CHAPTER 4
1785 Words
SIENNA
Sara held me so tightly that for a moment I thought she was never going to let go.
Then the Alpha’s voice cut through the room.
“Sara, for Goddess’ sake. Let the girl go.”
Sara immediately pulled back.
She turned towards him, disbelief written all over her face.
“Alpha, we didn’t know where she was.”
Her voice trembled with emotion.
“We didn’t know if something had happened to her. Now she’s standing here, safe and alive, and you’re telling me I’m not allowed to be relieved?”
“I don’t have time for your theatrics.”
The Alpha’s tone was cold.
My jaw tightened.
Sara stared at him as though he’d slapped her.
“Alpha…”
She placed a hand over her chest, clearly stunned.
“Stop being so damn theatrical.”
He looked at her with open irritation.
“Sit down.”
His gaze shifted to me.
“You too.”
I sat beside Sara.
I already knew why he was here.
He hadn’t come to check on me.
He hadn’t come because he was worried about my wellbeing.
He hadn’t even come because I had skipped school.
He was here because of what I’d said to Hayden.
And I wasn’t sorry.
Not even a little bit.
I’d meant every word.
The bullying in this pack was disgusting.
The fact that students had been allowed to hurt me repeatedly was bad enough.
But the teachers?
They were worse.
They had seen what was happening.
They had watched.
And they’d done nothing.
My father had always said that a fish rots from the head down.
Looking at the Alpha sitting across from me, I was beginning to understand exactly what he’d meant.
The Alpha leaned back.
“So, Sienna.”
His voice suddenly became almost pleasant.
“I thought I’d drop by to see how you’re settling into your new life here.”
I almost laughed.
“I’m taking it one day at a time.”
He smiled.
But there was nothing friendly about it.
“I can understand that this has been a difficult adjustment. New territory. New people. New pack.”
He paused.
“But ‘one day at a time’ doesn’t really tell me anything, does it?”
I stared at him.
“Why don’t you just tell me what you want me to say?”
“Sienna!”
Sara’s shocked voice came from beside me.
“What?”
I looked at her.
“He isn’t here to see how I’m settling in.”
The Alpha’s expression hardened.
“He doesn’t care.”
“Sienna…”
“He would have asked about my bruises if he cared.”
I gestured towards my face.
“My wrist. My ribs. My back.”
His eyes briefly moved over me.
He’d noticed.
Of course he’d noticed.
He simply didn’t care.
“He hasn’t asked about any of it,” I continued. “Because that’s not why he’s here.”
I looked directly at him.
“You’re here because of what I said to your son.”
Sara went pale.
“What did you say?”
I didn’t look away from the Alpha.
“I told them this pack is a joke.”
Sara’s mouth fell open.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“Oh, Goddess…”
She looked horrified.
“Sienna, why?”
“Because I haven’t said anything to them that wasn’t true.”
The Alpha leaned forward.
“Then perhaps you’d like to explain something to me.”
His voice had lost every trace of friendliness.
“Why do you think my pack is a joke?”
He gestured around the room.
“This pack took you in. It gave you a home. It gave you protection.”
He paused.
“And this is how you repay us?”
I met his stare.
“Are you seriously okay with raising a pack full of bullies?”
His expression immediately hardened.
“I am not raising a pack full of bullies.”
“Yes, you are.”
My voice was calm.
“You just don’t want to admit it because your son is the biggest bully of them all.”
The Alpha’s eyes flashed.
“Careful, little girl.”
His voice dropped into a growl.
“You don’t want to push me too far.”
I could feel Sara becoming tense beside me.
But I couldn’t stop now.
“Why?”
I tilted my head.
“Are you worried you’ll have to explain where your son learned it?”
Silence.
The Alpha stared at me.
Then he laughed.
It wasn’t a pleasant laugh.
“Young lady, there have never been complaints about bullying in this pack.”
“Maybe that’s because nobody listens.”
“Or maybe…”
His eyes narrowed.
“…the problem is you.”
Sara gasped.
“Alpha!”
He ignored her.
“The only logical explanation is that you’re the troublemaker.”
My stomach twisted.
He wasn’t even listening.
He had already decided I was guilty.
“How do I know your old pack was even attacked?”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“What?”
“How do I know you weren’t the reason your family lost everything?”
