Chapter 124
Chapter 124
APOLLO
Isabella quickly rubs her eyes, her voice thick, “Lana isn’t coming here.”
A wave of confusion washes over me, leaving me frowning as I try to process her words.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my brow furrowing. “We are supposed to meet here. This is her home. Where else could she be?”
The air hangs heavy between us, charged with tension.
She sighs deeply. “Apparently, your father rented a place for her to stay with our mother. I thought they would have mentioned something to you by now. I wasn’t aware that you didn’t know of their plan or I would have given you both a heads up.”
This can’t be real; it feels like some sick joke. My father never took things this far before.
“Fuck no,” I growl. “He wouldn’t actually do that.”
She yawns, brushing it off. “Clearly, you don’t know him as well as you think.”
I expected this kind of behavior from my mother, but hearing that my father orchestrated it leaves me stunned. If I had known he intended to keep Lana away from me, I never would have left her.
“Where did they take her?” I implore, my voice laced with an urgency that rises like panic in my chest. I take a step closer, hoping desperately that she overheard something from their conversation. Her face is etched with concern, and I cling to the hope that she can help in some way before I lose my
mind.
She rolls her eyes. “You really think they’d tell me?” she replies. “I’m grounded for not telling my mom about you two. She’s punishing me by keeping Lana away from me as well. You’re not the only one being shut out.”
This is madness. They’ve truly lost it if they think a ridiculous scheme like this could keep me from finding my mate. I would destroy anything in my path that kept her from me.
“They mentioned keeping her there for two weeks,” she continues, her tone laced with irritation. “They want you both to have time apart to think about what you really want.”
Two weeks? The rage bubbling inside me makes me want to smash something.
I can’t believe my parents would go to such lengths to separate us.
“What do you plan to do?” Isabella asks. “Do you think you’ll manage to find her? They took her phone away, too. I tried calling, but it’s already switched
off.”
The absurdity of their plan is laughable.
Before I can respond, I hear a door slam shut. It’s either my mother or my father, and frankly, I don’t care which; I need answers from both of them.
“I’m going to get the answers we need,” I tell Isabella confidently as I head away.
Was this the reason my mother insisted I meet my siblings before they left? Did they collude to come up with this plan? She knew I’d never refuse to see them when I hadn’t seen them in so long.
Questions whirl through my mind as I race down the stairs. Within seconds, I encounter my father at the entrance.
“Hey, son,” he greets me, a hint of surprise on his face. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
I struggle to remain calm, but the betrayal cuts deep. “Where is she?”
Chapter 124
His lack of surprise at my question only fuels my frustration.
“Why don’t we sit down for a moment and discuss this?” he suggests. “I want to talk about your relationship with Jada and the wedding”
Why does he believe this is even open for debate? How many times do I need to reiterate that the wedding is canceled?
“I asked you a question, father.” I repeat. “I want to know where you’re keeping Lana.”
He straightens his tie and walks forward with his briefcase in hand. “It doesn’t look like you are willing to cooperate.”
Fuck no. Why should I cooperate when he has kept my step–sister hidden from me? What we shared wasn’t just a silly joke. The fact that they weren’t taking our feelings seriously only fueled my anger.
“I was under the impression that Lana will be dropped off here… Where she lives.” I say to him.
He keeps walking and I continue to follow him into the family room. “I had a talk with your step–mother and we both felt that the right thing to do was give the two of you some space to think about what you really want to do with your lives.”
“And you didn’t think for a moment that this was something you should have discussed with us first?” I demand. “It’s my life, and I can make my own choices.”
He nods. “I completely understand, son. But I don’t want to see you throw away your future like this.”
Throw away my future? Since when did he sound just like my mother?
“Since when did you become mother?” I snap. “What happened to letting me make my own decisions?”
He shrugs. “Parents can often see things their kids can’t. Trust me, this is for your own good.”
How could keeping me away from the one person who gave me life possibly be for my own good?
“Are you going to tell me where you’ve hidden her?” I ask one last time. The truth is, I didn’t need his answer; I would find her one way or another, even if it meant doing it alone.
“Well, I don’t think I can…”
As soon as his words trail off into an uncomfortable silence, heavy with unspoken tension, I feel a rush of frustration boiling within me. The air in the family room feels stifling, and I no longer want to stand here having a pointless conversation with him. I stride purposefully toward the door, each step fueled by a mix of anger and determination, fuck this.
“Son, wait!”
I don’t look back as I head straight out the front door. I had no reason to stick around if Lana wasn’t here.
jump into
her.
my truck and peel out of the driveway just as my mother pulls in. She sees me and tries to wave me down through the window, but I ignore
My pack knows how to hunt. We can track my mate down instantly, and they couldn’t have hidden her far if my father was already back from wherever he dropped her off.
I swiftly pressed the buttons on my phone, dialing Jake’s number with a sense of urgency. As expected, he answers on the very first ring, his voice instantly recognizable.
“My father hid Lana from me,” I growl, unable to hide the anger
in
my
voice.
There’s a long silence on the other end before he responds, “I should’ve been keeping a closer eye on her. I thought she’d be safe with her mother.”
So did I.
08:52 Sat, 0 Aug
Chapter 124
“What do you need me to do?” he asks.
“We have to track her down.” I tell him firmly. “I want every member of our pack looking for her. Don’t stop until you fucking fired her
I wanted her found by the end of the night and I wouldn’t sleep until that happened.
AD
