Freeville and a load of history

Valeria

Today was the day father was arriving so I volunteered myself to pick him up.

We were currently at the back of his car, mind you; the car which he bought because he hated taking cabs.

The car was silent so I took it as time to study my father.

He was paler than normal, to thin despite his look if you ask me. And the way he kept glancing out the window, rubbing his chin, scratching his head and doing all sort of things I never noticed he did got me thinking. Was he worried about something?

When he noticed me staring he tried smiling but failed.

He sighed leaning back to rest on the car seat.

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged, then closed his eyes for a moment before he blinked them open and turned his head to look at me.

"I'm worried." He started, "What if she's truly alive?"

I didn't need to ask who he was talking about, because I already knew, but what I didn't know in the first place was why they separated.

I could probably get the truth out of him now that he was vulnerable.

It pained me to think like that but desperate times calls for desperate measures.

"Why did you and mom separate?"

The way he stiffened made my heart ache.

He glanced at the window before his eyes found mine.

"We wanted different things." He answered, his left hand rubbing his palm soothingly.

"Please elaborate."

He chuckled, "all business now are we?"

I scowled and he grinned for a while before sighing loudly.

"Her father was never in favor of us being together, I was her lucky ticket to FreeVille."

I frowned, not understanding what he was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

My dad took my hands in his as he answered. "I was rich, famous— handsome of course." I tried to smile. "She was like a bird, whose wings were clipped." He had a faraway look in his eyes.

"When she met me at one of her father's functions, it was like I was her messiah, sent to help her, the calvary, she seduced me; well I wouldn't say seduce but you get the idea."

I grunted.

"I fell for her, loved her with my whole heart, it was during one of my friends function I offered to marry her and she agreed without hesitation, she went immediately to her father in front of everyone present and announced to him that she was getting married, of course her father was displeased, we weren't enemies and we certainly aren't friends, right when he was about to object she shouted again that I was her mate, and no one, not even her father can deny the call of mates so he had to agree."

"But did you know you weren't mates?" I interrupted, because I wanted to know.

"I thought maybe we were, I thought maybe I didn't notice because my genes were dormant. I was so happy, but it didn't last long. After years of marriage, after she gave birth to you and Danica she finally stopped pretending, when we thought Danica was still born and then found out you were also dormant, she left, pronouncing she couldn't pretend anymore, I mean, what was the point of pretending to love someone when you felt miserable in their presence." His mouth twisted up in disgust.

"And you know the worst part?" It was a rhetorical question. "I wasn't even surprised, somehow over the years I noticed it, but I just kept telling myself I was seeing things, I told myself she loved me, she just didn't now how to show it." He tried for a smile but he failed miserably.

"She told me I could take care of you alone, since you wouldn't be able to shift, you'd be less trouble, I wouldn't have to worry, I vowed to keep you away from the life of a shifter, to give you a normal childhood.

"she packed her bags and left, Valeria, do you know the funniest part?" He laughed but it didn't reach his eyes.

"She still came to me to ask for money and I kept giving it to her, she stopped coming after five years though, and two years later I hear she died near a pack."

The whole conversation felt.....I didn't even know. But my mind kept going back to all the times my siblings talked about her.

They portrayed her to be so... caring, supportive, brave, but my father painted a whole new picture.

The car stopped and I realized I hadn't said anything when I noticed my father staring at me expectantly.

"I don't know what to say, but believe me father, I'll never leave you, we'll always be together, nothing is going to change that."

"I know love." He leaned to kiss me on the cheek. "So how's Octavian?".

I scowled, "how would I know."

My father scoffed loudly. "Oh please, I see how much you watch him."

"What no.. I don't watch him, he stalks me."

My father beamed, "and what has he done about it?"

I groaned before answering, "he invited me to dinner but got kidnapped instead."

My father laughed, before wincing and then apologized for laughing, "is he okay?"

"Yeah, they'll be released today."