Chapter 17 Back Home
Back Home
Alejandro
The sun was setting through the window, casting red and orange hues around the room. As much as I wanted to be by Kiara’s side, I was doing what I knew she’d want me to. Be there for our pups.
“How you feeling?” I asked, sitting down on the sofa in the living room next to Dante, who was leaning back against the cushions, clearly exhausted.
“I’m completely fine, Dad,” he replied, despite the red pulsing veins that covered his body.
“Yeah? Glad to hear you’re not a fucking wuss, but you know it’s okay to fucking say if shit hurts,” I remarked lightly, reaching over and ruffling his hair. He gave me a cocky smirk.
“Obviously, but I’m completely fine. I’m glad Kat’s back,” he added, frowning slightly as he looked at Skyla, who was setting up the dollhouse for when Kataleya returned from her bath.
Scarlett was showering her. We had been back for an hour or so.
After the doctor had checked her over, taking note of her injuries, she had fallen asleep and had only woken up a short while ago.
I still had to look at those reports, knowing they weren’t going to be easy to see.
I knew I was delaying it, trying to build the courage I needed to face them.
Skyla had been on edge wanting to see her twin. From the moment we had entered, she had been beyond fucking ecstatic.
Currently, Elijah was there, as was their pup, Azura. Rayhan had taken Delsanra and headed home. I was fucking grateful for all his help. Everyone else had also returned home, apart from those working on finding that fucker.
I knew Kiara had seen him, and Kat, but I was not going to question her, not when I knew that experience was fucking traumatic for her.
Raihana did say she’d stop by if I needed her to so we could probe Kat’s mind, but I wasn’t sure yet.
She had managed to heal the most severe of her injuries before leaving.
Guilt still fucking consumed me; I was the reason this shit happened. On top of that, Kiara had been the one to find her at the expense of her own safety. I fucking hated that I had failed my pups and Queen.
“So, Dad, we are getting pizza, right?” Azura’s voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I removed my hand that was resting on Dante’s head.
“Are we?” Elijah asked her, raising one of his brows from where he was standing by the window, busy on his phone. I knew he was handling the search for now, telling me to take a break, not that the fucker took a break himself.
“Aren’t we?”
I glanced at her, her eyes a little too suspiciously wide as she stared at her dad, looking like a fucking puppy.
Azura Rayne Westwood; she may be known to the world as Elijah and Scarlett’s daughter, but she was really the daughter of Indigo, Scarlett’s biological sister, who died eight years ago.
The pup had almost died, too. If one of their relatives with witch heritage hadn’t performed a spell, sacrificing her own life to place the unborn pup into Scarlett’s womb, she would have.
Indigo had been mated to a man from my pack…
one who was fiercely loyal and efficient, yet he had been abusive.
Right under my nose, and I had missed it.
Yeah, I knew he was a fucking shit show, but Indigo still refused to leave him, but I had missed all the abuse.
It had reduced Indigo to a shell of the woman she had once been.
Looking at her daughter, I saw the same fire in her that the young Indigo once had, and I hoped it remained.
Indigo had always had Elijah wrapped around her finger from when she was a fucking pup, and her daughter sure was the same.
“I’ll order it,” he finished.
I didn’t miss her victorious smile as she winked at Skyla. Right, so Lucifer incarnate had a say. Speaking of, she turned to me, giving me a devilish smile.
“Is everything okay, Daddy?”
“Yeah, sure is.”
Scarlett entered with my little girl looking normal, not a bruise or a speck of dirt on her, but we all fucking knew the unseen effects remained.
“Kataleya! Look what I set up.” Skyla pointed to the dollhouse, brushing her hair back from her face. She usually didn’t play with dolls often. Everyone fucking knew it was an act of kindness towards her sister. Kataleya smiled as Azura jumped up.
“Come on, Kat, let’s play,” she stated, walking over to my pup and taking her hand confidently.
“Girls are so loud,” Dante added, shaking his head.
“Dante, be nice because I’m trying to be nice,” Skyla shot back, narrowing her eyes.
“Play nice, children. So, I heard we are having pizza?” Scarlett raised an eyebrow, walking over to Elijah and tugging him down for a kiss. I stood up.
“Mind staying with the pups? I’m going to go have a smoke,” I remarked.