Sara shot to her feet.
“Alpha, stop!”
“You expect me to believe every story you tell me?”
His voice was filled with contempt.
“For all I know, your daughter caused trouble in her old pack and got you thrown out.”
I stared at him.
He’d just insulted my parents.
My home.
Everything I’d lost.
Something inside me cracked.
But before I could speak, Sara stepped between us.
“You don’t know Sienna.”
Her voice shook, but she didn’t back down.
“She has never been trouble.”
The Alpha turned towards her.
“She gets along with everyone. She’s responsible. She’s always been an excellent student.”
Sara’s voice grew stronger.
“If Sienna says she’s being bullied, then she is being bullied.”
The Alpha stared at her.
Then his expression changed.
Disbelief.
“You should know better than this.”
Sara frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you incapable of thinking for yourself?”
Her face fell.
“Alpha…”
“Women who have children are supposed to know their children.”
He shook his head.
“My mate can read our children like an open book.”
Then he pointed towards me.
“But you?”
His lip curled.
“You can’t even recognise when your daughter is deliberately causing trouble.”
Sara stared at him.
“Why are you making trouble, Sienna?”
He looked directly at me.
“Are you looking for attention?”
I clenched my fists.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I want people to stop hurting me.”
The words came out quietly.
For the first time, the room fell completely silent.
The Alpha stared at me.
I stared back.
Sara’s eyes filled with tears.
“If Sienna says there is bullying at the school,” she said firmly, “then there is bullying at the school.”
The Alpha scoffed.
“Interesting.”
He pointed at me.
“Because none of this supposed bullying started until after you brought that girl here.”
I stared at him in disgust.
“Whatever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night.”
His eyes narrowed.
“My patience is wearing thin.”
“Good.”
I didn’t even think before saying it.
His eyebrows rose.
I could feel Sara’s panic beside me.
“You’re annoyed because Sara isn’t pandering to you.”
I leaned forward.
“You’re used to everyone agreeing with you because you’re the Alpha.”
My voice hardened.
“Just like your son is used to everyone doing whatever he says because he’s the future Alpha.”
The Alpha’s jaw clenched.
“I don’t care whether you believe me about the bullying,” I continued.
“But I know what is happening in this pack.”
I held his gaze.
“And one day, other people will know too.”
I paused.
“And when they do, you’re going to have a lot of questions to answer.”
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then, surprisingly, he smiled.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t blink.
“That is so.”
I meant every word.
Maybe I couldn’t change anything today.
Maybe I couldn’t make him listen.
But one day I would.
I just had to survive long enough to reach sixteen.
Sixteen.
The age when I would finally have my wolf.
The age when I wouldn’t be completely powerless anymore.
Sara cleared her throat.
“Alpha, if that’s all you needed to discuss with Sienna, I’ll handle things from here.”
The Alpha’s head snapped towards her.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
His voice cracked like a whip.
“This is my pack.”
Sara immediately shrank back.
“I am the Alpha here.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And there it is.”
His head whipped towards me.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Enough!”
He surged to his feet.
“Nobody tells me what to do in my own pack!”
Sara flinched.
I leaned towards her and whispered,
“His son is just like him.”
Her eyes widened.
I nodded.
I meant it.
The Alpha heard me.
His face darkened.
“That’s it.”
He stormed towards us.
“You have pushed me too far for the last time.”
Before I could move, his hand clamped around my arm.
He yanked me to my feet.
Pain shot through my bruised wrist.
“Let go of her!”
Sara jumped up and grabbed his arm.
“Alpha, please!”
He shoved her away.
She stumbled backwards and crashed onto the floor.
“Mum!”
I tried to pull away.
“Leave her alone!”
The Alpha tightened his grip.
“Quiet.”
He dragged me towards the front door.
I struggled against him.
“Sienna!”
Sara scrambled to her feet.
“Please!”
But he didn’t stop.
He reached for the door.
Then it opened.
The Alpha froze.
So did I.
A man stood on the other side.
Tall.
Broad.
Imposing.
His gaze moved slowly from the Alpha’s hand around my arm…
to Sara on the floor…
then back to me.
His expression hardened.
“What the hell is going on here?”
And for the first time since the Alpha had walked into our home…
I saw fear flash across his face.
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