And There Were Wolves

three | I can't put this down

It was odd to look my dad in the eye and not recognize him. He looked every bit the same, saved for the beard that he hadn't had before. There was this haunted look on his face as if he'd seen terror and actually lived it. It made me wonder what had happened these past few months.

"Dad?" I greeted him as I stepped into the room and approached him.

He looked up and immediately stood from where he was sitting. "Xyrra."

Despite everything else that felt different, the way he called my name hadn't changed at all. I rushed to him, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his chest. "Dad."

"I missed you, Sweetie." He kissed the top of my head and breathed in. "So so much. You have no idea."

I pulled away slightly, my eyes searching for his. "Then why did you leave?"

"Because you're in good hands. Alpha Ryker is a strong man, and I knew he'd protect you no matter what because you're his mate. With Atlas being uncontrollable sometimes, I didn't want to take any chances that I might hurt you." He took a sharp breath, then added, "Like I've hurt your mother."

The thought of my dad killing my mum still felt foreign to me. Eros had told me about it after my dad had left about how my dad and his wolf, Atlas, had no recollection about what had happened the day my mum died and how my dad had been punishing his wolf with all sorts of torture involving wolfsbane and silver to redeem himself for killing his mate.

Hearing my dad actually talk about it, admitting it out in the open, felt bizarre. A small part of me still wished it wasn't true.

"You'd never hurt me, Dad."

My dad gave me a rueful smile. "I don't think I can guarantee it, sweetheart. Atlas can be unpredictable sometimes."

"No, I mean I won't let you." I took a step back. "There's something I found out after you left." I summoned a ball of red smoke in one hand by flicking my wrist and watched my dad's eyes widen in surprise. "I'm a sorceress, Dad. I can protect myself well."

My dad moved his gaze to Eros, then Dmitry, before his eyes landed back on me. He blinked again as if the red smoke would be gone if he did so. When it didn't, he breathed out, "You have magical powers."

"Yes." I inched my way closer to him, hoping that he wouldn't move away or, worse, be scared of me. "And I think I may be able to bring back your memory of that day."

He didn't move, but he eyed the red ball of smoke curiously. "I've tried so many ways, but I can't remember. Atlas can't remember either."

"I know." I nodded, giving him a small, sad smile. "Please let me try, Dad."

"She will be able to make you remember," said Eros, trying to reassure my dad. "She helped me before. A month ago, when an evil witch locked my memory away, hell, she even locked my consciousness and let Ares take over my body after altering his memory too." He put one hand on my dad's shoulder and nodded. "Trust me, Rob, it will work."

That small nickname was from my dad's fake name, 'Robert Lancaster', back when he lived with humans in the Center. Back before all of this had happened. Back when I'd still believed that I was a mere human.

My dad gave Eros a decisive nod, then took a step toward me. He always listened to Eros, which made me jealous sometimes. I didn't know if it was 'a boy thing' and if he secretly wished he had a son instead of a daughter, but I often felt like Eros was his child and not me. I quickly shoved away those thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

"What do you need me to do?" My dad asked. There was a sliver of doubt in his eyes that I wanted to cease so bad.

Although I wasn't sure whether I could do it to him — since I had no idea whether he was hexed like Eros and Seb or if it was something entirely different  — I really wished that I could do it. Just so I could finally learn the truth of what had happened and also to prove myself to him that I could.