"I'm not. Of course I would tell you.. They needed me unharmed for some reason." I stood up slowly and sighed, letting them know that I just wanted to either get that discussion over with, or like my father said, rest and then have the conversation with him. My mom stood beside me, rubbing my back and directing me out of the living room. "I'll let Tara know you're back.. She'll make you something to eat." Tara was my babysitter when I was little, and she still worked as a housekeeper for my whole life almost. I knew she was probably dying worried as well.. She loved us like her own children. As we left the room, my mom continued rubbing my back in circles slowly, and I could tell she was doing her best not to bombard me with more questions.. I was thankful she managed to hold them to herself because I didn't want to talk right away. The sight of them all didn't exhaust me, but it just seemed to knot my tongue, perhaps because of the guilt I felt for lying. I needed time to think it through first.. To let it all set in.. "Do you want to rest?" She said more quietly, probably thinking that maybe I wanted to talk to her about what happened privately, but my father was the one that had explaining to do, and a lot of convincing too.. I tried making out a smile. "Yes, please." "Alright. I'll go tell Tara to make you your favorites. I'll be in your room in a second." I nodded my head and watched her walk towards the kitchen. They were all probably so confused because I barely talked.. But I knew that talking to my father first would be the best choice. I acted tired and yawned, noticing my dad approach me near the stairs. Before I could walk up, I felt him grip my arm lightly and make me look at him. "Swear to me, Lana. Did anyone touch you?" I looked him in the eyes.. I suppose he too thought I would maybe want to say something alone to him and not in front of my brothers.. "I swear." And that wasn't a lie. No one rose a finger on me. Christian would never. "I don't want you thinking that you cannot talk to me.." And then I knew exactly what he meant. He was thinking the worst.. He was thinking that I could've been beaten, raped and god knows what not.. And I understood why because he was still living in fear like he did while the old king ruled. But even if I was taken, I knew Dimitri handled things differently. Besides, I recently learned that my father's deals that he made with other packs were far more important than me.. He basically promised me to Alexander. Maybe he was just worried someone took my innocence and honor. It would be breaking news if I tell him that I had boyfriends.. Did he even consider me as a grown up? "I stayed true to Alexander, if that's what you're worried about.. You haven't broken your promise to him." Perhaps I answered too harshly, but the guilt I felt for lying to him instantly disappeared whenever I thought about him acting like someone I never thought I'd know, arranging a marriage with a stranger for me. And on top of everything, he did lie to me and my brothers our whole lives. "Alexander? You think that's what I'm worried about? Lana-" "I walked for a long while to have to discuss this argument with you again. I'll marry him if that's what you want. That will certainly prove you more wrong than anything else will.. But then it'll be a bit too late, trust me on this." I walked up the stairs before he could continue. Of course I was bluffing when I said I'd marry him. I'd rather die than commit to a monster like that. If my father even knew what Alexander was willing to do, he would kill him himself.. Not because he threatened on Christian's life, but because he dared to threaten me as well.. Adam was danger to me as well.. My father was soon to find that out. And my 'stubbornness' and refusing to marry a stranger would become his least damn problem. ~ My hands were freezing even though my blood was boiling.. My whole body was on fire. The air barely reached my lungs as I clenched my fist and knocked on my father's office door. The afternoon came quicker than I thought it would. I didn't want to sleep so I spent the time talking to my mom and Tara, and of course them asking all kinds of questions that I replayed with a simple, 'I'm talking to dad first.' I was not planning on having to go through those lies twice. If my mother was so interested in what happened to me during the past few weeks, she was going to have to hear it from my father.. Of course, he was definitely answering more questions than I was because he had a lot of explaining to do. I just wished they would understand themselves what kind of a person Alexander was. He was toxic in every way, yet they were ready to marry me to him while forbidding any kind of contact with the vampires.. Especially the royals.