The Alpha Father's Game

Chapter 15: Rekindle

There was silence in the car Andrew drove as he took the back road from the packhouse to the stylist. The trees whipped by, and the bushes seemed to pop up out of nowhere along the sides of the dirt road. There were homes clustered together here and there with a few in the distance. The bumps were few and far apart, too, making the ride smooth and easy. The sky was its usual cloudy self. It made the green leaves and grass a darker shade, while the lake that rippled in the distance looked almost black. It was large and the road seemed to circle around it, keeping a steady view through the windows. And he just kept his eyes focused between those people playing outside and those in his car.

Lucky was not saying a word and looked peeved with her arms crossed and her lips pinched together. The steam seemed to be coming off her head. Her face was tight and her eyes were focused on the road ahead of her, like she could make them get to their destination faster. There was a hardness in them, too, that made him want to say something that would sooth her anger. She might start talking or maybe say a word, but he understood that she was upset over the extra passenger in the backseat- her father.

He had invited David along hoping to begin rebuilding their relationship, but he could see that was a problem. There was a lot of anger about whatever happened between them. He was sure some of it was for his brother, Dorran. He wanted to know exactly what it was that he had done to make her this way. Did her father participate in her mother’s insane plans? Did his brother say something stupid? He needed to know so he knew how to begin courting her, appropriately.

Unlike his father and Rick, Andrew did not just dive into a relationship, no matter how beautiful the woman was. He could say that, right now, she looks cute while furious like that, but he wanted to know things about her. He had to know how to charm her if he wanted the alpha title. It would work in his favor to manipulate her into believing that he would love her. She is a newborn, after all. Someone who does not know the werewolf world, which should make it easy for him.

His love is reserved for his fated mate. The guilt is eating him over his thoughts of another woman made it difficult to focus on his goal. The thought of them becoming intimate or even coming to terms with one another made him feel bad. His heart was for Eliana and no one else. How could his father ask him to be with another woman? He could not look at Lucky without feeling like he was cheating on his mate. He did not want to feel the strange pull that had him captivated by her beauty or feel good that she was trying to care for him. Even now, he wanted to sooth her pain that he could smell in this car. It all made him feel like he was one big two-timer.

His guilt, though, was just as bad when he thought about what he had planned for her. He did not sooth him when his mind reminded him of what her family had done to her. They used her, too. It plagued him all night long after he managed to go to bed. He knows that it was how his father had raised him. "A gentlemen should never harm a lady intentionally and always apologize for the unintentional hurt." His plans went against those teachings and he was sure that was why he felt like his stomach was being eaten.

However, something said that she would be a lot tougher to court. She is tougher than what is perceived of her when anyone meets her. This woman was already preapproved by his father, too, who was no fool. He has these instincts about people that amaze him. He could pinpoint a good person from a bad person and even know how to converse with someone to get his way. It was strange to see that, when he had seen how his father could become so angry that he just kills a person. His mind was sharper and kinder than most people know, too. There had to be something about her that had his instincts flaring to life.

Now, he has to figure out a way to enamor her to him and become the alpha of the pack. He decided that reuniting two family members in the hopes of it turning out well would be the way to her heart. It is not turning out well at all. Her father needed to start talking to her. Or at the very least, he needed to apologize, he thought ruefully. There would be no mending anything if he kept silent with his eyes flicking at her. The man even wore an uncertain look that said he did not think being here was right, but he must have gotten the mental message. The next thing he knew, David cleared his throat and started stuttering something out of his mouth.

“Lucky… I wanted to say that I am sorry.”

“Fine,” Lucky sighed heavily.

That was it. That was all she said. There were no questions. There was no glance back at him or even yelling and screaming at how unfair her life had been growing up. She just sat there fuming and looking out of the window. It was like his words did not phase her one bit. They were sincere and almost sounded defeated to his ears. Still, her face remained tightened in anger and the smell of her was the same. Her aura was pulsating, too, like it was a gewy bubble. She was struggling to control herself, he was sure. He understands that after dealing with his father’s anger so many times.

