Chapter 94: Everly POV


    Four Days Later We held the funerals yesterday , and today I couldn’t cope with work , so I started the


    mural at the homeless shelter .I designed the sign and sent it offst night to my manufacturer .So


    when I walked into work to find everything handled and for once the sky showed no sign of rain , I got a


    head start on the mural on either side of the door leading into the old school .I had two days until the


    council meeting , and two days after that , I had the challenge for my father’s pack .I was a little


    nervous about exactly what it was I was getting myself into with his pack , especially if it was bankrupt


    like Ava believed .


    Yet if I could restore a hotel to its former glory , I had no doubts I could dig them out of the hole my


    father dug .I forgot how much I enjoy drawing and painting , though the old rendered brickwork was


    making it a bitch to stencil out the design with my paintbrush .I had done the background white like a


    canvas , though standing on adder while it was windy wasn’t ideal .


    Hearing a car pull up along the road behind me , I nce over m y shoulder to see Valen’s car .He


    hops out , walking over to me .


    "Everly , the wind is hectic today .Get down before you fall off , " Valen scolds ,ing over and


    holding thedder .


    I shake my head but climb down , unclipping the harness as I reach each step on thedder .


    "I have a harness , " I tell him , but he shakes his head .


    "Harness won’t do much if that unhooks from up top .It’s only hooked to the guttering .That’s not the


    sturdiest thing , especially those old crumbling ones .It would be best if you had told me you were doing


    such a gigantic mural ; I would have had a cherry picker brought over .Don’t use thedder .I will get


    one sent over tomorrow , "


    Valen scolds , and I shake my head .


    He had a point , though , and the site supervisor also gave me a lecture about the same thing , making


    me wonder if he called Valen .


    "The site supervisor called you , didn’t he ? " I tell H Valen , and he smirks .


    "Of course , " he says , and I roll my eyes .


    "I thought you had your meeting today with your father over pack business ? " His eyes darken slightly ,


    and he sighs .


    "I sent my ountant instead , " he says while bending down to help pick up my supplies .


    I pack them into a box and put them in the cleaning closet just inside the school doors .


    "You can’t just avoid your father , " I tell him , following him out to his car .


    "Unless it has something to do about Vrian , I don’t want to hear it , " Valen growls , opening the


    driver’s door .


    "Valen , he is your father , and he is a wonderful dad , " I tell him .


    "He lied to me , ‘ " Valen states .


    I sigh , climbing into the car .


    "Your mother wouldn’t want you to toss your father away .He fucked up , but he is trying to make up for


    it .The petition got pushed through by him .He drops everything he is doing whenever we need his help


    with Vrian . " I tell him , and he starts the car , nodding his head .


    We head to school to pick Vrian up .When the bell rang , he came running out excitedly , jumping up


    and down to show the painting he had done


    "Wow ! " Valen says , looking at it .


    Casey came over to show us her painting , which was covered with glitter and swirling scribble .


    Valerian , however , was all straight lines of paint that looked like he used a ruler to make sure he didn’t


    go out of the lines .


    I smiled down at him , and he grabbed his father’s hand as we crossed the road to the car .


    Once in the car , we headed home while listening to the radio talking about the uing council


    meeting .


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    My attention turned to the news reporter as her nasally voice spoke about a n uing war .


    "It appears war is brewing between Alpha Nixon and Alpha Valen .Alpha Nixon was spotted today


    leaving the council chambers in a rage after learning Alpha Valen’s mate , Everly Summer’s , the


    infamous disgraced daughter of Alpha John from Shadow Pack , petitioned to have thews involving


    the unfair treatment of rogues changed .Alpha Nixon refused to speak to the media today after h e was


    spotted in an argument with Alpha John just in the front of the council chambers before reversing into


    Alpha John’s car .It appears tensions among the packs are high , and in the next few weeks , we will


    either see change within the city or war between packs" Valen turns the radio off , ncing at me , and


    I sigh .


    Great , the media was going to blow this right up , and if there wasn’t a war , they would ensure one


    starts with the hysteria they would cause .


