The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 67: Chapter 67
You are reading The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella, Chapter 67: Chapter 67. Read more chapters of The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella.
Grant POV
I was summoned to the private meeting area reserved for visitors of utmost importance, my father sliding the door shut and motioning for me to take a seat. To my surprise Maxwell and Stella were sitting at the large round table, their heads bowed, grim expressions on their faces. An elder was situated between them, his eyes narrowed, his hands folded in front of them. This must be the representative from the council, but I had imagined there would have been more than one. At least two or more was the norm. Where was the rest? Or had they simply decided that one was all that was necessary? “Sit down Grant,” my father said wearily, and I sat, opposite him and my mother, the council member inclining his head respectfully towards me.
“I am Elder Jason,” he said gravely, rubbing his salt-and-pepper beard and smiling at me.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely, wondering what this was about. Even my father didn’t know who I had summoned the elder or council for, so what on earth were Maxwell and Stella doing here? It was strange and the tension in the air was rife and thick. Something was going on and it had to do with the two sitting there, I only just noticed that they were restrained. Oh boy. This was interesting.
“I’m afraid that we aren’t here for pleasantries,” my mother said in a hard voice, glowering at Maxwell and Stella as I blinked at her in shock.
It was very unusual for my mother to look so coldly at someone. It took a lot to make her angry and right now she was beyond that.
“We have just left the full moon pack. I am sad to say that we have now lost a pack member for good. Alpha Jaxon and his parents have granted them sanctuary. Sanctuary, that it turns out, was rightfully necessary I’m ashamed to admit.” My mother’s voice cracked, and she sounded extremely upset. This had really broken her.
We lost a pack member to sanctuary? How? A pack member had to be abused physically in order to be able to request it. Violently. Not just on the odd occasion but continuously. It was like when a shifter experienced domestic violence and it was considered too dangerous for them to remain in their pack, even if the perpetrator was taken care of. It allowed the victim to start afresh, without having to constantly remember everything that had happened to them on a daily basis. It allowed them to heal and to form new friendships and relationships. A pack member had to be desperate to beg for sanctuary and it also hinted that the Alpha and Luna of the pack had not been paying attention to what was happening within their own pack. My mother was embarrassed and my father was angry.
“Who did we lose?” I asked confused.
If someone was being abused, I should have noticed. Why hadn’t I? Probably because I was busy dealing with Sarah and her crap I thought darkly. To the point I had little time to deal with anything, let alone anyone else.
My mother sighed. My father openly stared at Maxwell with hostility. The elder drummed his fingers on the table, a stony look on his face.
“Unfortunately, we lost Jordan today” my mother admitted ducking her head “She finally told us that she’s been abused for years by Maxwell, her own father.”
“No,” I said shaking my head in denial “He’s a gamma for heaven’s sake. He’s meant to uphold all our laws and rules. Besides he loves his daughter. I’ve seen the way he treats Sarah…” I trailed off realizing just then how different he treated the two of them. God damnit, I was an i***t. I mean, just look at the way he treated Jordan at training! If he treated her like that in public, then how was he willing to treat her behind closed doors? No wonder she wore long sleeves and hoodies all the time, I thought as realization dawned, it was the only way she had to hide the injuries she had. f**k. If she had just asked me for help… but then wasn’t I just as bad, bullying and tormenting her, a small voice in my head asked and I felt guilt wash over me as I admitted it was right.
My mother just shook her head sadly. “I saw the bruises on her arms,” she said quietly “and the fear on her face. She wasn’t lying Grant and that’s why we are all seated here right now, with this elder, who for some reason was already on his way,” she said a bit bemused “to determine Maxwell and Stella’s fate.”
I slammed my fist on the table, enraged, startling everyone. “Beat them both within an inch of their lives and leave them for dead in the forest” I snarled, full of bloodlust “See how they like being defenseless and unable to help themselves.”
In fact, with their approval, I was willing to be the one to beat them preferably until they died.
“If I may interject,” Maxwell said, sitting there, his hands restrained with silver, as was Stella’s, his eyes fixed on my father’s “I have served you honorably for years. Does that not count for anything?” he asked calmly. Bastard thought he could talk his way out of this.
“I didn’t even do any of it,” Stella said indignantly, her lips quivering “It was all him” she shrieked, standing up and glaring at Maxwell.
“Sit down and shut up” my father boomed in his alpha tone.
Stella was forced to obey, her eyes indicating her contempt as she stared mutely at Maxwell.
“You may not have beat her, but I would lay bets that you were the one who helped set up the contract with the Alpha man, selling Jordan as a breeder” my mother snarled, sounding disgusted, her eyes flashing with hatred.
