The Delta's Daughter Chapter 126

Tala

“I will not marry him, Mother!”

“He has been chosen for you Tala, You are expected to mate within your rank and that’s what you will do!” I groaned loudly in frustration at my mother’s words, clenching my fists tightly and trying not to let out the scream that was bubbling at the surface of my mouth.

“Exactly! He has been chosen for me! I didn’t choose him and he certainly didn’t choose me! I am 21 years old and I’m still not allowed to make my own decisions!” I was beyond frustrated and rubbed my eyes harshly with my palms, gritting my teeth tightly.

I glared at my mother, shooting daggers at her, willing her to burst into flames. This wasn’t the first time we had argued about my arranged mating and it won’t be the last.

“Tala,” My mother’s grey-blue eyes softened towards me, “I am losing myself. I cannot help you. This pairing of you and Jasper is a good thing. He will become Alpha and you Luna, then, maybe you can live happily. Please, for me.” Her eyes and voice begged me, imploring me to see the reasoning behind her words.

Today was a good day for her, tonight may not be so good. It was pot luck with my mother. Some days she was the Luna I remembered her being, a powerful she-wolf who would take command and the kind Luna who would sympathize and held kindness towards all.

That person seemed so long ago, a memory of a distant mother I once loved. I still love her, but years of abuse and torment at the hands of my father had broken not only her spirit but her wolf’s spirit too. So much so that she couldn’t even shift anymore, and on a full moon she became feral her twisted and tormented mind winning over the sane and rational side of her.

It wasn’t her fault, this I knew. It was his fault; it was his entire fault that mother had lost the plot of life. She no longer lived, she survived. Just like me. We were both surviving this hell.

My cruel father had even turned my older sister, Shayna, against her. When King Orion had come to him many moons ago, my sister had foolishly fallen in love with the bear shifter king. He, King Orion, had taken an interest in her, even though he was quite a few years her senior. It wasn’t her he had an interest in, no it was her inventions. Her ability as a chemist and her very own twisted mind, that’s what he wanted from her. To use her and Shayna was more than willing to be used by him. She was blinded by lust.

She had left the Sandstorm Pack to go with King Orion, in pursuit of the throne of Riocht. A fable, or at least I once thought so, that whoever could claim the throne would become the King or Queen of shifters.

I thought it was a fairytale, something mums would tell their little girls as bedtime stories. Yet a couple of weeks ago, there was a shift in the realm. A shift in power and like a radio wave that honed in on every shifter, our counterparts recognized a new power, a new leader, one that was above every other shifter.

A King and Queen had Risen, they would rule over us all. My wolf, Mora, had felt the power shift and called to her king and queen. I had felt the power wash through me, every ounce of instinct in me telling me they were the supreme rulers.

It wasn’t just me who had felt it, every shifter had felt it. My maid, Eloise had felt it too.

“Tala,” My mother’s soft voice brought me back to the now, jarring my thoughts from that day. The same day she felt the break of her ties to Shayna. “Please… “ Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she regarded me.

“Let’s just see what happens, mother. We have time.” I said sympathetically, not wanting to argue with her anymore. It was futile anyway. She probably wouldn’t even remember these conversations come tomorrow and then we would have the same argument all over again. Maybe.

I turned to walk away from her and leave her room when she suddenly cried out in pain and fell to the floor clutching her stomach and heart.

“Motherfucker” I gasped. He was at it again! “Eloise!” I shouted. My maid and best friend came hurrying through the door. “Get her strapped down and get her medications.” I hastily commanded her, my voice a little panicked. I brought my mother over to her bed and began securing her with the leather straps that had been fashioned for her bed, while Eloise ran to the bathroom to grab the medication I would inject her with.

We got her strapped down; all the while her cries rang out and echoed through the room. Her hands grasped at her chest and stomach trying to claw at them, but her wolf had abandoned her years ago, so now she just felt the immense pain.

Once secure and injected, her body began to relax some, but I could tell she could still feel the burning pain, as she had once described it.

I stomped towards the door. I was a woman on a mission.

“Where are you going Tala” Eloise called out behind me as she sat on the side of the bed nursing my mother.

“To put a stop to this.” Was all I could spit out as I yanked the door open and scented where my father was in the Palace.

I ran down the halls towards his bedroom on the east wing and when I reached the large heavy wooden doors that were painted a hideous blue. I halted with my hands outstretched ready to open the door.

I took a deep breath, not just to calm myself, but also my wolf. She was reeling and I felt her boiling anger. I had to keep her in check before she tried to challenge my father. That would not end well for either of us.