"Other than working with that bastard that called himself a king, that I believe got the fate he deserved by being daggered and in a magic sleep for the past two years, I believe that I don't." His tone was firm and called, but I knew that my father didn't believe that the old king got the fate he deserved.. Huh, my father wanted far worse for him.. He never hated many people, but the spite he had for the old king was always open and honest. "Why are you asking me this?" That was the moment when I was supposed to tell him the real reason why I was asking all of that.. It was the moment when I was supposed to ask that direct question.. But I could see how much the subject triggered him.. I knew my father. I could tell that something far more complicated was going behind his eyes. It's like the wildness in them was tamed by some dread I had never seen before. So, I decided to circle around the subject a bit more and give him the chance to answer it himself. To be truthful with me. Deny or confirm. I couldn't keep my eyes off his.. I was trying to figure him out.. "I had a dream.." How could I tell him that it was actually a damn side effect of a spell? I looked down at my hands that were resting on my lap. "Of a witch whispering a question or two to me." I hated lying to him, but he was hiding something too.. And I did not find the courage to tell him that I was actually friends with a witch and that she was waiting for me outside. My words triggered something in him. Alongside the firmness of his expression, I saw the threat. The slight warning. "Lana." His tone was meaningful. I knew exactly where this lead. "You know my rule about the witches.. Tell me you have nothing to do with that." He rose his voice slightly. I hated when he scolded me. I was scared what he might do if I admit that in fact yes, I had some connections with a witch. God knows what he might do if he found out that I had an affair with a vampire, let along Christian.. A few seconds passed and I kept quiet, glancing towards the window. His tone became even louder, filled with more threat and instantly making me look back at him. "Lana, tell me that you haven't been messing with stuff like tha,-" "I haven't. I haven't, dad." It was a useless attempt to calm him down. I managed to stop the yelling and perhaps convince him that I had been still following his rules. He thought witches were dangerous. Other than the vampires, witches were the only creatures he had warned us about. It was a strict rule me and my brothers, alongside every younger member of the pack, that we were not allowed to come close to a witch, let along have business with them. However.. "Have you?" I asked, thinking of the attack that happened that night. What if he really had something to do with it? But he just kept quiet for a second. "I know about the necklace. What kind of secrets are you keeping from us?" My tone was harsh.. I didn't like the simple thought of it.. Hiding, lying.. God, that's exactly what he had always taught us not to do.. Yet he was the one that was letting this family come to a ruin because of those exact things. He looked at me and I knew my accusation angered him. "Don't talk to me like that, young lady." Even though he managed to keep his audacity and confidence, managed to keep me in my place and crash my curiosity down with only a threat or two, I could tell that he was hiding something.. A few things in fact. "Everything I had done in my life was to protect you." He continued, once again trying to change this subject into something that it wasn't.. But I already knew that.. I was aware that he dedicated years and years of his life to keep me and my brothers safe.. To keep our whole pack safe.. And I never questioned that.. However, he owed answers. Life changing answers. I already had to drop the subject about Jessica because he was obviously not going to answer, but this.. This was something that happened the previous night. If he had something to do with the attack,- "And I have nothing to do with that necklace.. I was asked to keep it. I did but I don't have it anymore." He finally answered, and I felt something turn in my stomach. So he was involved. It was true. We did take the necklace from him.. I straightened up and shifted a bit closer to his desk. I felt like I was going to explode from curiosity. "Who did you give it to? Luke?" "Lana, I would appreciate it if you kept your nosiness to yourself. You have other things to think about." Again, he changed the subject like an expert. I almost rolled my eyes at him. He unbelievable! "For example, your explanation on where you had been for so long.." "Don't change the subject, dad." I said, already feeling disturbed that his actions and words were only denial, and the one thing he had done since I walked in his office was useless attempts to escape certain subjects and distract me from them.. "Who did you give the necklace to?" My insists seemed to bother him in the worst way possible. His gaze was locked on me and I could tell exactly what kind of warnings he effortlessly sent me. Drop it. To simply let it go. Why? Was it dangerous to even talk about it? Or was he scared that I was already close to some truth.. "Alexander." My lips parted in surprise.. So it was true? Everything that I assumed was nearly completely the way I thought it was going to be.. I looked on the side and just unconsciously leaned back on the armchair. It was just explainable what kind of disappointment went through me in that moment. And I knew he saw it on my face. "I want nothing to do with any witch craft, I told you this. I want stuff like that out of our family." Yes. The minute he knew I could understand human language, he made sure to make it damn straight that he only wanted our people, and our people only around us. No other packs, vampires, witches, clionas.. Not even humans. He was now the one that was playing games with someone from a complete different pack.. Allowing him in our family. And ruining not only my life, but the lives of hundreds of others. And now he had the audacity to tell me that he wanted harmful stuff away from our family? I ran my hands through my hair trying to ease the pressure in my head. "Alexander is the biggest poison to this family, and you have to be blind not to see that." I realized that my tone was way too harsh, but I was only trying to prove a point. And all he did was press his hands against his wooden desk and stand up, furious from the fact that I dared to accuse him of bringing someoneb toxic to our family. "Your marriage with him will save this family, mark my word, Lana." My heart preformed a hallow skip, the dread from what he might do now completely overwhelmed and replaced by the anger that made me rise from my chair as well, and oppose to the only person I feared to say no to my whole life.