Her Forbidden Alpha
Chapter61　Father To Daughter

The following day dawned cold and grey and it mirrored the mood within the Alpha’s mansionperfectly. Breakfast was tense, even the delicious smell of Jessica's cooking couldn't lighten themood. Indigo sat there, a pout on her face, looking between Elijah and Jackson. She wished they'dput aside their egos and stop this ridiculous issue between them.

“So do you both have everything packed?” Jessica asked looking at Elijah and Scarlett.

“Yep, all packed.” Scarlett said playing with the scrambled eggs on her plate.

“Yeah, all ready for this ball.” Elijah said in an antagonising tone. “I wonder if anything is goingto change. You sure you don't want to come dad? To see how I reject anyone but Scarlett?”

“Watch it, I'm giving you one chance. You might come home with no mate but remember, youwon't be taking your Alpha position.” Jackson said coldly, his eyes flashing dangerously. Elijahsimply scoffed.

“I don't mind, my wolf doesn’t seem bothered either. So I guess we're good and it might be forthe best right? I mean Scarlett's an Alpha with a pack...” He said smirking. Although the thought oflosing his own pack hurt, he wasn't going to let his dad see that. He had put a lot of work into thispack and he loved it with everything he had.

“You're a fucking disrespectful asshole you know that Elijah? Your mother would be ashamed ifshe saw you today!" Jackson snapped, slamming his cutlery down. Jessica closed her eyes trying notto scream in frustration as she watched her China plate crack in half from the force. Her daughterswatched her try to control her wolf, her eyes flickering dangerously. Everyone knew Jessica's temperwhen it came to her dishes.

“I wonder... Shame she’s not around or all this shit wouldn't be happening to start with.” Elijahgrowled coldly.

“Elijah, please can you stop.” Scarlett said giving him a look. Indigo looked at her platesuddenly feeling really upset.

“You know, I don't know what this mating ceremony will bring but can we at least have onemeal as a family? Before shit goes down?!” She said.

“Indigo, language!” Jessica snapped.

“No mom! I'm fed up with seeing all this anger between dad and Elijah! Why can’t we just goback to normal, back to the way things were? Dad, I don't get it, why can’t you accept their love?What's so wrong with falling in love? You did it didn't you? I hate being here when all you two do isthrow crap at each other every single chance you get! Dad if Elijah isn't the next Alpha who will takecharge?! Because you can't be so stubborn and make the pack become the ones that suffer becauseof your ego!”

“Indigo. This is beyond your understanding.” Jackson said curtly, but Indigo simply shook herhead.

“No, dad. This time you're the one who is failing to understand!” Indigo said, terrified to see herfamily breaking apart. “I hope they're mates! Because then I'd like to see how you break yourmarriage with mom!”

With those words she ran from the room, not wanting anyone to see her tears.

“Indy!” Elijah said glaring at his dad before he ran out of the room after the girl he consideredhis sister.

Jessica looked down at her broken China plate. “All you are doing Jackson is breaking thisfamily apart, where our own children want to see us separating because of your issues andstubbornness.” She said, her voice breaking slightly, “Scarlett can you give us some privacy?”

Scarlett looked between her parents and nodded leaving the room, but instead of going too farshe silently pressed herself against the wall, not too close that they could hear her heartbeat butclose enough to hear what was being said.

“Jessica stop encouraging them.” Jackson said, his voice cold

“If this is about status, then I am ready to divorce you for their sake.” Jessica whispered, hervoice breaking. Scarlett clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that almost escaped herlips. She heard Jackson's breath hitch and a chair tumble over.

Hess...

“I love you Jackson and I don't ever want to let you go but I love them too. I don't want towatch them to go through any pain, Scarlett has been through so much already, I dont want herfuture compromised because of me... And Elijah?! I took his mothers place; do you know how I feelthat I'm also taking away his Alpha position and that I am the reason he can't happily be with thewoman he loves? If we never fell in love... gotten married... then this wouldn't be happening rightnow. I swear Jackson if you blackmail Elijah with the Alpha position and stand by it, get ready to seethose divorce papers!”

Scarlett quickly slipped into the bathroom as she heard the sound of footsteps, knowing hermother had left the kitchen in a rush. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back out and walked backto the kitchen once her mother had disappeared up the stairs. Entering the kitchen she saw Jacksonhad dropped into a chair, his head in his hands. She felt a sliver of guilt fill her, looking at herstepfather.