    "Would the City really go to war over mum’s petition ? " Vrian asks , and Valen nces in the mirror


    at him .


    "Hopefully not , but unfortunately , people don’t like change .Greed and entitlement start a lot of issues


    , " Valen tells him .


    "But Rogues have nothing .They aren’t even allowed to own housing ? " Vrian says .


    "And that is why your mother is petitioning to have thews changed ."


    "...So , Alpha Nixon wants to take more from the rogues when they already have nothing .What’s left to


    take ? " Vrian asks .


    "Their lives , that is all that’s left , and people like Nixon think they deserve to y God and dictate how


    people should live and whatws they should live by , " I answered with a sigh .


    "But isn’t your dad on his side ? "


    "He is on the wrong side , " I agreed .


    "Does that upset you ? " Vrian asks , and I look at him over my shoulder .


    "No , because that shows his character , not mine , " I tell him .


    "But you’re his daughter ? "


    "Yes , that’s true , but I am not my father o r my mother .I am my own person , just like you are your


    own person , " I tell him .


    "So I shouldn’t be like you or dad when I a m older ? " he asks .


    "No.Strive to be better , surpass us .One day be a better Alpha than me , "Valen says .


    "What if I don’t want to be an Alpha ? " Vrian asks .


    "Then I will find someone else to take over the pack , "


    "What if I want to be Luna like Mum ? " Vrian asks .


    "Then you will be Luna Vrian , " Valen chuckles .


    "Doesn’t sound very cool , no offense , mum .I think I will stick with Alpha Vrian , " Vrian says ,


    and Valen snickers .


    "What ? The Luna is more important than the Alpha , " Vrian says ..


    "Is that so ? " Valen asks .


    "Yep .The Alpha keeps the packs in line , the Luna keeps the Alpha in line , " Vrian shrugs , and I


    laugh , ncing at Valen .


    "You think this is funny ? Our son just de manned me , " Valen chuckles .


    "Alpha’s , so sensitive , " I tell him , patting Valen’s shoulder while shaking my head .


    We headed home , and on the way , I texted Kalen toe over for dinner .


    It was time these two had a chat .


    Kalen was trying , but Valen had to put in some effort on his end .


    Dinner was awkward , and Valen and Kalen only spoke about Vrian until Kalen helped Valen do the


    dishes while I sat on the couch with Vrian , watching some kid’s show while I tried not to listen .


    Around 8 PM , Valen got a call and walked outside to take it before returning , saying he had to head


    out .


    Kalen also said he should head home since it was a school night .


    Valen was gone for hours , and eventually , Vrian went to bed after reading to him and tucking him .I


    heard m y phone ringing in the living room only after I closed the door .


    Walking out , I noticed the call was from Zoe .I answered it , thinking it was unusual for her to call so


    late .


    When I answered and heard her frantic voice , I knew instantly something was wrong and the sirens in


    the background made my heart thump in my chest .


    All the air was sucked from my lungs as her following words left her .


    "Everly , " she sobbed into the phone .


    "Zoe ? What is it ? "


    "Can you hear me ? " she asked .


    "Zoe ? "


    "It’s gone , Everly .It’s gone ! " she sobbed into the phone .


    "What’s gone ? "


    "The hotel .It spread so fast .You need to get here , " she cried before the phone cut out .


    I tried calling her number again , but all I got was her voicemail .I instantly called Valen’s number ..


    Valen POV my I stood awkwardly in the elevator with father .


    "So , where are you heading off to ? " he asked .


    Thanks to Everly , it was bad enough that I had to sit through an awkward dinner .


    Though I knew , she was only thinking about mine and my father’s rtionship .


    Yet I couldn’tin to Everly about m y problem , so I told him .


    "Going to see Dion The jeweler ? " he asked , and I nodded .


    "Wait .Are you proposing to Everly ? "


    "Why else would I be going to see him ? "


    "Well , it’s about bloody time , " my father says , and I can’t help the tug of my lips .


    I knew if he had his way , I would have married her the day I met her .


