Reagan’s POV
Dad never ceases to amaze me, and not in a good way. I am so very disappointed in him. He let me down, and he let mom down. He refuses to admit any fault and I am not going to back down here. I can’t because before I am done with him, he is going to admit what he did to mom. He looks so stunned right now that I just sit back down in my chair to let him process what I just told him. It might take a minute. When he does finally get it he will know for a fact that her dying, was completely on him. He will not want to accept that, it will cause him to have to accept that if he had done what we asked to begin with, none of us would be here right now.
He would be at home, with mom, doing whatever it is they did there. He would still have his precious money. Cheryl and Blake would be fine, and happy together. Their son would have never had to deal with the things that my dad put on him. I would be happy at Blood tracker, and not here to pick up my mother’s body for burial. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder and then another hand falls on my other shoulder and it is Clive and Aaron showing me support for what I said to dad. They knew it had been tough on me, and were showing me support. I now feel the tears on my face from having to give my dad a reality check. I did hate that our last interaction together was going to be unpleasant. That his last memory of me was going to be me calling him out for what he has done. He needs to know my anger at his actions and disappointment in what he chose to do to Blake, Cheryl, and their son.
He knowingly set out to destroy them, when others played a much bigger role in what happened. He focused more on being angry with Blake and Cheryl and me being demoted to a breeder, than the two that lied about me, and set me up. I had been the cause of my own punishment. I started that ball rolling myself. Blake was totally within his rights to kill me. Just like these girls are being sentenced to death, for the exact same thing. They rolled the dice, and they crapped out too. I messed up, and my penalty was the same. Dad just bought my way out of being killed, and so did Aaron.
I saw it when it hit. When the knowledge of what he had done, hit him hard. I never meant to cause him to cry, but I did want him to know that he was the reason that his mate, my mother, is dead. He sank to his knees, and he stopped pretending. He is in full-on grief at the realization that he is culpable, and entirely at fault here. I know that I needed to ease up on him now, but I needed answers. I am sure that Blake needed them too.
“Why dad? What were you thinking when you know that we barely escaped the council, Black Adder, and Blood Walker? We barely escaped with our lives, so why would you do this? Why would you pursue it when both mom and I asked you to drop it? Why did you choose to punish Blake and Cheryl, when Garrett and Marc were the ones that caused it? I just don’t understand your thinking here, dad. It doesn’t even make any sense. Because now we are both on their radar, dad, they all knew where we are. Did you think Cheryl was just going to leave you alone, and not pay you back? I am not trying to be mean here dad, I just cannot understand why you would risk everything, including your own freedom to do this?” I asked him.
“Every time I saw you, I could not get over seeing what they did to you there. It was like you were branded by them with all of your scars. They wanted to make you hideous so the guys wouldn't want you anymore. You were so beautiful, just like your mother. Now that I know that she is a descendant, it makes more sense that she was as stunning as she was. You are my only child, and I could not protect you from harm. I did. I tried, I spent so much to try to keep you safe, and you were hurt the moment you left here. Do you think that didn’t hurt me too? How we weren’t even allowed to come and see you. To see exactly what had happened to you. We were prevented from going there for three months. We knew it was bad, and it broke our hearts. I have spent my life protecting you and taking care of you. I love you and your mother so much. I just wanted them to realize the same hurt I felt. I felt that the whole thing was caused by you being demeaned and demoted to the lowest ranking you could get. Even Omegas have more value. You were meant for great things, and everything was taken away from all of us. I have had no control of anything for years when I have always had some control over things. How do you think that made me feel? I just couldn’t let what happened to you go. I tried, I really, really, tried to let it go. But with each visit, I grew angrier. Just seeing how you were treated by most of the people at Blood Tracker like you were less than gum on their shoes. Like they thought you asked to become a breeder. Like you asked to be hurt by those jealous she-wolves. All you did was just want to live, we did too because it would have broken our hearts to lose you. Yes, you made mistakes to get where you are, that was my fault too. I wanted to give you the world. I was so proud of you. I know that Goddess punished us because of our actions, and what we did to Cole. But I have loved you from the moment you arrived, and I would give my own life to protect yours” dad announced to the room.