“You did what” I roared, my hands clenched into fists.
Stella cowered from the sheer volume of my voice. Maxwell leaned back in his chair. I was ready to tear both of them limb from limb. It was all I could do to hold Hades back as he threatened to rip their heads from their bodies and throw them through the windows.
Elder Jason finally spoke. “In this manner, it is only fitting, as far as I am concerned, that the Alpha and Luna of the pack bestow the final punishment. It was a member of the pack that was harmed by this man and woman’s actions and as such you lost a valuable member of the pack. They deliberately disobeyed the laws of your pack and the laws of the council and as such must be punished in a matter befitting the seriousness of the crime. I leave the extent of it however up to you.
”
Silence. My mother bit her lip. My father groaned and dug his nails into the table.
“Why Maxwell” he blurted out “Just tell me why? Jordan has always been a sweet kid, never any trouble. What did she do that deserved such cruelty from you?”
Maxwell lifted his head, his eyes glittering with such hatred that my mother sucked in a breath and leaned back in horror. “What did she do” he spat out “She killed my wife, her mother. If she hadn’t been so reckless that day, so close to the forest, my wife would never have been killed by the rogues. But she was trying to rescue Jordan and she died. It’s all her fault” he yelled, his face contorting with rage.
My mother’s eyes shone with tears. “She was an innocent child Maxwell, and she was not responsible. Your wife died, protecting the child she loved. We were taken by surprise with the rogue attack. None of us were prepared that day and we lost many lives, your wife included. To blame Jordan is irrational. Your wife would be devastated to know just how cruel you’ve been to your own flesh and blood, not to mention disappointed in you.”
He sneered at her in response. “What would you know? You didn’t lose someone you loved. It’s typical of you to act so high and mighty when you’ve never experienced the type of loss I have.”
“I have lost far more than you know,” my mother said tearfully “and never have I blamed a child for it.”
My father just shook his head. He glanced at me. “I am grieved by the loss of a pack member who was nothing but kind and compassionate, despite the cruelty and violence that was shown towards her, for years. She will be sorely missed, but despite our efforts, she is unwilling to come back here and we do not blame her for that.”
There was remorse in his voice. Elder Jason nodded his head sympathetically. I sighed. Hades was going berserk in my mind, wanting to leave and go to Jaxon’s pack to find Jordan. But we couldn’t, not just yet. We had to wait and see what resulted from this and then, of course, there was still the real reason why Elder Jason had come in the first place.
“Maxwell I am deeply ashamed of you. Stella, you were complicit in what he was doing to Jordan. At any time you could have come to us with your concerns and made it right but you chose to remain silent. That makes it worse than if you had punished the girl yourself” my father said heavily.
I tensed. It sounded like my father was ready to deliver his punishment. Maxwell stiffened, Stella wanted to scream but couldn’t because of my father’s instructions to shut up.
“There is no room in the pack for cruelty and violence towards others of the pack” my mother added firmly in agreement with my father.
They were clearly mind-linking with each other.
“First things first. Maxwell, you are hereby stripped of your title as Gamma. You don’t deserve it. A gamma is meant to protect its people and you have failed in your duty to do just that. You will be stripped of your house and your belongings. Stella and you will be put in the dungeon and tortured, allowing you to experience what it’s like to be beaten and weak, bloody and in pain, for the course of one full week. You will be denounced from the pack and taken to the woods, left there, naked and given one hour in which to leave the pack’s territory and be banished as rogues. You are never to step foot in this territory again. If you do, you forfeit your lives. You are never to go near Jordan again. I will be informing Alpha Jaxon of your punishment and he will be free to kill you on sight.”
Not if I got to him first, I thought sardonically. I’d be damned if Jaxon got to kill this son of a b***h before I got to.
“In other words, you have ensured my death, whether by your hands or by the hands of another” Maxwell snapped. “You have brought this on yourself. Do not blame me for the consequences of your own actions. Now warriors if you please, escort this man and woman to the dungeon and lock them away in the cells.”
Several warriors charged in and grabbed Maxwell and Stella. Stella flailed, kicking and scratching as she was dragged out, still unable to scream, while Maxwell punched and kicked, only to be knocked unconscious by a well-earned punch from me who hit him in the head. They dragged his floppy body out, and my father rubbed his weary eyes. I knew this couldn’t have been easy on him.
“Your punishment was just and fair,” Elder Jason said approvingly “but I believe that I was summoned for another reason” he mused, and all eyes fell on me. I gulped. It was now or never, but finally, I thought with satisfaction, I was going to be rid of Sarah forever. This moment had been a long time coming and boy was it going to be sweet. Especially since there was no chance of her father being able to bail her out. Not this time.