“Dad...” She said. She hadn't called him that in a while, after all, they hadn't been talkingproperly and the word felt strange on her lips. He looked up as she approached, both not missingthe pain in the other's eyes. Scarlett didn't stop until she was in front of him, quietly she loweredherself to the ground, her knees touching the ground as she slowly reached for his face. She hadn'ttried to talk to him but she wanted to give it one shot. For her mum, for Elijah and for herself.

“Scarlett.” Jackson said, looking away as he tried to hide the emotions in his eyes.

“Dad... can you look at me?” She asked quietly. Jackson sighed; he couldn't refuse his little girl.That was the problem, he considered her his own and it was too much for him to just accept thatshe wasn't biologically his. He looked into her sage green eyes, seeing the sadness and guilt inthem.

“What is it, Scarlett?” He asked. Jessica's words had hit him like a slap and he wouldn't deny ithurt, the rejection and the fact she was willing to leave him so easily.

“I know this isn't the most ideal situation anyone would want to be a part of but it's happening.You were and still are the father I never had, I still consider you my dad no matter how messed upthis is. Mama still loves you but she wants us all happy, all we need is for you to accept this, please?If you ever considered me your daughter, will you not grant me this one wish? I've never asked foranything growing up but today I just want to ask you to accept us. Do you hate me so much thatyou can't stand to see me as Luna of this pack?” She said quietly trying to control her ownemotions, to hide the pain from her eyes, something that was becoming increasingly difficult thelonger she spent around Elijah. He had broken down all her walls leaving her exposed, even if hewas like that shield standing right beside her.

Jackson looked at her. “By loving Elijah, it's a sheer reminder that you didn’t consider us yourown.” He said now stroking her hair, thinking when did she grow up? She shook her head, her eyesflashing defiantly.

“I considered you my father, I'm not lying and you know it. Elijah... I won't lie. I never saw him asmy brother, I never had that bond he and Indigo have.” She said quietly. “Please dad, this won'tchange anything. Who cares what the world says? The only thing that matters to me and Elijah iswhat our family thinks. Please?”

Jackson closed his eyes, sighing deeply before he took her wrists, removing her hands from hisface and held her hands in front of him. “You know Elijah doesn't care about what I think. Indigo isangry at me, your mother threatened to divorce me... and now you're asking me to accept it socalmly...”

“Won't even one of those approaches work?” Scarlett said, Jackson smiled wryly.

“I once said to you any boy you chose to love would be lucky, well that asshole is more thanlucky. What's to like about him anyway?” He said frowning. Scarlett smiled, reaching up from whereshe knelt on her knees, she hugged him tightly.

“They say a girl looks for someone who's a lot like her father when it comes to love... I guess Idid the same.” She said softly, praying she could get through to him. “I don't want to lose myfather.” She whispered. Jackson felt his emotions surge as he gave in, he pulled her into a hug.

“You'll always be my little girl Scarlett, for you I'll try but you need to talk to him, tell him tostop being a rude asshole too.” Jackson said almost complaining. “You know he doesn't even listento me.”

Scarlett laughed in relief and amusement as she moved back, she had a feeling she would bepulled into a battle of tug of war more often than not between the two Alpha’s. “I guess I can try, weboth know Elijah has an ego bigger than the size of England.”

“Now that I agree on...”

“You should go to mom.” Scarlett said. Jackson nodded standing up, about to leave the room,he paused.

“Don't tell Elijah about our conversation.” He said. “Let him come back from the ceremony atleast.”

“Got it.” Scarlett said standing up, unable to stop the smile that was gracing her face. Sheslapped her thighs, heaving a sigh of relief. She turned to gaze out at the sky outside. It felt like aweight was lifted from her, right now she felt like she could face the world.

“Blood Moon here I come.” She said turning and leaving the room. She needed to do a onceover, to make sure everything was packed

They would be staying the night there and spending the entire day there until the ceremonywhich was starting at around 10 pm tomorrow night when the moon was at its peak, it was at thatmoment that the mate bond would have a chance to snap into place. The thought made hernervous yet excited at the same time.

She spent the next few hours keeping herself busy. Indigo and Elijah had returned, and theyeven squeezed in a movie before those who were leaving for the ball got ready to go. Elijah andScarlett were going alone together, with the rest taking a few cars and making their own way there.Tomorrow was indeed going to be a long day but both Scarlett and Elijah were prepared forwhatever it brought their way...00000