He looked in the rearview mirror, seeing the sadness drop David’s shoulders. Her father looked completely defeated by her response. He wanted to help him, but he did not know the situation fully. He only knows that Lucky’s mother and sister tried to sell her as a s*x slave and that there was obvious hatred between them. There was nothing that he could say to help the man out or to give him a way to speak to her. He could only send out a soothing wave to ease her pain.

“Lucky,” David began, again. His voice was low, almost quiet with his head down and sadness dripping from each word. “I know it is going to take time for you to forgive me. I do not expect it until you are ready, but I do want you to know that I did try to help you. I just could not do it in front of your mother. It would have made both our lives miserable.”

“So, your happiness was more important than mine?” she said bitterly.

“No, I am not saying that,” David said, sounding earnest for her to believe him. He sighed heavily and long like he was carrying a burden on him. “Long ago, your mother was not the woman you know today. She was loving and caring and even made me feel like I was worth something. Then, after you and Lucy were born, she began to change. It was gradual and I missed the signs, but I figured it out too late. She was becoming a monster in our house because of greed.

“We were always strapped for cash and you were a sick baby at the time…”

“I don’t remember being sick,” Lucky interrupted, looking at him curiously.

Andrew saw the suspicion in her eyes that flared a blue color. He could not blame her for that. She had suffered at the hands of those women that were supposed to be her family. No one protected her from whatever they had done. Apparently, her father had chickened out and let them do whatever they wanted to her. He could not help wanting that list and only five minutes with her mother, since she was human. He would make sure that the pain she received would be in that time.

Her wolf's brief flash in her eyes startled all his thoughts out of his head, though. When did she start doing that? Was it because of Mitius? That was too advanced for a newborn at this stage of its development. It usually happened closer to the shift when the wolf could push through to show itself. That was for someone who drank the potion. Their wolf starts out like a fetus in a human, except it is able to talk, to explain things and introduce itself. As it grows, it goes through puberty, which is usually countered by its mate, until the shift on its first full moon. She has no mate to help her through this, which might be the reason for her wolf's sudden appearance. Still, it was unsettling to see that her wolf was able to develop quicker than other wolves.

He could not say that Lucky did not fit into this pack, though. She was definitely a unique case that seemed to fit in.

“You had gotten a disease, the doctors told us,” David explained to her. He was latching onto this little bit of hope that she gave him to make amends. “The doctor ended up being wrong, and your mother got a lawyer to sue the doctor. That is how we were able to afford the house we got. Then, you got injured near a construction site at four years old. She sued, again, and I later found out that Lucy was the cause of it. I was too late to stop the cycle and, eventually, she did not want to stop hurting you to get money. So, each time you took a tumble or a fall, your mother would blame someone and get them to cough up money. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t.”

“And you in all this?” Lucky asked looking angry.

“I was beside myself to have my wife back,” he answered sadly. “She would spew out nasty things and threaten to take you from me. She even said that she would make sure that my name would be ruined enough that I would look like a pervert. I just wanted the woman that I loved to see me, again, instead of the woman that wanted money. It was her high.”

“So the beatings I suffered through was for her to get paid,” Lucky stated slowly.

Andrew could tell that she was mulling this over. He was livid that a parent would do this to a child. He could understand, now, why she did what she did yesterday. They must have had anger in their eyes when they hurt her. She could not withstand his father’s anger, and it caused her to do something to stop it. The fact that she nearly killed her wolf to do it said that she needed help controlling the impulse. Or she needed to control her newfound powers that all wolves bring to their counterparts.

He was a little confounded, though, by how well she stood up to his father in his angered state. Someone like her should have trembled and ran for the hills or done anything that said she was afraid. Instead, she tried to sooth him with her aura. It had to be gaining her wolf that made her braver than she should have been, he thought.

