Chapter Three

It had been another day and a half before Channary’s parents had decided that enough was enough. It was her mother that let herself into Channary’s room, immediately gaging from the smell of the room.

“Chan, you need to get up and shower… your father wants to speak with you.”

            From under the blanket Channary groaned, “Māmā, I’m not ready yet.”

“I’m sorry baby, but there’s nothing more that either of us can do or say to make him wait any longer than he already has,” her mother explained sadly.

            Channary’s mother could see and smell the heartache and despair coming from her daughter; her normally social child hadn’t been out of her room in days and though it angered her mate, her mother was worried… deep in her gut she knew something happened to her pup.

“Mom.” Channary cried, throwing the blanket from her naked body exposing not just her swollen face and dirty body. Channary’s scent was no longer her own.

            Channary’s mother gasped, quickly closing the door, and locking it behind her. The woman’s pale face became a sickly white color and tears began to well up in her eyes as she took in the sight of her only child. The minute her mother had closed the distance between them, Channary was cradled in her mother’s arms crying as she was rocked and kissed on like when she was younger.

“Oh, my child, what happened to you? Where is your mate?”

            Channary shook her head painfully. “I don’t know anything Māmā. He never said his name, or I can’t remember him saying it… I don’t remember anything, not his scent or what he looked or sounded like.”

            Channary cried harder in her mother’s arms. “We don’t even have a soul tether.”

“Impossible. The soul tether is a natural response to meeting your mate,” her mother muttered. “Did you at least tell him your name? I know the herbs in the Unity Cup are strong, but you should’ve done better.”

            Pushing off her mother’s lap, Channary glared at her. “Nothing you told me about the Blood Moon and the Unity Cup was true. I didn’t feel good the entire time at all, it was the exact opposite for me. I felt sick and everything was in a constant fog.”

“What do you mean?”

“I felt like I had been drugged. I was sick to my stomach and my headache was the worst… last thing I fully remember was him helping me lie down from the pain,” Channary recalled.

“Are you sure Channary? That is a pretty big accusation, and you know your father will call the pack doctor,” her mother warned thinking her daughter was trying to hide the truth.

“He can call them… I should be checked out,” Channary agreed not knowing why she hadn’t thought of going there first.

            Her mother shushed her. “Keep your voice down…”

“Māmā, let him hear it then because you and I both know that regardless of the truth Alpha Williams will not be embarrassed,” Channary said standing up from her mother’s embrace. Channary felt a burning rage surge through her. “Not from anyone, not even you or me.”

“Channary—

“No, Māmā. Don’t pretend. We both know that Bàbà is going to make me leave,” Channary said cutting her mother off.

“You are his only child,” her mother said trying to get Channary to see reason.

            Channary was angry; no more was the crying sad in her bed, pathetic girl and in her place stood a furious Alpha female. Channary had already come to terms with whatever punishment her father would deem worthy; even if her father did leave her homeless, Channary knew she was going to be fine. Even without her parents or even the Moon, Channary knew she was going to be okay.

            There was a small chance that Channary’s father would believe her but anyone who knew the Alpha knew that he acted on impulse only and it didn’t make for a fit Alpha. The Alpha often found himself at the center of chaos and confusion, his members demanding that he fix what he had messed up; it was clear to the pack members that their Alpha cared more for his reputation than he did for their wellbeing. They had long since wanted a new Alpha…

“And when has that ever mattered to him? He wanted a boy right,” Channary asked turning around to stare at her mother.

            Her mother’s eyes began to fill again, her short black hair pinned away from her face… the stress was beginning to make her mother look older than she really was. Even though she had been putting on a strong front for her daughter and their pack, Channary’s mother was tired, and it was beginning to show.

“We—I, I will talk to him,” her mother said shakily; the woman’s fear and worry was palpable.

“Māmā, he won’t listen… there’s nothing for him to listen to. There’s nothing to tell him other than I felt drugged. From then on, it's on him to believe me or not.”

“I can’t tell him who, I don’t know how it happened and I don’t know what happened… all I do know is that whoever he is, he’s my true mate.”

“Channary, these things happen all the time,” her mother said reassuringly.

“Not to them… he will never understand this.”

            Channary began shuffling around her room, tearing it apart looking for something. It wasn’t until clothes were all over her floor and Channary had begun to move to her closet that her mother spoke. “What are you looking for?”

“The last time Uncle Kai was here—” Channary’s mother’s gasp cut her off.

“Don’t you dare Channary,” her mother warned. “The last thing you need to do is cause more problems.”

            Channary scoffed. “I’m causing problems? How could I be the one causing problems?”

“You know how your father feels about your uncle,” her mother said not even daring to whisper the name.

“Yes, because he’s the only one of us he can’t bully.”

“Your father is no bully,” her mother defended.

“Maybe to you Mother,” Channary growled staring angrily at the woman who had given her life and not recognizing her. “How many times have you stood by and watched as he belittled me and bullied me to the point of tears? How many times did you listen to him tell me he wished I was a boy?”

“That’s not—

“It’s not fair?” Channary asked her mother sarcastically.

            The two women stared at one another, both waiting for the other to submit. Channary refused to give into her mother this time; all her life Channary had allowed her mother to talk her into letting go of how her father treated her, and for years and years Channary watched her mother turn a blind eye to the abuse. Channary had grown tired of always feeling like she had done something wrong by only breathing and for the first time in her life she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself.

            Not once had Channary’s mother ever stood up for her and she expected Channary to believe that she would do it now? Having the audacity to tell the child she had watched being tormented by her own mate what was and wasn’t fair… Channary knew what was and wasn’t fair. Life.

            After a long match her mother finally sighed in defeat and looked away. “He’s not that bad,” she whispered.

“To you,” Channary reminded.

            A door slammed downstairs, shaking the entire house from the force. A flurry of angry footsteps followed the slam and then could be heard moving through the house quickly. Channary and her mother’s eyes locked and both of their faces turned pale. The look on the other’s face showed them that they weren’t as ready as they thought they were they thought they had more time, but it was clear that he knew.

“I’ll go distract him,” her mother whispered. The older woman swiftly moved to the door to unlock and open it. “Hurry and get yourself and your things together. And Chan?”

“Māmā?”

“Text him and tell him to hurry. We may need him.”