Hey. Hi. Hello.

Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter :) Here is the next one and I hope y'all enjoy it :D

Maiannise- Haha you'll have to read the chapter to find out what happens ;)

PastOneonta- I am definitely going to go into depth with the charges and why Aeriol's father supports the charges against her and thank you so much for reviewing :D

rlassie- Thank you :D Honestly I don't know what I would do without you. You are what makes my writing improve :3 So again thank you so much :D Aww thank you. The part with Calla's mother actually wasn't going to happen but I wanted there to be more sweet moments and I thought this was the perfect way to do it :3 Thank you so much for reviewing :D

Godisgood3- Emerson is definitely not getting the "Best Father" award anytime soon xD Aww I am so glad that you liked the part with Aerie and Calla's mom :3 And thank you for reviewing :D

Pinkchic1200- You'll have to read this chapter to find out what Emerson says ;) And thank you for reviewing :D

Layla347- Aww thanks :D And thank you so much for reviewing :D

The Daughter of Night- Aww thank you :D I am so glad that you enjoyed it even though you cried :) Thank you so much for reviewing :D

Enjoy the chapter :D

He did not have to tell me where we were going. I already knew but I still followed him in the opposite direction of everyone else. I thought I heard someone call my name but I didn't turn around to look. I knew that if I did I would change my mind. I wanted answers and the only way to get them was to follow my father down the path to the south end of the lake. The sun was starting to set over the valley, staining the natural blue sky red and orange and the lack of light made the lake water look black.

And at the very end of the lake was the one thing that I never thought I would see again.

The house. The very house where I spent my childhood. It hadn't aged a day with the same red tiled roof with high arched windows on the first and second floors that were glowing from the light coming inside the house.

"Aeriol."

I blinked, looking at my father who was at the end of the path that led to the front door of the house. The door was wide-open, spilling even more light into the front lawn. My father stood in front of the open door, the light causing his golden skin to look white and the edges of his dark brown hair took a golden hue. It almost made him look angelic if his face didn't have such sharp features.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you coming?"

I nodded, taking small steps until I was walking through the front door. There was a sharp scent that clung to the air and burned my nose. The only thing that I could think of was spices. The house had always smelled softer when Mom was around, like flowers or an ocean breeze. My nose crinkled as I walked further into the house and into the living room.

It was the same as I remembered with its dark brown leather L-shaped couch that was placed in front of a flat screen TV. The TV was placed in the middle of a bookshelf that were packed to the very brim with books, new and old. Some of the bindings looked brand new while the others were misshaped and looked well worn. There were nightstands on either side of the couch with pictures frames placed on top of them.

I picked one up and froze when I saw the picture behind the thin layer of glass. It was of the four of us, my mother, Father, Ansel and I. Ansel and I couldn't have been more the six years old, wearing similar colored bathing suits and our skin was covered in sand. My mother sat on the ground, the biggest grin on her face that I had ever seen as she hugged the two of us while Father sat in a beach chair with his classic half smile on his lips.

I smiled, looking at how Ansel was a little bit taller than me and how shaggy his hair looked while mine was in intricate braids that my mom had done for me. Aunt Tessa had tried to braid my hair like that before but it never came out the same way again.

"You still have these pictures," I whispered softly, my fingers running along the frame.

"Of course I do," Father murmured quietly, "I am fond of those memories that we made together."

"You weren't very fond of Ansel and I when we were growing up though," I said bitterly.

"I have tried to be a good father to you, Aeriol."

"You haven't been doing a very good job of it."

"I have tried Aeriol Emilie," He shouted.

"Then you should have tried harder," I yelled back, "Ansel and I needed you when Mom left us but you retreated like you had your tail between your legs. You didn't realize you still had two children that loved and cared for you! You just wanted to be alone and bitter. Nothing else mattered but yourself!"

"I will admit that I have made poor judgments in the past, Aeriol," My father whispered, he looked like he was in pain but I knew he was faking it. My father never felt pain. He had always been heartless. "Your mother leaving did not only affect you and your brother. I loved your mother, more than you will ever know and I do not think I will ever understand why she left me."

"It's probably because you're a heartless bastard."

"I was not always like this, my darling daughter."

"Don't call me that," I hissed while my father raised his eyebrows at me in shock. He walked towards the kitchen that was right across from the living room. He opened the fridge and got a pitcher of water and two cups from the cabinet. "You lost the right to call me your daughter the moment you tried to convince the Council my pack and I were guilty of those murders."

"I was doing my duty as a member of the Council!"

"Your duty," I screeched, "That's such bullshit and you know it. You blamed me for something that I did not commit."

"You and your pack's scents were found at the scene," He growled, walking back into the living room with the two cups full of water. He handed me to me before sitting on a recliner across from me. I took a seat on the leather couch, the material sticking to my bare legs that my dress didn't cover. I took a sip. The water tasted rinsing but sweet, almost like candy as it traveled down my throat.

"And that's all the evidence you found," I hissed glaring at him. I was surprised that my father's eyes hadn't turned gold the entire time we had been arguing. He was always short tempered when I was growing up but he had been at his calmest, his eyes never flashing gold while my emotions were flying off the walls. Something flickered in the back of my mind but I couldn't tell what it was. Something was telling me that I should be on my guard but I was too anger to think more about it.

I was finally with my father and starting to get the answers that I wanted. I would worry about being on my guard later.

"You should just admit it," I spat, "You never wanted me to be Alpha."

"You're right," My father said quietly, "I never thought you were right to be Alpha."

"At least you're finally being honest," I muttered, taking another long sip of water.

"All you had to do was ask nicely."

"And being nice gets you no where."

"Am I the reason you are so bitter?"

"I'm only bitter when I'm around you," I growled, leaning against the couch. My glass of water was halfway gone and my head was starting to feel kind of fuzzy.

"That's a shame," Father whispered slowly, "I always thought you needed to learn a little more respect. I am your father after all."

I opened my mouth to make a smart remark but my tongue tingly, like it was on the verge of going numb. And my whole body felt heavy, awkward. After a moment, I couldn't feel any of my fingers in my right hand and my glass slipped through my fingers, falling to the ground. My head was getting foggier, darkness creeping along the edges of my vision. I glared at my father, who was at ease, sitting in his recliner and drinking from his glass.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing too drastic," He smirked, "Don't worry what I slipped into your drink won't kill you. It's just going to make you sleep for a little while. Maybe when you wake up you'll have some manners."

I glared at him as the darkness crept further into my vision until darkness was the only thing that I saw.

Ohhhh cliffy ;) I am sorry that this chapter was so short but I promise the next chapter will be a lot longer :D Anyway I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to leave a review to tell me what you thought :D I will try to update as soon as I can :))

Love you all,

Owly