Previously :
"Who is your mate, Dad? Who did you leave Mom for? Who did you leave our family for?" My voice was venomous, as my eyes bore into my dad's fidgety frame.

"Becky."

Rory's pov :

Besides me, Jase let out a threatening rumble, and he pulled me ever closer to himself.
His scent surrounded me, which only worked to further confuse me. My brain churned, as I tried to process that my dad had shattered our family for my friend, who was also his mate. And then, out of jealousy my dad's mate and my childhood best friend tried to kill me.
"Pumpkin—"
"Don't call me that," my voice was cold and heartless as I interrupted my dad.
"Auri—"
"Don't call me that either."
My dad let out a small sigh, "Aurora, you have a mate now, so surely you understand the undeniable attraction between two mates."
"Yeah, I do dad. I understand that every time your mate is nearby your heart begins to race, or how a mate's touch causes fireworks to erupt on your skin. I understand that your mate's eyes are almost enchanting and that, no matter how hard you try, you will always get lost in them. Hell, I even understand that you would die for your mate, but this I don't understand."
"Pumpk—Aurora, wouldn't you be jealous if Jase were to love someone else with all of his heart? If he would die for her, without a second thought? If she was the most beautiful girl in his eyes?"
I scoffed, "I sure as hell hope he'd love his daughter."
"But imagine his daughter, isn't your daughter. Imagine that she was someone else's, and Jase still loved her."
"Oh my God! How could you? Love your own fuckîng daughter? What a disgrace!" I screamed, my voice was dripping with sarcasm. "So no, dad. I don't understand. I don't understand why my own best friend would want to kill me, nor do I understand why you're defending her."
"But you're not my daughter!"
I choked out a sob at his words. I was adopted, so biologically I wasn't his daughter, but family isn't blood. That's what he told me growing up, but everything else he said was a lie, so what makes this any different?
"I didn't mean that Auri. You know you're my daughter! You're my little girl, my baby!" My father's voice cracked, as he realized what he had said. "I'm defending her because she's my mate, Pumpkin. Because she was made for me, a gift from the heavens, and I've held back for more than a decade, I-I can't anymore. I'm sorry, Pumpkin."
"A decade? How long have you known she was your mate Dad? How long have you lied to us?"
My dad's face dropped, as his eyes swam with guilt, "Auror—"
"How long?!"
"Since you were six."
"What?" My voice was hardly a whisper as my thoughts became a whirlwind, creating nothing but chaos in my mind.
My entire childhood was a lie. This man, who claimed to be my father, was a lie.
He gave me and, more importantly, my mom and brother a fake illusion of family. For years he was playing us, all the while he knew what was coming. He knew that our "family" was bound to crash and burn, but he didn't care. Our pain and tears meant nothing to him.
Our family meant nothing to him.
Tears began to stream down my cheeks, but they weren't tears of pain, or even sadness, rather they were tears of frustration.
I frustrated with my "father" and the rest of the world. I was frustrated with the moon goddess. But more than anything, I was frustrated with myself.
How could I have not seen all of the clues? All of those times my father acted strange while Becky was around when I was younger(1)?
How could I be so oblivious?
"I'm so, so sorry Pumpkin, but Becky is my one true love. She's my destiny and I'm afraid I can't give her up."
Darren let out a dry chuckle from behind me, "This is the second time I've heard the story, and it's still shît."
"Son—"
"Oh, cut the shît, would you? Just tell them the real reason you're hear."
My father cleared his throat to speak, but I cut him off before he even got the chance, "Second time? You already knew?"
Darren shifted his gaze to me and he lost the hostility that was just burning in his eyes, "Bastard came to pay us visit while you were still out dark, and he gave me 'his side of the story.' As well as a sneak peek of the special request he has for your mate."
Jase's arms further tightened around me, as he buried me into his side, "What request?"
My father's posture turned rigid as he faced his alpha, but he remained tall and proud, "I wanted to discuss the 'Beta situation' with you, Alpha."
Darren let out an annoyed snarl, but made no move to intervene.
"What 'Beta situation?!'" I spit out venomously. "Pumpkin, this isn't your place. Don't get mixed up in things that don't concern you."
Two growls ripped through the room, one from my mate and the other from my brother.
"Auri, do me a favor and step out of the room for a second," Jase's voice had an edge to it, leaving little room for argument.
"Jase—"
"It'll be just a minute, Princess." Jase's voice was kind, charming even, but his eyes told me I didn't have a choice.
"Darren," Jase gave my brother a small nod, and all of the sudden I was being led out of the room.
"No! Stop it! Jase!" No one payed any mind to my protests, not even my mate.
