Chapter 26: Twenty-six.

***Trigger Warning: Chapter looks at subjects which may cause distress to those with sensitivies about suicide. Chapter 27 will have a recap without the distressing description should you wish to move on.

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Sammy looked at her father in shock, she was in utter disbelief at what he had said.

"You're lying," she seethed bitterly, as Daniel came and began to stroke her arms. But, Sammy shrugged out of his grasp, still annoyed at his earlier tone, treating her like she was the problem.

"Samantha, I promise you, I came back" Martin spoke reaching out towards her.

But, Sammy shook her head and stepped away.

"You're unbelievable, do you know that," she frowned, looking the man who she used to adore up and down, "There was a time, I would have given anything to see you look at me like that again. But now? Now you make me sick! It is amazing how you will twist half truths to suit yourself, I will never believe you. "

"Samantha, please." Martin asked  looking genuinely hurt by her words.

"My name is Sammy. Not Samantha. Only one person has shown me enough care to warrant calling me that. That person is not you." She snarled, unwittingly hurting Daniel with her words.

"You were named after my mother's grandmother, Samantha." Martin stated, as if this explained everything.

"No, I gave up that name when I was placed into the care system, after both my parents who called me Samantha, left." She spat.

"I thought your Mom, died?" Daniel asked, finally managing to make contact with his mate's arm, without her shrugging away.

"She did," Sammy nodded, "But she also left. You see four days after he left her, I found my mother in the middle of the night," she swallowed hard, not wanting to relive the memory. "I had gotten up for a pee or a drink or something, and I went into the bathroom. She was just lying there, in the tub. The water was red, with the blood she had lost when she slit her own wrists. So, yeah, my Mom both died and left." The tears were pouring down her face at this point. "Raising me without this waste of space was too much of a task it seemed, or she was just too weak."

Everyone froze, unsure of what to say, even the smooth, if somewhat wine stained Martin Gray was at a loss.

So, Sammy continued.

"That's what my nightmares were about, Daniel; the night after the haunted house. That and one other scene." She added, leaning on him for support. "You see, I called nine-one-one. They sent the police and the paramedics as well as giving me instructions. I heaved my mother, out of that tub, got a fair few nasty bruises doing it as well. Then I wrapped her wrists in the towels she was always so proud to keep whiter than white. Next, I haphazardly followed through the CPR instructions they gave me. But it was useless, no point flogging a dead horse afterall." She stated, ignoring how everyone cringed at the darkness of her metaphor.

"Saman...Sammy," Martin reached out again, "If I'd have known, please, Baby girl, I would have tried harder to find you. Why do you think this meeting happened so quickly? I had to know if it was you. I had to find you, I never stopped trying."

"Oh, my story isn't over yet, Marty." Sammy almost growled, refusing to address him as a relation of her own ever again.

"Sammy, what happened next?" It was Henry this time, which surprised her.

There was a genuine care in his eyes as he looked at her, it unnerved her, and she wasn't quite ready to delve into that yet. So instead she continued.

"Next, the first responders arrived. I was soaking and covered in blood. They removed me from the room, checked me over, wrapped a foil blanket around me, and then I had to wait in the back of a police car, while they tried to contact my father."

"I never got that call," Martin stated horrified. "How did they try and reach me?"

"Is it the narcissistic persona that lends to your lies, or are you just that good at it, you dont' realise what you are doing?" Sammy snapped.

"What?" Martin asked, "Sammy, if I'd have gotten that call, I would have been there, I swear to you."

"Your word is worth fuck all to me. I saw you!" Sammy yelled, "I saw your car approaching down the street, I saw you get out and watch my mother loaded in a body bag into the back of some official truck! I watched you look around, before you made eye contact with me. I was hard to miss, stained red and slamming on the window of a cop car, screaming for you." Sammy's breath was ragged as she screamed at Martin, "You didn't even look regretful, you just got in your car and drove away! You are a disgrace, and I will never stop hating you!"

Sammy pulled at Daniel, trying to get free.

"Shh," he tried to soothe her.

"No, let me go. I can't stay here. Let me go!" She cried.

"Daniel, release her," Shane commanded.

As soon as she was free, Sammy fled, running out the room without any hindrance or any backward glances, as she did so.

"Shane!" Daniel growled, "Why would you..."

"Shut up, I didn't say you couldn't go after her," Shane stated, insinuating Daniel should leave as well. "Arrest Alpha Gray, now." He ordered, as each alpha present stalked forward to restrain the growling wolf.

Michelle was slumped in the closest chair ignoring her mate's snarls, she couldn't even look at him, she didn't notice when Henry left her side and walked to his father.

Martin thought he had back up.

He was wrong, Henry punched his father so hard the man blacked out and slumped to the floor.

He looked around to see the Beta was gone, then he followed knowing he would likely never see his father again.