His Harsh Words

Stefan

I feel every word he uses against Harlyn in my gut, and I’m shocked and disgusted by how he could say such vile things to anyone, let alone his daughter.

The words he’s using many wouldn’t dream of, yet he is, on his own daughter. I knew he hated that she didn’t have a wolf, but I never imagined his hate was this deeply embedded within him.

God, how can he say such vile things to her?

You should know.

Ghost’s words burned through me. I was trying to save her from the pain of the king and queen telling her she wasn’t good enough.

I want to interrupt, but a war between the Earl and me wouldn’t end well. What would my reason be anyway? It’s their family. It doesn’t impact me or the kingdom.

He’s hurting our mate.

I groan at Ghost’s words. I can’t say that to people.

How is it possible that the night I spent with that woman, Harlyn, was raped?

Because it was you, you fool.

Ghost appears right at the moment I don’t want him. I’m not a fool; I just can’t see it being Harlyn; how could it be?

It can’t be; it’s not possible that the woman that night was Harlyn.

How can you be so sure??

Oh! “Shut up, Ghost.” My words are whispered. I just don’t understand how it can be. Back then, she was weak, pathetic, annoying, and ugly. How could that woman have been her?

She isn’t any of those things now, is she?

“Silence!” I whisper, pushing Ghost out of my head.

“Exactly, and when I find him, he’s dead,” Samuels’s words hit hard; this is what Jacub wanted: to bring down the kingdom with a war between our families.

It is a good plan, but I don’t think the Earl cares about Harlyn and what happened. He wouldn’t defend her or say a word to me if he knew the truth.

Samuel? God, I will lose my only friend because of this. That reality hurts. Above that, however, the guilt crippled me; I checked every woman who went to that event except for Harlyn.

Had I had, could I have saved her all this pain and hurt from her Father’s hate? I thought my hate for myself for rejecting her couldn’t be outdone. I was wrong.

This has taken over, and I know I deserve everything I get from this. Still, part of me is trying to be in denial and unwilling to accept that it was Harlyn that night.

I need to figure out a way to make things up to her. I don’t know how, but I have to.

“Oh, does the leech not want to hear it? Do you not want to be reminded of that night?” The Earl’s words are louder, jolting me from my thoughts. “I don’t need to, as you apparently have three tokens as a reminder of your slutty behaviour.”

Tokens? What the hell does he mean by tokens?

“Don’t speak of them in that way.” Harlyn’s voice came from the room; she spoke up.

“Oh, so you will defend the tokens and mistakes but not yourself? Get out of my face.” The Earl laughs mercilessly.

Tokens? What the hell does he mean by tokens?

Pups you moron

My body runs cold hearing Ghost, no. That’s not right. Surely it’s wrong? I hear Ghost laugh and shake my head.

Since she came, there has been a sense of something close by, and I thought it was her, but while part of it was, there was more.

Did he really exile her for saying she was raped? He disowned his own daughter and made her a rogue over something she had no control over.

No, as if this was how he acted towards her before then, she wouldn’t have divulged what happened; she would have kept it hidden, knowing the abuse she would get.

So he exiled her, made her a rogue, and threw her out because she was pregnant. Not just pregnant but unable to name who the father was.

I can see how bad that would reflect on the family and the pack, but that would have been solved if the Earl accepted that she had no choice, that she was raped.

I caused this. I stand shocked, knowing that I’m right. I turn, hearing movement, and walk as Harlyn walks down the corridor. Glancing into the room, I see the Earl talking with Samuel and Colton.

Sighing, I follow her; I watch as we go around the corner, and her body collapses and cries. I hope she realises how strong she is to be able to stand there, take all that abuse and not shed a tear until she is away from Earl.

I watch as her body shakes, her arms wrapped around her legs as she cries, finally letting everything out that she has been holding in. How could the Earl do this to his own daughter? His only daughter?

I know my father is right, and we shouldn’t get involved with other people’s family issues, but this isn’t drama; this is him torturing his daughter.

Would my father tell me to stay out of it if he had heard the Earl’s words to her? God, I going crazy. I watch as she stands, a small whimper escaping her lips as she puts weight on her foot, and I notice something wrapped around her ankle.

Her body shakes and falls, my hands reaching out to catch her. What do I do? I watch as she looks at me, and her defeated look just grows.

“Please don’t.” Her words are whispered, and I don’t feel like she is saying that to me. She’s ready for the abuse I would usually have given her.

I can’t.

“Your Majesty.” She finally speaks more loudly, moving. I lift her into my arms, wondering how she has hurt.

“What are you doing?” She asks, trying to pull away from my body, but I keep her against me.

“We need to talk, Harlyn.” I look at her and walk towards the room where I am staying tonight. I need to fix this, even if I don’t know how.