\[Denali’s POV\]
“Denali, you came!”
Anastasia rushes forward and throws her arms around me while I fight the urge to grimace. After returning from our impromptu business/honeymoon trip, I received a phone call about Anastasia’s dress rehearsal for her wedding. Of course, I was required to be there since I would be the maid of honor, and after sleeping off a bit of my jet lag, I was here while Rosco took care of some business in his father’s office.
“How could I not be?” I ask, gently untangling her from around me. “You can’t have a wedding without a maid of honor.”
“That’s right,” Anastasia agrees, clearly trying to save face in front of not only Alexander but his family, who are gathered around watching us curiously. “I’m just so thrilled you’re here.”
“You’re my sister.”
It is painful to act like we are the best of friends, but if I show even the slightest bit of hesitance, I know I would be accused of being jealous because Alexander chose Anastasia over me.
“That’s right,” Anastasia giggles. “Come along; the rehearsal is beginning!”
Nodding, I allow myself to be led to where her bride's maids wait with looks of disgust and annoyance on their faces. When we arrive, my stepmother fixes her gaze on mine, and I can just see the wheels turning. I really need to remain on my toes throughout this entire thing.
“Since everyone is finally here,” she begins, giving me a pointed look. “Take your places.”
For the next hour, we go through the motions of learning when and how we are supposed to line up, and when we are finally finished, I am more than ready to leave, but when I attempt to make my escape, my father appears.
“Denali,” he says, his voice cold. “I’m shocked you had the gall to show up today.”
Flinching, I try to ignore the throb of pain that shoots through my heart over my own father hating me so much.
“Wouldn’t you lose face if I didn’t?” I ask, keeping my expression neutral. “How would it look to others if the only true daughter of Emerald Moon didn’t show up for her stepsisters wedding?”
Growing quiet, I wait as my father works to contain his anger due to us having others around us, but I knew if we were alone he would have lashed out by now. I guess you could say I was pushing my luck because I knew that he didn’t want to look bad in front of his future in-laws.
“I’m shocked you still give a damn about your familial loyalty after you went against me back in Crystal Fang,” he finally huffs. “I was beginning to wonder if you still even cared about getting your mother’s ashes back; that’s why I threw them out.”
At his words, my eyes grow wide, and rage begins to boil in me.
“You what?” I hiss, trying to keep my voice low. “Repeat that.”
“I threw them out,” he smirks.
In that moment, any rational thought disappears, and I’m attacking, shoving him backwards into the wall, and then pinning him there while everyone around us watches.
“How could you?” I scream, fighting the tears that want to escape. “HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH A HEARTLESS BASTARD?”
By this point, I don’t give two shits who sees all of this. What my father did was unacceptable, and I would be damned if I didn’t ruin his perfect image right here and now.
“YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MARRIED HER!” I shriek as a crowd gathers around us. “HOW CAN YOU BE SUCH A…”
I don’t get to finish the rest of my words before I’m grabbed by my stepmother and thrown aside, so I’m left crashing to the ground.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She growls, coming to my father’s defense. “Are you crazy?”
“Maybe,” I admit, slowly getting up. “I must be crazy to have thought that my father would care in the slightest about the woman who loved him to the very end, but he didn’t, right, dad?” I continue, fixing my gaze on his. “The only thing you cared about from the very start was the power that she gave you.”
Most knew that the only reason my father got the position of alpha of Emerald Moon was because of my mother. The pack originally belonged to her father, and when he married my mother, he took over.
"Otherwise, you would still be a nobody.”
Letting out a growl, my father surges forward and lashes out, letting his hand connect with my cheek, so I crash into a pillar and then crumple to the ground.
“That’s it,” I beam, feeling like something in me has snapped. “Show everyone present just what you’re capable of! Fuck your fake facade!”
“Shut up!” My stepmother hisses, moving forward and kicking me with her heeled foot. “I knew it was a horrible idea to include you in this wedding!”
As she speaks, she kicks me again and again until I’m sure she has managed to crack one of my ribs, but even now I’m too angry to truly feel it.
Fixing my gaze on hers, I let a laugh escape me as everyone present watches the shitshow that is taking place. Good. Now they could see how awful these two truly were. He no longer had anything to hold against me since my mother’s ashes were gone, and I would personally make sure to ruin him however I could.
“You must have a death wish to touch my woman like that."
Eyes widening, I turn my head in the direction of the voice and feel a wave of relief rush through me as Rosco makes his way toward us.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He growls, grabbing my stepmother and pulling her away from me. “Is this the way Emerald Moon treats their family?”
“Who are you to interfere with my disciplining my own daughter?” My stepmother demands.
“She isn’t your daughter,” Rosco snarls, reaching down and pulling me into his arms. “You’re lucky I don’t hit women; otherwise, I would gladly return the same courtesy to you."
“Are you threatening my wife?” My father demands, taking a few steps toward Rosco. "I'll..."
“Take another step, and I promise you will be six feet under earth by tomorrow,” Rosco warns, letting his aura explode from him, and to my surprise, it causes my father to stumble backward. “I think you of all people should know better than stepping up to me, right?”
For a moment, my father doesn’t speak as he continues to take in Rosco with an unreadable expression. After another moment, he seems to deflate and point toward the venue exit.
“Leave,” he snaps. “And don’t you dare come anywhere near Anastasia’s wedding, neither of you. Denali,” he continues, fixing his cold gaze on me. “Consider yourself banished from Emerald Moon.”
At his words, it feels like something in me snaps, and I’m sure it is the connection I have to the pack. As Alpha, he was giving me the command to cut all ties, which left me not only wolfless but packless now.
“For now,” Rosco counters, giving a smirk. “Enjoy your time as alpha, Roger, because soon enough you’ll be nothing more than a lowly omega again.”