The Forbidden Daughter

CHAPTER 5

Chapter warning: Contains some abuse.

JACK’S POV

“What the hell are you grinning about? Finally found a boy and shacked up in the school broom closet or something?” I tease Talia and laugh at the cold glare she gives me. “That look don’t work on me Poppit, you learned it from me after all.” I say laughing again. “What are you guys laughing about?” My mom asks coming into the dining room and placing our dinners in front of us before going to sit at her place at the table. “Well…” Jack begins, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Talia was just about to tell me the steaming details of shacking up with a boy in the broom closet at school.” I say, laughing at her red face. Not sure if it was embarrassment or rage.

“Is not!” She growls out at me as Elaina pins her with a mothers warning glare. “Talia. Do we need to have the talk again about mates and s*x?”

“Oh Moon Goddess, please no, I think I’m still scarred from the last talk you gave me.” Talia replies, definitely blushing furiously now. “And there isn’t any boy.” She says glaring at me. “I... uhm... actually, made a friend today.” She says and she suddenly finds her food very interesting and starts eating. I smile brightly at her. It’s good to see Talia loosen up a bit. She’s always so serious and coldly to other people so I’m glad that she was actually able to befriend someone.

“Mmmm. Perhaps someone you can introduce me to?” I ask teasingly again, wiggling my eyebrows. She gives me her famous glare again. “Oh no! I’m not letting you near Jane. I don’t need you shagging up someone that could possibly become a friend.” She bits out at me and I roar with laughter.

Elaina just rolls her eyes, shaking her head at us. Used to the normal bickering between Talia and me. “So, Jane huh?” Elaina asks as she cut up some of her meat on her plate. But I can feel the tension in her body even though she tries to hide it behind her smile, and I know that Talia can feel it too. “Y-yeah, she’s genuinely nice mom and not as snobbish as the other bitches roaming the school.” Elaina glare sat her over her use of language but Talia continues. “She’s actually easy to talk to and we have practically every class together. Besides, after her run in this morning I kind of feel protective of her, Nera as well.” Talia adds the last bit in a low voice as she digs into her food again. Elaina and I narrow our eyes at her, pinning her with our eyes. “Care to explain what run in?” Elaina asks before I could.

Talia doesn’t look back up but takes another bite of food. As if trying to collect her words carefully. After she swallows, she looks up. “Well, you see… Jane was asked to show me around this morning and when she took me to my locker to organize my books for the upcoming classes, she went to gather her own. When I heard a noise, I went to go look for her and I saw that she was pinned against the lockers by this guy named Jake. She was almost crying as he was trying to talk her into going to the janitor’s closet for some ‘fun’ and I interrupted him and pulled Jane to class.” She says quickly, almost rambling her words.

“And?” I prod further and knowing Talia that could not be all that happened. After a moments pause she says “The guy is a wolf” He and his friends. They were temporary transferred to this school because theirs got burnt down or something.” She rambles again while taking another bite and chewing slowly.

“Talia?” Elaina says, stretching out her name in a low stern voice and Talia squirms in her seat. “I didn’t do anything to him. At least not then.” She says and again she lets the last part out on a low voice. “Please explain what you mean by that.” Elaina says, putting down her eating utensils on the table.

I watch her closely as she takes a breath and looks up between us. “After morning classes, we went to the cafeteria to get some lunch and when we sat down this Jake came over and tried to talk me up. I told him to get lost but he ignored me and sat next to me telling me to ditch Jane and to go have ‘fun’ with him instead and then he put his hand on my thigh.”

“And?” I ask. Feeling anger in the pit of my stomach at the thought of someone manhandling someone I consider my little sister.

“And I sort of got pissed and threw him over the table making him land flat on his face.” She says with a twinge of a grin tucking at the corners of her lips whereas I smile proudly, beaming at her but I quickly drop it from my face as I see Elaina glaring at me.

“Nothing happened after that, I promise. His friends dragged him away before he could say or do anything else.” She quickly says. “Good. That’ll teach the dog not to lay a hand on my little sister.” I praise her as she finally allows herself to smile while Elaina stays silent but still tense.

After a small silence between the three of us, the subject was dropped and the rest of dinner went by with small talk and discussions on what to unpack or leave in storage and soon enough we all retired for the night.

***

TALIA POV.

