The Ignored Wolf

Broken Family

Louise

My father and my mother used to be a sweet couple. Our family would barbecue on the lawn, go to the movies, or visit the amusement park. But then one day, suddenly, all that happiness crumbled when father found his fated mate.

I will never forget that day. Father said he couldn't resist the bond with his fated mate with a guilty face. He apologised to Mum, even got down on his knees, begging for her forgiveness and his freedom. I was shocked and heartbroken. I had naively thought he would ask Mum for another chance, forgiving him for falling in love with another woman, instead of being in such a hurry to leave us.

"You made a vow! Calvin," Mum said, tears streaming down her face. "You promised me you'd always choose me, even if you met your fated mate later! That's why I agreed to marry you in the first place!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I didn't know back then how powerful the pull of a fated bond could be," Father said guiltily. "I tried to resist the temptation, but I can't stop thinking about her..."

"Did you f**k her already?" Mum asked.

Father averted his eyes. He dared not to meet Mum’s gaze, so the answer was obvious.

"Holy the Moon," Mum gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "You've done it, haven't you? That's why I've been feeling dizzy these past few months..." Her anguish turned to rage as she lunged at Father and pounded his chest. "You bastard!"

"Calm down, Sarah! What choice did I have? She is my fated mate. You can't selfishly keep me tied to you."

"I'm being selfish?" Mum threw her head back and laughed. "Tell me, Calvin. If I met my fated mate, would you generously let me go with him?"

"Of course," Father said. "I would respect that. It's FATE."

"Really? You wouldn't let me wear a bikini, but you'd let me walk away with my fated mate?"

"That's different. You're being ridiculous, Sarah!"

"You're being an asshole!" Mum shot back.

Father's patience snapped into frustration. "Think what you like, Sarah. I want to sever our bond. Don't waste my time."He paused for a moment and continued, "I, Calvin Blake, wish to sever my bond with Sarah Blake!"

"Calvin, please don't do this to me..." Mum sobbed. "I love you! We've been married for seven years! Please, take it back!"

"I won't change my mind. I don't love you anymore. I thought I did, but I didn't understand what love truly was until I met my fated mate. You could never understand that kind of pull,"Father said. "Just accept it, Sarah. Don’t make things hard for both of us."

"What about Louise?" Mum asked. "How will you explain this to our little girl?"

"She'll understand," Father replied coldly. "Louise is a strong kid. Just say the words and get things done, or you will be in great pain every time I f**k my fated mate."

Mum took a trembling breath before muttering, "I, Sarah Blake, accept the severance of the bond."

The moment the words left her lips, they both stumbled back as if struck by some invisible force. Their faces contorted in what seemed like immense pain. I was too terrified to stay away so I ran downstairs to ask what was happening.

"It's okay, sweetie," Mum forced a smile as she looked at me, her eyes full of sorrow. "For some reason, your father and I are separating."

"I don't want you to separate," I cried, my heart shattered. "Aren't we a family anymore?"

"It's... complicated, darling. I'll explain when you grow up," Father said. "You’ll have to make a choice. Would you like to live with me or your Mum?"

"But I want to be with both of you," I pleaded.

"Sorry, that's not an option, honey," Father stated flatly. "You have to choose one."

I chose to stay with Mum after the split because she looked utterly devastated, and I thought maybe my presence might help mend her broken heart. Yet, despite my efforts, I couldn't pull her from the depths of her despair. A year later, she died of depression. And I was sent back to my father’s pack.

When I returned, everything had changed. Kelly, Father's fated mate, had become the Luna of The Blackclaw. Her daughter Cassandra, who was a year older than me became my sister. Father wanted me to call Kelly Mum, but I was reluctant, for doing so felt like betraying my Mum.

Kelly didn't fault me for it. She even pretended to be touched by my love for Mum. She was the kind of hypocrite who hid her nastiness well while secretly turning the vibe suffocating. Sadly, Father either couldn't see through her act, or he chose to turn a blind eye because she was his fated mate. Anyway, under Kelly's influence, my relationship with Father soured. He saw me as a disobedient, ungrateful daughter, nowhere near as sweet and sensible as Cassandra. He showered his affection on her and ignored me. At first, I felt wronged and wounded, but over time, I grew numb to it.

Kelly and Cassandra looked down on me, and to please them, the rest of the pack members weren't kind to me either. During my loneliest time, Charlie appeared. He was from The Sunlight Pack, the son of Alpha Zane, a friend of my father's. He was gentle, handsome, with charming blue eyes, curly hair, and dimples when he smiled. He had such good manners that falling for him felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Charlie and I quickly became friends. We hung out a lot, but I never told him about my feelings for him. Given what happened with my parents, I wanted to wait until I turned eighteen and discovered who my fated mate is. I hoped to avoid the pain of being chosen and then discarded, as my Mum had been. But when my eighteenth birthday came, those hopes crumbled. Not only did I fail to discover my mate, but I also didn’t get my wolf. I locked myself in my room and cried all night because I couldn't shift.

The next day, Charlie came to visit me. I thought his comfort would make me feel better, but when I went to the pack entrance to greet him, I saw Cassandra throw herself into his arms, and they kissed passionately.

I stood there, dumbstruck, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces.

"When did this happen?" I asked, my voice trembling with shock.

"Just now," Cassandra smirked, tracing circles on Charlie's chest with her pink nails. She gave me a challenging look. "He accepted my confession." Cassandra looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. "Charlie is a perfect man. Aren't you happy for us?"