I can feel the tears running down my face as I realized how bad he has felt over me getting hurt. He has been able to protect me, but I got myself into those binds, by trying to emulate what he did. My dad was my hero, and I thought that he was the best at everything her did. I tried my best to be like him. We were both in the wrong for it, him for teaching me to cheat and deceive people like that. He was the reason for most of my attempts to try to live up to what he had always taught me. I screwed up, and I shouldn’t cry foul when it bites me in the ass. I need to remind dad of that very thing because he targeted a child. An innocent child was affected due to his actions. He went too far. He has to accept the fact that I didn’t want this, I never wanted this, even immediately after I was hurt. I was shocked and angry that it happened, but Aaron had Alpha commanded them not to harm me. I do not know how they were able to get past it, but the blame was solely on them, for their own actions, and Aaron had dealt with them all swiftly. Aaron and Clive protected me when they wanted to kill me. None of us knew that they were capable of what they did.
“Dad, I appreciate that you wanted to defend me, I do. I know that you love me, you just have always shown it with gifts, and giving me stuff. I would have liked for you to tell me that you loved me. I would rather just have had more time with you and mom. I didn’t have a great relationship with her, I was really hurt by your cheating on her. She closed herself off from both of us and stopped giving her time. She just kind of stayed to herself. Part of that I am sure was the fact that you declared open season on Raven. I had some excellent conversations with mom, on the last two visits. Getting to see her more relaxed, and happy was good to see. I was looking forward to our next visit, but that is never going to happen now, is it? She gave me an extra-long hug goodbye when she left the last time because she knew that there were not going to be any more goodbyes between us again. I know in my heart that she went out of her way to remind me on the last couple of visits how much she liked Cheryl. How much she pitied Cheryl for what she was going through. It was her letting me know that she knew what was happening and that she accepted the penalty for it. She pitied Cheryl because she had been there dad. She knew exactly what Cheryl was going through. She knew just how hard you had pushed her because it was past the breaking point. Mom also knew that killing her would bring about what needed to happen, your suffering for it. You brought this on yourself, dad. Mom couldn’t tell us because the Goddess wouldn’t have allowed her to. So she did what she could to let me know that it was going to be OK. That she was fine with what had to happen here, that it was the Goddess's will” I told him.
“Graham, there was a reason that I killed them all myself. I felt guilt at what had been done to Reagan. I made sure that Tabitha, Jennifer, and Michael, were all punished swiftly. I have mentioned to their families that they were killed because of their own actions. They were all at fault, and I made sure their families knew this. We have and will continue to, protect her. I would like to point out that there has not been another issue to happen to her in the last 15 years. That is why we are taking it so seriously about the vampire problem. I want you to know Graham since you have such a laser focus on the faults of others, that you yourself set Reagan up for this to have happened. You coddled her and spoiled her. You didn’t train her, or allow her how to be able to protect herself. She needed to learn how to do that. That was the very reason that she was able to be hurt by them. Reagan is a fierce fighter, and things would have ended very differently if she had been allowed to train at your pack. If she was attacked by three today, she would be able to take care of herself. I guarantee you that because we trained her. The fight would have been much different if you had. Reagan doesn’t hate the scars as you do. She considers them to be battle scars. Your “ugly reminder” is different for us. To us, it shows just how far she has come. They do not bother me, or Clive. We don’t find them to be ugly, instead, we look at them as something for her to be proud of. She is powerful now. She is strong and smart, and she will never allow herself to be hurt like that again. That is the difference, Graham. I have known a lot of men like you, men who find value only in what they consider to be perfection. What you need to realize is that she is perfect now too, right this moment, she is perfect. I think that you might have started this whole thing as payback for her, but that is not what it ended up being, was it? I think you are an evil and malicious person, Graham. I think that you used it as an excuse. The real reason that you went this far was that YOU were disrespected. Blake didn’t defer to you, or let Reagan get away with it. Instead, he followed our laws and dealt her punishment. I think you felt it was a slap in your face, and you did what you always did. Waited for people to lower their guard, and then stab them in the back. Why else would you set it up, to where the heir, would kill the next in line? I see it, even if you don’t want to admit it. You would be running the show, with Garrett as the mouthpiece for you. I see you, Graham, and I know what you were doing. You were taking out both the oldest children, so you could mold Robert into what you wanted him to be. You will never change, you are not innocent in this. Your mate was the actual victim, you weren’t, so stop acting like you were. You need to realize that everyone on this side of the bars, including Reagan, knows exactly who you are. You can hang it up on getting out of that cell, you will either be transferred to where you will get your sentence carried out and die there, or you will die here. That is what you have to look forward to” Aaron told him.