Once Darren successfully dragged me out of the room and into the hallway, he shut the door.
"You know, I'm the one who's injured. Should I not be the one in the hospital room?"
Darren's head snapped to mine so fast I wouldn't have doubted he had whiplash, "Oh fûcking hell."
He lifted me into his arms and threw open the door and stomped to the hospital bed. Ignoring the blazing eyes of the two wolves in the room, Darren gently placed me on the bed and tucked me in.
"Darren—"
"No, you were right Auri. You need rest, so if these two assholes need to talk they'll do it elsewhere."
I cocked an eyebrow at my suddenly ballsy brother, "Assholes, huh?"
He smirked at me, before looking at Jase and our father, "You heard me, you assholes can talk elsewhere."
Jase let out a low growl at the disrespect, "Beta—"
"Jase, he's just taking care of me," I interrupted before the two boys got in another fight.
Jase shot a glare at Darren while he made his way towards my bed and pecked my forehead, "I'll see you soon, Princess."
I rolled my eyes at my mate, "Still don't see why you can't have this conversation in front of me."
"Because I'm a beast, baby, and I can't have you seeing that side of me."
I grabbed his arm before he could leave, "Jase, promise me you won't hurt him."
"Princess—"
"Promise me."
Jase sighed, his eyes bore into mine as he spoke, "I promise I won't hurt him—"
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and threw my arms around Jase's neck, only to have Darren grab me from my mate's arms and set me back on the bed.
"I won't hurt him, so long as I know he won't pose a threat to you or the pack. If he does prove to be a threat..."
I nodded, knowing that Jase couldn't risk my father's betrayal. But that doesn't mean letting my father, no matter what he has done, walk to his possible death is easy, and to make matter worst, it would be mate who'd spill his blood.
"I love you, Princess." With a swift peck on the lips, Jase made his way out of the room.
"I love you too."
He couldn't hear me with the door shut, but I still said it. I had to. I wasn't quite sure I was capable of silencing my love for Jase.
He brought every fiber of my being to life, and his touch spread fire pumping through my veins.
He was my alpha, my mate and my beast. And I was completely and utterly in love with him.
"God that'll never be normal," Darren muttered next to me, effectively snapping me out of my thoughts.
I giggled at his frustrated expression, "Oh relax. You can trust Jase, of all people; he's your best friend, remember?"
Darren scoffed at my words, "Exactly. He's my best friend, and I know exactly what's going through that perverted mind of his."
"Jase is not a pervert, Darren."
"It's been a couple days and you're already choosing him over me," Darren said bitterly.
"You'll always be my big brother, Dar, and I'll always love you. Plus, you're going to find your mate too, and you'll forget all about me."
Darren's face dropped. His jaw clenched, as he avoided eye contact, and he was repeatedly fisting and unfisting his hands.
"No..."
Darren just nodded his head, confirming my fears.
I pulled Darren down for a hug, trying to protect him from the cruelty surrounding us. I clutched him close to me, as his arms wrapped around my body.
"She had a fûcking kid, Auri. A goddamn kid that's nearly as old as you are!"
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know why the Moon Goddess made bad things happen, to such good people.
"And to top of it all, you know who my mate was? Our fûcking Aunt."
I nearly choked, "W-what?"
Darren let out a bitter laugh, "Anand, Mom's rogue sister, is my fûcking mate. And she has a daughter, who's also our cousin, with some dîckhead(2)."
"Dar—"
Darren at me, a weak smile playing at his lips, "But that's okay. My heart will heal. I mean a man's only supposed to have one woman in his life, and I've got Mom."
I smiled at my brother, "And me. You'll always have me, Dar."
He smirked, "Oh I know, but you don't count as a woman. You're my baby sister."
I stuck my tongue out at him, "Sister. I'm your sister."
"Whatever you say, Baby Sis."
I scowled at him, "Stupid puppy on steroids."

"Who're you calling a puppy, Bumble Bee(3)?"
•••
So this chapter is long afff!!!! 1769 words!!!

Hope you all love it, and in case you don't understand or remember some of the references, I have them listed down below.
(1) Becky and Auri were childhood best friends.
(2) Anand is a rogue who was introduced earlier in the story. She was locked up and being tortured by Jase when she revealed that she was sent to Jase's pack so she could free her daughter from an abductor. Earlier, it was also revealed that Anand was raped while Alpha Mark, Jase's dad, and Beta Brent, Auri's dad, were in power resulting in her pregnancy.
(3) Chapter 1 shows Auri with a friend from her school named Jake, who called her Bumble Bee. They, along with their other friends all live relatively close together and promised to meet and be "attached at the hip" once they got home, and this is their first time seeing each other.
*The whole "baby sister" fight happened before too. :)
Thanks so much for reading!
XoMeghan