Confronting Mother

~Janessa~

I finished the rest of the work day, but my mind wasn't on work at all. I spent the day trying to figure out what to do about my mother. Leon checked her phone records, email, and internet searches. He left no stone unturned. He didn't find anything on her cell or the phone she has in her apartment, but it could be that she has a burner. He did find emails and internet searches. He was able to find a second email address that we didn't know about. That was used to give Alpha Kent particular information about the pack and myself. My own mother has been actively working against me for a while now, but I had no idea why.

We arrive back at the packhouse and I go straight to my office. I had asked Lana to meet me there and I was grateful to see her waiting on me. I quickly inform her on everything that happened this morning and the dilemma I am facing. "Shit 'Nessa! What the hell are you going to do? Have you told your dad?" Lana is slumped in the chair across from me and I don't blame her.

"No. I told dad to meet here at the same time as mother. I figure it would be worse if she knew that dad already knew what I had found. They need to just find out together." I sigh deeply. "What the hell am I supposed to do? If this were anybody else, the consequences would be clear. This…..this is my mother. She is the one who gave birth to me. She is the former Luna for Goddess sakes. She knows that discussing inner pack business is a violation. What was she hoping to accomplish? Did she really think that no one would find out?" I drop my head to my desk and lightly tap my head on my desk again and again. I can't remember the last time I was this confused and torn. I, truly, don't know what to do and it is eating me up. I hear Lana sigh.

"Do you want me to stay for the meeting?" I look up and give her a slight nod. I place my head back down on the desk.

Time passed slowly. Lana left to eat dinner and take care of a few things. My insides are too twisted up to enjoy any food so I stay in my office. When Lana returns, I know that it is pretty much close to the time that my parents will be in for the meeting. I have already gone over the evidence and highlighted everything that is a cause for concern.

A knock on my door makes my anxiety jump high. "Come in." The door opens and my parents walk inside. My dad is looking confused and my mother is looking a bit excited. My dad walks over to me and kisses my temple before sitting across from me. My mother goes directly to the seat that Lana vacated in favor of the couch. "Thank you two for coming," I say sitting up straight in my chair.

"Janessa, I think it is great that you have finally come around. This is going to be the best thing for all of us." I look at my mother with confusion as does my dad. I have no idea what this woman is talking about. I pull the packet out of the envelope and hand it to my dad. He starts to go over the pages and his eyes get big. Without words, he hands the packet to my mother. She leaves through the pages and her face darkens. "You had me investigated?" My mother says in a low tone with anger in her voice.

"As you can see, I came across some disturbing information. I decided to look into things when Alpha Kent called my office two weeks ago and mentioned our money issues and the plan to salvage things. Two topics that he should have had no knowledge of whatsoever. I grew concerned and decided it deserved my attention." I look between my mother and dad. My dad has his head hung and looks truly sad. The anger in my mother is building and it is showing all over her face. I pause for a couple minutes and wait for her to say something. I am met with silence and the air in the room is steadily getting thicker. "Well, mother? Do you have anything to say?" She throws the packet at me and jumps out of her chair.

"Who the hell do you think you are accusing me of anything?! You have no right to treat me this way. I am your MOTHER!" I sigh and look at my dad again. I swear I see a tear falling form his eye, but he says nothing.

"You were warned in that meeting that no information was to leave this room, yet you informed a rival pack about sensitive information a-"

"Jasper and Crystal Lake are not our rivals," mother interrupts. I growl a bit before regaining my composure.

"Any pack that is without a written alliance with us is considered a rival until proven otherwise. You went against protocol and put this pack in danger revealing that information." To that my mom scoffs. I place my elbows on the desk, joining my hands. "Why? Why did you do this?"

"Are you kidding me? The fact that money came up missing was enough to prove that you are unfit for this position. You and your father want to be idealistic and play this 'equality' game. The fact is that some things just aren't meant for a woman to do and being Alpha is one of those things. Jasper can, and is willing to help you rectify this mistake if you would stop being so blind and headstrong." My mother looks over to my dad and throws her hands up in the air. "Make her understand!" My dad slightly shakes his head and runs a hand down his face.

"I have to give you consequences for your actions." My dad squeezes his eyes tight. I know he knew this was coming, but hearing it must be killing him.

"CONSEQUENCES?! You are going to give ME consequences?!" Mother starts to laugh in a high pitched voice. "Herbert, you had better deal with her before I do." My dad clears his throat.

"What are the consequences?" His voice is so low and so full of emotions. My mother stares at my dad with her mouth open.

"I…..I'm going to have to banish her. I don't want to but what else can I do? I can't let this go unchecked. We can put a time span on the banishment though." My dad nods knowing that this is better than permanently stripping her of the protections of the pack and making her go rogue.

"I understand. That will work. You know that…..that I will have to go with her." I was afraid he would say that, but I knew that my dad would not be able to survive without my mom for a long period of time. I hate to lose my dad, but I have to be the Alpha here.

"I know daddy and I will miss you. You will be free to come and go as you please. Mother will have to stay gone for a year." A year without the day to day activities in a pack is pretty serious especially when that is all you know.

"Why the hell are you two talking about me like I'm not even here?! I am sitting right here and I will NOT be leaving this pack under any circumstance!"

"You can refuse, but then your choices are to be made rogue or spend a month in the cells. Please let me know which is more appealing." My mother just stares at me with so much hate in her eyes.

"You little bitch." My dad's head whips towards my mother at her words, shock written all over his face. I'm pretty surprised too, but I refuse to show it. "It should have been you that didn't make it out, no-"

"TASHA!" My dad roars so loudly that the windows shake. "That is enough! We are leaving!" He gets up and grabs my mother's arm. She is trying to fight him to free herself, but he is stronger than her. My dad looks at me briefly. "Peaches, we will be out by morning." He turns and drags my mother out of my office.

"Woooooooow." Lana says from the couch. "That was intense." Lana gets up and takes a seat in front of me. "What did she mean about you shouldn't have made it out? Made it out of where?" I just shake my head because I was wondering the same thing. I have no idea what she meant. Before I can give it more thought, my phone chimes. I pick it up and see I have a text from an unknown number. 'It's Drake. I need to see you.' I jump up from my chair quickly.

"Lana, I have to go. Please take over for a bit." I race out of my office and downstairs to my car. I reply to the text with an address, hop in the car and take off.