Alessandro’s Pov
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I’ve always longed for my father, the alpha of the Shadow Pack, to fully recognize me as his son. In a bid to win his approval and prove myself worthy to succeed him as Alpha, I threw myself into the pack’s affairs, participating in battles against the rogues, doing everything I could to make myself an indispensable member of the pack.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried, my father never acknowledged my efforts. After our mother passed away many years ago, my father brought a string of different betas to the pack house. These betas would invariably cause chaos, and I was always the one left to clean up their messes.
Despite my best efforts, my father never once showed any sign of appreciation. It was as if I were invisible to him, a mere shadow of his legacy. But I refused to give up hope, determined to one day earn his respect and prove myself as a worthy successor to the Shadow Pack.
Then my hope was shattered into pieces when my father revealed to me and my brothers a shocking news. We were having dinner together in our Pack house, the crystal chandelier above us sparkling in the light. Our father, always the charming one, had a smirk on his face as he announced, “I’ve got some news, boys.
I’m getting married!”
The room fell silent. My brothers and I dropped our spoons on the table in shock, our eyes wide with disbelief.
“What?!” Leonardo exclaimed, his voice loud. “Who is she, Dad?”
“Someone I met a few weeks ago,” our father replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Her name is April, and she’s amazing. You’ll love her, boys.”
“We can’t believe you’re doing this, Dad,” Gabriel’s voice laced with anger. “We're still grieving Mom’s death, and now you’re marrying some stranger?”
“Our mother has only been gone what like 10 years, and you’re already replacing her?” Leonardo added, his eyes blazing with pain.
“I’m not replacing her, boys,” our father’s voice firm. “I’m moving on. And April is a wonderful woman. She has a daughter, too, so you’ll have a new sister.”
“Love her?" I scoffed. “We don't want a sister, dad."
"We don't want a new mother, either," Gabriel added, his voice cold. "You're still grieving, Dad. You're not thinking clearly."
"I'm thinking perfectly clearly, boys," our father replied, his eyes flashing with anger. "I'm happy, and that's all that matters. You'll see, April is a wonderful woman. You'll love her."
"We don't even know her, Dad," Leonardo said, his voice firm. "You're rushing into this. What do you really know about her?"
"Enough, boys," our father’s voice firm. "I've made my decision, and I expect you all to support me. We're getting married in two weeks, and I want you all to be there."
We nodded reluctantly, our minds racing with thoughts of protest and rebellion. But we knew our father was too far gone to listen. Since our mother's death, he had been addicted to drugs and constantly changing girlfriends. We had tried to intervene, but he refused to listen.
As we left the dinner table, our father's words echoed in our minds. We knew we had to give in, but we couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. I decided to investigate April's past.
—-----
My brothers and I were in our room, having a meeting, trying to come up with a plan to stop our father’s flash marriage. Gabriel was pacing back and forth, Leonardo was sitting on the bed, and I was leaning against the desk.
"What are we going to do, guys?" Gabriel asked, frustration in his voice. "We can't just sit back and let him ruin his life."
"We need to talk to him, make him see sense," Leonardo said, but we all knew it wouldn't be that easy.
Just then, I received a notification on my phone that a message had entered my phone and when I opened it, a look of shock was written on my face.
"Guys, guess what I found out about our dad's new spark?" he asked, his voice low and serious.
They all turned to me, curious. "What is it?" Leonardo asked.
I took a deep breath. "I investigated her past, and it's not pretty. She was banished from her pack after she was caught cheating on her Alpha, multiple broken marriages, drug abuse... she's not stable."
We all stared at each other, our minds racing with this new information.
"This is worse than we thought," Gabriel’s voice laced with anger.
"We have to do something, and fast," Leonardo added.
"But what can we do?" I asked. "Dad's not listening to us. He's too far gone."
"We'll figure something out," Leonardo said determination in his voice. "We can't give up. We have to protect him, and ourselves, from this toxic woman who wants to become our Luna of our Pack."
