AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 20

We were picked up by member's of my Uncle's pack once we arrived. There's a memorial stone on the way into the pack territory with the names of my parents. This one separate from the memorial of the Alphas before my father. This one is placed in the spot where my parents had been killed. It had been my grandfather, here on a visit, that had found them that day. The fur of their wolves had nearly kept me hidden from his sight. I had let out one soft cry to let him know I was there.

As we come up to the large packhouse I see the richness of it. Grandmother had said mother designed the home to replicate a luxury castle in Ireland she had fallen in love with as a child. The castle is partially covered in vines and is almost three times larger than Aidan's pack house home. I take in the beautiful sight as we drive in and circle a roundabout garden until we are parked in front of large stone steps.

Uncle Liam is the one to greet us when we arrive. He smiles with genuine happiness to see us, but exhaustion is evident in his posture. His shoulders droop as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. There's also something else. His aura is distressed and I can see that he does not want to be the bearer of bad news. A deep frown is being weighed down with the heavy burden of a truth I had tried to deny.

"No, don't say it. It's not him. It can't be him." I shake my head and step back preparing to run from the reality.

"Cam..." He moves forward, but I lift my hand to stop him.

"He's dead." A deep cry releases from the back of my throat. "It's not him. It's not possible."

"I'm sorry, Cami. I really am." Tears fall from his eyes.

"No. No." My legs grow weak and almost fail below me, but somebody is quickly at my side to recover me before I fall.

"What's going on? Who are you talking about?" Logan demands as he holds the weight of my body.

"He's dead. It's not true." I shake my head, but again my uncle shows me the truth in his eyes.

"I saw the recorded video Adam had sent. It was only for a second, but I know it was him." Unce Liam closes his eyes until he regains his composure. "The dark. The dark is my brother. Cami's father."

"But he died not long after I was born. It can't be him." I shake my head in disapproval again.

I had looked at the picture of my parents a million times. I know their every feature. I know the way my father's smile curves and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes from years of happiness. I looked at their pictures for so long that I remember everything. The dark only looked up into the video for a second and most of my attention had been on his eyes, but I had a glimpse at the rest of his features. Enough to know that it was indeed my father.

"My father is the one doing this. He's the one chasing me. He killed my grandmother!" I scream out angrily with my voice hardening and echoing loud enough for the windows to rattle. We startle when a black mist begins to form in front of us, but disappears when we jump away from it in fear.

"What was that?" Logan moves a bit closer to where the mist had began to appear.

"She did it." One of the members points to me accusingly. "She's the one the Dark is after and now she's bringing him here."

All of their attention facing my way. It's just as it had been as a child. The pack members of my grandfather's pack had hated and feared me. They looked as me as if I had been a monster. There had been times I feared I would be chased by a mob holding pitchforks and torches as I ran for my life. Again, I have that fear and look at Adam for help. I suddenly hope he has some kind of power to blow out their torches before something bad happens.