Chapter 38: Ada's Mate
Ada
“Dad, can we talk for a moment?” I ask as I enter his office and close the door.
“Sure,” he looks tired and worn out as I take a seat in front of his desk. “What’s on your mind?”
“You need to pull yourself together,” I say firmly. As much as I sympathize with him, it is time for tough love. “I know this sucks and I’m hurting too, but Tyler needs his father’s support. And you must start training Zayne to take over.”
“Ada, I appreciate your concern, but Zayne’s too young,” Father sighs. “And not blowing my top, is me supporting Tyler. I don’t want him to go. If I had my way, he would stay here where we can take care of him when the time comes.”
“Please, Father,” I plea to him. “You knew this day would come and you continued to be a good father and alpha. Don’t give in now.”
“Before it wasn’t real,” his bottom lip quivers. “Before I could ignore it and pretend it wouldn’t happen.”
“Dad, you cannot stay in limbo forever,” I say through clenched teeth. “You must deal with this. You’re not going to accomplish anything by avoiding it. Right now, you’re no support as alpha or father for either of your sons.”
“It’s easy for you to say, he’s not your son,” Dad bellows.
“Zayne is also your son,” I shout back. “What about him? He’s healthy and alive and needs your guidance. You had a decade to come to terms with this, and you shoved it under a rug and now we’re here. Stop dumping your head in the sand like an ostrich, Dad. It didn’t work in the past and it’s not working now.”
“I’m not ready,” he slams on his desk but I am too angry to care.
“It doesn’t matter,” I yell at him. “Get ready or step down, but we cannot continue like this. What about the pack? They need an alpha, not a grieving old man.”
“Step down?” He snorts. “Who’s going to lead then? A grieving old man is still better than no leader.”
“Zayne will lead,” I lift my chin determinately.
“He’s a boy,” Father rolls his eyes. “What does he knows about leading a pack?”
“And who’s fault is that?” I hiss at him. “You should’ve taught him a long time ago, Father. It’s not like you didn’t know about Tyler’s condition. You knew and still, you didn’t act.”
“I’m sorry, okay?” Dad looks away. “I f*cked up and I’m sorry.”
“Dad,” I sigh as I rub my eyes. “It’s okay. We can still fix this. Just start training Zayne today. You’re only fifty, you have enough time to get him up to speed before you must retire.”
“Tomorrow,” Dad nods. “I’ll start tomorrow. I can’t face this today.”
“Good,” I nod. “It’s a start. Take the day and get it out of your system. Tomorrow is a new day and a new beginning for all of us.”
He does not respond and only stares out of the window.
“I need to get going,” I sigh as I get up and walk to the door.
“Dad,” I turn around and wait until he looks at me. “Why did you deny Gregory to join our pack?”
“What?” Father blinks his eyes a couple of times as if he is pulling himself back to reality.
“You told me you don’t know Gregory,” I say. “And then he told me he approached you and you denied him. Why? What did he do?”
“Great,” Father rolls his eyes and throws his hands up in the air. “As if it’s not enough that I’m losing my son, my only daughter takes a rogue’s word over mine.”
“For f*ck’s sake, Dad,” I storm to his desk and plant my hands firmly on the polished wood. “Can you please, just for a second, put your grief aside and answer me honestly?”
“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” he yells angrily.
“And you don’t get to continue hiding things from me,” I shout back. “How am I supposed to do my job if you’re not honest?”
“It doesn’t matter who he is and what he did,” Father growls.
“It does matter when his mind is set on killing me,” I argue.
“Then do your job and kill him first,” Dad growls.
“I don’t know you anymore,” my voice is a mere whisper as I stand back. “You are no longer the alpha I used to know.”
It feels like my entire world is crumbling around me as I walk away. I have just lost the father I loved and adored. What happened to the reasonable man I spoke with last night?
“Ada,” Dad calls me and I turn around. His face is hard and stripped of all emotion. “Gregory is Beatrice’s son.”
“The married woman you slept with?” I frown.
“Yes,” Dad confirms. “And I’m his father.”
My blood freezes and my heart stops beating as I stare at Dad in disbelief.
“Craig found out his only child is not his and kicked him out,” Father continues. “If I acknowledge him as my son, he is eligible to take over from me. He’s older than Tyler and Zayne and technically first in line to take over.”
“Did Gregory asks to be acknowledged as your son or only to join the pack?” My mouth is so dry that I can hardly get the words out.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dad shrugs. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Stunned, I only stare at him before I swing around and open the door. Quickly I turn back and slam it shut.
“I am so f*cking mad,” I yell at him as I pace up and down. “Over and over my brothers and I had to listen to lectures about sleeping around while you couldn’t hold it together long enough to put on a f*cking condom. I spend nights in the dungeon for telling lies while you stack your closet with secrets and scandals.”
“Ada, I’m sorry …”
“You’re sorry a lot lately,” I laugh humourlessly. “What the f*ck does sorry help?”
“I didn’t know about Gregory until a year ago,” Dad defends himself.
“And that makes it better?” I shout beyond myself with anger. “My brother is trying to kill me because you denied him. And I figure it’s only safe to assume that Zayne and Tyler are next on his hit list.”
“That’s why I burned the shed down,” Father yells and jumps out of his chair.
“You did what?” I turn to him in astonishment and the look on his face tells me he did not mean to admit that. “You set the fire? What the f*ck is wrong with you?”
“Ada, watch your tone,” he pulls himself together. “I’m still your father.”
“No,” I shout as tears stream across my cheeks. “You’re not. My father was a kind, loving man. He comforted me when I was sad. He taught me right from wrong. He had compassion and love and understanding and would never deny any of his children, regardless of how they were conceived.”
“Don’t you see?” I sob as my heart breaks all over again. “That fire started all of this sh*t. Every single detail that I have uncovered points to that night, Alpha. My father would never kill innocent women and children.”
“They were not supposed to be there,” Father shouts bewildered. “I only wanted to scare them away. They would’ve stayed here as long as we provided for them.”
“Your intentions don’t matter,” I cry. “Dead is dead. You killed them. You killed your own grandchild.”
“Oh, goddess,” Father starts crying and falls to his knees. “I didn’t mean to. I’m so awfully sorry.”
I cannot bring myself to walk over and comfort him. My big, strong father is now nothing more than a pathetic old man. I have lost my father, I realize. The man I called Dad no longer exists to me.
I want to tell him how much I despise him. I want to tell him he is dead to me and that I never want anything to do with him. But then I think of Tyler and Zayne. This would devastate them. Tyler already has so much to deal with. Do I really want to hurt him more just because I cannot stand the sight of Father anymore?
“I won’t tell,” I say as I wipe the tears off my face and Dad looks at me in surprise. “Tyler and Zayne deserve better. But you’re stepping down as alpha, effective immediately. I will be acting alpha and sorting out this sh*tshow you created. All my brothers need to know is that your grief is too much and you choose to step down. Once I’ve resorted this household to what it’s supposed to be, Zayne will take over.”
“Okay, okay,” Dad nods as he gets on his feet.
“Thank you,” he holds his arms out to me, but I ignore him and walk out.