Chapter 174- Couldn’t Betray Lucien

Arabella:

He was angry. Right?

"Believe me, Beta Rick. I don’t consider you my father anymore, either. But that doesn’t mean..."

He cut me off with a sarcastic laugh. "You really don’t get it, do you? I gave a roof over your head. I fed you, clothed you, and let you live in my house for eighteen damn years." He shook his head, looking at me as though I were the ugliest thing he’d ever seen. "And after everything I did, you still have the nerve to stand here and question me?"

"Let me make something clear, Arabella. You’re not related to me by blood. You never were."

For a second, I stood there dumbstruck. "It’s not possible... I ... no."

"You heard me." He shoved both hands into his pockets. "Don’t believe me? I repeat. Go get a DNA test. I have nothing to hide."

I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh or admit he was just trying to hurt me.

Don’t worry, Arabella. Astraea moved in my head. He must be jesting.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked him in a whisper, without taking my eyes off his face.

He gave another bitter laugh. "You came here asking about your mother, didn’t you? Fine. Let me tell you about that woman." His voice rose, drawing the manager’s attention again. "Your precious mother was nothing but a whore. She went around warming another man’s bed, and when she came back to me, she was already pregnant with you!"

I stood there, unable to say a word. Another man?

"Arabella. The bastard is lying. He is not Alpha Rick. He is Alpha Dick."

Astraea spoke again, and if it had been any other day, I might have enjoyed her remark. But right now, I couldn’t even think straight.

I was still trying to make sense of what he had said when he suddenly looked past my shoulder. His brows drew together, and for a moment, he seemed almost annoyed. Then, to my surprise, his entire attitude changed.

"Anyway, Arabella," he said, suddenly sounding much friendlier. "Whenever you want to talk about your mother, you’re more than welcome to come home. You know that, don’t you?"

What?

Before I could figure out what was happening, he opened his arms as though he wanted to hug me. Instead, he reached forward and cupped my face with both hands. "Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll talk about everything when you visit us." I almost pushed his hands away.

Had he completely lost his mind?

Just a moment ago, he’d been calling my mother a whore and denying I was his daughter, and now he was calling me sweetheart?

Just then, an arm slipped around my shoulders. I turned my head and found Lucien standing beside me.

Oh, come on! Didn’t I specifically ask him to stay outside?

"Hey. I enjoy watching him. He is a fine piece of work!" My wolf protested.

My father finally stepped back and bowed his head slightly toward Lucien. "How are you, Your Highness? I hope you’re doing well."

Lucien glanced at my father before turning his attention to me. His arm remained around my shoulders as he studied my face.

"What happened, Arabella? Are you alright?" he looked at me closely. "You don’t look well."

I opened my mouth to answer, but my father was quicker. "Oh, she’s fine, Your Highness. We were just talking about her mother. You know how emotional she gets whenever we discuss her."

He had the nerve to say that after everything he’d just told me?

"Anyway, I should get going," Beta Rick said, checking his watch. "It was good seeing you, Your Highness."

He gave Lucien another respectful bow before turning to me with a smile. "Take care, sweetheart. And remember, you’re always welcome at home."

I watched him walk out of the store, still trying to understand what had just happened. Was he really not my father? Or had he made up that story just to hurt me?

Either way, I didn’t want to go to get a DNA test. What was the point when he couldn’t even stand the sight of me?

***

I was lying on Lucien’s bed, staring at the ceiling, when he entered the room carrying a tray.

My private chef had sent over a bowl of chicken soup, some toasted bread, and a small plate of sliced fruit. Normally, I would have been halfway through the food before Lucien even reached the bed. Today, I didn’t feel like eating anything.

My phone buzzed beside my pillow again. Maya had already called me several times and sent enough messages to make me feel guilty for ignoring her. But what was I supposed to tell her?

That the man who had made my life a living hell for eighteen years, along with his wife and children, might not even be related to me?

That after everything I’d suffered in that house, I had just found out I might never have belonged to that family in the first place?

I turned my phone facedown.

"Come on, get up. You need to eat something," Lucien said, placing the tray in front of me.

"I’m not hungry," I said tiredly.

"You haven’t eaten since morning, Arabella. At least have some soup."

I pushed myself up against the pillows while he went into the adjoining room to fetch a pitcher of water. My thoughts returned to my mother.

I needed to know what had happened to her. Who had killed her? And why had it been so easy for everyone to pin her death on a six-year-old? This wasn’t about me anymore.

Rick had called my mother a whore without a second thought. Was that what people in Blackthorn Pack believed about her, too? Had everyone been talking about her like that all these years?

I didn’t even know whether she’d been unfaithful to Rick. Maybe he was lying about that, too. Whatever the truth was, I wanted to hear it. I wanted to know who my mother had really been, not just what Rick wanted me to believe.

I owed her that much. But where was I supposed to start?

The Queen had offered to help me uncover the truth about my mother. And after what Rick had told me today, I was beginning to wonder whether I should accept her offer.

Except she wanted something in return. I would have to stop investigating Anika’s murder. And what would I tell Lucien? That I’d agreed to let his sister’s killer go unpunished because I wanted answers about my own mother?

I looked up as Lucien returned with the pitcher. He placed it on the nightstand and began pouring water into a glass. For a moment, I simply watched him.

What was I supposed to do now? I wanted answers about my mother, but I couldn’t betray Lucien to get them.