The Forbidden Heiress At The All Male Alpha Academy-Chapter 213: The Daughter He Lost

Sweat pants and sweatshirts.

It wasn’t enough to cover everything, but it was as much coverage as she could get. Not that she had any reason to hide anything that was happening here from her father, because he probably didn’t care.

Theo walked up to the door of the room where her father waited for her. She stopped and thought for a few seconds, wondering what she was doing here.

She had forgotten. Her memory was foggy.

Then she remembered - Ah, her father was here.

She pushed the door open and walked inside. Alpha Darius’s eyes widened the moment he saw her, and he pulled up to his feet.

’What’s with that look?’ she thought to herself before looking beside him.

Harrison and Caspian were also there. Harrison still had that arrogant glare, and Caspian copied him almost perfectly.

The whole family...how wonderful!

She didn’t bother to bow, didn’t care to even acknowledge her father properly. She was scared because now she knew he knew all along what she had done to his wife, and had figured out why he had hated her so much.

"What?" She echoed, breaking the silence in the room. Her voice came out as a whisper despite all the water she had clogged down her throat before coming here.

"Theodora...," Her father approached, and stopped right in front of her.

She looked too pale to still be alive. Her skin was white, and her amber eyes looked dead.

Theo looked up at him, a little stunned. What was that tone in his voice?! Why was it soft?!

"Father, if you have nothing to say I’ll be returning to my chambers —"

"No!" He took her hand, and she paused. Then she looked at where he was holding her. There was no sensation in her arm.

"What’s going on? Why did you come?!"

Darius let out a big sigh, his eyes holding emotions that she’d never seen before, "I came to see you. Let’s have a talk,"

She didn’t even hesitate, "No, thank you. Harry and Casp are here. They deserve your attention much more than I do,"

"Theo!" His voice hitched, "I came all the way to the east, risking everything just to see you. You are gonna be thankful for that, grab a chair and listen,"

Months ago, she would have been the happiest person on earth if this had happened. She would have fallen on both knees and rolled on the floor out of pure happiness that her own father was finally talking to her for more than two seconds, that he actually looked like someone who cared, like someone who had a daughter.

But there was no essence today. She didn’t seek his approval or attention anymore.

"Don’t tell me the east has made you even cockier than before, Dora," Harry chirped in from behind, "Your father’s fucking talking to you. What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"She looks sick," Caspian added, "Alpha Cain must have sucked every living energy left in her. Good for her. Was getting tired of seeing that determined, stupid look anyway,"

Theodora ignored them and continued, "Father, I don’t want to sit. Tell me whatever you have to say and leave,"

"Fucking bitch! You really deserve everything that’s happening to you here," Harrison said, getting up from his seat, "Father, are you sure you—"

Darius suddenly cast him a glare, effectively shutting him up. Harrison and Caspian were taken aback. Usually, he turned a blind eye whenever they were attacking her.

Theodora didn’t react.

"Fine, since you’ve refused to sit," Darius said and let go of her hand, "Tell me, how has the east been treating you?" He lowered his voice, "How has...he been treating you?"

Again, why was his voice this soft? It was creepy.

"So you’re telling me...that you came all the way from the North... just to check up on me?" She arched a brow in question.

Her father didn’t answer immediately.

She noticed the way his eyes lingered on her wrists. On the faint tremor in her fingers she couldn’t stop. On the way she stood like her body didn’t quite belong to her anymore.

Darius swallowed, "You look..." He stopped himself, then tried again, "You look unwell."

A soft, shattered humorless sound escaped her throat, "Congratulations," She said. "You finally noticed,"

Harrison scoffed loudly, "Don’t act like a victim now. You chose this. You ran away. You threw away your duties—"

"Enough!" Darius spat again and everyone froze.

Darius straightened, shoulders squared as his sharp eyes cut toward Harrison, "You will not speak to her like that,"

"She’s being disrespectful—" Caspian tried to speak.

"I said enough!!"

