CATRINA

Before I can answer Alpha Conan the door swings open to reveal a very distraught looking Connor. His eyes shine with relief the moment he spots me.

"Oh, thank the Goddess!" he exclaims while rushing towards me and engulfing me in his arms. The warmth and safety that his presence provides me immediately soothes away the chill that Alpha Conan had surrounded me with.

"I am sorry, I left without informing you," I say not sure whether I should tell him about Xan.

"Sorry? I was so damn worried I thought I wouldn't see you ever again. I thought someone took you," he whispers in my hair making me feel more and more stupid.

"I... I am sorry," I say once again peeking at Connor's father and watch as he nods at me as if he knows that I've my decision in his favour. He then gets up to leave us alone.

Connor doesn't acknowledge his father at all. I remember he said that his father left them then why is he here now? Does it mean that his parents are back together?

If yes, then it's good for him. Looking at his father, I assume that he has some capable brides waiting for Connor. If only he hadn't met me, his father might have already married him off to some she-wolf.

The thought alone leaves me breathless and I involuntarily bury my head against Connor's chest. On cue, he lifts me up and places me in his lap making me stiffen.

"What is it? What happened?"

"I... I met my step-brother," I begin and immediately Connor growls and his arms tighten around me.

"You know of him?" I ask, even when I know that he knew and no one told me. Another betrayal. It's as if they don't want me. The feeling of hopelessness creeps in but I refuse to break down in front of Connor. If I want to leave him, I'll do that without crying. I can always cry alone. That's what I have always done.

Decision made, I interrupt Connor when he goes to say something bad about Xan and at this point, I am so sure that it's bad.

"Connor, I don't th... think that our relationship can work out," I begin effectively stopping Connor from his rumbling. He pulls back from me, making me feel the loss of his heat and I feel cold all of a sudden.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I shift away from Connor who is looking at me with a very shocked face.

I wait for him to reply and after a whole minute, he does.

"What are you talking about?" he asks, running his hand through his hair, making them appear more dishevelled. But that doesn't in the least stop him from being the charmer.

"I don't want to be with you, Connor," I say firmly, not wanting anyone to be obliged to be with me. If I tell Connor about what his father told me, he might get angry with his father which might cause more family tension. I don't want to be the cause of such family drama.

His parents, his pack comes first, and if I make the decision of rejecting him then Fenris won't break his friendship with Connor. From all angles, it's better if I take the blame and get out of his life. The fact that he has to produce heirs for the pack sends another stab of pain piercing through my body.

I cannot give him heirs. That's another reason why I should leave him.

Nothing supports my need to be with Connor. If I am with him, his pack might not like it. If I am with him, he won't get heirs which might be okay for a while but not when the pack or his family start pressurizing him.

I might not know much about the pack system but I definitely know that the pack has equal right to demand from their Alpha.

"Catrina, you know that we are mates," Connor says putting a stop to my train of thoughts. I lift my head to look him in the eye and utter those words finalising my decision.

"I know we are mates Connor but I no longer wish to be with you. We both can move on, I already had when you met me and I know that you moved on from me long ago," my whispered words bring pain to his face.

He closes his eyes and then fists his hands but not before I catch sight of his claws. He is losing control of his wolf very much like how Xan did when I asked for a phone in his garage.

But he's so different from Xan. My Connor is very gentle and very much in love with me, I can see that but love is not enough sometimes.

"Why? You were happy the night I had you," he says which brings fresh tears to my eyes breaking my resolve of not letting those tears flow in front of him.

"Yes. I was happy but I have realised certain things and on that basis, I don't want to continue this relationship with you anymore," I say, my voice trembling but not at all budging from my decision when all I want to do is jump in arms and promise that I cannot live without him.

"Where will you go then?" he asks, his question confusing me.

"What do you mean?"

"Cayden and your mother want you to be with them," he says and then I understand his statement. He indirectly means that I shouldn't stay in this town where the chances of us walking into each other are so high.

God knows I'll die if I see him walk with some other woman in his arms.

Nodding my head, I offer him a smile that must look more like a grimace.

"I haven't talked to my mom yet. I'll see what to do," I say, not accepting the fact that I am unsure if they have space for me. Inviting as a formality is very different from really meaning to have me there.

"Please do so and I'll be waiting for you if you ever change your mind. I don't know what happened with your brother but remember that he's not a good wolf, at all. If he knows about your place in this town it will be definitely safer for you to move out of that house. You can stay with me but you don't want to continue this relationship so I'll drop you at Fenris's home," he says.

"No, no need. I can go by myself," I whisper unable to bear the thought of him dropping me off at my mother's place. How childish does it sound? I definitely can look after myself.

"Won't you ever say yes to me? Even if it is for a small thing like this?" he asks, exasperatedly.

"Connor, Xan didn't appear to be a bad wolf to me. He might have made mistakes but to me, he didn't sound bad at all," I whisper but somewhere there's a nagging feeling telling me that I might be wrong about Xan.

Connor knows werewolves better than me. I am new to this concept but he's my brother, step-brother but still my family. I shouldn't trust Connor to make these decisions for me. If Xan's not a good guy then I'll decide to stay away from him, not Connor.

"You don't know what you are talking about. He's a slimy, malicious asshole just like his father," growls Connor. The hatred that's visible in his green eyes makes me feel defensive about Xan. If Connor is disgusted by Xan then he probably might also feel a little disgust for me, after all, I am his sister.

Disgust, that's what I sensed when Connor's father talked about my father. I suddenly recall how Alpha Conan asked me about my father. As if he was exclaiming and not asking.

