VALE:
“I appreciate you coming, big sis.” Harlyn dropped back against the wall where her bed was set, her leg lifted up and her arm draped over it, while her other leg haphazardly fell over its edge. “Unfortunately, nothing’s changed since the last time you came.”
“Well, I could stop coming if that’s what you prefer,” I replied.
We sat on opposite sides of her containment unit. I was sitting in the chair from the outside looking in.
“Didn’t say that,” said Harlyn under her breath. “Just..I’m sure you have better things to do, than act like our relationship is at this level of obligation.”
With a smirk, I simply said, “Yeah, you’re right. It’s not, and I definitely could,” I reassured her. “Doesn’t change the facts.”
Harlyn perked up a bit. I guess she was curious about what facts I was referring to. “Pray tell,” she finally said.
“You’re my little sister. I’ve had an obligation to watch out for you since before I even realized that you were my flesh. Despite your…less than satisfactory treatment of me over the years.”
Harlyn shamefully looked away, and took a deep breath. She knew that I was right in my feelings.
“I guess that’s why I’m wondering why you’re even here.”
“Well, I just told you why. Guess it’s just ingrained in me to look after you at this point. Nothing neither of us can do about it, I’m sure.”
“Well, I…I appreciate it, nevertheless.”
“Good.”
My past self would have thanked her for noticing that I actually care for her well-being. That version of me was long gone, however. I did care about Harlyn’s well being. I’d even go as far as to say that I would risk life and limb to make sure that she was okay, as it wasn’t easy to turn off the love that I have for my family. Still, I had come to learn that the unconditional love that I have for my family is not something that I should be grateful for.
“So, looks like they’ve been taking care of you in here,” I noted.
Harlyn shrugged. “I mean, it most certainly could bloody well be worse, couldn’t it? A bit boring, I suppose, but one wouldn’t expect much fun in prison.” she said before a grimace took the place of her stoic expression. “Though I could certainly live without the bloody wailing of those two morons down the way.”
I knew exactly who she was referring to as I could hear Agnes and Penny further down. Penny was wailing like a bloody banshee of her innocence while Agnes was demanding release as how could they believe a fraudulent inhuman over a pure blood like her.
I mean, nevermind the small fact that my father is the alpha one of the most powerful bloody wolf packs in the world and a mother with gold blood.
“Well, hopefully, you won’t have to hear them for much longer.”
Silence followed my remark, as suddenly we both realized what that would mean. For them and for Harlyn.
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “At this point,” she chuckled dryly. “Death is a preference over this misery.” She gestured toward the direction in which Agnes and Penny were located.
“Don’t joke like that, Harly. This situation is very serious. You should be more concerned?”
“Oh, you care?” Harlyn asked. It was clear that was trying to gage how much I truly cared for her.
I wasn’t going to take the bait.
“Not as much as your father,” I told her. “Or have you forgotten the toll that all of this has taken on him?”
Harlyn sighed and sat back against the wall again. “Well, I most certainly don’t want to cause daddy any more trouble.”
“Yes, because you’ve done quite the damage, Harly.” I reminded her.
“Penny and Agnes started it! When they plotted on your life!”
“I won’t argue that, Harly, but it wasn’t your place to seek out justice.”
“I…” she laughed. “I can’t bloody believe this!” she stood up from her spot on her bed and walked toward the impenetrable containment glass. “I did this for you, Vale! I…I was doing what you couldn’t!”
“What I couldn’t?” I laughed. “You think that I couldn’t?”
“Well, I know you could have but I also know you. Everyone is already afraid of you. I imagine that you didn’t want to cause further fear by showing everyone that you can take advantage of your power by doling out vengeance whenever it suited you to do so!”
“Malarky,” I said. “Harlyn, you did this for yourself.”
What I said seemed to have hurt her feelings. Tears began to mist exquisite eyes. “You saying that I don’t care about you? That I don’t love you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not saying that at all. In your own twisted way, you’ve always shown me that you care, Harly. I do think that you were angry at yourself as well as Penny, though…for having smiled in your face this whole time. For tricking you into being her friend while holding on to the secret that she was the reason for my death. Maybe you were even upset because you felt that if anyone was to take my life it should have been you-”
“What?!” Harlyn exclaimed. “Vale, I-you really believe that?” she desperately pressed against the glass of her containment wall as she stared wide-eyed and hurt at what I had said.
