Their traded family

11. They

Hope's P.O.V

"Think rationally!" Beyla begged as I continued to pace around the room. Perhaps in the future, I'd be grateful that it was soundproof with the repetitive argument we've had for the past half an hour.

I loved my cousin, I really did, but her voice was starting to grate on my nerves and if I had to listen to it another moment before I've had time to collect myself, my thoughts, reign in my anger, I may strangle her with my bare hands, and I wasn't even a violent person.

"I am," I repeated for what felt like the thousandth time, "your father is the Alpha and the fact that he's your father does not make him a saint!" I stopped pacing, glaring at her to drive my point in. Having gotten sick of me, my cousin jumped out of her seat, her chair tipping backward from the force, but somehow remaining upright.

"My father has taken you in, has allowed you access into things you should've never been a part of, because he loves you," she emphasized, "and at the first inconvenience, you go and blame him? Newsflash, Hope, you're searching for a woman who's been dead for over half a decade, you can't just open a computer and expect it to bend over backward for you!"

I stilled, letting her words roll over me as I felt the thick waves of anger mixed with disappointment and frustration become even denser, balling my hands at my sides as she came closer, meeting my harsh glare with one of her own.

Deep down, I recognized that it was wrong, that it was all f*****g wrong, that my cousin was the last person I should be blaming for this whole situation. I recognized the fact that once I'd calmed down, I would hate myself for raising my voice at her or forcing her to stand against me.

Sure, we'd fought as pups, but all young kids did - werewolves or not, especially ones raised together. I couldn't recount the number of times Ruby had torn the heads of my dolls off their bodies or drawn mustaches on their mouths for some stupid, childish reason. I hadn't been much better, admittedly, hiding her stuff so she'd be bored; when Ruby was bored, she always got up to trouble and that had been fun to watch. Liv, while doing her best to stay out of it, had done almost as many stupid things as us.

It was normal to fight with those you love, but in my anger, I was not afraid to take it too far, and that, perhaps, was not normal. I could not tell. Not yet, at least.

So I continued to glare, armoring myself with harsh words and biting comments.

"And let me make myself clear," my cousin murmured, her voice colder than I'd ever heard it, "you are not entitled to my dad's love, nor his help. Do not take them for granted because if you do, my father will not be the one you should be worried about!"

"I never asked for your opinion," I spat through gritted teeth, because she was right. I was not entitled to Uncle Zane's help, which is precisely why I was sure he wasn't giving it.

"You don't ask! You come to conclusions and blame everyone around you when all they've done is try to help you! From your parents to mine you've done nothing but demand!" I halted, flinching as if I'd been slapped.

"Your father is the Alpha, he's the only one who could tamper with official documentation!" I declared, though my argument seemed weak even to my own ears by now.

Stepping away from my cousin, I plopped myself down onto a chair, sighing heavily.

"I don't, I didn't," I tried to defend myself, even though the fight was over, but could utter nothing in actual response to Beyla's words. I'd thought she was on my side, helping me, helping a greater cause I'd hoped to work toward. I'd thought we were a team, but all this time, she'd thought of me as a spoiled brat, although I was older.

"Didn't what?" Beyla asked, though her tone had lost its sharp edge. "Didn't demand? Didn't fight with your parents, with me, didn't almost fight with my dad?" She laid a hand against my shoulder and it took all I had in me not to jerk away from her touch.

"You have every right to want to know the truth, to be angry, frustrated, sad, even, but you shouldn't take it out on those around you just because they're there and those who really deserve your anger are not. Hope, I mean it, you don't ask! You jump to conclusions and you act without thought. You did it with your mother, and you were going to do it with my dad just now."

I looked down, thinking her words over and over again. She was right, damn it, she was right! Curiosity was f*****g poison and its fumes were already getting to me.

"I just want the truth," I whispered, the sound coming out more like a whimper than I'd intended, "I'm scared I'll never be able to learn it, and all Alana did, her death, will have been for nothing." Beyla pulled me into her arms, and only then did I realize how mature my baby cousin was for her age. Fine, she was only two years younger than me, but one of us, and it wasn't me, was a way more rational thinker.

Though I had been before receiving Hadley, too. Now my emotions were all over the place.

"Don't blame me because you're hormonal!" Hadley scoffed. I could imagine her whipping her tail if she'd been in wolf form, and I couldn't help the smile that spread onto my lips.

"And whose fault is that, miss, let's enhance every sense and emotion you've ever felt in a day?"

"Excuses, excuses," she chirped before I shut off our link.

"You'll find out the truth, and then together, we will bring justice to anyone who's been wronged by a monster before, okay?" My cousin asked, taking my hand and hauling me up as I nodded.

Together, we went back to the pack house, waiting until Uncle Zane's meeting was over before we could talk to him. I still had the sneaking suspicion that it was him that had tampered with the files, if only to keep me safe, but since I wasn't sure, and since I'd been made aware of my behavior, I was going to be more mindful of it and ask questions before creating answers myself.

"What's going on, girls? Found anything?" Beyla looked at me expectantly as I swallowed past the fresh wave of frustration threatening to overwhelm me at the memory. The memory of the hope, however foolish, I'd had that upon opening that male's file, I'd gain some sort of hint as to who helped create me. Anything really, and the moment it all came crashing down on me. "What? What's wrong?" He asked, staring between the two of us as I cleared my throat.

"The one who bought Alana," I began, the words used lingering in my mouth like the aftermath of vomit, "his file has been erased." Uncle's gaze widened as soon as my words registered.

"What do you mean erased?" He asked.

"Anything that could've helped me is gone and everything that remains is probably fake. His birth and death date are on there, as well as that he lived here in the pack house, which couldn't be true if he had a..." I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The mere thought of it made me sick.

Uncle growled in the same frustration that I'd felt, rubbing his face harshly.

"Uncle, you didn't do this, right? I know you want to keep me safe, but-"

"If I could keep you safe, I wouldn't have given you the stupid files in the first place! It's too late now, they know."

"Who knows what?" Beyla's voice practically shook. Her dad took short strides to reach his pup, cupping her cheeks in his large palms and stroking his thumb over them.

"They know we're trying to find out the truth, and whoever 'they' are, they're as dangerous as they get if they were able to hack into my system and tamper with an official pack document."

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! What do you think so far? This book is definitely different from what I've gotten used to writing with the whole mystery aspect, so I'm hoping you like it!