“You have no idea how happy I am that you seem to be back,” David said as he lowered his head. “I thought they had beaten you out of who you were, but when you stood up to your mother, I knew I had to find the courage, too. That is why I went to Alpha Cullen about what your mother and Lucy were going to do to you. But it was Beta Ross that listened to me and knew my predicament. He devised a plan and told me to keep up the charade with your mother and sister. That he would talk to Alpha Edge about the situation, but I guess, your new-found boldness…”

“It was my wolf,” Lucky answered reluctantly with her cheeks turning red. “She is the reason I healed.”

“Well, then,” David chuckled, “I am glad that whoever tricked you to go into that temple or whatever, did so. It was the best thing for you.”

Andrew looked between them, seeing a ghost of a smile on Lucky’s lips. It was like she could not make up her mind whether to let it grow and decided to hide it instead. Her real smile was beautiful. He had seen it a couple of times when she could feel free enough to do so instead of staging her emotions. It will take a while for her to trust anyone that has harmed her or even them. She will take a while to trust her father again, especially about her love for her wolf.

That was one thing that he could add to his list, while another was knowing that she had been beaten for money. He must restrain his anger when it comes to things that tick him off, or she will be too frightened and her impulses will make her act. He would have to convey that to his father, too, before he started ranting and raving in his usual manner. His brothers would not be a problem. Doran seemed to have something against her, though. He did not know what it was, but he hoped that he had not done anything detrimental to her. This woman needs some pampering done to her and some love. It was just too bad for her that he knows he could give that to her.

“We’re almost there,” Andrew announced suddenly.

The trees were starting to thicken and the houses were becoming less and less, with the lake disappearing in the distance. This let him know that they were nearing their territory’s edge. There were no longer people giving a wave to him. They turned into guards that walked to their posts dressed in gym shorts and t-shirts so they could shift. It forced him to interrupt their conversation that he wanted no part of. He did not want to interrupt their bonding time, either.

Suddenly, he got the urge to wrap his hand in Lucky’s small ones to give her a small measure of comfort. He only wanted to be a presence for her, until they got to know each other. It was strange, as he had not had that kind of impulse since he had been mated to Eliana. He wondered, though, if maybe, she was his fated mate. He had to shake his head at that ridiculous thought. He would know instantly like all other wolves. Besides, she may not receive his physical contact well or be offended by his advances on her. It was small, yes, but it does not mean that a woman would not become irritated by something so trivial, either.

It was not long after driving through the woods when Andrew parked in a driveway. It was a small space that should be called a dirt spot, where a white picket fence surrounded a home. There were a few children playing with toys in the yard going around the light brown house. One tried climbing up the green vines on the side of it. He did not quite make it to the second floor, only to fall on his rear and scream in pain. It drew the attention of a blonde haired woman that had looked at his car pulling into the spot. A smile had been on her oval face before worry coated it for the child. Lucky and David turned to look, too. Their faces and eyes matched her blue ones that mirrored her worry.

He remembers her fondly from his childhood. He smiled softly at the way she cradled him and cooed at the boy. It drew in the pain, too, as he remembered his mate doing the same to their children when she had visited them for a haircut. Her smile, her laughter, and the energy she had to be with the children swirled in his mind, making him wonder about Lucky. Will she be a good mother to her children?

“It’s alright,” Lucky said softly as she grabbed his hand that was on the gear shift.

“Huh?” he said, jerking out of his misery.

“I sensed your pain,” she said softly, tapping her nose. “Is…?”

“I was remembering when my mother had brought me here for the first time,” Andrew lied. He just could not deal with the way Eliana always finds a way to wiggle into his mind. His turmoil made it hard for him to talk about what was on his mind. “I found it an odd place but warm. I hope you feel the same way about it. These are good omegas, but I must warn you. Marabella is half witch and half werewolf. Your wolf may get a little antsy to attack her.”

“I am sure that we will like her just the same as you,” Lucky said, giving a little nervous laugh.

