And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 198: Truth of the Past

Cassie.

“Cassie, no!" The scream that left Trixie's mouth went partially unnoticed by the anger that coursed through me. My hand was gripped around my brother's throat as I stared into his eyes, watching his wolf crawl to the forefront snarling like the beast he was. No one in their right mind would ever act like this towards an Alpha, but then again I wasn't “no one".

“Castor, that's enough."

The cold sound of my father brought me back to the present and snapped me out of the anger I was in. My hand instinctively released my brother as I turned to look at my father Hale from over my shoulder. “Daddy?"

A concerned expression marred his face as he let a heavy breath escape his lips. My feet couldn't carry me fast enough as I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. I had missed my parents terribly and the fact they hadn't been present when I arrived had unsettled me for reasons I didn't understand.

“Castor–" he said softly, “what are you doing?"

Looking up to him I frowned with confusion, “I–I just–"

“You just lost your f*****g mind!" Pollux growled, causing my father Hale to growl back at him in return.

“Enough, son. I understand that you're upset right now, but you're Alpha now. You need to control your wolf and remember that she isn't used to our world anymore."

Turning towards my brother, I stared at him with a wide-eyed apologetic expression. “Pollux, I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking."

He huffed with irritation, his hand rubbing his throat as he turned towards Trixie, who now stood holding her daughter. “Take her upstairs. This is too much excitement for her."

Trixie didn't argue as she gave me a sad look without another word and brushed past me back into the house. I wanted to call out to her, but I knew right now that was pointless. Even Silas and Finnick, who stood there staring at me with shocked gazes, said nothing. I had f****d up royally and had only just arrived.

“Castor, I think we need to talk," Hale said, catching me by surprise, but without arguing, I nodded. “Your mother is inside. I'm glad that I came out here instead of her."

He didn't wait for me to reply to him as he glanced once more at Pollux with a heavy sigh before he turned and made his way inside the house past Silas and Finnick. Neither man dared say anything to him about the situation, but the moment I passed them, they followed behind me.

I had done many things in my life, but disrespecting an Alpha—that was something unforgivable. Yet, I crossed the line without thinking. I was testing limits left and right and I knew it. Once again, I wasn't thinking before I acted and the words of Freya and Sansa told me echoed in my mind.

When I turned the corner into the living room, my eyes found my mother's and though her face was aged more than I had remembered, I still saw the kind eyes I had seen once before.

“Cassie–" she whispered, wrapping me into her embrace. “I've missed you so much."

“I've missed you too, Mama."

left. Barely eighteen and experiencing life. My freedom wasn't earned and though I had been through so much in such a short period of time, I couldn't help but wonder what my life would

know something happened outside… tell me what it was." The stern look she gave me reminded me of the look she gave me as a child, and I knew full well there was no way that I was going to be able to lie to her. Especially as I looked around and

just had a disagreement," I replied softly. “It's

from behind me as he brushed past me, bumping my shoulder to take a seat in a red armchair on

darted towards Pollux, wide as I glared at him, “I didn't

whispered, “why would you

at a loss for words as I glanced around at everyone in the room trying to find the words I needed to explain the way I had acted. Yet, no matter how many times I opened

why didn't anyone tell me dad was sick?" Turning my gaze to Damian, I watched his expression change as it became understanding, a small smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes

as his eyes seemed so dull compared to the man I knew growing up. “Oh, Cassie," he whispered, shaking his head as he gestured for me to come to him. “I'm sorry you

Hell, I wanted to curl up in his lap like I used to do when I was a little girl, but I couldn't. I couldn't because I was too hurt to find out how I did. “Why didn't

room to look at him with slight irritation. “It isn't like there is a phone that

over his last statement. You didn't have to die to go

could have come to tell

lost her once… I went years without her because of your selfish bullshit. I'm not going to let her

wolf mad with hatred for me. My own brother

I whispered, stepping towards him. “I'm sorry. I didn't

rolled his eyes in anger and stood to his feet leaving the room. Not that I had done much to remain welcome in

time. It will

mother's words weren't as comforting as I would have liked them to be, but I didn't bother to argue with her. I had made a mess of things and I needed to stop before it got worse. The best thing I could do

next to Damian. "I don't understand what's wrong with me. Why do I keep acting the way I do?

other before they glonced ot me once more. "Cossie, you don't need to blome yourself for this stuff. You're still young. You will moke mistokes

shouldn't be moking mistokes," I retorted with onnoyonce,

o seot next to me, pulling me ogoinst her so thot my heod loid ogoinst her shoulder. “Oh, sweet girl, you hove so

emotionol seeing my fomily ogoin, but the foct thot I hod missed them terribly

to leorn though.

ogoin I felt foolish in how I wos octing. I wosn't supposed to get emotionol like this, ond my mother seemed to understond my sudden uncomfortoble posture os she turned to both of

heod to the kitchen ond find Gio. She con get you something to eot why we tolk ond then perhops we con go toke o wolk

them both to oppose the ideo, but Finnick wos quick to bow his heod ot her words ond grob Silos's orm to pull him

Silos' foce os he glonced ot me ond then Finnick, who gove him o wide-eyed silent look

I muttered under my breoth, cousing my mother to smile ot me with o twinkle of omusement

crossed over his chest ond o steely expression thot showed his brooding side

to hove o heort-to-heort wos shocking. Tolon hod never been