Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 33

Ren's pov

Irwin and Ariel Hawthorne, otherwise known as my parents, were like the sun and the moon, like fire and ice, like oil and water. Just think of anything that did not mix well or ever seem to meet and that was my parents for you.

So imagine my surprise when I walked in on them today and found them sitting together quietly in my father's study, not trying to tear each other apart with words or bickering like children.

The worst part? They looked so good together on the outside that no one would know that their marriage was only on paper and that they were probably the worst people for each other.

I dreaded the conversation that I was about to have with them as much as I dreaded seeing them together but apparently the only people who did not seem to agree that they were bad for each other and needed to split up were my parents themselves, no matter how Terribly they treated and continued to treat each other over the years. Talk about a toxic couple that defeated the word toxic.

They were usually never around, traveling the world for long period of days or weeks to manage their different businesses, never seeing eye to eye and were rarely ever in the same place at the same time, unless during council meetings and important occasions. Of course, the important occasions did not include anything related to their children except it was for the purpose of keeping up appearances.

A farce. The Hawthorne family to the outside world was a farce but the truth was that we were four strangers that were living together with maids and servants to do our every bidding whoo were most likely happier than we were with their own families. I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight of my parents sitting together in an uncharacteristic silence. It was as if time had stopped, and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of disbelief and apprehension. What could possibly bring them together like this?

Irwin, my father, was a tall and imposing figure with a commanding presence. His sharp features and piercing eyes had always given him an air of authority. On the other hand, my mother, Ariel, was a graceful woman, her elegance contrasting sharply with my father's stern demeanor. It was strange to see them side by side, their physical appearances forming a picture of compatibility that contradicted the reality of their relationship.

For as long as I could remember, their marriage had been tumultuous, filled with arguments and cold silences. They were like two magnets with opposite poles, constantly repelling each other. I often wondered why they stayed together, why they persisted in a relationship that seemed destined for failure.

The truth was, their marriage had always been a facade-a carefully constructed illusion maintained for the sake of appearances. They were both masters at projecting an image of the perfect power couple, even though behind closed doors, they were anything but. As I moved slowly and further into the study, I watched with suspicion and almost disbelief that they were not only NOT fighting but were laughing quietly over a matter that was being spoken in hushed tones and as if they could sense that another person was in the room, they became quiet in unison, raising their heads to look at me in a way that made me remember that despite how they appeared, they were old souls in younger bodies. Immortality sure had its perks.

What surprised me was that they did not only look well rested, instead of weary and upset like they usually did in each other's company, they looked like they had grown even younger. It made me wonder what businesses they had been up to during their last travels and despite knowing that I would probably receive no answers or vague responses, I decided not to ask and that was when my mother finally spoke.

"Did you keep an eye on Lily Beauregard like I asked you to?" She said and I hated the bitter taste in my mouth at how she had just gotten down to business. Could she not have at least pretended to care about me or asked about school or something? "Yes, I did as you instructed." I bit out, holding my tongue when I would have added 'mother' to that statement but since Ariel Hawthorne was going to treat this like a business enterprise, then so be it.

"Well? Did you replace anything?" Ariel asked and I frowned, fighting the urge to remain as still as possible because losing my temper over being used as a tool instead of being considered as their son would be totally uncalled for in their eyes.

I should be grateful to Ariel, I guess. Most Lunas wouldn't bring up a w***e's child, a living testament of their husband cheating, and raise them as their own. She has never given me any reason to doubt her love for me. When I was sick and nearly lost my life, she had cried the hardest and did whatever she could to make me healthy again. She was more of a mother than my own birth mum will ever be.

"I've done what you asked. I've searched through her mind and there is nothing there. I could not replace anything remotely evil or incriminating." I answered defensively and when my parents gave me a worried look that made me sense that they didn't believe me, I did not hesitate to open my mind to them and show them all of the thoughts, except of course the ones that I knew Lily would never want anyone to know about and painted a very vivid picture of who Lily was in their heads. She was no evil witch or monster. The monsters were in fact everyone but her at Shadow cove academy, especially those that did nothing but pick on her and bring tears to her eyes.

"She is not a monster. She's a good person." I added, making sure that they did not suspect I was speaking with any bit of emotion which would automatically make them nullify my answer.

"We believe you." My father said and I was about to start defending Lily before I realized what he had just said.

"You do?" My mouth fell open in shock because I thought that it would take me the entire day to convince them otherwise.

Ariel nodded and slid out a sheet of paper to the table that separated me from them.

"From the moment I read that girl's application essay, I believed that the child may not be a harbinger of evil like we thought and even though your gift far supersedes my own, I have always been able to tell when someone has good or evil intentions and trust me, that essay proved to me that the only thing we should be worried about is how bright she can make her future with the hope and light in that writing of hers."

She continued. "I had wanted to be sure about the child which was why I asked that you monitor her and now that we are certain, we can now proceed to appeal to the council that she lives past her eighteenth birthday."

I remained as still as a gargoyle, swallowing all of the information.

I must have been reading their emotions all wrong. They weren't hostile and apprehensive, they were just dreading to hear from me and having their thoughts confirmed.

I frowned, realizing a bug in my powers. A defect in the system I trusted.

My mind raced, trying to process the unexpected turn of events. I had been prepared for a battle, for a long and arduous process of trying to convince my parents of Lily's goodness. And yet, here they were, not only acknowledging their previous misconceptions but also expressing support for her.

