Telling Jack everything I found out about our father broke my heart, after every sentence I said I watched as his face dropped. For the first time, I didn't know what he was thinking.

"Jack?" I called for him, his eyes distant as he looked through the window. "Jack, please say something." I sighed, leaning back on my chair while I sat criss-cross. Lia stayed sitting next to her mate, her gaze falling to the floor with her hands covering her mouth in shock.

They've both been in the same position for a while-- I knew it was a lot to take in.

I basically told them that their Alpha is a murderous monster.

Still, after many attempts, Jack would not answer any of my calls. Lia continued to recover from the information I threw at them, her eyes still directed on the floor however she slowly moved her hands on to Jack's, squeezing tightly.

"Ja-"

"You're lying."

My mouth fell open in a gasp, my eyes wide as Jack finally looked from the window-- his eyes narrowing at me. "You're lying Holly."

"No, I'm not-"

"Then that god-awful Alpha lied to you and you ate it up." He snarled, shooting up from his seat. I was beyond shocked by his reaction-- I knew that he wouldn't like what I had to say but I didn't expect him to react like this--

--to accuse me of lying!

"Watch it Jack," I lowly growled, the wolf within me snarling as our own brother insulted our mate— neither of us approved of how Jack was acting at this moment. "That's my mate you're talking about."

Though I had only spent a few weeks with the man, I couldn't help but feel warm around him, the electric feeling of our bond was strong and hard to ignore.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes harshly at me before forming his glare again-- directed straight at me. "If that's what you want to call the man that kidnapped you, sure." He spat out. "You know nothing about mates--"

"Jack!" Lia snapped, it was clear to me that she didn't want to get involved in this argument, she was hesitant. She looked at me from her seat and sent me an apologetic look, I was quick to shake it off-- she was not apart of this, she had nothing to apologize for.

I stood up from my seat quickly, narrowing my eyes straight at the man in front of me. "Excuse me?" He responded by scoffing, waving me off with his hand. "No, no-- please, tell me what you mean." I continued, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched for my brother to turn his back from me, huffing as he faced the window.

I knew nothing about mates? The wolf within me growled furiously at the words-- while we are only just getting to know Theo, my wolf was quick to become protective over our mate.

Why was Jack being like this? Did finding out all this information about our father affect him like this?

Jack sighed, before turning back to me-- his eyes darted straight for me. "You know nothing about this man, you don't know the first thing about having a mate and he knows that." I raised an eyebrow as he continued to speak, my body feeling hot with rage the more he spoke. "He is using your 'mate bond' to manipulate you into turning against Dad."

I didn't want to hear him speak anymore.

"Jack--"

"And I'm very close-knit with Dad-- I am the future Alpha-- wouldn't you think I would know about a werewolf we are experimenting on, or torturing?" He snarled, throwing his future 'authority' in my face. The only thing I could do was roll my eyes at him, rage within me slowly subsiding.

I knew exactly why he was being like this, why he was backing up our father so harshly.

"Jack--"

Once again, he interrupted me.

"--And I can't even believe you would believe Theo over your own family, your own father-- your own Alpha!" I sighed, backing up to my seat and sitting back down.

I felt the rage within me disappear, the growls coming from my wolf were quietened however still there-- while I was calming down, my wolf still wasn't OK with Jack slandering Theo in front of me.

Jack continued to rant and hadn't noticed that I sat back down. I looked behind him, seeing a look slowly appear on Lia's face-- she was in pain just like her mate. Behind Jack's back, Lia gave him a sympathetic look.

Jack was too involved in what he was preaching to me that he hadn't noticed that both Lia and I weren't arguing back. It was sad to watch.

I knew exactly why he was so angry, he wasn't angry at me-- he was angry at Dad, at himself.

Jack is meant to be the future Alpha of the pack, following the footsteps of our father. He has been raised to be Hayden Daniels' mini me-- so it's understandable that he feels betrayed.

He has been made to believe that he is part of our father's closed circle, he believed that he was important enough to know the ins and outs of the pack and the business that Hayden Daniels does. But it turns out that isn't exactly the truth.

"Jack--"

Just as my other attempts to cut him from his thoughts, he cut me off again with his rage-filled rant.

I sighed, pushing myself off of the chair and standing close in front of my brother as he continued to yell, not even registering that I had stood up.

"Jack!" I grabbed him by his shoulders, for this moment he stopped yelling-- his eyes wide as he looked at me, he even looked as if he was shaking slightly with his chin shivering momentarily.

The mean demeanour he previously held onto melted away, the cold looked on his face falling and a pained look taking it's place.

"I'm sorry," I spoke softly and I felt my eyes sting as tears started to blur my vision slightly. "Dad shouldn't have done this to you-- none of it." Jack breathed heavily as he tried pushing away from my arms-- but I wouldn't have it.

"Holly, get off of me." He grumbled, trying to pry my hands off of his shoulders however I only gripped harder. "Holly!"

"No," I refused sharply. My heart broke for Jack, watching him act like this.

I've never seen him so low. Jack continued to try and get my hands off, even attempted to shove me however I didn't budge.

"Holly!" He growled but I stood my ground. "Get off of me!" All of a sudden, his voice began to crack as he spoke. "Please Holly-- please, get off..." Soon enough, he finally broke down-- his body shaking as he held onto me.

Behind him, Lia shot up but stood at a distance and I noticed her shaking as she watched her mate cry. She took a few steps closer and I knew it killed her inside not to comfort him with arms wide open.

Jack's sniffles quickly turned into sobs that racked through his body. "How could he do this?" I didn't respond, just held onto my brother as he cried-- squeezing my eyes shut as I burrowed my nose into his shoulder.

After some time, he pulled away from me with his eyes and his nose red. "Holly," His voice cracked slightly. He cleared his throat before continuing; "How could Dad do this-- How could he hide it for so long?"

I met his pained look in his eyes-- he felt betrayed by his father, and it was one of the most painful feelings.

I shook my head at him, shrugging my shoulders as I responded; "I don't know."

Jack sighed, his shoulders slumped and his eyes slowly diverting to the ground as he stepped away from me. Instantly, Lia came up from in behind of him, pulling her arms around his waist as he instinctively relaxed in her arms.

Lia was quick to comfort her mate-- it was known that mates are instinctively protective over their mates.

I huffed lightly, leaning on my back against Theo's desk, watching the couple as they sat back down holding hands.

Jack broke his gaze from Lia and looked back at me, clearing his throat before focused look fell upon his face.

"What do we do then, Holly?"

In all honesty--

-- I have no idea.