Chapter 6: The Prodigal Daughter
1808 Words
“You’ve changed,” was the first thing that the Alpha said to Royce when Jesop closed the door behind her.
It was evident that he was a bit anxious about the meeting. “Yeah. No choice when you’re put in the predicament that I was put in.”
Calin sighed. “Royce, I had no idea what was going on-”
“Where were you?” Royce asked. “Did you even come looking for me?”
“Of course, I did!” Calin quickly tried to reassure her.
“Hm,” Royce said and then turned her back on the Alpha a moment as she considered his response. “So, what is my punishment?”
“I’m sorry?” This blatant shift in the subject caught him off guard. “What are you talking about?”
Royce turned around. “I’m wanted, right?” By looking at the Alpha’s face, she could see that he had slipped his mind, the whole second-hand murder and escape from prison. “Treason, murder, whatever.”
“Ah, yes. Right.”
“So, Beta Noland explained that as long as you punish me, I get to escape death and blah, blah, blah.”
Calin was caught off guard by her disinterested demeanor. “Royce, a family did lose lives that night. I’d think you would be more concerned about that-”
“I was concerned about that, dad-I-” she realized that she had slipped up in considering him her father and he noticed it too. It was evident that it was a shock to his system too.
Royce took a moment to collect herself. Silence took over the space of conversation for a moment or so. Then the Alpha finally decided to break it.
“Royce, you-”
“I did care!” she snapped and finally face her adopted father again. “I-that night, I…I was heartbroken! Children lost their lives that night. Their mother? And you think that I wasn’t upset about it? That I didn’t take it seriously?!” she scoffed. “I was being informed and carted off in the same second. And for something that I didn’t even do. So, tell me how you would have handled that.”
There was no real malice in her voice when she said this. There was a hint of bitterness though. And sarcasm as she knew that he had never had to go through what she went through. She knew that he probably never would.
“What is my punishment?” Royce said instead of continuing on with the subject. She could tell that Calin didn’t want to talk about it. It was too hard.
“So you’ll stay, then.”
“I don’t have a choice,” replied Royce. “It’s either that or treasonous death. Which one would you choose?”
Calin didn’t answer the question as they both knew what it would be, but he seemed to have a reason behind his. “At least until I proved my innocence.”
“What is my punishment?” Royce asked again.
Calin caught the hint. Royce was done with the conversation. “You will serve as a drudge to the pack house.”
“A slave to the pack then. Is that it?”
“Royce,” The alpha sighed. “To put it that way is-”
“Is just the truth,” she interrupted and then without another word, she turned away.
“Your quarters are already set up and-”
“I won’t be staying here,” She said.
“Royce, staying at the pack house is-”
“Do you think that I did this?” she asked him
“What?” Calin returned with befuddlement.
“Do you think that I am guilty?”
After a moment or so, Calin answered. “No, I do not think that you are guilty, Royce.”
“So then I am being wrongly punished.”
He didn’t answer that question. In truth, she didn’t expect him to. Both she and the alpha knew that him openly taking her side would open up a can of worms that the pack could not afford to concern themselves with at the time.
“Then at least give me my solitude.”
“And where…where will you stay?” asked Calin.
“I’ll stay at my father’s old house.”
“What? Are….what makes you think that it’s a livable space?”
“Because you would never let something that meant so much to him fall into disrepair.” Royce shrugged. “But even if you did, I’d fix it myself.” She pushed open the door. “I guess I’ll start in the morning.”
“No,” said Calin. Royce paused. “Give it a few days. Thursday, maybe?”
“It’s Sunday,” she said. “You sure you should be giving me nearly a week?”
“I’m the alpha. I can do what I please.”
Royce glanced back at him. “We both know that that’s not true.” she then headed toward the exit.
After she left, Beta Noland came into Calin’s office. “Is everything alright, Alpha?” he asked.
“As well as it can be, considering the circumstances.” Calin watched the door close behind her. “She’s changed a lot, Jesop,” he said to his second hand.
“She has.”