I was stunned at how strongly he told dad off. Dad hates disrespect, any Alpha does. Why dad thought he could disrespect Aaron with what he was saying, and then be surprised at being called out was almost funny. Dad was staring at Aaron as if he had never seen him before, but dad was in the wrong. He lied and said that Aaron didn’t punish anyone when Aaron was the one who killed all three of them. Clive was going to do it, but Aaron was the Alpha and demanded to carry out their sentence. It just shows how far gone dad is in his thinking. I guess now that mom is dead, he is going to lose it. He has nothing to live for, and he tried to get his freedom from here with the lies he was telling. No one believed his act at all, I couldn’t believe that he had the balls to even try it. Dad cost Blake his mate and child. Dad was even planning on getting one of Blake’s children to kill the other, and then have several years to run Black Moon behind the scenes. He was devious, and Aaron was right, he will never stop.
Dad was sure that Blake would be crippled by the weight of guilt for what he had done to his mate. That he would go crazy from either her dying, or doing what she did, and escaping. Dad planned this whole thing out and now was like “oh well” now that it didn’t work out for him. He is only scared because he knows that Blake isn’t just going to kill him. He is going to make him sorry, and torture him, probably for the next 7 years. I don’t need to come back and hear his lies. He thinks very well on his feet and even had me believing him until Aaron piped up. I cannot believe that I felt like he was doing it to defend me. I am thankful that Aaron knew what he was doing and put an end to it. Because that is what this is, dad is pulling out all the stops to get his freedom, and then he will be in the wind. We will never see him coming until he is here with whoever he can get to follow him and come after us. Dad is an excellent charmer, he can convince people to do almost anything he wants. He is convincing, and he seems to believe the bullshit that he speaks. Like he actually believes that he is telling the truth when it is the furthest thing from it. I cannot believe that I was falling for it. Mom and I both were the ones who knew what all he was capable of, and that is the scariest part of it. He is dangerous, and I was correct, to begin with. I will not be back for him, not to visit, or speak to him. When he passes they can just burn his body, I will not want him back. He had played me for the last time. I think that it is time to play with him now.
“Aaron is right, and I believe that I am done here, Blake. I would like to thank you for allowing me to come and say my goodbyes to my father. I appreciate that you would allow me here, especially after what I did to you and Cheryl. Again, I would like to apologize to you for what my father has done to you and your family. It is heartbreaking to see the trail of carnage that my dad leaves in his wake, as he serves his own agenda. I will not be returning again, as I have gotten my fill of lies today, and for my lifetime. Apparently, that is the only thing that my dad can speak, so there is no point in me returning here for more of the same. I forgot how good he is at it too, he almost had me believing him. I know him better than most, and he caught me up in his crazy attempt at twisting the facts to suit what he wanted me to hear. I also wanted to thank you for sharing dads money with me, and my children. The pack will benefit greatly from it, and I know that mom was worried about me not being able to take care of us in the future, as she knew how dad was with sharing his money. That is why she made him write those checks on the last two visits. I know she would have been very happy to see what you did and how you were able to get dad’s funds without the conman seeing the con. I know that you will be using the money to make things better for so many people” I told Blake, and he gave me a smile.
