Revenge

**Damon**
I smelled him, before I even entered my room, and immediately my heart began thudding against my chest in anticipation. When I finally entered the room and gazed at the familiar face of my future Beta, I smiled deeply. I'd had no time to grieve his loss, not when I was more interested in the impact of his death on Jasmine and so, I took the opportunity to embrace it all as I let out a small sob and hugged Landon tightly.
"This is... weird. Is this is your way of saying you've finally acknowledged that you have a crush on me. If so, I can't say that I'm surprised, but I am going to have to politely decline your feelings."
But I paid no heed to his comment, and as I parted from him, I gave him a light punch on the shoulder which immediately made him smile as well.
"So, what's the damage tonight? Why am I here?"
I forgot, for a moment, why Landon was actually here, and it took me quite some time to bring the memory back up to the surface. When I finally remembered, I chuckled, before saying exactly what I'd said back then.
"It's their anniversary dinner tonight. I could use some back-up, in case my dad decides to kick London, Lucien and I out. He always listens to you."
"Yeah, that's because I always listen to him. Maybe if you weren't so rebellious all the time, you would not be at each other's throats so often."
"If I weren't so rebellious, then you'd never have gotten a job in the human world. In fact, you'd never have been educated in the first place."
At this, Landon kept quiet and then nodded. "Fine, I'll help you."
"Great, you can start by helping me pick out something to wear."
"Obviously, you never know how to dress for occasions."
When he said that I smirked slightly, thinking back to when Jasmine had said something similar. I bet right now she was watching this all fold out in front of her, hardly aware of the chaos about to ensue and the mess of a mate she was going to get back.
And so, under my breath, I said, reassuringly, "We're almost there."
"What was that?" Landon asked, holding a white button-up shirt in his hand.
"Oh nothing. Just a message for... someone."

By the time I was ready for dinner, we were already an hour late which ran according to what actually happened that day. I halted at the doorpost to the dining room, immediately catching Chester's eye. He smirked and then nodded, reassuring me, giving me the signal to enter. When I did, my eyes immediately met with my father's deep hazel ones. As always, they were filled with deep disappointment and irritation.
"Well, I'm glad you finally made it son." He said sarcastically. He never once, addressed Landon's lack of punctuality though, and the thought irked me.
I took in a deep breath, already annoyed with him. He was, by far, the one person here whom I did not miss.
"Sorry dad," I began, now taking a seat across from him. And as I did, I noticed how my limbs began to shake. I knew what was coming, and I knew I probably would not be able to stop it from happening. My father always knew just how to push my buttons.
"Sorry. Sorry, he says. Next time, you better be on time. Otherwise, you'll go without dinner." He huffed.
"Calm down dear. He's just a-"
"Full-grown adult. He is a full-grown adult who is running his own company, driving his own car, paying for his own bills. He *should* know better."
My mother shrunk back into her chair and began staying silent. The sight of it had me clenching and unclenching my fists in anger. *How dare he make her feel so insignificant?*
I was about to confront him on the issue when he suddenly turned to London who was staring down at her almost empty plate. It was then that I knew that this dinner was about to take a turn for the worst.
"London." Immediately she turned towards our father, her face absolutely white in fear. She and I both knew exactly why he'd called her.
"Yes, father?" She gulped. Lucien shot me a look of disbelief which soon developed into one of absolute worry as he glanced at the shaking London.
He took in a calm, yet deadly breath before saying, "That girl you've been hanging around with... Amber, I don't want you seeing her again."
London stayed silent for a moment, the whole table did, in fact. And then, as expected, she stood up from her chair and looked straight into father's eyes.
"No. I will not stay away from Amber."
He raised a brow before uttering lowly, "I'm sorry, young lady. Did you just refuse me? I don't think you have any right to! You and that girl have been engaging in revolting activities, tarnishing the Michaels family name. No woman in this family has ever had a 'relationship' with another. You are meant to marry your mate, a good young man, hopefully from this pack and bear him children. That is your contribution to this family."
But London was not having it. She'd taken enough of Ambrose's snide comments regarding same sex couples and she'd hidden herself long enough. And so, I understood why she continued to argue with him.
"Father, Amber is my mate-"
Before she could even finish, my father had slapped her so hard that she'd fallen down onto the carpet and stained it red with blood.
"You've ruined the fucking carpet!" He yelled and was about to hit her again when my mother grabbed his hand. It was then that my heart froze, and I gulped as I watched this all unfold.
"No, dear, don't. Leave London alone, she's done nothing wrong." She uttered softly. But for my father, she'd already crossed the line.
He began breathing heavily and his dark brows began to furrow as he looked down at my mother, towering over her small body which now began shaking in fear.
"What the hell does it matter to you? I've told you multiple times to stop playing the mother here. London and Lucien are not your children, they are mine. I will do to them what I please, and how I please. You have no right, woman, to tell me how to raise *my* children. You've done your job, and now all you do is burden me, pretending to love me-"
"But dear, I do love you."
And that was when his hand slapped across her face, sending her falling to the ground. Unlike London, my mother was more fragile, and the slap from my father was enough to concuss her. She sat there on the floor, sobbing as my father continued his insults.
"I don't love you. I've never loved you and I never will. I only loved one woman, and because of you, she ran away from me. It's all your fault, you weak, insignificant, mindless bitch!"
He was just about to hit her again when I grabbed his arm tightly. By now the anger brewing within me had reached its peak and I could no longer control my anger. Everything now, was exactly the same as it was all those years ago and soon, I retracted my claws, growled lowly and gripped my father by his collar.
"What the hell are you doing, son!" he asked as he stared up at me in confusion.
"You've hurt my mother and sister enough now, dad. And now I'll make sure you never ever do it again." The voice saying this didn't belong to me, instead, it belonged to that insanely livid, animalistic part of me.
I was just about to strike my father, ready to rip his heart from his chest when, all of a sudden, my body was pushed away from my father’s sending me flying through the air, and then falling to the ground, painfully. The force of it was strong enough to nearly knock me out completely. This had definitely not happened the night of the family dinner, and as if to prove me right, Lucien turned towards me. But this time, his soft, golden eyes had hardened and developed a deep, dark look in them.
“And this, dear brother, was the moment you betrayed me. Because the truth is, I was supposed to be the one who killed father. I was supposed to strike him, but unfortunately, for once in your life, you beat me at something. And to make it worse, you automatically thought that it made you Alpha.”
I wanted to say something, to defend myself, but I couldn’t, and soon, as the deep, black dots began to appear at the edges of my vision, I understood why. This moment was the one he wanted me to remember. The moment where he finally killed our father. And so, he drew his hand back, and then shoved it into his chest, pulling out our father’s heart.
My mother shrieked, and so did Landon and London who observed in horror. Even I wanted to shriek but could not as I felt myself being pulled from this memory.
Lucien shook his head before dropping our father and his heart to the ground. He then walked towards me and smiled deeply now exposing the fact that he was, in fact, also infected with the poison that was 'Painful Nostalgia' Type 1.
“You took away my revenge on daddy dearest, and my chance to save mom. You stole it all from me, and I *hate* you for it.”
That was the last thing I heard before I was thrust into the void of darkness.
*Revenge? What did he mean by that?*
---
Seems like Jasmine's not the only one who likes to be the hero.
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!