    "So the ring is ready .What sort of ring did you get her ? "


    "One of mum’s rings .Vrian picked out the stone ."I tell him , and my father nods and nces away .


    He swallows .


    "So you are picking it up ? "


    "No , there is an issue , so I am stopping over there .Apparently , the engraver isn’t working , " I tell him


    .


    The doors finally open , and I step out , heading for my car , wanting to get this over with .I pulled up


    out of the za walking to Dion’s jewelers .


    He had called , saying there was something wrong with the engraver .


    What I wasn’t expecting was for my father to follow me .He pulled up behind me .


    "What are you doing ? "


    "Coming to see if I can help ? " he says , though I know he was trying to spend more time with me .


    He was always extra clinging when I was upset with him , and this feud of ours hadsted weeks .


    Though I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy hispany a little .


    We walked to the jewelers and knocked on the door .


    Diones over and unlocks it , locking it behind us and we follow him out to the back of his store .


    "What’s wrong with it ? " I ask him .


    Dion shrugs , picking up a rag and wiping his forehead , which was covered in sweat from the lights in


    here .


    "No , idea .I’ve been pulling the damn thing apart , but I am a jeweler , not a bloody technician , and the


    ring holder won’t spin , " he grumbles .


    My father shrugs his jacket off before pulling a stool over and sitting in front of theser machine .


    They spent hours trying to fix it before deciding it needed some part .


    Dion then spent a few hours on eBay and various sites trying to find the part for the specific engraver


    he had , only to tell me shipment would take another two weeks on top of the time it would take for the


    stone to arrive .


    "What is with shipment these days ? " I growl .


    I was already impatient to get the ring back , let alone now adding more time .


    Dion shrugs apologetically .I sigh , knowing it isn’t his fault when my father speaks .


    "I can go pick it up ? " he offers .


    "It’s a four – day drive , " I tell him , and he shrugs .


    "Better than waiting .When does the stone arrive ? " he asks Dion .


    "Hopefully , next week , they were able to ship it off on the next flight , so it’s arriving early , " Dion says


    .


    Well , at least something good came of this the part


    "It’s settled then .I will go pick up t and bring it back here , and you should have your ring earlier than


    expected  " my father tells me .


    He looks down at Dion’sputer , and Dion fills out something about picking it up .


    My father then jots down the address on a piece of paper .


    Leaving , my father followed me out , and w e walked back to the car .


    "You didn’t have to pick it up .I know you are only sucking u p , " I tell him .


    "Is it working ? "he chuckled .


    "Kind of , " Iugh .


    We stand there awkwardly when my father hugs me .


    After I stood there for a second , I wrapped my arms around him .


    "I miss you , son “ he says , his voice cracking .


    I rub his back before he lets go and nods , racing to his car .He leaves before I get in my car .


    The moment I did , the mind – link opened up , and Marcus ‘ voice was in my head .


    "Hey , what’s up ? "


    "You need to get to Mountainview Hotel , "


    "Why ? "


    "It’s not good , Valen .The whole ce is gone .It’s just a shell , "


    “ I….I "


    “Excuse me ? "


    "Someone cut the water off and the power .We were trying to figure out what was going on when we


    heard an explosion in the kitchen , an hour after closing , and the entire ce went up , "


    "Fuck ! I’m on my way , " I tell him .


    Hearing my phone ringing , I grab it from my jacket pocket .


    It was Everly .


    I was about to answer when I saw my father’s care abruptly to a stop at the traffic lights before he


    turned the car around and drove back towards me on the opposite side of the road .


    He stops on the opposite side of the road just as I answer Everly’s phone call .


    She was sobbing hysterically , and I told her I was on my way there when she said she was trying to


    get a hold of my father .


    He is with me .


    We are on our way , "I tell her before hanging up .Dad winds his window down , and I do the same ."


    “Want me to take Vrian ? It’s all over the radio , "he calls .


    "Head to the Hotel .Everly is on her way there with him , " I call back , and he nods before taking off .


    I rip U – turn , following after him ..