She nodded, although the look in her fucking eyes was almost as if she knew where I wanted to go, or more like needed to.
Kiara was my real addiction, and I needed her to feel fucking sane.
The guilt inside of me was only growing, and I needed a dose of Kiara before I saw my princess’ medical report.
I walked through the hall and up the stairs, heading to my bedroom. I opened the door, her scent hitting me like a strong dose of nicotine. Serena and Kevin were both in the room.
“Alpha,” Kevin said, politely lowering his head. I gave a curt nod before looking at Kiara.
“Excuse us,” Serena murmured as they left the room. The door shut behind them with a click.
I looked down at Kiara, the clear cut along her head still vivid, although the blood had stopped flowing. The blanket was draped over her, pulled up to her chest, and her plump, kissable lips were slightly parted. I walked over to her and sat down on the bed.
“Fuck, Amore Mio…”
I ran my hand tenderly through her hair, making sure not to pull at it.
Despite it being cleaned up, there were still traces of dry blood that remained, making her hair stick together.
The sparks of the bond danced along my hand and arm.
I closed my eyes, inhaling her intoxicating scent that overpowered the distinct scent of whatever the doctor had used to clean her wounds.
“You found her… protected her, and I didn’t even get there in time to protect you,” I murmured quietly.
I knew she wouldn’t blame me, and I was still fucking pissed that she went alone, but I also knew she was the one who had found her, the reason our angel was back with us, and that she was capable… but still.
Pretty fucking useless; that was how I fucking felt… I couldn’t even protect my family.
On top of that, times had fucking changed.
There was a time I would have found the bastard behind this and killed him slowly and fucking painfully.
I would have kept going, not caring for anything but to reach my goal.
But now, I had priorities and responsibilities, to make sure my family was safe, and as much as I wanted to get the fuck out there and find the fucker, I couldn’t go and leave any of them behind.
Kiara in this state, although the doctor said she’d be awake soon, Dante…
Kat… even Sky, who, although she was acting like she was okay, was fucking affected by everything that had happened.
I leaned down, a few strands of my hair brushing her face as I touched my forehead to hers ever so lightly, not wanting to hurt her. The sparks between us danced across my skin.
I fucking love you, Amore Mio… so fucking much. I moved back slightly, my nose brushing hers before I kissed her deeply.
“Wake up, so I can fucking punish you in the best fucking way for running off,” I smirked, running my fingers through my hair, pushing it back, and standing up.
Time to go see my girl’s reports… I walked past the dresser, spotting Kiara’s wedding rings. I picked them up, and glanced towards the bed, my chest constricting at the memory of how we had parted that day. I placed them down before I left the room, glancing at Kevin and Serena.
“Keep an eye on her.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Kevin replied with a nod.
I left the mansion, heading towards headquarters.
Callum, meet me at my office, I said through the link to the head doctor.
I entered the silent building, although I knew there were people around in the many different departments doing their duties. I glanced at the guards who stood in position, attentive, alert and doing their job.
Order. It was something I tried to keep, but when something came, it tore apart everything I had put in place. No matter how much you try, you can never be prepared for everything. A question from earlier replayed in my mind as I thumbed in my passcode and entered my office, leaving the door open.
Was Kiara safe, or had she perhaps been cursed?
It was a question that Elijah had asked, and it made me think that, just like Dante, she had been injured.
Raihana had said she wasn’t sure, she didn’t sense anything from her, but I had also refused to allow her to probe too far.
That was the fucking problem. I couldn’t risk hurting more people no matter how desperately I wanted answers and wanted Kiara safe. Fuck, Amore Mio…
I took out a cigarette and lit it just as I heard Callum coming. Fucker was slow.
“Alpha,” he said gravely when he appeared at the door, bowing his head.
“Skip that shit. Show me the report,” I cut in, taking a drag on my cigarette. He hesitated before approaching.
“Alpha, both Doctor Jemimah and I were the ones to perform the examinations. The good news is, there were no signs of sexual abuse, and Doctor Jemimah confirmed that.” A wave of relief washed over me, but from the look on his face, I knew there was still more.
“Pass me the file.”
