#Chapter 186 – Strategic Retreat

My father pulls me along with him as he storms through the back entrance of my childhood home, his hand wrapped around my upper arm.

I gave up resisting at the car, when I had tried to pull free of him – to head back to the battlefield, to see what the hell happened after all those Betas had saluted Victor, and then turned around –

Had turned against my father, started to attack his own base –

“Come on, Evelyn,” my father growls at me, tugging me forward. Despite his age, his Alpha grip on my arm is solid and I stumble over my own feet in my efforts to keep up. He’s holding me so tightly that if I fall, I worry he’ll let me dislocate my shoulder rather than let go of me.

“Dad,” I say, my teeth clenched as he hauls me along, “let me go! I’m already in the house, where do you think I’m going to run to?”

He ignores me, moving forward through the first floor of the house and along to the living room, where two guards stand ready at the door. At the sight of him, they stand aside and he takes a key from his pocket.

I blink in surprise at the sight of the key – I hadn’t even known that his door locked.

After twisting it in the lock, my father pushes open the door, dragging me forward enter the room alongside him. The force of his strength has me stumbling again and I fall onto my knees after taking a few stumbling steps into the room, my father finally letting me go.

“Mama!” I hear, and I whip my head to see two little boys – two little boys –

“Alvin,” I gasp, moving towards him, desperate to hold my child in my arms –

But I scream when my father grabs my hair, pulling me backwards, holding me firm. My scream of pain turns into a yell of fury as I claw at his hand with mine, desperate to get free, but he tightens his grip and smacks me across the head with his other hand.

I go still at the blow, gasping at the pain, and hear my children shriek across the room. When I open my eyes to look at them – to see if they’re okay – they’re being held back by two Betas, prevented from coming to help me, as they so clearly want to.

“That’s enough,” my father growls, “from all of you.”

I go still, watching my boys do the same. Then, looking around the room, I realize that everyone is here – everyone. My mother, my sister, Delia –

The room is so dark, though, for the afternoon – I glance at the windows, and see that the shutters block out all of the light. The whole place feels like a very miserable little cage.

tender skin there, but I don’t make any further protestations or moves to escape. I wouldn’t leave this room without

says, sitting forward in her chair. “What on

glaring at her, glaring at all of us. “What a mess of this you all have made for me. With your little plans and your

narrowing. He’s talking mostly to me, I’ve realized. I’m the one

quite frankly,

say softly. “I don’t know why you would ever think that you

hit me again and I

says, her voice low with warning, a tone I’ve never

really

to me then, reaching out her hands, which I take, and pulling me up to my feet. I follow her, willingly, to a seat on the couch, glad to be out of my father’s strike zone and closer to my children. My boys look at me with sad, scared

together again.

on, dad,” Emma says then, crossing her arms and looking between me and him. Her assertive tone, too, is a surprise. I have to admit,

we’re as much of his enemy as Victor.

Betas against me,” he says, “he took control of them on

see Alvin and Ian’s eyes light up at this information, Ian’s ruse as the wounded son clearly ended. My father narrows

eyes to me. “I have the three things that matter most to Kensington in this world, and by god, I’m going to

door, but my mother –

lock us in here again – we need

go of me,” my father snaps, ripping his arm from her grasp. He takes a threatening step towards her,

has officially fallen – we need to lock down in here, sir, if we’re going to have any chance of

silence form each of you.” Then, he turns to the Betas and waves them in. A small team comes forward, just five or

surprise me – shouldn’t my father have a bigger planning force

other end of the room, muttering quietly to each

Betas holding Alvin and Ian. “You’ll be needed elsewhere, surely.” The Betas hesitate but then she gives them a steely glare and they let the boys go, heading over to the Betas on the other side of the room to take their orders. My father leans over the table with them,

as they’re released, my boys come flying to me. I wrap them both in my arms at once, giving them kisses, but taking extra time to cosset my Alvin, holding his face in my

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