An Alpha's Claim

Truth

J could not believe what she was seeing. Her grandmother, her actual grandmother, was sat in front of her, a cup of tea in slightly shaky hands.

A matching cup sat in front of J on the small coffee table, but it was rapidly going cold. Following suit, Callie had left hers untouched too, hyper aware of J. But right now J didn't have the ability to instruct her otherwise.

J wanted to pinch herself, to hug Will and then pinch herself again. Her grandmother was alive. They hadn't spoken beyond brief small talk and an offer of tea. J knew that her grandmother was letting her take her time to adjust – to talk when she was ready.

J couldn't quite believe she was here. Couldn't believe that Will had found her grandmother, that she'd travelled here to meet her, that she was sat in her grandmother's house. Her family's house.

But beneath the relief and the shock, there was a burning resentment that J needed to understand. An anger that J had carried with her for years - one that has festered with every beating, every cut, every time J was shoved to the dirt in front of Harrison.

Whilst her relief at finding out she had someone - anyone - who was related to her in this world, was still there, it was the pain from being left behind that J could not ignore.

"Why did you leave?"  J's voice interrupted the settled silence, the noise made even J flinch.

The old woman's face paled and J instantly felt awful, but she reminded herself that she had a right to know. Had a right to understand why her grandmother had left her mother behind, left J behind.

Slowly, her grandmother leant forwards and slid her cup onto the table before easing back. J wasn't sure if she was going to answer her as she removed her glasses and began cleaning the lenses, buying time, J assumed, trying to work out how to defend the indefensible. J had never really noticed how much it had hurt her to be abandoned like that - how much of an impact it had on her. She had been abandoned by her grandmother, then her mother and now, Logan. J drew in a shaky breath and clenched her fists, her eyes burned.

"Do you remember much? Of the day we left?"

J shook her head, looking away to hide the tear sliding down her cheek. Feigning a scratch, she caught the tear on her finger, as her grandmother's words set in. "We?"

Confusion crossed the old woman's face, but she kept going, "yes, your father and I, and of course, Caleb."

J's heart slammed around inside her chest, like a caged animal it rolled and rioted, whilst a dark and deadly calm slid through her veins, snuffing out her sadness with cold, icy fear. "My father?"

Her father was Harrison, the monster. Just like J, the monster.

Her grandmother's face crumpled and J thought she might cry, "yes, your father. When Caleb was born, he knew he had to leave. Your mother – she made me promise to go with them, to raise Caleb. She knew, knew that the MSA would take your father, so-"

"Wait!" J was on her feet, hands curled into fists within a heartbeat. Callie followed suit, reacting to J's anger with a growl of her own as her wolf danced in her eyes. Her grandmother didn't do so much as blink. "What are you talking about? My fathe-my father was the Alpha, Harrison, he-"

J fell silent at the slow shake of her grandmother's head, "I'm sorry. I assumed your mother would have told you..."

J's stomach dropped and an odd floating sensation wormed it's way through her mind.

"She was already mated when the pack was attacked. I know what the Alpha – he – I know what he did to your mother, but you were your father's child. Your father was Alpha of the Waterbane pack. Your mother was she-alpha, until Harrison attacked. They were out numbered and Harrison tried – and failed to kill your father, and so kept your mother as an insurance policy. Your father was ousted from the pack, but he followed wherever we went. Your mother was pregnant when Harrison took her, but he didn't notice and by the time he did...he assumed you were his. Not that it made it any easier on you, I know." She paused, taking a shaky breath and J worried the old woman might collapse before she'd finished talking, "Your father and mother – well, they'd...'meet'...every now and then. Then she got pregnant again. They were foolish...I-"