I Stopped Crying: When The Alpha Father Fell To His Knees

After my mother abandoned me, I did everything to be the perfect "good pup" so I wouldn't be thrown away again.

I smiled as I drank the burning pepper-water my brothers tricked me with. I held out my bleeding hands to take my father's cruel beatings. Even when they locked me in a pitch-black basement to die of a blistering fever, I thought that if I was just 'obedient enough', they would finally love me.

But as I lay dying on that cold concrete floor, something inside me broke forever.

When I finally woke up, I couldn't speak. I couldn't smile. I couldn't even stomach the sight of them. I no longer wanted their affection, their toys, or their love.

And ironically, the exact moment I stopped caring if I existed to them at all... was the moment my cold-blooded father and ruthless brothers fell to their knees in tears, desperately ready to give me the world just to hear me call them family one more time.

...

The sky darkened until not a trace of light remained.

Rain began to fall, one hard drop after another. It struck my face so fast that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Water ran into my hood, soaked through my clothes, and found every gap. The cold sank all the way into my bones.

Adults passing by stopped to look at me.

"Are you lost, sweetheart?" a woman asked, leaning in to shield me with her umbrella.

"You should get inside," a man said, his brow furrowed in worry. "The rain's only getting worse."

I wrapped my numb little arms around myself to stop the shaking, but I shook my head. "I promised my brother I'd wait for him here."

Good pups kept their promises. Good pups got treats.

I waited until morning, but my brother never came back.

At last, Mr. Carter, our butler, found me. He looked at my soaked clothes and sighed.

"Miss Nora, the Alpha has been looking for you."

"Where's Caleb?"

"Young Master Caleb headed home last night. You need to come back now, or the Alpha is going to lose his temper."

I was hurt that Caleb had left me, but I was more afraid of making Dad angry.

I followed Carter to the car.

Before I stepped through the front door, I heard my brothers laughing in the living room.

"That idiot is probably still standing outside the mall," Owen said as he rolled a toy truck across the floor. He was the youngest of my three brothers. "She believes anything we tell her. Then she comes back and clings to us anyway."

Caleb, my middle brother, sounded genuinely puzzled.

"Why does she have to be my sister? Sophie next door is much cuter. I wish she were our sister instead."

Mason, the oldest, spoke in a low, disgusted voice. "If it weren't for her, Mom never would've left the pack."

I stood in the doorway, dripping onto the floor. A draft swept through the hall, and I shivered.

When my brothers noticed me, they looked away.

Dad came down the stairs. His first words were sharp.

"What happened?"

I didn't dare tell him what my brothers had done—tricking me and leaving me in the rain.

"I went out yesterday and got lost."

Dad's face darkened. "Didn't I tell you not to wander off? You were supposed to stay close to your brothers."

I twisted the hem of my wet shirt between my fingers. "But I waited where Caleb told me to wait."

Caleb cut in. "I told her where the driver would pick us up, but she wasn't there."

Taking Caleb's word without hesitation, Dad glared down at me. "And you still won't admit you disobeyed?"

He picked up the silver paddle.

"Hold out your hand."

I remembered the last time I'd disobeyed him. Dad had locked me in my room for a whole day, then gotten so busy that he forgot I was there. By the time anyone brought me warm soup and crackers, I'd already fainted from hunger.

I didn't want that to happen again, so I held out my hand.

CRACK!

The paddle struck my palm.

"Don't run off again. Do you understand?"

My hand shook. Tears splashed onto my burning skin.

"I understand."

"Louder."

The paddle came down again, harder.

"I-I understand!" I choked out through my heavy sobs

Dad left before noon for pack business.

Mr. Carter helped me change into dry clothes. When I went downstairs, only one slice of bread remained on the table.

Caleb made a face at me. "Little crybaby."

"You thought you could tattle on us?" Owen asked. "You really think Dad would believe you?"

My stomach was too hollow to argue. I kept my eyes on my plate, eating the dry bread as fast as my jaw could move.

To my surprise, Owen brought me a glass of water to wash it down. He had never done that before.

I was so thirsty that I didn't question it. I drank the whole glass.

"How does it taste?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Good."

Anything my brother gave me had to be good.

Then my mouth began to burn.