Chapter 30

Henry stomped around the den, throwing things in his rage. His daughter was getting out of control. She was defying him and that was unacceptable. He had slaved over this family, making it the powerhouse it was. He was not about to let one little teenage girl tear it down. And the nerve of Kattcha Silentshadow, showing up on his doorstep! She knew good and well that she and her family were not welcome on Le Croix territory.

Adding insult to injury, his brat had defended the woman! Had the universe gone mad? And then there was Zina. That bitch still was a thorn in his side. Henry had tried to warn the Council that she should be killed. They had decided to spare her life and only banish her. It was the stupidest move they had ever made and now it was coming back to kick them in the gut.

A sharp knock on the door stopped his raging. "Enter!" he snapped.

The door opened and Jacques stuck his head in. "Are you okay now? Is it safe or will I have something thrown at me?"

"I'm still deciding. You keep choosing my daughter over your allegiance to me. If you think you can do the job of Alpha, challenge me and let us see who the better wolf is."

"I'm not going to challenge you, Henry. And I'm not going to indulge your rage. You knew this would happen when you decided to raise Laylah as human. She sees everything through their eyes, including manners and treatment of guests. She doesn't understand Were protocol or rules. You can't have it both ways, Henry. Either you stick to playing human or you tell Laylah the truth about what and who she is."

"No! I will not tell Laylah. Zina might be the bane of my life, but I will not give her power to destroy what I've built."

Jacques shook his head. "You should hear yourself, Henry. God, you sound like your father. All you harp about is your power and your things and how to protect them all. You even refer to Laylah as a thing. She loves you even when you're kicking her after she's down. Why can't you love her back, Henry? Or at least show her some attention other than yelling at her. She'd be ecstatic if you spoke a kind word to her."

"Are you telling me how to be a father?" Henry had stopped moving, his body still as he stared at Jacques.

"Yeah, I guess I am because someone needs to! You're driving Laylah away, Henry, and when she graduates, she's going to fly away far from your reach. She has no reason to stay in this lonely, empty place. Naiya and I are like family to her, but those ties will not hold Laylah here. And you know what? I wish Laylah the best when she does go. Anything is better than being the bird in the golden cage that sees freedom beyond the bars it can't escape from."

He charged Jacques, his rage unleashed. His hands had changed to claws and he roared his intent to maim. He swiped at Jacques, who ducked out of the way.

"Get a hold of yourself, Henry! You've got bigger problems than your daughter! Like Zina. She wanted Laylah for a reason. You need to focus on the why."

Henry froze, breathing heavily as he regarded Jacques. He felt disgust at his loss of control and shifted his claws back into hands. He grabbed a glass, threw ice in it and poured a drink before slamming into his seat. "Why can't that woman leave me be? She should have stuck with Stefan. He's the one who loved her. Why he did will always be a mystery to me. Even our father couldn't figure it out."

"Maybe Stefan wanted power since that seems to be a theme in this family," Jacques quipped.

Henry waved his hand about. "I don't care. He's turned into some kind of mercenary, the last I heard, pandering to the humans he once scorned. But Zina, she's not going to lie quietly. No, she's as bad as the snakes, always coming back to inflict more damage. She probably wanted to make an example out of Laylah. She never could stomach the fact that I chose a werecat over her, a full-blooded werewolf.

"And it definitely didn't sit well with her or the other purists when Laylah was born. Not that I care what they thought. Helena wanted a child and I made sure she had one. I didn't want a child. I was happy with Helena, but the joy on her face after she'd given birth to Laylah was worth all my misgivings about the pregnancy." He clenched the glass in his hand so tightly it cracked. "Then that night, when Zina and my brother came to destroy everything I built, Helena chose to die to save our child. I would have traded our child's life for hers."

"Henry!" Jacques stared at him in horror.

"Why so surprised, Jacques? Did you really think I wanted to be saddled with a kid? What place did one have in my life of corporate elbow rubbing and scientific research? None. I did try. For four years after I lost Helena, I tried. When my father died and Mother and I talked about my becoming an Alpha, I recognized the fact that I would be adding even more responsibility into my hectic schedule.

"I decided to leave the care of the child to you and Naiya. She always wanted one, but couldn't have any and you work at your best when you're defending something. It gave both of you purpose and relieved me of a problem."

"Henry. I don't want to hear this." Jacques stiffened and took a step toward the door.

"Oh? Why not, Jacques? Sorry to shatter your "image" of me, old friend, but I'm a cruel bastard and proud of it. I want things to run smoothly. Things that are a hindrance will be eliminated. End of discussion."

"I see. I'll make sure that Laylah toes the line. Don't want her to mess up your perfect system," Jacques snarled.

Henry watched Jacques storm from the room and he gave a hollow laugh. He didn't need help. He liked being alone just fine.