“I don’t know, Harlyn,” I said. “I don’t know if that is how you truly felt, but I won’t sit here and lie…I won’t act like sometimes, I did fear for my life around you. Like that day in my room, when you tried to intimidate me into dating and mating with Tobias. Like…like we were two prized dogs who would reproduce beautiful little puppies for you to play with.”
“Vale, I…”
“Or the day that you gaslit me and manipulated me into thinking that it was best that I be branded. How you’d remind me whenever I thought too highly of myself that I wasn’t a part of the family but that I belonged to the family.”
She seemed to have forgotten about all of this. And the reminder seemed to stir the guilt that was living within.
Harlyn wiped the tears from her eyes and then turned her back to me. She returned to her spot on the bed, her forlorn gaze faced down while she twiddled with her fingers.
“It’s those moments ... .that are forced back in my mind when I think finally that I can trust you. Those moments that whisper to me, ‘never forget, Valene.’”
She began to weep. I wasn’t happy about that.
I stood up and approached the containment glass. “I don’t hate you for any of it, Harlyn. In fact, I blame dad for some of it.” She looked at me curiously. I’ll give her that, at least my little sister felt that it was no one’s fault but hers for treating me the way that she did. “A powerful alpha inhuman raised with a lowly inhuman, an inferior being that was meant for cattle. Being taught that you are superior but that you should love this one because she is special. I imagine you started asking yourself why she was so special? And if she was special…then maybe she was special enough to replace you.”
I read her like a book. I knew that I was right when she shifted her stare to the right, wiping stray tears away.
“I…I’m sorry, Vali.” She looked at me. “I truly am.”
“I believe that, Harly,” I replied. “I do. But…unfortunately, it…does not change the effects that the years of treatment has done to my ability to trust. I am trying, but it…is just going to take time.”
Silence followed my declaration before Harlyn spoke again. “I get that.” she scoffed. “I…just, guess I’m surprised you’re still here after that.”
“You’re still my sister. And even if this doesn’t work out, what kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t at least try to fix this.”
Harlyn seemed to have very little left to say on the subject, but she did understand.
“Well, um, “ she cleared her throat. “So, any news since my imprisonment? You know, on the outside?”
I welcomed the change in subject, as truth be told, I had very little else to say on the subject concerning the reparation of our relationship as well. Still, the next subject didn’t do well in terms of a distraction to the concerns that I had outside of Harlyn’s imprisonment.
“Not really. Or at least, no one’s telling me about it.”
“Your mother? Surely, she’d tell you something.”
“She…she’s not returned yet.”
“Really?” I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant though I felt the complete opposite. Harlyn seemed to realize this.
“Hunch all you want. If mum was still alive I’d have gone out looking for her well before someone sent out a search party. Which needs to be done by the way.”
“You care?” I smirked, using her earlier remark on her.
She noticed the amusement and replied accordingly. “Not as much as you do, of course.”
The exchanged delivered a much-needed chuckle from us both before I felt a communication interference.
“Dad?” I realized.
“Is everything okay?” Harlyn asked with concern.
“She’s fine, dad.” I replied. “She’s asking the same thing of you.” I looked at Harlyn. “He’s just asking about you.” I told her before I returned to the conversation with him. “Okay, I’m on my way.”
“What’s up? Is everything alright?”
“Just a run-of-the-mill meeting.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But I’m not going to worry until I have to. Same goes for you.”
“Yeah. Just keep me informed. And…” she hesitated. I knew what she would ask next as she’d been asking since the day that she was taken into custody.
“I’ll see how Talon’s doing, Harly.”
“Thanks.”
I headed out of the containment center and immediately headed toward the meeting hall. I could only hope that dad was finally going to do something about mum’s absence. If not, I feared Harlyn had called my next path of action yet. I was going to find her myself.