He knew what I was doing now, switching gears, and he was ready to play along with me. Dad is shocked at what I said and he immediately flared back up in anger, “You cannot take my money, it is MY money. You cannot steal it away from me like that.”
“Dad, if my memory serves me correctly, and I already know that it does. You have robbed and tricked so many packs. How dare you stand there and get so angry now, at getting played yourself? What can you do with it down here in the cells? Paper airplanes? You are in jail for breaking the pack laws. They don’t have a gift shop down here for you to use. I remember your laughing at the little additions that you used to add to the deals and agreements you wrote up. ones where you changed the amounts of what they would get to a lesser amount, but your cut and repayment stayed the same. You have cheated at least a hundred people doing that, as a matter of fact, you did it so much that no one would deal with you anymore. You are a cheat and a liar, and that fact is well known. You got rich off of doing things like that. I will start off with getting a fence built for Blood Tracker, and then see if I can repay the funds to the people you robbed. I will even do it in your name. I guess I don’t have to hide anymore, because your little plan got the council to know where we are. So before I get picked up, I guess I will be like a little fairy and grant their wish of getting their money back from you. It will be the least I can do for them. I will use my half of the money to make things right” I told him and his whole face is almost purple in his fury. I don’t know what his problem is, fair is fair. He really doesn’t need it down here, what was he going to do? Use it as wallpaper?
“I think that is an excellent idea, Reagan, and I am willing to give you 5 million of my half of the money for the perimeter fence for your pack. That way you don’t overextend yourself by making it right for others. I bet he cheated a lot of people with all he used to do. I researched him after you all had arrived. Other than him having an excellent head for business, there was nothing else positive about him. He clearly hasn’t learned his lesson either. He would rather keep it, even if he is stuck in the cells. I hate to tell you Graham, but it is no longer "your" money. It is now, our money” Blake said, and I nodded at him. I appreciate him doing that, we absolutely need the fence around the perimeter. That is good, as I have no idea at all how much dad owes these other packs. I truly may be more than I will get. I guess after I call and speak to Raven, I already know I will have to contact the council next. I will have to see if they can look up all the complaints against dad, so I can make it right and give those packs their money back.
“If you steal my money you ungrateful bitch don’t bother coming back here. You are no longer my daughter” I heard dad tell me as I stood up from the chair. I had to give a little laugh, as his money has been gone from him for days. He has no more power now, he is literally waiting to die.
“That is the best news I have heard all day, Graham. I am sorry that we are related, as well. I knew you were bad, but I never knew you were willing to sacrifice an innocent child to achieve a position of power again. You are the last person to be in charge of anything. I am ashamed of what you have done to further your own agenda with a plan so disgusting that you ended up killing my mother to achieve it. You are the very reason that she is dead, and you just kept pushing and pushing, didn’t you? You pushed Cheryl to the breaking point. It was not her fault that she had to do what she needed to, to escape and save her son. That is totally on you. You are a despicable man, and now these women will suffer as bait for the vampires because you included them in your “great idea” didn’t you Graham? I hope you suffer every day for what you have done. I know the Goddess will not be letting you worm your way out of it this time” I told him and walked away.
I needed to get out of here. My dad was screaming and cussing repulsive things at me, as he wanted to have the last word. The women were being handcuffed to be transported to Blood Tracker, and they were in various stages of yelling, crying, and cussing as their time here is up. Blake lead us out, and Clive held my hand as we went up the stairs. At the top, after the door closed I finally allowed my tears to flow freely. That really hurt, and I see that his real love was his money. I have lost both of my parents now. It didn’t matter that he disowned me because I had already decided to let him go. I was done. Done with the lies, and the throwing the blame on anyone but him. He is a piece of slime, and I am scraping him off of my shoe right now. The girls were led past us by the warriors, and taken to the SUV, and I felt bad for them, but they were sentenced to death. Their own actions were the reason for it. We just had to pick mom up, and we were leaving. I don’t ever want to come back here to Black Moon again, for any reason.
The Return of Reagan