Page 159 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

Dad’s been out of control for so many years, and no one tried to stop him. No one made a real attempt to protect Arden or me. Beta Jules did try to help us occasionally, but he never truly stood up against Dad. Only Arden ever tried to.

I don’t know why this makes me so angry. It’s not Beta Jules’s fault, yet I just feel like I want to punch him—him and the other ranked members.

The taxi leaves me at the pack border, the driver thinking I’m just going for a hike. Fortunately, most people don’t ask a lot of questions. Once I’m on my own, I run down the path leading me to the pack.

“DAD!” I yell while I approach the pack house, not stopping for the people looking at me. A couple of them call out to me. They haven’t seen me in a while and don’t know of the shitshow that went down here not so long ago. Yet, I can’t focus on anything else but the man standing in front of the pack house. “It was you!” I snarl when I reach him and Beta Jules.

Dad raises his gaze, clearly annoyed to see me. “What is this about?” he huffs.

“Léna, Coralie, Juliet!” I yell. “You sold them out to this psycho, to abduct them.”

“Don’t be silly,” Beta Jules says before Dad can say anything. “The alpha would never do that.”

“Don’t worry,” I hiss. “It’s not like I expected any form of backbone from you.”

Beta Jules winces, clearly looking shocked by my words. I have no desire to talk to him, though. He is a coward, but I am not here for him. I’m here for my father. “Juliet was a valuable member of the pack. She had a mate and a child, yet it mattered nothing to you,” I blurt out. “Léna and Coralie were completely innocent girls. I just can’t believe it! Why? Why!? The guy you sold them to is a fucking psychopath!” Dad stays quiet. “Answer me!” I yell.

I can feel more and more pack members approaching us as they hear the commotion. I can make out Léna’s father in the crowd. He is one of our elite warriors and looks incredibly upset. “Is that true, Vander?” he asks quietly.

“Is it?” I turn to Dad. “It is, isn’t it?”

“Alpha,” Beta Jules mutters. “But… what… no!”

The voices around me get louder, the pack members clearly in disbelief. I can see Juliet’s mate suddenly running towards the crowd, the grief and anger vivid in him. “How could you!?” he screams.

Léna’s dad catches him before he can attack my father, holding him back. “Don’t, Nicolas,” he says. “Please! He will just kill you.”

Dad’s hands ball into fists, his aura slowly expanding. Fuck, I didn’t count on that. That’s probably why Arden didn’t want to face him yet. He wanted to do it with an actual team of backup warriors. I’m just too stupid. What if he is going to lash out against the pack now!?

However, there is no chance for him to do anything, because sirens erupt all of a sudden, making us all spin around.

Beta Jules’s eyes gloss over. “An attack!” he yells. “They are coming from both sides of the borders! Everyone, this has to wait!”

The crowd panics, running in different directions while Jules tries to keep them together and gives orders about how to defend ourselves. No one knows what’s happening or who is even attacking, until the first wolves start running towards us.

“Pierre!” Jules calls out towards Léna’s father. “Please, I need your help.”

Pierre looks at me. “Vander,” he says. “Is Léna safe?”

“Yes,” I tell him. “Arden found her and Coralie.”

“Good,” he mutters before turning towards Jules. “I will help you for the pack, but then I demand justice.”

“You shall receive it,” Jules says. “I promise.”

I spin around, watching more and more wolves pour into the pack, towards us while our pack members run around in panic. It looks like a strategic attack. Jules and Pierre are slowly gaining control though, having their warriors fight back and at the same time trying to protect the minors and those who can’t fight.

My father has finally joined the fight, too, at least he is doing something right.

“Get them to the shelter, Vander,” Jules yells towards me.

Finally, something to do. I jump directly into action, dashing towards a group of pregnant she-wolves to usher them to safety. A loud sound can be heard, and something brushes past me. I can barely react before it happens again.

“Get down!” one of the warriors yells. “They have weapons with silver bullets.”

Left and right, I can see pack members dropping to the ground, clenching their chests or shoulders, wherever the bullets hit. There is a group of small children nearby, anxiouslycowering against the wall. “Get down,” I call as while I sprint towards them, throwing myself over them just in time.

A sharp pain shoots through my body, and then another one. I try to get up, but my body won’t listen to me. I can just hear the children crying and people around me panicking. Then, there are yells coming from all sides.