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Thorn puts his key into the door, bag in hand, and nods his head. "I have to make some phone calls and meet someone tomorrow."
We all head to our respective rooms when Thorn hollers, "Keep your…coupling to a minimum. I would prefer to be on the other side of the motel and not share a wall with you, but I don't trust this place, so I'm sticking close." I just snort and wave at Thorn, heading into Liam and I's room.
Chapter 19 - Paige
Surprisingly, I slept well last night. I thought for sure I would have had some anxiety, or even a nightmare being this close to my old pack lands, but I didn't, because I was wrapped up in Liam's arms. It has become my new favorite place. He is so warm and comforting; I could stay there forever.
We get up early and head into pack lands. I hold Liam's hand over the console, watching the trees pass us by. It's interesting how an area can take you back years, making you feel like you never left, but somehow, it's also different.
Our old pack has its own village in the wooded area. People are a lot closer to the pack house, unlike the Twilight Meadows pack, which is far more spread out, having their own space. My parents' house was towards the end of the community area, so I was grateful to be able to leave the house easier without people noticing. Liam's dad, however, has his own private space a bit away from the pack house, which is where we are headed. I guess it makes sense that I never knew how bad Liam's life was; they could train outside and no one would know what was going on.
There is a dirt road that splits off from the main entrance to the community that leads to a few different private properties, so Liam turns on to it. The sun is out today, but the air is still cold; a light frost covers the ground, even three hours away from Twilight Meadows, and the weather is different. We left there with some snow on the ground; here, there is no snow, but you can tell the ground is hard, and the frost covers the trees.
Another split in the road comes up and Liam takes the right turn down to his dad's house. Looking over at him, I can see the turmoil going on in his mind. I pull his hand up and kiss it; I just want him to know he's not alone. He turns to me and gives me a half-smile, pulling my hand over and kissing it. I really am in love with this man. I can't wait to tell him about Paige's vision, but not right now. Right now, I need to focus on supporting him through this.
Liam's childhood home comes into view; a nice bungalow sits nestled in the woods, with cream siding and brown roof. I've always liked his childhood home. Though his father never made it feel like a home, I still really like the look of it. The gardens Liam's mother planted are still there and look even better. I wonder if Arthur's new mate has been keeping them looking nice. Liam pulls up front and looks around. It must be strange to be back here; who knows what kind of memories it's bringing up for him?
"You okay? You ready to do this?" I rub my thumb over his fingers.
"No, but I'll do it anyway. If the beatings growing up taught me anything, I know I can force myself to do things that make me uncomfortable. Thanks, Paige, for coming with me. I'm not sure I would be able to do this without you."
My gut turns at that comment. He has experienced so much.
"Of course, I would never let you face this alone. I'm your mate."
He kisses the top of my hand and lets it go. He reaches back, grabbing the stuffed puppy he bought in town yesterday. We both open our doors, allowing the cold air to rush in and send a shiver across my body. We meet at the front of his truck, preparing to go and knock on the door. From the side of the house, a small boy comes running around with a stick, making action noises. Maybe he is in an imaginary fight with someone, or maybe there is another child here we haven't seen yet. The boy finally notices us standing there and comes to a complete stop. His eyes are wide, taking us both in. He looks exactly like Liam. Same color hair, and his eyes are the same shape. It makes me think of what our child will look like.
Liam is frozen, staring at the little boy. I can see him grappling with his emotions, and I wish I could help him. The boy looks happy, which is a good sign, at least. Suddenly, the front door flies open, and a blonde woman rushes out, trying to pull her coat on.
"Ben, come here."
The little boy, Ben, turns and rushes over to his mother. Liam mutters his name under his breath. This is the first time we've heard what his name is. I turn to look at the woman, put on my brightest smile, and wave, because Liam is having a hard time coping with this. Okay, this is what I'm here for. I can break the ice! I'm good at that! Talking is a specialty of mine, so I will use it for good. Ugh, sometimes the commentary in my head is unnecessary.
"Hi! My name is Paige, and this is Liam! Kinda weird having random people show up at your house, but I promise we're not weird. Well, mostly not weird. Okay, apparently, I don't know how to not sound weird when I'm trying to convince you I'm not weird." What the HELL was that, Paige? The woman seems to relax a little at my ramblings, so that's at least good.
"How can I help you?" She picks up Ben. Impressive—she isn't that big and is able to place him with no problem on her hip, and he looks to be a good-sized shifter boy. Must be a mother thing. My hand slides to my stomach, thinking about the baby I am likely carrying. Liam seems to come to himself now and walks a bit closer to the woman. He smiles, and it is a geniune smile, which makes me happy.
"I'm sorry to barge in like this. My name is Liam, and this is my mate Paige. I'm Arthur's son." The small smile the woman wore disappears completely as she recognizes the name of her mate. She holds her son tighter and swallows down her nerves.
"Um, he's not here right now. He should be back soon." She looks around—looking for what, I don't know. Liam steps away from me a bit, holding the stuffed animal in front of him; maybe that will help make him look less intimidating.
"Actually, it's good he's not here; I was hoping to talk to you. What's your name?"
She pauses for a moment, assessing the situation; she must come to some conclusion, because she eventually answers, "Sarah."
"Hi, Sarah, and this is Ben, right?"
The little boy nods.
"I got you a gift, if that's okay with your mom."
The boy looks at his mom, and she nods her head. Liam hands him the stuffed animal and his little face lights up.
"I'm not here to cause trouble, Sarah. I just recently found out about you. I wish I had known sooner; I would have come back to see you both."
Sarah smiles and again starts to relax a little. She turns to Ben and says, "What do you say for the gift?"
"Thank you." Ben doesn't seem like an overly shy kid, but he seems to know when something is off with his mother, so it's good to see him get a bit more comfortable.
