The Alpha’s Hybrid Mate

Arianna’s POV "You slut!"

The slap was so fast that I didn’t see it coming; I felt the sting as my father’s hand connected with my cheek, sending my head to the side.

For a second, everything went silent. My ears rang, and my skin burned.

I stared up at him, frozen, my palm slowly lifting to touch the place he’d struck. "Dad...?"

"Don’t speak," he growled in a low voice. "Don’t you dare open that filthy mouth and drag this family’s name into the dirt again."

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. It wasn’t the first time this was happening, getting accused wrongly with no one to defend me.

My voice cracked as I whispered, "I didn’t do anything...Colewas the one who..."

"Oh, please," Gina cut in, strutting into the room with that perfectly fake expression of hurt and betrayal. "He told me everything. You texted him, said you were sick and needed help."

I blinked. What?

"And because I’m not a complete monster," she added with a dramatic sniff, "I decided to bring you warm milk. And what do I walk in on? You, throwing yourself at him like some desperate, seductive little..."

"That’s not what happened!" I shouted as my chest heaved. "He came into my room and..."

Gina scoffed, cutting me off before I finished." Who the hell are you kidding? You asked him to see you, and yet you remained in a towel. Arianna, how shameless can you be? Do you think we are foolish not to see through your lies?. You must have tried to compel him, you are a vampire after all"

She has thrown that vampire card on my face again to make them believe her, false testimony I could see my father clench his hands with a look of distaste on his face

"N, no, no. Y-you’ve got it wrong. I never texted him. I didn’t even know he was... he sat down, he..." It was of no use explaining, but I did anyway.

"You always have an excuse, don’t you?" Mom’s voice sliced in from behind me, venom-laced and cold.

My heart clenched. I recalled how much she loved and protected me in the past, but now...

"Just like every other time. You think we’re all too stupid to see what you’re really like? You were clearly laying onColewhen we came in. Try explaining that."

I swallowed. It was true but that had been because he yanked my hand and I lost my footing, sending me flying on top of him and at that perfect moment, Gina pushed the door and waltzed in.

"Mum..."

She lifted her palm. "And to think I actually interceded for you, begging your father that what Victoria said about you sleeping with Gamma Reed’s

son yesterday was a lie, and you’re doing it again today?"

I turned around, heart pounding so loud I couldn’t hear. She was standing there, arms crossed, like I was something she’d scraped off the bottom of her shoe.

I looked toCole, my last chance, my last hope.

He just stood there, leaning against the wall with that smug little smile like all of this was beneath him... as if he were entitled to watch me burn.

"Cole," I said, pleading, "...please tell them. Tell them the truth." He gave a lazy shrug, brushing a hand through his stupid, perfect hair.

"Look, I dunno. I truly cared that you were under the weather. But y-you just... misread the situation."

"Misread?"

My voice cracked.

I took a step back, the betrayal crashing over me so hard I thought I might drown in it.