Page 52 of Lost Girl

“She’s not his! What part of that don’t you understand? He and Tinksley forced her through the portal after Tinksley had her revenge on Peter!”

“Whatever their reasoning is, it’s not your business!” the Chief roars, slamming a hand down against a hard surface.

“They made it my business when they threw her in the dark and ignored her cries!” Tavi roars back, his chair scraping against the floors. “Do you know how disturbing it was to walk onto his property and immediately pick up on such horrorized screams that no one else seemed to hear? Would you have just ignored them?”

“No, but I would not have gone investigating, either. I would’ve asked him directly.”

“Oh yeah, sure—great plan, dad. Let me tell you how well strolling up beside the leech and straight up asking him where those screams were coming from was going to turn out.Please.”

The tension rises, forcing another lull between the feuding family. It’s so palpable, I don’t need to see their faces or body language to picture the scene. I can see it so clearly, I’m cringing in my own skin.

All because of me.

It’s not long before the Chief releases another heavy sigh and continues driving the nail in the coffin. “It hurts my heart deeply to know that the son I once believed had such potential, the potential to be one of the greatest leaders our land has ever seen, has become nothing more than this reckless, irrational, disrespectful being. You need a good, long think, son. A good. Long. Think. Analyze yourself, your intentions, your morality, your actions. As your sister said, you may be the Alpha, but that doesn’t mean you’re leading the pack on the right path.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” Tavi snaps.

“I wish I was, but you need a serious reality check, and part of that check will be me forbidding that woman to stay in this house. For years, our main goal was to rid Rosewood of Pan’s presence. Regardless of the fact he’s dead now, she’s connected to him and I don't want even the slightest remnant of that vile ingrate here."

Streams of grief and disgust just seem to fall down my face. I couldn’t quell them another moment if I tried. I’m not crying because his father doesn’t want me here, I’m crying because everything about Peter really is true. It’s not that I didn’t believe what Tinksley and Hook shared—I guess I was just holding onto the hope that Peter was the man I loved and not the monster they made him out to be. That his murder was truly unjust andtheywere the monsters.

Monsters that abducted me and forever altered me in ways I wish didn’t exist.

But it’s all true.

And I’m miscarrying his baby.

"I wish you could hear yourself, what you're saying. I almost can't believe you're standing there, spouting this at me without true realization of how ridiculous it sounds. She isnothim, dad. She may have been involved with him, but I can guarantee you she was as much a victim as Tinksley."

"Oh, I hear myself, loud and clear,” his dad counters, “and the answer is still no. I don't care if you like it or not, she will not stay here."

"Not a problem, I wasn’t counting on it. At this point, I don't know that I want her to stay here, anyway. She's already been through enough. The last thing I'm trying to do is force her to stay in a place where she's unwelcome. Don't sit there and worry about where I am when I don't come home, though. If you need me, you can rest assured I'll be with her until she makes it home," Tavi sneers, shooting a hand up to my mouth to avoid the sob trying to break free.

"You guys, come on, don't do this," Tigerlily pipes up again, audibly jumping to her feet. "We're family. Family sticks together no matter what."

"Blood isn’t always thicker than water. Remember that, lil’ sis. Right now, my priority is Wendy. I made her a promise and you know my word is always solid."

"Not for everyone across the board, son,” the Chief retorts without hesitation. “Your word is only solid to those you deem fit, because you promised me that you would try harder, that you would do better, and like I said, here we are, back at square one."

"What's sad is that I don't care what you think, not right now anyway. I know what my word means and what I stand for. So here’s something foryouto think about. You may be disappointed in me, but you know what? I'm disappointed in you, too, Pa. The father I grew up looking up to would've never done Wendy like this."

I hear his footsteps. I know he’s about to catch me standing in this hallway, but I can’t move. I’ve got both hands clasped tightly over my mouth as I just stand there and weep. The last week, two weeks, however long it’s been, of my life have been a non-stop nightmare. Aside from meeting Tavi, every single moment has been a damned nightmare I can’t wake up from. And now I have to live with the fact I’m causing a rift between a family, too, all because I’m here?

Somewhere I was dragged to in the first place?

I just want it to stop.

“Fuck,” Tavi hisses. He’s seen me, obviously, and he rushes me, swallowing me in a safeguarding embrace. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.” It’s a whisper in my ear as he squeezes tighter.

I want to tell him that I don’t care, that my tears have nothing to do with his dad, but the emotional deluge is stronger than I’d let myself believe.

It’s too much, it’s all too much.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he suggests.

And we do.

He doesn’t wait for me to respond, either—he simply leads me out, shielding me from what I can sense is one hell of a penetrating, disapproving stare.

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