Chapter 63

Chapter 63
Talia PoV

“I wasn’t questioning her decisions.” Tristan argues, his face red. “My brother was.”

“It didn’t seem that way to me.” Zade shrugs. “It seemed a lot like you agreed with most of what he said.”

I step forward, capturing both their attentions. “Let’s stop right there, I want no more arguing about it. What has been done is in the past, we just need to figure out how to move forward.”

Silas takes my arm, his voice low. “You sure you want to stay with this filth? I know a witch who will break the bond for you.” He gives Tristan a look of pure hate. “And then I can deal with him without hurting you.”

Tristan goes pale. “Talia….”

“I don’t want to break the mate bond.” I admit, “but I want the truth from now on, and I want a little respect: I might be a woman, but I’m as strong as anyone on this room.”

“No one is questioning your strength, love.” Tristan pipes up, his voice soft like silk.

He’s trying to manipulate me through the bond, but I won’t accept that. I need space, I need time to think.

“That’s exactly what you do when you say I can’t take care of my own sister and make decisions for her.” I growl back, shutting off the bond for now. “I can protect my sister; I’m not a scared little girl anymore.”

Silas rubs my back, his voice soothing, unlike Tristan’s, “I will support you no matter what you decide.” He says.

“Thank you.” I whisper, leaning into his touch.

Zade steps forward, “for the record, I would never hurt my little sisters, I came here to protect them, not make their lives harder.” He takes my hand, soft and gentle. “Talia is of sound mind, if she agrees for me to stay, then I will. But if she wants me to go, I will do that too.”

They all look at me, expecting me to break down. But I won’t.

I was serious when I said I wasn’t a scared little girl anymore, I’m stronger now. Much stronger. I don’t need any of them to protect me, but I want them to. I want us all to fight my father together.

But that won’t happen if we can’t all get along.

“I want my brother to stay.” I say coolly, “and if anyone has a problem with that. They can speak to me. Not talk behind my back.”

They all nod, though Tristan looks like he might argue, and honestly, I don’t care if he does. I’ve made my decision, and I won’t change it.

“I’m going to go spend the rest of the afternoon with my sister, Zade, Silas, you are both welcome to join me.” I turn to Tristan. “You need to think about what you want from me, because clearly something isn’t working.”

He steps forward, trying to take my hand, but I pull back. “Stay here, talk to me alone.” He almost begs.

An alpha begging, it would be funny if it wasn’t tragic.

“I love you Tristan.” I say softer this time. “But you can’t keep questioning me on everything and then getting angry when I don’t agree with you.”

“That’s not what happened Talia.” He argues, still not giving me a chance to explain how I feel. “ I was trying to take your side against James.”

I shrug. “You might have been.” I say, “but you also agreed with him, and that hurts Tristan. You know how protective I am of aria. I would never let anyone hurt her.”

He sighs. “I know that.” He admits. “I should have trusted you, I’m sorry.”

An apology. That’s a start.

“Aria is waiting for me.” I say, heading for the door. “We can speak about this later, all of us, together.”

Tristan nods, sitting back down behind his desk.

We head down the stairs and into the garden, Aria playing on the swing set Tristan had installed not long after we arrived here.

Zade stops me before I can shout her, “Talia. Are you sure you want me here?”

I’m surprised by the question, but I know the answer my heart is shouting at me.

“Yes Zade, I want you here.” I say softly, too low for Aria to hear. “I trust you.”

His eyes go wide for a second before he nods, “and I trust you, you are stronger than you think Talia. Much stronger.”

I nod; I know that.

I was always taught that girls mean nothing by my father, but he was wrong. Women are special, we carry children, men can’t do that.

I’m strong, as strong as an alpha because of my blood, and I can protect myself now, something I had dreamt of for a long time.

I always wanted to be stronger than a girl, but I am strong because of everything that I’ve been through. It made me realise the world is cruel, and you have to carve out happiness whenever you can because a future is never promised.

“Go and play with the girl.” Silas tells my brother, “I need to talk to Talia.”

Zade looks between us before nodding, clearly deciding that I was safe with Silas.

Aria smiles as he approaches and immediately convinces him to push her on the swings, which he happily agrees to.

I turn to Silas. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.” He says, scooping me into his arms. “I just wanted to apologise for scaring you earlier. I never wanted to hurt you.”

I smile, unable to hide my happiness.

My father never apologised for hurting me, he didn’t think he needed to because he was a man and I was just a girl with no worth.

But I have worth, lots of it, and I won’t let anyone tell me different anymore.

And I won’t let anyone take that from me again.

“Thank you.” I say.

“One more thing.” He says. “I think you need to see a doctor.”

I frown. “Why? I’m healthy.”

“Not that kind of doctor.” He chuckles, “I want you to go to therapy and work through the trauma your father caused you.”

I go silent, he wants me to see a head doctor?

There was no such thing in my father's pack, but I’ve heard of them since coming here. Maybe it’s worth a shot?

I just hope that I’m strong enough to deep dive in all my trauma, because there’s a lot of it.

Too much.

Though there is one thing I know for certain, I will not be abused again.

Especially by my father.