Silence slammed down again, thicker than before.

Theo felt something twist faintly in her chest. A confusion that was unwelcome. Her father was a slightly different person today. When Cain said her father was waiting, she had wondered why on earth he came to see her in the first place.

Did he really care?!

Whatever it was, it didn’t matter anymore. Whatever efforts he made coming here, or setting her up with the Voss family, she didn’t care.

Darius turned back to her, and for the first time, he didn’t look like an Alpha addressing a problem. He looked like a man standing in front of the consequences of his own cowardice, "I should have come sooner," he said quietly.

Her fingers curled a bit, "Should you?" She asked, "Or did someone tell you to?"

That landed, and she watched his jaw tighten just a fraction. She almost laughed at herself for believing for a second that he had come here on his own accord to see her.

So Cain really had sent him.

"I see," She murmured. "So this isn’t concern. This is... closure,"

"That’s not—" Darius began, then stopped. His voice dropped, "Theo... things are complicated."

She stepped back half a pace, instinctively putting distance between them, "They were never complicated," She said. "They were simple. You hated me,"

"I didn’t hate you,"

"Yes," she said calmly. "You did," Her lungs burned for air, "You looked at me and saw her," Theo continued, "Every time. You smelled blood and guilt and something you didn’t want to name. So you chose the easier path. You chose them and refused anything that had to do with me," Her gaze flicked briefly to Harrison and Caspian.

"Your mother...Daphne—"

"You knew I killed her. You saw me that night. A ten-year-old whom you decided to ignore for the rest of her life. Stripped me of my right. Threw me to the devil’s hands. You should be proud of yourself,"

Darius’s throat bobbed, "I did what I had to do to survive," He said at last.

That broke her heart, and whatever part of her soul she still had left.

Theo nodded slowly, not even a single tear in sight, "So did I,"

Something in her expression must have unsettled him, because he took a step forward without thinking, "What has Cain done to you?"

She almost laughed again, "You know the answer to that question," She said, "Isn’t that why you tried to hide Thaddeus?"

He didn’t deny it.

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken truths of underground rooms, of needles and restraints, and of screams that never left where they were produced.

"I didn’t ask what he was doing," Darius said quietly, "I only asked if you were... stable,"

Theo stared at him, "Do I look stable to you?"

Her knees suddenly felt weak from exhaustion and from everything crawling through her veins, burning and freezing all at once.

She swayed a little, and Darius moved on instinct, catching her by the elbow.

Her breaths were getting shallower by the minute and she didn’t push or lean into his hold. She just stood there, her eyes unfocused as though she was already halfway gone.

"You should leave," she said softly, "Before you see something you can’t pretend away from this time,"

"Theo—"

"Leave," she repeated, firmer now, "Go back north. Tell yourself you tried. That you cared. It’ll help you sleep,"

Harrison opened his mouth to argue again, but one look at her face stopped him cold.

Because she wasn’t angry or gritting her teeth at him this time. She was tired. She was Bone and soul-deep tired.

Darius released her slowly, and the words she had longed to hear him say for a very long time finally came out. Only this time, it was too late.

And even though it shouldn’t have been heartfelt, it just bounced off her chest.

"I’m sorry,"

Theo didn’t respond.

She turned, walked to the door, and paused only once, her hand resting on the handle.

"The Fourth War is about to break out," Darius said, "We expect the South to make their move soon. The west is already siding with the east...," He paused, "Which side do you suggest I take, Theodora?!"

Her toes curled inside her boots and more of her weight fell on the door.

"Why are you asking me?!"

"Because...I want to do something you want for once...!"

She scoffed, tasting blood, "Cain could be listening,"

"I just want your answer. Help me...do something right this time,"

Her eyes watered and a tear slid down. Thank Goodness she was facing the door. Last thing she wanted to see were her brothers laughing from where they sat - but they had been weirdly silent.

"Choose the side mother would have chosen," She finally replied and pushed the door open, "Goodbye, Darius,"