"He's my father too."

"Unfortunately," says Connor and then shakes his head in resignation.

"What's my father got to do with Xan's bad habits?" I blurt out immediately wanting to take it back. This question is not meant for him. No, no, I should ask my mother.

But before I can take it back or divert the subject, Connor curses and gets up from the bed. He walks towards the very end of the bed all the way turning his back to me.

"Your father was not a good man." He's direct in his reply but the past tense strikes me in the chest.

"Was?"

"Yes, he's dead. Fenris killed him," he reveals and a shocked gasp escapes my throat.

"What?" the whisper yell sounds foreign even to me. "But he was his uncle," I argue not at all believing this because Xan told me he's alive. All of a sudden I want to get out of this room. Unaware of my inner turmoil, Connor goes on.

"Catrina, your father, Xavier, killed Fenris's parents. He killed his own father. Xavier kidnapped Sierra in the hopes of impregnating her and then naming that pup as the heir to the werewolf people. He also planned to kill Fenris," explains Connor. As the words come out of his mouth, slowly and calmly, I feel my world tilt on its axis not at all wanting to believe it.

"Then Sierra's unborn child is his?" I ask, my lips trembling, not knowing why I asked it in the first place.

I watch as Connor's head shakes in negative. "Sierra ran away from Xavier and Xanthos's - your brother Xan's dungeon before they could rape her. Fenris had already attacked Xavier's hiding spot. Sierra witnessed Fenris releasing his rage on Xavier. He cremated Xavier's limbs and head separately," explains Connor giving me the exact detail that I asked him.

He turns around when a pained whimper escapes my lips and then returns to me, sitting on the bed's edge and wiping my cheeks. It's then I realise that I am crying. For whom? My father? Sierra? Fenris? Or myself?

I don't know. I try so hard to think rationally but it's just not possible.

"Please don't cry. I didn't mean to reveal the truth about your father like this," he says and I sob harder.

"Please, Solnyshko. I am sorry please don't cry. It's not your fault," he whispers, appearing pained to watch me cry.

"I... Why?" I asked not able to think about anything but just trying to process this news.

"I don't know. Greed makes a person do unimaginable things," is the only thing he says while pulling me to his chest and tucking my head under his chin. I shamelessly lean into him, wanting the comfort that only his arms can provide. I've never felt safer than I do when in Connor's arms.

"I am sorry for telling you like this," he whispers, his lips moving over my hair.

"Tell me the rest," I say pulling back from him and looking up into his eyes. He appears so sad and troubled. I know he has duties yet he is here sitting in front of me and giving me his time when I am not even deserving of his attention.

"No, not now."

"Please," I beg, wanting to know everything. I want to know if whatever Xan told me is true or not.

"Fine but you will not feel responsible for any of it. You are an innocent so is Cayden and Christine."

My eyes water again when Connor speaks like that. How well he knows me! He knows that I am ashamed for a person so cruel as... was my father.

"I'll try, please tell me everything, Connor," I request.

Connor shakes his head and then sighs then takes both of my hands in his, kissing my knuckles and letting them rest in his lap. With a deep breath, he opens his mouth to tell me everything.

"Your father was Xavier Vlček, he was Fenris's uncle. Xavier found your mother but he didn't want a dormant mate so he kept her a prisoner not claiming her. He then stole a female she-wolf from her mate and raped her. He impregnated her and she died in childbirth after giving birth to Xanthos. The step-brother that you met, does he look like Cayden?" he asks all of a sudden.

"Yes, he does. Blue eyes that became yellow sometimes," I nod my head matching my words and he visibly stiffens at the mention of yellow eyes. I realise that my meeting with Xan has affected Connor a lot more than I can imagine. I don't know why but I know that he's scared for me. It's heartbreaking to let him go.

"Meanwhile, Xavier had locked your mother up in a cell and everyone thought that she rejected him and died. But he raped her, impregnated her, and then twins were born. Your mother gave you away because she knew that Xavier would've used you for his experiments. Or he would've given you off to someone where your chances of survival were low. So she gave you a way to Dominic who's your godfather in human terms."

"Guess what, my adoptive parents, as well as my father, are greedy," I joke lamely, pitying myself for my rotten luck.

"Don't think like that baby. You have your mom and Cayden now and me if you want me," he whispers the last words, barely audible but I hear them clearly.

"No, Connor. I don't want to be with you," I say, crushing my own heart as well as his with my words.

"Why? Is it because of your father? Or did Xanthos say something to you? Did my father say something," he says blindly but he's so very close to the truth.

I shake my head instead of lying. His father just told me the truth. And now after knowing my real past, about my father and my alive step-brother, I can't really allow Connor to sign up for a life where his decision of being with me will be questioned every time.

People always blame the criminal's kids thinking that the child is also criminal minded. That's what will happen to Connor and me. People won't accept that their Alpha has mated to a criminal's daughter. Especially a criminal who planned to kill their King. I don't know the dynamics but I know that people won't accept me.

Making my decision final and not wanting to go back on it, I quickly utter the words.

"Connor, I don't want to be with you. My father might be a criminal. My brother might not be a good person. Your father might have asked me who my father is which caused me to ask you about him but one thing I know is that we both do not fit. We might have fit earlier, seven years ago, maybe but now, I don't think so," I whisper, keeping a lid over my emotions, to get over this decision.

"So, you've made your decision?" he asks once again.

"Yes."

~~~~

Thank you for reading. Since I updated late in the last week, I thought of treating you all with an update a little early.

Hope you like it. Vote and Comment, please. Also, keep voting.