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Cherry and Honey had been confined separately to prevent them from trying to collude with one another, and as an additional measure, they were each surrounded with an invisible shield that prevented them from using their wolves to communicate. Dancer and Dasher had been separated from their humans and locked in separate cells designed for this purpose, but losing their wolves hadn't pried their mouths open. The moment I laid eyes on Cherry, my suspicions were confirmed; they were witholding the information we needed just to be spiteful, and I swore as I sat across from her - separated by both the invisible shield, and a two-inch-thick pane of glass which was also magically reinforced to prevent further attempts at escape. "I know I'm wasting my breath," I said into the prisoner-visitor phone, "but for the sake of all the parents you've bereaved, just tell us what we need to know."
Cherry sneered at me. "Fat chance of that," she said. "Your alpha's orders are clear - the cubs stay with her until you come home. If you choose not to, all the cubs will be told their fate was in your hands, and you chose to throw their fates away, all to be a selfish bitch who cares only about herself, like you've always done."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwLfN5npA0
I reminded myself to keep a firm grip on my temper. "I was abused for years because I didn't fit in," I said. "I was treated like dirt, cast aside, kicked, bullied, deprived of the most basic necessitities, and called all kinds of names, simply because Faith's mother couldn't get pregnant. It's not my fault I'm my father's daughter; but your alpha and her parents saw it that way. Is it any wonder I left when I had the chance to? And now Faith is making innocent cubs suffer because I stood up to her? The way she had my dad, brothers, and aunt killed when you two returned empty-pawed?" I shook my head. "You're all pieces of work, each more disgusting than the last."
"That's the pot calling the kettle black," Cherry snapped. "Your father is a witch! And so was your whore of a mother! You want to know why you were despised? Your mother stole your father from her sister! That's right! Your mother and Faith's mother were sisters, and your aunt was promised to your father, all for the sake of bringing in some good blood to the pack. But your whore of a mother stole him the night before he was due to marry your aunt, and that's why you were taken! But you refused to conform to your real mother's ideals, so she had no choice but to use a sperm bank to concieve your cousin!"
"I'll wager Dad preferred Mum because she wasn't my aunt," I said, priding myself on how level my voice was in light of this shocking revelation. No way was I letting Cherry know how rocked I was that her claim two years ago was true; Faith really was my cousin. "I'm not in the business of debating family history," I added. "I'm interested in getting my daughter back before her cousin does irreparable damage to to her and the other cubs."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41qQeqoiVj
"You're not getting her back," Cherry sneered. "I was told by your alpha to tell you that she might give her back if you surrender, but I've decided to retract that offer; you don't deserve your daughter. And she sure as hell doesn't deserve a whore for a mother. The minute I get out of here, I'm going to tell your alpha you care more about your new pack than your own daughter. Have fun explaining that when we finally allow you to see your daughter again, and we'll see who prefers who when the time comes." She hung the phone up and sat back, arms folded and an insufferably smug smirk on her face. I wanted to beat her to a bloody pulp until she was on the ground screaming in pain, but I refused, even in the middle of this fresh round of heartbreak, to give in to the urge. Faith would never give my daughter back regardless; clearly she wanted to do to me what my mum had supposedly done to hers, and Cherry had used it to cruel advantage. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPcjUPbl9n
I stood. Cherry's face turned pale as I gave her a glare that ought to have killed her on the spot. Then I turned my back on her without another word, showing her she was beneath my notice, just as she and the rest of my former pack had once done to me. And she was. "We're done here," I said, loudly enough for her to hear through the thick glass, and I could almost hear the air as her smugness deflated like a popped balloon. And it was the most satisfying sound in the world.
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