Regret The Rejection |✔️

08| Daddy issues ✔️

***
I don't hate you.
I'm just disappointed
you turned into everything
you said you'd never be.

***

A D E N

"Nothing Darling." she said acting innocent. "Apparently," she continued, "this slut here, isn't working hard enough. She could surely do with a few whippings, couldn't she?" The hardness in her voice was back and so was the evil glint in her eye.

Grayson howled, his claws raking the mind he was trapped in. "Knock her out or so help me Goddess, I will transform and kill her myself. She's making our mate feel horrible."

I noticed Kiara wince at the mention of the whippings. She must be remembering the last time she was whipped in front of the entire pack. I was forced to witness it too.

"She's not a slut. Leave her alone. What she does isn't your business."

"Stop snarling. It's just an act!" I hissed  back at Grayson whose howls had grown ultrasonic at this point. "You're giving us both a headache."

In front of me, Nicole was frowning. I could see the gears in her head turning as she was plotting something scandalous. Hurtful. In the fraction of a second our eyes meet, I knew what was coming.

Before I could say anything further, she leaned forwards and kissed me. Lips too cold, smell all sorts of wrong. Bile rose up my throat as I pushed her back as hard as I could.

Being away from Kiara was driving me crazy but this is far from what I wanted. Reality hit me when I felt the sparks shoot up my arm as she barrelled past me.

I growled as I wiped the last traces of her off my mouth. "Nicole, stop it! Aren't you doing this to merely prove a point?"

"Come on, don't be like that, baby. Is her pathetic ass being here putting you off?" She practically draped herself over me. Her nauseatingly flowery scent almost sent me wheezing. With one hand, I pulled her off me again. She pouted in mock sadness. "I've so much planned for us tonight. You'll forget her in no time."

Grayson was once again yelling at me, calling me a dumb ass. He was right, partly.

"I'm busy." I shouldered past her as I strode out to search for my mate. I didn't care if people saw it or not. I was following her scent up the stairs and nearing the hall, when I accidentally crashed into a person and stumbled backwards.

A strong overpowering scent wafted through the air. I knew who it was before I levelled my gaze with him.

We were the same height now. Except for the grey in his hair and the broader set of shoulders, we looked distinctly alike.

A shame. Really.

"Dad." I forced myself to be polite.

He beamed. "Aden, my boy." Today, his voice held an kind of reckless excitement. My stomach twisted. "There you are. I was looking for you. The Ceremony starts in half an hour."

"I'll be downstairs in a minute, Dad."

"Later. You can prowl around after the ceremony. Just look at you, you aren't even fully dressed yet." He grabbed my hand in a bruising grip, as he began to drag me to Stella's room. "Whatever it is can wait."

"But Kiara—" I protested.

He froze. "Kiara?"

I went quiet. His tone had grown icy.