The Howls of a Spirit ( Discontinued )

🐺Chapter 20

The door of Calli's bedroom screeched open and her Pa wheeled in. She stood up from her desk where she was reading and went over to help him. Calli sat on her bed and waited for him to address his sudden arrival.

"Well?" she said sharply. Mixed feelings floated inside her head like phantoms.

"I wanted to say something," Edmund Orpheus responded. His burly self was planted on the big black wheelchair. His blonde hair had lost their shine and grey streaks rested in between. Dark brown eyes – which were passed down to his daughter – looked at Calli shamefacedly.

"Well then say it," she retorted and her Pa sighed.

"I'm sorry about my past behaviour. It was wrong for me to shove all those responsibilities onto your shoulders."

"It's too late for that now."

"Don't you disrespect me," he said harshly.

"I have the right to. The last time I checked, you didn't care about my responsibilities. You never bothered on doing anything and I understand that because of your leg. But did you even say a word when I asked how your day was? No! I worried for you all day and night. And you didn't even reassure me like a father should! Instead you drowned yourself in alcohol! And I thought you were mute for a while!" Callisto snapped.

"I –I'm sorry," he said, his voice in a melancholy tone.

"I care about your responsibilities now. I want to help," he added.

"Are my responsibilities all you care about?" she asked, a loud sob escaping her mouth.

"No, I care about my children. And I neglected you for the longest time after your – your mother died. I have made many mistakes."

"And you never even bothered to correct them for the sake of your children," she stated and warm tears fell from her eyes.

"That's why I am here."

Callisto was silent, more tears appearing and falling onto her bed sheets.

"Before your grandfather died, he wrote his will as you might know. And he passed down his fortune to us. I kept it hidden. I was too selfish to lend it to you because of the fear of it being spent senselessly," he expounded.

"So you didn't trust me? Your own child?"

"Yes. But now I see that I was wrong. Even without that money, you have worked so, so hard and earned your own money to do the things I was supposed to do. I was so blind to see that my children were suffering."

"We weren't suffering!"

"I guess you weren't. But I was. I spent day by day grieving my wife and after some time, I realized that I was neglecting you and Nico. And I was too guilty to lend you help."

"Too guilty? What kind of excuse is that Pa?"

"Nico forgave me. Why can't you?"

"I'm not him!"

"But he is also my child"

"Yeah. And I am the child who had a really hard time without you. Nico, he just missed his father. I did too. But I was the one who was mainly affected by you and your choices. I'm not saying that Nico wasn't having a hard time too. Because he did. And when that happened, I was always there to help him. I stayed up all night, spending time helping him with his homework. I was the one who attended all his parent-teacher conferences. And didn't you ever wonder who helped me? No one. Nico is all I have as a family now and I will always be there for him. I can't say the same about you."

Her father was speechless.

"I figured along the way that you didn't need me," he started.

"We needed you! I needed you! And you tell me you were too guilty to help me!"

"Listen to me child!" he yelled which made Callisto stop dead in her tracks. His voice raised was something she never thought she'd hear.

"I am sorry about all I have done. But the past is the past and trust me if I could change it, I would. I swear I would," her Pa cried.

"I am now giving the money to you. As your father, I pass it down to you."

"No. My father died four years ago... I don't want your money," she lied and wanted for him to say 'No. Your father is right here. I promise you. I love you and I am right here for you.'

"What do you want me to do Callisto!?" he shouted, his eyes pooling with rage.

"I want to join a pack," she said, unhappy of his response.

"No."

"Why!?"

"The legacy we carried on will remain," her father said firmly.

"But we need protection."

"There is enough protection in this neighborhood!"

"No there isn't! They don't know that we are rogues! I am shifting soon Pa, what do you think will happen when they catch my scent?! I don't want to hide forever! And I am not strong enough to protect Nico. You aren't either!"

With that being said, she strutted towards her door and motioned for him to get out. Anger was a separate being that possessed her mind and body.

"I have no use for the money. It's yours whether you want it or not," he finalized and wheeled out into the hallway of their house, glaring at her all the while.

She slammed the door shut and started crying, her hand over her mouth to stop sound from escaping and worrying Nico. Had she gone too far? She felt vulnerable and frightened. That was all she was: a mess. She was truly happy in seeing her father happy but his selfishness and determination was going to kill them all. She thought she might not need a pack's support but she had been lying to herself all along. The days will creep closer for her lycanthropy and she was panicking now. What is this stupid legacy anyway?

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