I opened my mouth, but the words of blessing died on my lips. I took a deep breath and forced a smile, "I'm happy for you."

"Are you okay, Louise? You look pale," Charlie observed.

"Oh, don't worry. She’s just upset about not shifting. She'll get over it,"Cassandra said, as if not getting a wolf was no big deal. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, moaning into his mouth.

I couldn't stand to watch, so I fled. I was so desperate and sad that I sought comfort in my father. I had once confided in him about my crush on Charlie, and he seemed to support my affection. But when I told him Charlie and Cassandra were together, a bright smile spread across his face.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "We'll soon have an alliance with The Sunlight Pack."

I wished to scream that I had loved Charlie first, but what would be the point?

"Smile, Louise. Why do you look so miserable?" Father asked as he narrowed his gaze and demanded, "You like Charlie too, don't you?"

I nodded, hoping for understanding, but instead, he shrugged and said, "Well, it's time to move on. Since Charlie chose your sister, stay out of their way."

"What if they find their fated mates later?" I asked quietly.

"That's their issue," Father dismissed casually. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" I cried, tears stinging my eyes. "Mum died because you abandoned her."

Father's head jerked up, his gaze icy. "Louise," he gave me a warning look. "Don't you dare pin your mother's death on me. Numerous chosen mates were forsaken and survived. Your Mum died only because she was too weak."

"Mum was not weak!" I retorted. "You broke your vow. You promised to always choose her, but you abandoned her the moment you met your fated mate!"

With a furious growl, Father lunged over the desk, his hands tightening around my throat. "Watch your mouth, Louise. You're getting more and more rebellious and ridiculous. Just like your Mum."

Maybe that was another reason he preferred Cassandra. My existence reminded him too much of his broken promises and failures with Mum. I struggled and managed to choke out,"A heartless man like you shouldn’t be an Alpha..."

At that moment, I didn’t fear death. Instead, I hoped to embrace my end as it would be a kind of relief. But Father released me in time, leaving me to collapse on the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

"Get out," he ordered coldly.

I pulled myself up, I rushed to my room and threw everything I can into my bag. With a final glance at my room, I left my pack and since that day I never went back.

When Charlie learned about the fight, he urged me to reconcile with Father. I understood why he'd do that. He was dating Cassandra, after all, and he naturally wanted to keep peace with his future family. I told him to shut up, warning him that I'd no longer consider him a friend if he tried to make me empathize with my father. He apologised, promising to stay out of it.

So when he drunkenly blamed my mother's death on me, it caught me completely off guard and I slapped him for that.

I cursed the storm earlier today, but now I'm grateful for the rain. At least it makes Charlie unable to see the tears on my face, which are already mingled with the raindrops.

Charlie touches his cheek where I slapped him. The slap seems to have sobered him up. "Louise, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"I'm leaving," I say to the driver, my hand reaching for the door handle.

"Please don’t go!" Charlie grabs my arm, desperation in his voice. "Stay with me for a while! I need you, Louise. I drank too much and I didn’t know what I was saying…Please don’t leave me alone!"

I must be so foolish that I stay. I am worried about him despite everything.

The driver starts the car and Charlie turns to me. "You're the best, Louise. You have a heart of gold. That's something Cassandra could never match."

Bile rises in my throat. Whenever Charlie pisses me off, he would put Cassandra down to lift me up. Despite my better judgment, I find myself falling for his empty praise and can no longer be mad at him.

"Will you be attending Cassandra's coronation ceremony?" he asks.

"Probably not. I didn’t get an invitation," I reply.

"But you’re her sister," Charlie says, furrowing his brow.

"Half-sister," I correct. "And I’m not on good terms with my family."

"I’m sorry to hear that..." He pauses, then suggests, "You could go as my plus-one."

"What? No," I say, shaking my head. "I haven’t spoken to my family in years. I don’t want to see them."

"Then don’t speak to them. Just come with me, " he pleaded. "Do it for me."

"Why does it matter to you?" I ask curiously.

"Because I’m invited. Cassandra sent a note, hoping I’d be there to congratulate her."

"This is sick. She’s just trying to get a reaction out of you. You don’t need to go," I observe.

"I have to," Charlie insists stubbornly.

"Why?"

"Because I want to see who this Matthew is," he mutters. "He stole my Cassandra."

"Umm, maybe he didn’t steal her. Cassandra CHOOSE to leave you for him."

"Louise!" Charlie whines as he shoots me a glare.

"Sorry," I mutter, feeling ridiculous that I have to apologise for speaking the truth. "You may go see for yourself. I have zero interest in this coronation."

"I know you don’t, but I need you with me, Louise," he sighs, holding my hand in desperation. "I can't face it alone. I'm scared I'll lose control seeing Cassandra with another man."

"How would my presence help?" I ask, incredulous.

"You can be my voice of reason," he says.

"I've been that. The problem is you’ve never taken my advice," I say.

"Please, Louise. This time, I'll listen to you." He protests. "And maybe afterwards... things will be different between us." As he speaks, he intertwines his fingers with mine.

Shit. His hands are so soft and warm. I try to pull away, but he holds on.

"What…what do you mean?" I sputter.

"I think I'm finally figuring out who truly cares about me," Charlie gives me a goofy grin, raising his other hand to touch my cheek. "It's you, Louise."

He leans in closer, and closer. I hold my breath, thinking he is going to kiss me. But the next moment, he just tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Your hair's a mess," he laughs. "Damn this rain."

Then he pulls back, looking at me with those deep blue eyes. "You'll come with me, won't you, Louise?"