Liam called for me but I couldn't focus on anyone as I stared wide-eyed at the last people on Earth I thought I would ever see.
"Sebastian!" Alpha John shouted at me.
I shook myself and for the first time I was able to move my eyes away and focus on someone else.
"Do you know these people?" he asked.
"They're … they're …"
"Sebastian! We've found you at last!"
Everyone turned to the older woman as she attempted to run to me. I shook my head at the Alpha and he stopped her. She looked pissed but stepped back.
"Sebastian?" the older man spoke quietly.
"What are you doing here?" I eventually managed to ask once I felt my voice wouldn't break.
"What do you mean? We've been searching for you ever since you ran away," she cooed at me.
"Ran away?" Alpha John mused until a light bulb went off. "You're his family? The ones that abandoned him?"
"How dare you! We didn't abandon our son," she shouted angrily. "He ran away and we've been looking for him to bring him back. You must have stolen him!"
I could feel my chest tighten as my throat closed up. All those years of being made to feel weak and worthless came flooding back. Suddenly, I felt Liam wrap his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.
The heat from his body and the strength in his embrace helped calm me down. I was able to take deep breaths and look up into his eyes.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Liam smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. The action stunned me and I stared wide-eyed at him. He moved his head to my ear.
"I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't want you, I do Tian so fucking much. Let's deal with this shit and then we can talk about it, ok?"
I smiled gratefully up at him and nodded. So ready to, as he said, deal with this shit and be alone with him. With him behind me, I stepped forward.
"I didn't run away Mother. You and Bonnie were jealous of my powers so you banished me. I was a kid and you forced me out to fend for myself."
"That's not true! We've never been jealous of you!" Bonnie seethed at me.
"All my life, you two made me feel like shit because I had no powers. I was a slave in my own home. I cooked, cleaned, did the laundry and even went to find your ingredients because you two were too lazy to do it."
"How dare you speak to us like this!" my Mother gritted. "We are your family!"
"No, this pack is my family! When Alpha John found me the pack welcomed me and accepted me as I am. They've never treated me like a slave or made me do things for them. Through this pack I've been able to learn about my magic, learn about who I am."
"You two hated me, and refused to teach me anything about magic. Even my own father just sat there and did nothing! Now you come here and say you've been looking for me, that I ran away. Have you gone crazy?"
"Sebastian, that is no way to speak to your family!" Mother screamed and as usual Father stayed quiet.
"Enough!" Alpha John called out. "Why have you really come here?"
My Mother eyed my sister as my Father hung his head. I could see something passing over them and I knew it wouldn't be good.
"We came to get our son back," Mother told them.
"Why?" I demanded.
No one could answer that and avoided my gaze. The silence remained for a few more minutes before my Father stepped forward.
"I'm sick," he whispered and I gasped. "Your Mother insisted we find you, after we heard of your powers. Some witches they knew were talking of what you did when a wolf was injured defending you."
"They said you pulled energy from the earth to heal the mutt, so if you can do that for a stranger you can do that for your Father," Mother demanded.
"I had refused to come, but they hadn't given me much choice," Father explained, glaring at my Mother for the first time.
"Why didn't you want to come?" I asked, feeling a little hurt.
Did he think I wasn't strong enough to heal him? Does he still think so little of me?
"I don't deserve to be healed by you," he whispered with a bowed head.
"What?" I gasped.
"I never defended you, never stood up for you when your Mother or Sister mistreated you. When you received your powers I didn't stop them from banishing you. I don't deserve to be called your Father or be healed by you or anyone else."
"Father, I …"
"No Sebastian," he spoke firmly. "I felt so proud when you told me how you'd healed that animal but instead I made it sound like I didn't believe you. Like it was something you should have been ashamed of."
I could feel tears pooling in my eyes and I had to blink to keep them clear. With a deep breath, I stepped forward and took my Father's hand. His wide eyes told me he hadn't expected me to touch him.