I was summoned to the private meeting area reserved for visitors of utmost importance, my father sliding the door shut and motioning for me to take a seat. To my surprise Maxwell and Stella were sitting at the large round table, their heads bowed, grim expressions on their faces. An elder was situated between them, his eyes narrowed, his hands folded in front of them. This must be the representative from the council, but I had imagined there would have been more than one. At least two or more was the norm. Where was the rest? Or had they simply decided that one was all that was necessary? “Sit down Grant,” my father said wearily, and I sat, opposite him and my mother, the council member inclining his head respectfully towards me.
“I am Elder Jason,” he said gravely, rubbing his salt-and-pepper beard and smiling at me.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely, wondering what this was about. Even my father didn’t know who I had summoned the elder or council for, so what on earth were Maxwell and Stella doing here? It was strange and the tension in the air was rife and thick. Something was going on and it had to do with the two sitting there, I only just noticed that they were restrained. Oh boy. This was interesting.
“I’m afraid that we aren’t here for pleasantries,” my mother said in a hard voice, glowering at Maxwell and Stella as I blinked at her in shock.
It was very unusual for my mother to look so coldly at someone. It took a lot to make her angry and right now she was beyond that.
“We have just left the full moon pack. I am sad to say that we have now lost a pack member for good. Alpha Jaxon and his parents have granted them sanctuary. Sanctuary, that it turns out, was rightfully necessary I’m ashamed to admit.” My mother’s voice cracked, and she sounded extremely upset. This had really broken her.
We lost a pack member to sanctuary? How? A pack member had to be abused physically in order to be able to request it. Violently. Not just on the odd occasion but continuously. It was like when a shifter experienced domestic violence and it was considered too dangerous for them to remain in their pack, even if the perpetrator was taken care of. It allowed the victim to start afresh, without having to constantly remember everything that had happened to them on a daily basis. It allowed them to heal and to form new friendships and relationships. A pack member had to be desperate to beg for sanctuary and it also hinted that the Alpha and Luna of the pack had not been paying attention to what was happening within their own pack. My mother was embarrassed and my father was angry.
“Who did we lose?” I asked confused.
If someone was being abused, I should have noticed. Why hadn’t I? Probably because I was busy dealing with Sarah and her crap I thought darkly. To the point I had little time to deal with anything, let alone anyone else.
My mother sighed. My father openly stared at Maxwell with hostility. The elder drummed his fingers on the table, a stony look on his face.
“Unfortunately, we lost Jordan today” my mother admitted ducking her head “She finally told us that she’s been abused for years by Maxwell, her own father.”
“No,” I said shaking my head in denial “He’s a gamma for heaven’s sake. He’s meant to uphold all our laws and rules. Besides he loves his daughter. I’ve seen the way he treats Sarah…” I trailed off realizing just then how different he treated the two of them. God damnit, I was an i***t. I mean, just look at the way he treated Jordan at training! If he treated her like that in public, then how was he willing to treat her behind closed doors? No wonder she wore long sleeves and hoodies all the time, I thought as realization dawned, it was the only way she had to hide the injuries she had. f**k. If she had just asked me for help… but then wasn’t I just as bad, bullying and tormenting her, a small voice in my head asked and I felt guilt wash over me as I admitted it was right.
My mother just shook her head sadly. “I saw the bruises on her arms,” she said quietly “and the fear on her face. She wasn’t lying Grant and that’s why we are all seated here right now, with this elder, who for some reason was already on his way,” she said a bit bemused “to determine Maxwell and Stella’s fate.”
I slammed my fist on the table, enraged, startling everyone. “Beat them both within an inch of their lives and leave them for dead in the forest” I snarled, full of bloodlust “See how they like being defenseless and unable to help themselves.”
In fact, with their approval, I was willing to be the one to beat them preferably until they died.
“If I may interject,” Maxwell said, sitting there, his hands restrained with silver, as was Stella’s, his eyes fixed on my father’s “I have served you honorably for years. Does that not count for anything?” he asked calmly. Bastard thought he could talk his way out of this.
“I didn’t even do any of it,” Stella said indignantly, her lips quivering “It was all him” she shrieked, standing up and glaring at Maxwell.
“Sit down and shut up” my father boomed in his alpha tone.
Stella was forced to obey, her eyes indicating her contempt as she stared mutely at Maxwell.
“You may not have beat her, but I would lay bets that you were the one who helped set up the contract with the Alpha man, selling Jordan as a breeder” my mother snarled, sounding disgusted, her eyes flashing with hatred.
“You did what” I roared, my hands clenched into fists.