“Do you mind if I explain it to-”
“Take a fucking seat, and I don’t want or need shit sugar-coated.” I reached over, snatching the file from him, and sat back, flipping it open…
Several fractures in the ribs, a fractured collar bone, a fracture in her left leg, and both forearms..
. her pinkie on the right hand had been broken.
Bruised spine… some had been partially healed…
it seemed she had used her arms to protect herself whilst being kicked repeatedly…
there was a hairline fracture to her skull.
It felt like someone was punching me repeatedly in the gut, cutting off my fucking windpipe… I swallowed hard.
“Leave.”
“Alpha, she will heal. Her regeneration gene-”
“I said. Leave,” I growled, trying to control my emotions.
“Alpha.” I didn’t look up, clenching my jaw and focusing on regulating my erratic heartbeat.
The door shut with a click, and I closed my eyes, lowering my head.
My daughter had gone through this… all of this…
The file felt heavy in my limp hold. No parent would ever want their child to be treated like this. Well, no fucking sane one…
My angel had gone through so much at the hands of that fucking bastard.
I was going to rip him apart. But it wouldn’t change the past…
it won’t turn back time. It wouldn’t take away the pain she had experienced…
I had turned my back on her that day. If I hadn’t, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened. Had I made a mistake?
I dropped the file, placing my head in my hands. How do I fix this? Werewolf or not, no child deserves this.
I get it now… what a father feels when his child is hurt... or if anyone tries to hurt them… The unfamiliar sting in my eyes made me take a deep, shuddering breath. Fuck, Al…
A light knock on the door made me quickly wipe my eyes roughly. Fuck this shit.
“What do you want?” I growled, knowing exactly who was on the other side of the door. He opened the fucking door like he owned the damn place.
“Did I give you permission to enter?”
“Did I say I needed your permission?” I glared coldly at the dickhead, who gave me a smirk that held no humour, his cerulean eyes as shadowed as my own.
“What do you want, Elijah?”
“To see the report,” he replied as if that was fucking obvious. Coming over and crouching down, he picked it up off the floor.
I stood up, taking a long drag on my cigarette, trying to fight the agony that was ripping through me. I walked to the window, staring out at the shadows that had settled over the pack grounds. The sun was gone from the sky. Will my family ever be fucking safe?
“Don’t blame yourself for this.”
“Fuck off. I left her that day…” He sighed, and I could sense his irritation.
“Alejandro, you didn’t have much of a choice. You made the right choice. Now, Kataleya is safe and back with us.”
“Yeah, but the mental damage of being fucking tortured and abused doesn’t go, does it?” I could hear the pain in my voice no matter how much I tried to conceal it.
“No, it doesn’t, but with love and care, she will be okay.
She’s a Rossi as well as of Westwood blood.
All we can do is stay strong and continue to be that wall of strength and support for the ones we love.
No matter how hard it gets, or how hard that wall is battered on… if we stay strong, then so will they.”
What do you say to that? He was right; I knew he was, but what happened when that shield had failed? I allowed her to be taken…
“You will need to ask her what happened, but perhaps it’s better to do that when Kiara is awake. Do it together,” he added quietly.
“Yeah.”
“Well, pizza should be here soon. Get back home. I’m sure if Kiara wakes up soon, she will want to see that ugly mug of yours.”
“Yeah? Well, she fucking loves this mug,” I shot back cockily.
“No fucking idea why,” he replied, equally fucking arrogant.
“I could list a few things if you’re ready to hear exactly what she loves about it.”
“No thanks,” he growled as he held onto the file, opening the office door. I was sure he got the fucking hint. I pushed past him, smirking slightly. Yeah, if only he knew what his daughter liked about this face, or better, where.
My smile faded as I smoked my cigarette. Sometimes you became friends with the most unexpected of people. Although I was closer to Elijah’s age than Kiara’s, he was her fucking dad, but he was still my closest confidant after Kiara, the only one who saw the demons I tried to hide…
We walked in silence through the pack grounds, heading towards my mansion. One day soon, I hoped everything was back to normal.
“Any updates?” After a moment, he spoke,
“They are looking for leads on the curse, along with the witches, too. The only problem is that Delsanra is affected. She could have proved vital in finding answers.” I frowned. That was fucking true…
“Yeah? Well, we are going to have to find a way to fix that shit without her, and we will.”