Her smile… He did not know why it was infectious or why it brightened his mood when he felt like brooding, and its brightness went to her eyes. It seemed to shed away all the anguish that burned in his heart. It made him want to edge closer to her, letting his heart beat unrestrained and without pain just for her. She seemed like the type of wolf that can heal someone.

Instead, he, mentally, took a step back feeling like she was getting too close. He felt like she was wiping away the memories of Eliana. He could not let that happen so soon. It made him feel like he had forgotten her and what she meant to him. It drew back the guilt, too, that had wracked him for days in the beginning of his mourning period. He did not feel like he cared enough to protect her and their pup.

“I’ll get your door,” Andrew stated gruffly.

He yanked open his door harder than he meant to do and exited quickly. He left her with a raised brow look of worry that he knew he should explain. His moodiness was making her head spin, he was sure, but he could not help it. A part of him does not want to get to know her or do anything with her unless necessary, so he has his memories. And the other part finds her intriguing and sad. It was pushing him to be with her more and more, including her need for protection. It was painfully obvious that someone wanted to hurt her besides her family. He could only speculate who and why, given the situation, but he questioned whether it was truly about his family and him.

That thought weighed heavily on his shoulders as he walked around the car. He did not use his wolf to get there sooner. He needed a moment to clear his head with a nice deep breath of the woodsy scent to fill his lungs. It made his wolf settle down from its eagerness to be around her and smell her fruity scent. He needed to clear his mind of the pain, so he did not screw this up with her before they even began.

“Here you go,” Andrew said with a wave after he opened her door.

“Thank you,” Lucky said with a small blush.

David got out of the car at the same time, but he did not look happy. In fact, he looked like he was really sad. His eyes seemed to be trained on his daughter, like she would disappear suddenly and leave him. Maybe it is a dad thing, he thought curiously, with a hint of worry.

“It is about time you came to see me, Alpha,” the blonde haired woman called happy. She walked towards them carrying a young boy that looked like her, who was rubbing the tears from his eyes. “I thought you had forgotten my sister and me.”

“No,” he chuckled good-naturedly. “I could not forget someone as nice as you or the best stylist in our pack, which is why I came out this way.” He turned to his left and gave Lucky a nudge with his hand to move forward, noticing that her face is slightly red. Is she shy? “Cara, this is Lucky Green. I brought her here for a cut. And this is her father, David Green.”

“Ahh, the woman who gets to pick the next alpha,” Cara chuckled good-naturedly.

“Careful saying that around my father,” he warned, half seriously. There was a true smile on his face that drew Lucky’s attention. “He will not be happy to hear someone think that all the power is in her hands.”

“I know,” she laughed, waving it off. Then, she turned to Lucky and extended her hand while juggling her child with the other hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I know you’re a good person if the Alpha Edge chose you as the future Luna for one of these guys.”

“Thanks,” she said, almost laughing at the way she sounded confident. “I hope I do well to guide the pack into the future."

The last part was mumbled and unsure, like she could not figure out what she was going to say. He wanted to give her reassurance that she was doing well, but he refrained from that. He did not want Cara to think too much about it and spread rumors around. He has known her for a long time. If he wanted something spread amongst the pack members, her sister and she would be the ones to do it.

“Well, go ahead and walk through the door,” Cara waved to the reddish door. “My sister, Marabella, is in there waiting for you.”

“Of course,” Lucky said and started to walk away, but then she stopped with her hand on the door. “Are you coming Andrew?”

“No, Marabella is someone that you should meet on your own,” Andrew answered with a smirk.

She looked at him curiously before looking at Cara, who smirked at her. They both waved her inside like she was being silly. She cannot disagree. If it was not her trepidation making her nervous, then it was her twinge of jealousy that made her not want to go. She had wanted to get to know this man, who might be her husband/mate. Then, she finds out he had other plans for their drive, and now, she sees a woman that he can genuinely smile at. She did not know what to think about this. She even looked at her father, who shrugged his shoulders to answer her unasked question.

Did he not tell his father that he had a girlfriend or was this his way of telling her that he had a bed buddy?