The Blind Werewolf Princess (1st book of Werewolf Series)

Chapter 26

A small sob broke from the Beta's lips, and he cleared his throat before the other Alpha could say something. "Hi, Baby Girl," he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat again and licked his lips. "How are you? Is everything ok?"

"It is now," she replied, her voice shaking. Her whole body shook, and I could tell that she wanted to cry but didn't want to cry in front of Caden. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I thought you had forgotten about me," she admitted.

"No, no," Henry said. "I could never forget about my baby girl, my firstborn," he said. He cleared his throat. "Your mother was the one that kept you away from me." He cleared his throat again. "I know that I have a lot to explain, but I would rather do it in person and not over the phone."

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and she nodded. "Ok," she said. She cleared her throat, and I had a feeling that she licked her lips. "Ummm..." She wiped her eyes again. "I was scared to call you," she admitted, and I raised an eyebrow because I had no idea she would admit that.

"Oh?" he asked, and I could hear a small bit of hurt in his voice. "Why?"

"Because I thought you'd reject me," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked down and cleared her throat. "My friend, Carley, told me to call you." She looked at me, and I could tell that she wondered if it was fine if she called me her friend.

I nodded, and I could feel her whole body relax quickly. I stayed silent and let her play with my fingers, knowing that she needed my presence there with her to keep her calm. My whole body was relaxed, but I was slightly tense because I had no idea what she would say.

I knew that she wouldn't say anything about me knowing about Werewolves, but it didn't stop that small fear. The fewer people that knew, the better, but I didn't feel guilty for telling the people that I had told that I knew about what was hidden in the dark.

"Oh?" he asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow. "Is she with you now?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied. She squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back. "She is here." She cleared her throat. "She was a person of the orphanage that Mom had run." Her voice shook, and I could tell that she was hesitant about talking about the orphanage.

He became tense and still. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and I had a feeling that he ran a hand through his hair. "Was she one of the ones that were abused?" he asked, and I could hear a slight warning in his tone.

Mandy flinched and ducked her head. "Yes, Sir," she replied. She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "She was the leader of the group that had been abused and bullied." Guilt filled her voice, and I had a feeling that she still felt guilty for listening to what her mother had said to her all of those years ago and not doing anything to stop it.

"The leader?" Henry asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow.

I licked my lips and cleared my throat. I shifted in my seat and looked down, my cheeks turning slightly red. "The protector, mainly, Sir," I replied. "I made sure that nothing "bad" happened to them even if I couldn't stop most of it."

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Almost eighteen," I replied. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat again. "I've been at the orphanage since I was born..."

Henry sighed and nodded. "And I have a feeling that there were other girls that were mean to you as well?" he asked. He had this warning tone in his voice, and I didn't like it. He didn't want me to lie, and I had a feeling that he knew if I did.

"Some have," I replied, letting him hear a small warning in my tone, and I felt Mandy flinch beside me. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she instantly squeezed mine back. "However, it wasn't their fault. It was your ex-wife's fault. They didn't want to be treated poorly either, so they followed her rules and did what they needed to do to survive."

***

Henry stayed silent and thought over what I had said. Finally, after what seemed like an hour but was a couple of minutes, he chuckled before he cleared his throat. "You have spirit," he praised, and I ducked my head, modestly. "I like you."

"Thank you, Sir," I said.

"Have you been adopted?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," I replied. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "The orphanage finally had been closed down, and one reason was that I had been adopted and finally found people that believed me when I told them the horrors that happened behind closed doors."

"Why wouldn't anyone believe you before that?" Henry asked, and I had a feeling he raised an eyebrow.

Mandy grew tense by my side, and I wondered if she was more nervous about what her father would say than I was. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, and I had a feeling that both men could hear it.

"I'm blind, Sir," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. My hands started to shake when I took a deep, shuddering breath, not knowing how either Caden or Henry would react to what I had to say next. "And your ex-wife had convinced people that I was prone to lying and psychotic." I felt Caden stiffen in front of me, and I knew it was because I didn't tell him this part. I cleared my throat again and shifted, trying to get rid of the anxiety that I felt. "They didn't want to get involved with someone crazy when the person wasn't."