Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary Book 4)

A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT…

“You don’t have to do this, you know? You don’t owe him anything,” Rosa murmured to me, her fingers winding around mine and squeezing.

“I know. But my mothers want this and after seeing them, I guess…I dunno, I can feel the rift in the family. I want to make it right if I can. At least to a point where we can be civil.”

“I’m not one for giving second chances, but it’s on you,” Cain said from my other side.

“You gave Rosa plenty of chances,” I said, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“That’s different. It’s the dick-whipped rule. Once your dick’s been whipped, all rules are meaningless. Murdering, pillaging, thieving, it’s free game now and the law can’t do anything about it so long as it’s in the name of love,” Sin chimed in, glancing back from the window by the front door, the curtain pulled aside where he’d been peeking out at our driveway. Our house was on the Oscura estate – technically. I mean, it was a few miles from there and we had acres of land and forest around the villa-style house that was full of brightness and sunshine, so we certainly had our privacy. But we could visit the Oscura stronghold whenever we liked, and Bianca was always excited to have us back.

“That’s highly inaccurate,” Cain drawled, but his mouth lifted slightly in amusement.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Ethan said from Rosa’s other side. “Family is everything. It’s not like you have to forgive everything he did, but maybe something can be reconciled between you.”

“Maybe,” I muttered, the sound of a car engine drawing my attention.

“They’re here!” Sin squealed, half hiding behind the curtain as he stared down the drive, shimmying in and out of sight, then pressing his full face to the window.

“Real subtle,” Rosa laughed.

“I’m not going for subtle, I’m going for unnerving,” Sin said, flapping the curtain like the wing of a bird. “I’ll keep your Pops on his toes.”

I smiled, happy to find out how unsettled Sin could make my father.

A bright pink Porsche pulled up on the drive followed by a sleek black Faezerati. Leon stepped out of the first car with two of our moms, Safira with her flowing blonde mane and Marie with her soft dark curls, while my father exited the second car with my mom Latisha on his heels, her short black hair and dark features as striking as always. My father was an imposing man with a golden mane that fell about his broad shoulders in a waterfall of waves; my mothers were slight in comparison to him, but they were powerful Lionesses in their own right. The sunlight caught in my father’s mane as he tossed his head and his hair rippled and shimmered. He looked older than the last time I’d seen him, though not a single silver hair had found its way into his mane yet, everything about him speaking of pride.

My hair had grown out a little since it had been cut, and it was pushed back stylishly. I’d expected seeing him in all his Lionhood would have stirred up shame in me, but I found I didn’t care anymore. I was who I was because of all I’d been through and if my father couldn’t accept me as I was now, then he didn’t need to be a part of my life. I was prepared for this to be the last time I saw him.

Rosa’s fingers tightened on mine as Sin flung the door open and went sprinting out to hug Leon, the two of them spinning around together with whoops of delight.

Despite Sin’s more sadistic tendencies, him and Leon seemed to be on a wavelength that made me realise they were pretty similar people. The chaos they caused when they were together was unmatched, and Aunt Bianca had yelled at them more than once at the Oscura household for riling up the pups or causing general carnage. She’d caught them making a hot air balloon out of a large tarp and a wicker basket once, sending a pup up in it with a combination of fire and air magic. It had made it a foot off the ground before Bianca had come out swinging a frying pan at their heads and scolding them colourfully in Faetalian. They were now to be supervised any time they wanted to do ‘craft activities’ with the kids.

My mothers came running inside, colliding with me, kissing my cheeks and cooing over what a big strong Lion I was. I hadn’t yet told them I was a Vampire too, but today was that day and I wasn’t going to shy away from the truth of all that had happened to me.

Leon stepped inside carrying Sin on his back, my brother running forward to hug me while Sin cried ‘yee-hah!’, and Rosalie released my hand with a laugh.

“He’s waiting for you, bro,” Leon said. “Best you go see him one on one, I reckon.” He clapped me bracingly on the shoulder. “Good luck.”

I headed outside, the sun beating down on us and the scent of dust filling the atmosphere. My father straightened when he saw me, his eyes falling to my short hair and his jaw pulsing in response.

“Leon forewarned me but I… didn’t realise the extent of it. Are you well, my boy?”

I blew out a dismissive breath at that comment, folding my arms and leaning back against the porch post, letting him come to me if he wanted, but I wasn’t going to close the distance between us. “Do you think I’m some fragile thing now, Father? A broken puzzle with the edges cut off?”

“No,” he said firmly, taking a step closer and then hesitating again. He bowed his head, running a hand over the back of his neck through his silken mane. “In fact, I think quite the opposite. You did the impossible, pulled off the greatest prison escape the kingdom has ever seen.”

“So I’ve regained your pride while spending ten years without it,” I scoffed. “I’m not sure what I was thinking in asking you to come here. Now that I see you, I don’t think I want to look at your face.”

He gave me a sheepish look then stepped closer and closer, moving faster until he was right before me. He was a large man; he had always seemed like a giant when I was a cub, but now I stood eye to eye with him and I didn’t feel small at all. It seemed he was the small one actually.

“I’m so sorry for my behaviour,” he blurted. “I’ve been such a prideful fool. I’m ashamed of myself for how I acted, how I cut you off. It was the way of my father and my father’s father. I should have known better than to follow in their ruthless footsteps. You’re my boy. My cub. I raised you and loved you and that’s all that matters in the end. I’ve wasted so much time being a damn fool, is there anything I can do that’ll earn your forgiveness?”

I deliberated as he reached for my hand, his eyes full of desperation. My jaw was hard and a large part of me wanted to turn my back on him for what he’d done to me all those years ago.

“There’s no action you can take that’ll undo your rejection. And if you’re coming to me now because I’m hailed as some hero among the Nights, then I don’t want you on my doorstep. This here is my home. My pride. You’re not a part of that unless you’re here for better or worse.”

“I understand,” he breathed, his eyes dropping to his shoes. “If you give me one more chance, son, I swear, I surely swear I won’t let you down again.” He held out his hand, clearly offering me a star vow on the fact but I shook my head at the offering.

“I don’t need the threat of the stars keeping you coming back. You do it on your own or not all.”

“Then I’ll do it, Roary,” he swore. “Your mothers told me all along to show you grace and mercy. They’re better than I’ll ever be, but I’m here now and if you’ll have me, I’ll stay. I’ll be the father I should have been.”

The words were tempting, tugging on the strings of my heart and reminding me of my childhood. This man had carried me on his shoulders and swung me in his arms. He’d played with me, loved me fiercely and shown me loyalty like family should. But then he hadn’t. And that betrayal left scars on me that were never going to heal. But perhaps they might fade, in time.

“One chance,” I grunted. “That’s all. Turn your back on me again and I’ll never speak your name in this life another time. Any future cubs I might bear will never know of you. It will be as if you never existed.”

His throat bobbed as he nodded. “I won’t let that happen.”

I released a heavy breath then pushed away from the porch post, sliding an arm around his shoulders. He grabbed me tight, crushing me in his grip and nuzzling me as a purr rattled through his chest. And I knew, at long last, all was right with the world once more.