Chapter 42
CHAPTER 42
VAUGHN
I t’s dark outside and we still haven’t found Clover.
Apollo lost his mind a few hours ago and called the police. They seem to be frequent fliers at our home now. Something that I think they notice as well.
Griffin was furious at first and now he’s crying. Scared over our Omega and not knowing what happened that made her run out on us. Seeing him cry is doing something to my mind that I don’t like. He has always been the one protecting me. Seeing him break like his unsettles me and puts me more on edge.
McKinley keeps making phone calls and checking apps to see if he can find any sightings of her. He is the one that realized that Clover didn’t bring her phone with her. Something that made it even harder to find her.
I have just been going out, searching for her, and trying to make sense of how last night went so well and this morning everything went to shit. Actively trying to do things was the only thing keeping me remotely sane.
“We should-”
“Shut up, Apollo.” McKinley’s voice is harsh and we all snap to look at them. That isn’t a good sign, “Have they found anyone from the Weaver pack? I think that if we find them we will have answers.” The police shake their heads.
Martha is taking over as she talks to them, trying to get answers about what is happening, and how everything is progressing. Watching her make plans and dictate things reminds me of how Apollo is. They both need the steps in order to feel better.
There are no answers. Nothing is changing.
We lost our Omega.
My stomach is twisting and I let my head fall into my hands when the doorbell rings.
Griffin jumps over the couch and growls at whoever is behind the door when he tears it open.
“Calm down, boy. I’m here to see my son.”
As if today couldn’t get any worse. My fucking father is at the door.
Standing up, I turn to look at him, and feel my stomach turning. I am losing my mind over Clover being missing and now my father is at my door?
He looks me up and down, letting out a huff of air as he steps inside the house like he owns the place. My father is built thick. He served in the Army before he became a private detective.
Him being a detective is probably why he is here now.
“I’m here to help you find your Omega. Clover?”
“Don’t say her name,” Griffin hisses, “In fact don’t even bother trying to help. We don’t need your help.” He goes to stand in front of my father, looking small next to him.
My father must be upping his workouts. Guess since he has a young Beta to impress he had to ramp things up a bit.
Without sparing a look at Griffin, something he has mastered after years of him being my best friend, he grabs me by the back of my neck and walks me away from everyone. It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t even been to our house, he still commands a presence around him like he knows where he is going.
Slamming the door to the bathroom, he locks the door and lets me go. His arms are crossed and he’s looking me up and down, assessing me.
“I fucked up. I slept with your girlfriend. Not my proudest moment. There is nothing that can be done about that now that she’s pregnant with my pup. I should have been better for you and I’m sorry for that. I’m not good with feelings though, Vaughn. You know I think that stuff is for people like,” He makes a hand gesture and he means my pack.
He’s always been weary of emotions. Which made him very uncomfortable when I brought Griffin home with me. Griffin cried when we watched a movie and I thought my father was going to throw up from how uncomfortable he had been with that display. It had gotten worse over the years and made my father stay his distance away from my pack mate. As if he could catch emotions from the other Alpha.
Getting older didn’t help him deal with those feelings.
I’m still quiet. I still don’t want him here. I can never forgive him for what he did. It was too much. Sometimes people want forgiveness and you want to forgive them for how they hurt you. It seems easy, but it’s not. Forgiveness isn’t black and white. It’s every color of the rainbow, changing with years and growth. Changing day by day, like the weather.
I don’t hate my father as much as I did when it all first happened, but I don’t trust him anymore. Without that trust I can’t forgive him.
I can’t separate the man who taught me how to ice skate from the man who got my ex-girlfriend pregnant. All my memories with my dad are painted in a weird way now that he did that.
“You know I’m good at finding people. Someone I know locally mentioned this was going on and I reviewed the case. I’m going to bring your Omega home. Not because I’m trying to make anything up to you but because you deserve to be happy, son.” He looks confused, rubbing at his chest.
Is talking to me causing him to have a heart attack?
If he dies in this house it will just be another home he ruined for me.
I can tell he’s waiting for me to speak, but I have nothing to say to him. There is nothing to say to him. Our relationship is never going to get better. It sure as shit isn’t going to miraculously heal because he came to try and help find Clover.
He coughs to cover his inability to handle this situation.
“Pack Weaver has to have her. She was spotted at the library earlier today. The librarian also mentioned seeing a female there that matches the Beta that their pack has. There is no way they stayed close. The private plane that his family has is still at the airport, though. I’m planning on checking property records for their families and seeing what I can find.” He hesitates for a second, his face scrunching up as he finally settles a hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze.
This is about as affectionate as my father will ever be.
Unless you’re Terry who he apparently greeted with his cock.
I’m too numb to do anything to stop him from touching me or fighting him on anything that he is saying. If he wants to help he can help. I’d be a fool to deny Clover a chance to be found..
He nods his head, like somehow this is all solved. Turning, he unlocks the door to the bathroom. Pulling it open and going to step out, he is immediately punched in the face by a red faced Griffin.
My father snarls, grabbing at his head. Blood coming between his hands as he looks at the panting person in front of him.
“Fuck you! You don’t have any right to come in here and demand to talk to Vaughn! Suddenly you want to be a dad to him? Too late asshole! Vaughn is double the Alpha you’ll ever be!” Griffin defends me as he glowers at my dad ready to go to war with a man who could break his back and toss him to the side..
Always my protector.
Always us.
My dad softens, shoulders hunching inward as he nods at my best friend.
“I know. He’s the type of Alpha few get to be.” He looks back at me as my heart lodges in my throat, “I’ll find her for you, son.”
And with that he leaves the house as I wonder what the actual fuck is happening.