Chapter 216
Lynette's POV
I sat at the dining table. Stared at the bathroom door.
Dad had been in there for ten minutes. The water wasn't running anymore.
Mom twisted her napkin in her lap. Over and over. Her knuckles were white.
Ethan's leg bounced under the table. Fast. Angry. His jaw was locked so tight I thought his teeth might crack.
Kael sat across from me. Perfectly still. Watching.
I felt his eyes on my face. Studying me. Waiting to see how I'd react.
I kept my expression blank. Neutral.
Inside? My wolf was snarling.
Someone had gone after my father. Someone thought they could touch my family and walk away.
They were wrong.
The bathroom door opened.
Dad walked out. Clean shirt. Combed hair. But his shoulders were still hunched. His eyes still looked dead.
He moved to the couch. Sat down heavily.
Nobody spoke.
Mom stood up first. "Marcus—"
Footsteps on the stairs cut her off.
I turned my head.
Elara stumbled down. Hair messy. Eyes half-closed. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts.
"What's going on?" Her voice was thick with sleep. "Why is everyone yelling?"
"Your father got fired," Mom said quietly.
Elara's eyes snapped open. "What?"
She was fully awake now. Crossed the room in three steps. Dropped onto the couch next to Dad.
"How? Why?" She grabbed his arm. "Dad, what happened?"
Dad didn't look at her. Stared at the coffee table instead.
"It's fine, sweetheart. Just a misunderstanding."
"Bullshit." Ethan's voice was sharp. "Dad, tell us the truth. Who did this?"
Mom moved to stand behind the couch. Her hand rested on Dad's shoulder. "Marcus, please. We need to know."
The room went quiet again.
I watched Dad's face. The way his jaw worked. The muscle twitching in his cheek.
He was trying to decide how much to say.
Finally, he sighed. Long and slow.
"It might be... because of the Harrison family."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Ethan shot to his feet. "Those fucking—"
"Language!" Mom's voice cracked.
But Ethan wasn't listening. His face was red. Hands balled into fists.
"I'm going over there right now. I'm gonna—"
"You're not doing anything." Dad's voice was firm. Final.
"Like hell I'm not!" Ethan turned toward the door.
Dad stood up. Grabbed Ethan's arm. "Stop."
"They can't just do this!" Ethan yanked his arm free. "They can't destroy your life because they feel like it!"
"Ethan." Dad's voice was quieter now. Tired. "It's done. Let it go."
"Let it go?" Ethan's voice went up an octave. "Are you serious right now?"
Elara was crying. Silent tears running down her face. She pressed her hands to her mouth.
Mom's eyes were wet too. She blinked rapidly. Tried to hold it together.
I sat perfectly still.
Watched my family fall apart.
My wolf was howling inside my chest. Clawing at my ribs. Demanding blood.
I wanted to shift. Wanted to hunt down whoever gave that order. Wanted to rip their throat out and paint the walls with their insides.
But I didn't move.
Kael was still watching me.
I felt his gaze like a weight. Heavy. Assessing.
He was waiting to see what I'd do. How I'd react.
I kept my face blank. Swallowed the rage burning in my throat.
Not here. Not now.
"Sit down," Dad said to Ethan. "Please."
Ethan stood there for another second. Breathing hard. Then he dropped back into his chair.
Dad sat down too. Rubbed his face with both hands.
"It doesn't matter who did it," he said quietly. "Fighting back will only make things worse."
"Worse?" Ethan's voice was hollow. "How could it get worse?"
Dad didn't answer.
Mom wiped her eyes. Straightened her shoulders. "Let's... let's eat. The food is getting cold."
Nobody moved.
"Please." Her voice broke on the word. "Just... please."
Slowly, we all stood up. Walked to the dining table like zombies.
Dad sat at the head. Mom on his right. Ethan on his left.
Elara slid into the chair next to Mom. Still crying quietly.
I took the seat next to Ethan.
Kael sat across from me. Same spot as before.
The fruit plate was still there. Untouched. The eggs were probably cold by now.
Mom started serving food anyway. Her hands shook as she spooned scrambled eggs onto plates.
Nobody spoke.
The only sound was silverware scraping against plates.
I picked up my fork. Pushed eggs around without eating them.
My mind was already working. Calculating.
Harrison family.
In this region, that name usually meant one thing. The werewolf family. One of the old bloodlines.
But Dad worked at a human factory. Regular employees. Regular management.
So either the Harrisons owned the company through shell corporations... or someone in their pack had enough influence to make a phone call.
Both options were possible.
Both meant this went deeper than a simple workplace dispute.
I needed to confirm which branch. Needed names. Needed to know if this was pack business or just a powerful family flexing.
I glanced up.
Kael was watching me again.
Our eyes met across the table.
He didn't look away. Didn't smile. Just... watched.
Like he was trying to read my mind.
I held his gaze. Kept my expression neutral.
What was he thinking? Did he know something? Was his family involved?