We nodded in agreement, our minds racing with plans and strategies. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we were determined to stop this marriage and save our father from himself.
—-----
The next day while having breakfast, we decided that we needed to try one last time and persuade our father about the woman he wanted to marry with the evidence we had found.
"We can't just sit back and watch him ruin his life," Gabriel’s voice firm.
"Agreed," Leonardo nods, his eyes determined. "We need to show him the truth about April."
"But what if he still doesn't listen?" Leonardo asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," I said. "First, let's gather all the evidence we have and present it to him in a calm and rational way."
We nodded in agreement. We knew it wouldn't be an easy conversation, but we were determined to try and save our father from this toxic relationship.
As we finished breakfast, we headed to our father's study, our hearts heavy with anxiety.
"Dad, we need to talk to you about April," Leonardo’s voice firm but respectful.
Our father looked up from his papers, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "What is it, boys? I'm busy."
"We've found some things out about April," Gabriel’s voice calm. "Things that make us question her stability and suitability as a mate for you."
Our father sighed and rubbed his temples. "Not this again. I've told you, boys, I'm happy. That's all that matters."
"But Dad, listen to us," I pleaded. "We're not just talking about your happiness. We're talking about your well-being, your safety... your life as well as the entire pack."
"Show me what you've found," our father’s voice slightly softer, but still firm.
I pulled out a folder filled with documents and photos. "She's been married three times before, Dad. And each marriage ended in divorce due to her infidelity and drug use.
She was banished from her pack because she cheated on her Alpha with his beta.”
Gabriel added, "And we've found evidence of her drug abuse, Dad. We can't just ignore this."
Leonardo spoke up, "And what about her daughter, Dad? We've heard she's been neglected and abused by April's previous mates."
Our father's expression changed from annoyance to shock, but he quickly regained his composure. "I...I didn't know about any of this. But I'm sure April has changed. She's been to rehab and therapy..."
I shook my head. "Dad, we've seen the reports. She's still attending therapy, but it's not helping. And as for rehab, she's been in and out multiple times. It's not working."
Our father sighed and rubbed his temples again. "I...I need some time to think about this. I'll talk to April and we'll figure something out."
We nodded, knowing we'd done our best to persuade him. But deep down, we knew our father was still blinded by his love for April, and we feared for his safety and the well-being of the pack.
We thought our conversation with our father had finally gotten through to him. We thought he would see sense and realize that April was not the right mate for him. But, one day, after he returned from handling pack matters, our hopes were shattered again.
We were in the living room, talking and laughing, when our father walked in, a determined look on his face. "I've made a decision," he announced, his voice firm. "I'm going to marry April."
Gabriel's eyes widened in disbelief, and he slammed his fist on the couch cushion. "Dad, no! You can't do this!" he protested, his voice raised. "She's not to be trusted!"
Leonardo shook his head, his face etched with concern. "Dad, please listen to us. We're trying to protect you."
But our father wouldn't budge. He crossed his arms, his expression stubborn. "You boys just don't care about my happiness," he accused, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're just trying to control my life."
I took a step forward, my hands outstretched in a pleading gesture. "That's not true, Dad! We just want what's best for you!"
But our father shook his head, his jaw set. "I know what's best for me, and that's April. I'm marrying her, and that's final."
He turned and walked away, leaving us feeling stunned and helpless. We knew we had to do something, but what? Our father's mind was made up, and nothing we did or said seemed to matter.
Gabriel slumped back into the couch, his face defeated. Leonardo paced back and forth, his eyes burning with frustration. And I just stood there, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. We were running out of options, and time was running out.
But then Leonardo saw her photos - our new step-sister.
"Woah, guys check this out," he held up his phone. We gathered around, curious, and that's when we saw her.
She was beautiful, with piercing green eyes and long, curly brown hair. But it was more than that.
There was something about her that drew us in, a vulnerability and strength that we couldn't quite explain.
I, however, saw her differently. She was an obstacle to my plans, an annoying fly to be swatted and forgotten.