The next morning, I got up early. I took a shower and got dressed in a stretch denim with a V neck red shirt with my usual hoody of course and sneakers. I enter the kitchen for breakfast where mom and Jack were already sipping their coffee over a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. “Morning” I greet them as I get some orange juice from the fridge and join them at the table. They greet back in unison and mom continues to read the newspaper while Jack is scrolling through his phone. After some small talk and another lecture from my mom about behaving myself, I take my wolf’s bane dosage and chuck it down with the last bit of juice and head out to school.

I pull into the parking space I occupied yesterday and walk into school while looking around to see if I can spot Jane. I head to my locker and get my necessary books for the morning classes. I head towards Jane’s locker and breathe a sigh of relief when I see her piling books into her bag for class as well. “Hi.” Jane greets me with a huge smile and relief on her face. “You didn’t think I would ditch you, did you?” I say returning her smile. “No but knowing what I do now I feel much safer with you around. Especially with Jake stalking around.” She says while we head of towards our first class.

We almost made it before someone shoved into me making my bag fall to the ground and my books spilling out and I angrily spin around. “Oops sorry” The girl says not looking sorry at all and walks off giggling. ‘Bitch.’ Nera pipes up in my head and I silently agree. I get a whiff of the girl that bumped into me and realized that she was a wolf, probably one of d**k’s pack. Jane helps me gather my books and we slip into class with a couple minutes to spare.

The rest of the morning went along rather uneventful except for Jane’s curious questions about wolves’ and soon it was time for lunch and we decided that to take our lunch outside again where we quickly ate and did some of the mornings homework. I catch a glimpse of Jake out the corner of my eye but ignore his glares. He seems unwilling to confront me, probably because he doesn’t want attention brought on them, but I can feel his anger from across the field.

The rest of the school day went by fast and once again Jane and I were standing in the parking lot. “Are you working again?” I ask but she shakes her head. “No not today but I have to get home.” She says and I see the same flicker of a shadow behind her eyes. “Okay, you want a lift?” I ask as I mount peppermint and wait on her reply. She looks at me hesitantly but nods as a smile spreads on her face. “I’ve never driven on one of these before.” She says taking my helmet that I offered to her and she gets on behind me. “Well I’m glad I get to be you first” I say and freeze. She bursts out laughing and I feel my face go red and physically palm my forehead with my hand. “That sounded so wrong” I finally say giggling. “That’s okay and I know what you meant. Besides, you’re not really my type.” Jane replies still giggling and puts on the helmet.

We leave the school parking lot, and she directs me to her address before coming to stop at a lower part of town. I look up at the house and to see a decent sized home that would have once been beautiful if it weren’t so neglected. Fading and chipped paint cover the front of the house and the gutters are practically falling off and a dingy old car in the driveway. At least the front lawn looks better kempt than the house does.

Jane dismounts and gives me back my helmet. “Thanks for the ride.” She says glancing at the car and then towards the windows before giving me a smile and hurries up the pathway. She briefly pauses to wave goodbye before disappearing behind the door into the house. I feel Nera being slightly agitated in the back of my mind and I have this strange feeling about being here. I shrug it off and head home. Not in the least looking forward to tonight’s training session with Jack.

***

JANE POV.

After Talia dropped me off, I quickly wave her goodbye before closing the door. I barely made it two steps when a tall dark shadow stepped in front of me making me walk right into it. I quickly step back clutching my schoolbag tightly and cautiously stare into the furious gaze of the man that I know as my father.

“I’m sorry daddy. I-I didn’t see you.” I stutter and try to calm my thumping heart. He sways lightly on his feet as he peers down at me with narrowed eyes. Great. His drunk. Again.

“Who was that?” He questions angrily. “Who were you whoring around with now” He advances a step towards me and I step back nervously. “No one daddy. It was just a friend I swear!”

“DON’T LIE TO ME!” he shouts and before I can react, he struck me across the face with his hand. I crumple to the ground on my side and stare back in fear at the man towering above me. Cupping my stinging cheek, I attempt to scoot away a few paces. “I’m not daddy, I swear.” Sh-she’s a new girl from school and she o-offered me a lift home…” I stutter as I try to fight back the tears.

“SHE? You are screwing around with girls now?!” He yells and grabs me by the arms to pull me to my feet in a painful grip. “N-no daddy it’s not like that. Sh-she’s just a friend…” I yell out in pain as the lights flicker above us.

“Shut up you w***e! Now get your ass to the kitchen and make me something to eat.” He shoves me hard towards the kitchen and I fall to the ground again, but I quickly scramble to my feet and disappear into the kitchen.