Stella cowered from the sheer volume of my voice. Maxwell leaned back in his chair. I was ready to tear both of them limb from limb. It was all I could do to hold Hades back as he threatened to rip their heads from their bodies and throw them through the windows.
Elder Jason finally spoke. “In this manner, it is only fitting, as far as I am concerned, that the Alpha and Luna of the pack bestow the final punishment. It was a member of the pack that was harmed by this man and woman’s actions and as such you lost a valuable member of the pack. They deliberately disobeyed the laws of your pack and the laws of the council and as such must be punished in a matter befitting the seriousness of the crime. I leave the extent of it however up to you.
”
Silence. My mother bit her lip. My father groaned and dug his nails into the table.
“Why Maxwell” he blurted out “Just tell me why? Jordan has always been a sweet kid, never any trouble. What did she do that deserved such cruelty from you?”
Maxwell lifted his head, his eyes glittering with such hatred that my mother sucked in a breath and leaned back in horror. “What did she do” he spat out “She killed my wife, her mother. If she hadn’t been so reckless that day, so close to the forest, my wife would never have been killed by the rogues. But she was trying to rescue Jordan and she died. It’s all her fault” he yelled, his face contorting with rage.
My mother’s eyes shone with tears. “She was an innocent child Maxwell, and she was not responsible. Your wife died, protecting the child she loved. We were taken by surprise with the rogue attack. None of us were prepared that day and we lost many lives, your wife included. To blame Jordan is irrational. Your wife would be devastated to know just how cruel you’ve been to your own flesh and blood, not to mention disappointed in you.”
He sneered at her in response. “What would you know? You didn’t lose someone you loved. It’s typical of you to act so high and mighty when you’ve never experienced the type of loss I have.”
“I have lost far more than you know,” my mother said tearfully “and never have I blamed a child for it.”
My father just shook his head. He glanced at me. “I am grieved by the loss of a pack member who was nothing but kind and compassionate, despite the cruelty and violence that was shown towards her, for years. She will be sorely missed, but despite our efforts, she is unwilling to come back here and we do not blame her for that.”
There was remorse in his voice. Elder Jason nodded his head sympathetically. I sighed. Hades was going berserk in my mind, wanting to leave and go to Jaxon’s pack to find Jordan. But we couldn’t, not just yet. We had to wait and see what resulted from this and then, of course, there was still the real reason why Elder Jason had come in the first place.
“Maxwell I am deeply ashamed of you. Stella, you were complicit in what he was doing to Jordan. At any time you could have come to us with your concerns and made it right but you chose to remain silent. That makes it worse than if you had punished the girl yourself” my father said heavily.
I tensed. It sounded like my father was ready to deliver his punishment. Maxwell stiffened, Stella wanted to scream but couldn’t because of my father’s instructions to shut up.
“There is no room in the pack for cruelty and violence towards others of the pack” my mother added firmly in agreement with my father.
They were clearly mind-linking with each other.
“First things first. Maxwell, you are hereby stripped of your title as Gamma. You don’t deserve it. A gamma is meant to protect its people and you have failed in your duty to do just that. You will be stripped of your house and your belongings. Stella and you will be put in the dungeon and tortured, allowing you to experience what it’s like to be beaten and weak, bloody and in pain, for the course of one full week. You will be denounced from the pack and taken to the woods, left there, naked and given one hour in which to leave the pack’s territory and be banished as rogues. You are never to step foot in this territory again. If you do, you forfeit your lives. You are never to go near Jordan again. I will be informing Alpha Jaxon of your punishment and he will be free to kill you on sight.”
Not if I got to him first, I thought sardonically. I’d be damned if Jaxon got to kill this son of a b***h before I got to.
“In other words, you have ensured my death, whether by your hands or by the hands of another” Maxwell snapped. “You have brought this on yourself. Do not blame me for the consequences of your own actions. Now warriors if you please, escort this man and woman to the dungeon and lock them away in the cells.”
Several warriors charged in and grabbed Maxwell and Stella. Stella flailed, kicking and scratching as she was dragged out, still unable to scream, while Maxwell punched and kicked, only to be knocked unconscious by a well-earned punch from me who hit him in the head. They dragged his floppy body out, and my father rubbed his weary eyes. I knew this couldn’t have been easy on him.
“Your punishment was just and fair,” Elder Jason said approvingly “but I believe that I was summoned for another reason” he mused, and all eyes fell on me. I gulped. It was now or never, but finally, I thought with satisfaction, I was going to be rid of Sarah forever. This moment had been a long time coming and boy was it going to be sweet. Especially since there was no chance of her father being able to bail her out. Not this time.
End of The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella Chapter 67. Continue reading Chapter 68 or return to The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella book page.