Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 23 (M)

I close the door behind me and sigh, feeling as if I'd just fed Tonya to the very beasts she fears. "Thank you," Tyler tells me, gaining my attention. I force a small smile at him, not quite feeling deserving of praise. "I've been wantin' to do that for quite some time." He squeezes Helen who seems to mirror my concern.

 Why did I meddle? Why didn't I leave it alone? 

"Baby girl, we can finally be free of your parents-"

Helen slips out of his grasp, wrapping her arms around herself. I know too well, that abuse comes in many different shapes and sizes, this family might not fit the standard of what one would consider an abuse case but the emotional toll of an oppressive member is a familiar one.

 It doesn't have to come in the form of beatings, screaming, and broken objects. It can present in broken people, so shut down that being without the voice of reason is terrifying. "I don't want to be without them." She tells him firmly. "I just want them to see me for who I am. I don't want them to hate me."

Rhea's expression tells me that maybe I've gone too far. "We've been working on this situation for a while." Her voice is low. "Legardo is troubled... "

"It's not an excuse," I tell her, not wanting to whisper, not wanting to talk about this family as if they aren't here. "They have lives, too. You have a life, Helen. You don't have to be this way."

 Her light eyes flick up at me, wide and uncertain. Perhaps that wasn't the best way to phrase it.

 "You don't have to be so afraid, you can control this part of you and I think you'll find some inner strength with it." 

She glances towards the ground, shuffling uncomfortably. "History states that Verando killed your father." 

Yes. But that was on purpose. As much as I don't like to think about it, Verando was who he was totally on his own. 

"The decisions a select few make don't define an entire species. Lycans were created to serve, to protect, it is the good in them and their close sense of family that led my father to do what he did. There are bad people but that doesn't make us any less human. 

If there is anything my time should have taught you it is the value of that wolf." 

Rhea doesn't look so convinced, she dismisses herself and I take my leave to go to the kitchen and grab a snack, wanting to drown my anger in something sweet and decadent. Out of all the attributes his father could have given him, why didn't Gary gain any of the good sides? 

He seemed like a mixture of vices and frankly, I had only enough patience for one asshole in my life. 

But that was the problem, wasn't it? It wasn't my life he was in, it was theirs and I had just made it worse. I grumble as I walk, this new compound was similar to the old one but the subtle changes in layout had me backtracking.

Finally, I find the pristine kitchen and open the door to the refrigerator, grabbing a chilled slice of cake. All of this technology and still humanity found a way to kill each other, to dig its own grave so soundly that it needs to go back in time to save itself. 

I stab the dark piece and take an annoyed bite, sighing at the flavor. At least the man's a good cook. 

Why was I bothering? 

Did my want for children go as far as to help someone else with their own? 

I take another bite, stabbing the cake with increasing satisfaction. For now, that portion of me was satisfied. I don't even care for Helen, so why was I helping her?