Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 242

Kaiden pov

Returning home, I feel like a brand new person. Like a phoenix who burned and was reborn from its ashes. I walk down the long hall whistling a melody, my hands hidden in the pockets of my pants and a wide smile on my lips. 

The moment I round a corner, I run into someone, and of course, my luck would have it - the daddy dearest in person. 

“My office. Now.” He barks and turns around without waiting for my answer. 

I know what this will be about so I follow, still acting the same - not a care in the world. 

For an old fuck like my father, he’s fast. By the time I reach his office, he’s already inside, waiting, standing by the window with his back turned to me. 

He doesn’t turn around as I enter, doesn’t acknowledge me at all, and that rubs me the wrong way. First he comes at me, demanding my presence and now he ignores it? The fuck?

“You wanted to see me,” I say and step closer to him, wondering if there’s something interesting he noticed outside to stand by that damn window like this.

There’s a long pause, and then he speaks. “What have you done, Kaiden?”

I grin, even though he can’t see it. “What needed to be done. I’m keeping everything in check, something you seem to have forgotten how to do.”

He turns slowly, his face tight with barely controlled anger. “You call this keeping them in line?” He demands. “What you’re doing is spreading fear and chaos. You’re not leading them, you’re terrorizing them! The Council will demand an execution if you don’t stop this nonsense right away!”

“The Council? Please. They’re weak. They don’t understand what’s at stake. They, the same as this pathetic pack, need someone strong to show them the way, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Strong?” He repeats with a huff. “You think using dark magic and allying with hunters makes you strong? You think torturing your own pack members makes you a leader?”

“I did what had to be done! If you can’t see that, then you’re the one who’s weak!” I snap back, enjoying the look of horror on his face. 

“Enough!” He shouts and steps forward, his face inches from mine. I can see the rage burning in his eyes, the betrayal that cuts deeper than any wound. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, Kaiden. I don’t know what kind of monster you’ve become, but this isn’t the son I raised. This isn’t the leader our pack needs.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me about what the pack needs,” I growl. “You’re the one who’s let them grow soft. You’ve made them weak, and now you’re paying the price for it.”

He raises his hand, pulling it into a tight fist and just like that, I see the moment my all-mighty father loses control he prides himself for so much. His fist connects with my jaw, the force of the blow sends me stumbling back, and I taste blood as pain explodes through my skull.

I wipe the blood from my lip with the back of my hand and smile at the bastard. “Is that all you’ve got, father?” I taunt him, emphasizing the word father. “No wonder they don’t respect you anymore.”

“Kaiden,” he warns in a low voice, but I don’t give him a chance to continue. The power inside me surges and before I can think twice, I release it. A blast of raw energy knocks him off his feet, sending him crashing into the heavy oak desk with a loud crack.

He gasps, clutching at his chest as he struggles to breathe, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “You’ve lost your mind,” he chokes out, his voice hoarse. “This isn’t you.”

I step closer, and for a moment, I see the fear in his eyes - the same fear I’ve seen in the eyes of every traitor who thought they could stand against me. But this time, it’s different. This time, it’s my father.

“No,” I say as the darkness inside me whispers that this is right, that this is what needs to be done. “This is who I was always meant to be. The weak are crushed, and the strong survive.”

He struggles to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you destroy everything I’ve built. Everything your mother and I fought for-”

“You can’t stop me,” I cut him off. For years, he has used the memory of my mother to manipulate me into doing what he wants me to do. But not anymore. It all ends right here, right now.  “I’m stronger than you. I’m going to find Ashley, and I’m going to take back what’s mine. This kingdom will bow to me, one way or another.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” he growls and  lunges at me with a burst of desperate strength. 

I’m ready this time. I sidestep his attack, grab his wrist and twist it behind his back with a vicious snap. He cries out in pain, but I don’t let go. I lean closer, my breath hot against his ear as I tighten my grip. “You’re finished. You don’t have the strength to stop me. No one does.”

He goes still so I release him with a hard shove, watching as he staggers back. He looks at me like he’s seeing a stranger, his face pale.

“This is your last warning. Stay out of my way, or I’ll show you just how far I’m willing to go to get what I want.” I warn him and I mean every single word. This really is the last time I bother to utter a warning.

For a moment, he says nothing, just stands there, and stares at me with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Then he turns away, his shoulders slumped, and I feel a flicker of something that might have been regret or guilt, but I crush it. I don’t have time for weakness.

When he leaves the office, I let out a breath and sit on the crappy office sofa. I told myself I would do whatever it takes to win, and now there’s no going back.

“Father,” I murmur to the empty room, wiping the blood from my lip again. “You’ll see. You’ll see what I can become.”