The realization that my gift had failed me in reading their emotions accurately hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a humbling reminder that even with my abilities, I couldn't always grasp the true depths of people's thoughts and feelings.

My perceptions of emotions was subject to error, depending on my preconceived notions. It made me question everything I've ever believed about my powers. I was so sure of it, so confident in my ability to read emotions but now, I realized that my preconceived thoughts and sentiments affected my powers and sometimes could twist the truth and show me what I wanted to see instead of what actually was.

My parents were still talking.

"Even if the others may be on board, Victor and Aiden will never stand for it. Almost their entire bloodline had been wiped out and they're feeling more vengeful than the others. They may demand retribution but as long as we can get the others on their side, we won't have to worry much about the Vanderbilts. The others wouldn't want to harm an innocent she-wolf the way Aiden and Victor seem to be ready to do and no matter how ruthless they may be, they won't stand to have the blood of an innocent on their hands, especially if the majority of the deciding body is against such an act." My father gruffly added and I realized that my mouth had fallen open in surprise at all of this information.

As I listened to my parents' conversation, the pieces of a larger puzzle started to fall into place. Under the flashing lights, lavish lifestyle and expensive outlook of the royal families, our actual world was a complex web of politics and power dynamics that extended far beyond our family. It seemed that Lily's fate hinged not only on my parents' decision but also on the support or opposition of influential figures in the council.

Victor and Aiden, two individuals whose bloodline had suffered the most losses, seemed to hold a deep-seated grudge and sought retribution. Their vengeful desires clashed with the broader sentiment among the council members, who were hesitant to harm an innocent she-wolf like Lily. It was a delicate balance, one that required swaying the opinions of the majority in order to protect her.

My mind whirled with the weight of this revelation. The only important thing that really mattered to me was that Lily was going to live.

I bowed and turned around to leave but stopped and decided to ask the first question that had come to my mind when I entered the study.

"There is something different about you two." I told them, brows raising when Ariel linked her hand through my father's.

Am I in an alternate reality?

"We have been going for couple's counseling for a while now, aired out most of our grievances and reconnected with what made us fall in love when we were still airhead teenagers. And this past month, we got to spend time together in one of our private holiday beach homes." My father answered, his face straight and I wondered if they were making fun of me until Ariel answered.

Ariel's voice was filled with a mix of sincerity and nostalgia. "It was a chance for us to rediscover each other, to remember the love and friendship that brought us together all those years ago. We realized that we had lost sight of that amidst the chaos and bitterness that had consumed our lives. So, we made a commitment to work on ourselves and our relationship."

I stared at them, my mind struggling to process this newfound revelation. My parents, who had always seemed at odds with each other, were now sitting before me, united, holding hands as if they were two young lovers.

"But why now? Why after all these years?" I couldn't help but ask, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in my voice.

Irwin's gaze softened, his voice gentle. "Sometimes, it takes reaching the brink of losing everything to realize what truly matters. We don't want to waste any more time living in anger and bitterness. Life is too short, Ren, and we want to make the most of the time we have left."

A pang of emotion welled up within me as I absorbed his words. It was as if a part of me had yearned for this reconciliation, for a glimpse of a family that wasn't fractured and broken. And yet, I couldn't help but feel a sense of caution, a need to protect myself from potential disappointment.

Ariel spoke again, her voice tinged with regret. "We understand that our actions have hurt you and Rhea deeply, especially you, Ren. We can't change the past, but we can strive to be better in the present and future. We want to rebuild our relationship with you, to mend the wounds that have divided us for far too long."

Her words touched a chord within me, a flicker of hope amidst the skepticism. Perhaps there was a chance for healing, for forging a new path together. But it would require trust, forgiveness, and a willingness to let go of the pain that had defined our family. I took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling upon me. "I... I want to believe you. I want to believe that things can change, that we can be a family again. But it's going to take time. Actions will speak louder than words."

Both my parents nodded, understanding etched in their eyes. "We know, Ren," my mother said softly. "We're committed to earning your trust, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to rebuild what we've lost. We are sorry for how bad we have gotten their marriage to get and are working on rekindling the spark between us."

"I hope so." I said, not caring that my voice was laced with disbelief because this was not the first time that I had heard something like this before and they had done some seriously shitty things to each other.

My father once hit my mother and to get back at him, she had slept with another man in their matrimonial bed, leaving the scent on the sheets to make sure Irwin knew that she had cheated. I had seen them drunk and physically and verbally abusive and even though I wanted to believe that this time was going to be different, I was not about to get my hopes up.

As I walked away from the study, a mix of emotions swirled within me-cautious hope, lingering doubt, and the faintest glimmer of a future where our family could be whole once more. It was a fragile beginning, but one that held the potential for redemption and healing.

Only time would tell if we could truly mend the fractures that had marred our lives for far too long. But for now, I would hold onto that glimmer of hope, keeping my heart open to the possibility of a better future.

Leaving the study, I brought out my phone to see how Lily was doing when I saw that she had not replied to my last text. Sending a message asking if she was alright, I was about to put my phone in my pocket when she sent a reply that made my eyes widen in shock and worry.

It read "LEAVE ME ALONE" in caps.

I tried to text her, asking if I did something wrong and not caring how pathetic I sounded, I just needed to know. But I found out that my message never delivered. She had blocked me.