little, knowing she hated when I tried to act 'cool'.

"Get out of my sight before I actually hit you." She ordered and I gave a goofy smile in response while back-tracking away from her and towards the house. I didn't have to watch Celia leave. She would get home safe; the girl had a hit like a mountain goat.

"Hey, pops." I murmured to the old man, "Are there any more popsicles left?"

Once he eyed me with obvious displeasure, I knew that the cat was out of the bag. A tired sigh escaped my lips and without much of a protest, I sat down on the steps beside him.

Both of us watched Talia play around by herself for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to say to cut the tense silence. I knew I wasn't so much at fault here, but I still felt guilty.

"It was Sal, dad." I finally said, causing his eyes to snap over to me. I avoided his intense gaze by continuing to watch Talia play.

I had always been unnerved by dad's piercing gaze. It didn't matter if he was happy or sad, his eyes were just naturally heavy on someone's shoulders. It was something about the glacier chill that seemed to resonate in them just as it did in the Artic.

"Salmon is a street dog, Caline." His voice was as cold as his eyes. It was no secret he held anything but disgust for Salmon, but part of me always hoped he'd come around one day. Today was not that day though and I knew that no matter what I said, he wasn't going to excuse this.

I turned to him and let our eyes clash like a glacier meets the jagged peaks of a mountain.

"He's all I have seeing as you killed our last dog." I fired at him, watching it strike him speechless for a moment. I continued at that moment, "Was it a shot through the head or drowning, I can't seem to–"

"Shut that smart mouth right now, Caline Dawson. I am your father, and you will respect my choices whether you like them or not."

I didn't have to be told twice even if I was burning with anger and defiance. Like me, his body had gone rigid with anger, and I watched cautiously for his muscles to coil for an attack.

"Respect goes both ways, dad." I snarled venomously at him, standing from my place on the stairs. Fuck the consequences, I hadn't done anything wrong here.

Dad mirrored my movements and stood to his full six-foot height to tower over me. I wasn't the least bit scared though, I'd grown used to his domineering figure.