“Do you think it’s for the better?” he asked.
“Depends,”
Calin found curiosity in his friend’s remark. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, that if you are asking that question for her sake then I’d have to say yes. The girl has grown in various ways. And I’m not just talking about the physical, Calin.”
“What do you mean?” The curious Alpha asked.
“She holds no fear of anything anymore. The girl seems completely self-reliant.”
“And how does that affect me negatively?”
“It affects you negatively, Calin because she feels betrayed by you. She’s angry, but where she may have once needed validation from you…where she may have once had a strong desire to prove something to you and your family. She no longer does.” He looked at his Alpha. “The girl prefers solitude over pack life. She doesn’t need anyone anymore. Not even you.” Jesop sighed. “And I’ve only ever seen that characteristic in one other.” They met one another’s stare as both knew who Jesop Noland was talking about. “The woman in which that little cottage that she will be inhabiting was made for.”
Calin understood where Noland was going with this. “Her mother.”
“Yes, her mother,” answered the Beta.
“Well, I guess I know what that means.” Calin felt a pinched pain in his chest at the mention of Royce’s mother.
“Yes, Royce Caulder is no Delta…she’s a Disperser.”
****
There were mutterings and curious eyes all over Royce as she took her leave but ignored every last one of them.
“Royce Caulder?” She heard a voice as she casually walked past one of the meeting rooms and headed toward the front door.
It would have been rude to stop, but she didn’t care enough to be courteous. At this point, Royce just wanted to go somewhere and be alone long enough to assess her situation.
She gave the young woman who called her name one glance. Immediately she recognized her as one of her adopted sister’s flunkies. She was also one of the few who terrorized her when Persephone wasn’t looking.
Royce continued on to the front door, shoving past those were just coming in. A few young wolves that she had known before leaving the Marsh, called at her, trying to get her attention. She ignored them too.
“No thanks,” she simply retorted and kept out of the front door when it hit her. A masculine scent of smoked wood and bergamot. The scent was so enticing, Royce could not pull away from it. It sent a shiver down her spine that she could not resist. Then the voice of Katya broke through.
“Mate!”
Royce’s wolf growled with a profound passion, her whimpers and groans suddenly shaking Royce to her very core.
Katya’s intense desire to be near…whomever this was, it was almost too much to handle for Royce.
“It can’t be!” exclaimed Royce. “Not now! Katya this-I can’t do this! Not now!”
Royce almost thought to look around and see who could have possibly been around for her wolf to sense, but she refused to go any further with this intense feeling. Quickly, Royce rushed to her Ducati. The quicker she was out of there, the better. She was in such a hurry to get out of there, she didn’t even realize the muscle car that pulled up next to her.
“Royce?!”
When she heard that familiar voice, Royce simply could not ignore. She stopped just as she started to lift her leg over the seat of her bike.
“Persephone!” she whispered to herself. Could she do this now? Could she really?
The answer was no as whatever that scent was-whoever that scent belonged to, was getting closer and Royce just could not risk running into him at that moment.
Still, she had to see her sister, if only for a second. She had to acknowledge her.
Royce looked up and when she did, she immediately regretted it.
Katya’s howls became louder and her intense exclamations were affecting Royce physically.
Persephone wasn’t standing there alone. She was there with someone. A man, one of an intense power that radiated off of him so strongly that one could feel its pull if they were as sensitive as Royce was.
“Royce, it’s so good to see you!” She exclaimed. “We have to talk about what-”
“Not right now, Persephone. Not now.”
As Royce said this, her eyes averted over to the strapping male that was hovering behind her. His eyes were as intense as his essence, and he bore into Royce with every ounce of it. He felt it too.
“Royce-”
“I have to go!”
Without another word, Royce kicked her engine to life and dug off into the night. She was suddenly far more relieved of the fact that the Alpha gave her a near week before she had to start drudging for those who lived in the pack house. Being around that man…around her sister. Royce couldn’t begin to assume that would work out in her favor. If ever she had needed a time to be alone and gather her bearings. This was it.
- Writer
