Was it too Late #2
“And you know, from those who were compelled, who had been brave enough to refuse to beat her? Let me give you an example, you know one of them: he had refused to beat her, and Endora ended up killing his daughter. His mate also struggled to carry a fucking pup due to being beaten because he tried to do the right fucking thing. So, when you asked him if he felt remorse, why would he? She was just a witch to him. He was still mourning the loss of his daughter! What did you want him to say? Yeah, I fucking felt bad? And to top it off, his mate, who had suffered beatings, was pregnant when you showed up, was classed as high risk, and she almost died when he was bound in silver for a fucking month by you. You hurt a pregnant woman, almost killed their miracle child.” Rayhan was looking down, and I saw the guilt in his eyes.
“Dad could do fucking nothing because he’s a fucking coward, one who had just found his family and feared losing you all, but if he was half the fucking man he should have been.
.. he should have protected his pack. Not appeased his so-called family because his real family was meant to be his pack.
Blood does not make you family.” Leo shook his head and smirked coldly.
“And that’s why I will never consider you all my real family, because my fucking duty is to my pack, to make sure no one ever abuses them the way you all did.
Yeah, you, too, Alpha King Alejandro. You created fucking files on us like we were fucking criminals!
Given a chance, sure, that’s what it was…
but we had thought we were given the chance to a fresh start.
Fresh start, yet criminal files? Doesn’t fucking sound like a clean, fresh fucking start to me. ”
“That was for the safety of all packs, Leo,” I said quietly.
“Oh yeah? Then tell me, did you have a file on me and Dad?”
I frowned. No. I knew where he was going with this, and I knew he was fucking making fair points.
“No? Surely the Rogue King had an entire fucking list of crimes on his back. He should have been on the records. Shit, I forgot, he’s a Rossi.
You get an entire fucking pass, right? Let’s be honest, it’s the only reason I can behave like a dick, and none of you does shit, right?
” His words were bitter and full of resentfulness.
“I get it. I made a mistake… I didn’t think it through.
I’m sorry, Leo. I’ll admit to it. If I can make up for it, then tell me what you want,” Rayhan said quietly, to my surprise, and he meant it.
I could see it in his eyes. But even before Leo replied, I realised it wasn’t going to be enough.
It was too late, and Leo’s hatred wasn’t going to go away…
“You’re sorry… your sorry won’t bring back all those lives you destroyed.
The Sangue Pack has so many people who suffer from PTSD due to everything we witnessed and suffered, but the mate of an elite was far more important than all those other lives, right?
Well, carry on. No fucking sorry, no fucking regret will bring that back, and what fucking gets to me the most is that you all are so far up your own asses that you needed me to fucking lay it out to you, years later, for you to even consider that you lot fucked up?
” He tossed the cigarette he had crushed in his hand onto the ashtray, looking at us both with unmasked hatred.
“You’re right, and I’ll work on this. I’ll try to fix things. I get that we-” I tried again.
“It’s too late… six fucking years too late.
We’re doing okay without your help, thanks,” he replied coldly, “but I promise you here and now, the moment I become Alpha, the Sangue Pack will not be under this Council. Oh, and don’t try to treat me like your family, because I don’t consider you mine.
Touch my pack… and I will fucking destroy you all. ”
Not waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out.
“Leo! Listen!” I stopped the moment the front door opened. He pulled his jacket off, shifted, picked up his jacket in his mouth and ran off into the night. Rayhan sighed.
“I messed up. I didn’t think of it like that… even Delsanra wasn’t happy with what happened.”
“It’s not only your fault. You were, what? Twenty-one? I should have thought… Marcel didn’t say anything either… it had been two years… didn’t he think he could speak up?” I said quietly.
“I’m sorry. I felt it was atonement for the crimes I had committed under her control,” Marcel said quietly. “This is on me, too; I wasn’t a good alpha or father.”
“Marcel, this has happened now, but when Raf and I fucking accepted you, it meant we accepted you, not for you to just try to keep us happy. None of us is fucking perfect, but that’s how shit is.
We talk, we discuss, we advise, and we fucking disagree,” I said.
He nodded, and for a moment, he looked older and tired.
“I know... with time, I realised that…”
“Then promise me from here on that you’ll fucking use that brain and speak your damn mind,” I said.
He gave me a small smile and nodded, but the mood was heavy as we all stared at the open door.
I didn’t say anything. Right then, I felt like I had fucking failed.
Leo had been suffering more than he let on.
You could tell he cared for his pack, for those that had suffered, to the point that he used to defy Endora’s commands and sneak Delsanra food.
He had a heart that cared, yet he felt inferior…
His remark about leaving the Council remained, and I wondered if he truly would follow up on it…