Ty put his hand on my leg under the table and gave me a soft squeeze to let me know that he was there, by my side, not leaving me. He knew my anxiety would probably get the best of me from such an intense conversation, and I appreciated his reminder to breathe.
“My intentions are good,” Dominic said. “I only brought this up because it’s time you knew the true extent of what’s at stake here.”
Persephone gave me a pointed look. “Being in a position of power isn’t easy. Sometimes you have to make decisions for the greater good. Do you have it in you to make those types of decisions? Are you the type of leader who can make sacrifices for the sake of the Keller pack?”
49
TY
Istared at my parents, wishing they’d have given me a heads up before they dumped all this shit on Liza and basically told her that she needed to mate with me before Dad’s alpha power faded away. Talk about added pressure.
All this after such a pleasant run, too, and a real moment where I felt I connected with my father on a new level. And during a wonderful meal outside with my parents and the woman fate had decided was mine. I’d hoped we could talk about normal stuff so my parents could get to know Liza better, and for Liza to be more comfortable around them.
Plus, it was important for Liza to see a different side of my parents, and to see they weren’t defined by the royalty aspect. They were regular shifters just like everyone else, except Dad just happened to be the alpha, and my mother just happened to be his mate.
After the revelation of what the Keller pack had done to Liza’s pack, I thought my parents would recognize the need for some normalcy and lighter conversation.
Nope. They had to drop a fuck-load of reality right into Liza’s unsuspecting lap while I sat there sheepishly, attemptingto avoid her gaze. If I’d known, I could have been prepared for Liza’s inevitable questions as to why I hadn’t been the one to tell her.
It had been a few days since the pack run, and Liza had been quieter than usual. I wanted to give her time to process everything my parents had told her and to allow her to bring it up when she was ready, but so far, she hadn’t mentioned it.
I found myself walking on eggshells, never knowing when she might blow up on me for not telling her the truth about Dad’s condition and the need for us to complete the mating ceremony as soon as possible. But it didn’t happen.
Instead, she seemed almost numb and lost in her thoughts, as if she didn’t know how to react. We needed to talk about it, though. We couldn’t just ignore that Dad’s alpha power was quickly fading. I wanted to be the one to bring it up and to get everything out in the open and discuss it like a mature, fated couple, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to stir the pot.
I was certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Liza now felt the same pressure as I had when I discovered we were running out of time. She’d already dealt with so much in such a short period of time, I worried this would be too much for her.
I’d already been awake for an hour when my alarm went off. Liza hadn’t been in bed when I woke. I lay in the darkness of the dimly lit room, contemplating the whole situation and replaying my parents’ words.
As much as I wanted to sit down with Liza and talk to her, I had a business meeting to attend. Bryce was already out of town, tending to another Keller Enterprises matter, so he couldn’t fill in for me.
The meeting was just a few hours away from Presley Acres, but with Castro’s fucking scavenger hunt, I wasn’t all too eager to be away for any length of time. We couldn’t afford tounderestimate him. He was fixated and determined. Anything could happen, and it worried me to damn near death.
The unmistakable scent of coffee wafted from the kitchen. I quickly pulled on my shorts and T-shirt, then went through to the bathroom. Like most mornings, I woke with a massive boner, but I ignored it and thought through this morning’s meeting as I pissed, waiting for my erection to soften before making my way to the kitchen. Liza didn’t need a hard dick poking her in the back when she was contemplative and stressed out.
When I entered the kitchen, Liza was pouring creamer into our coffee cups. She wasn’t paying attention to anything else around her, just staring off into space, her usual sweet smile nowhere to be seen.
I sighed and hugged her from behind, pulling her back to my chest, thankful that my cock was back in its regular resting position in my boxers. “Good morning,” I murmured against her ear.
She startled at the contact, spilling creamer all over the kitchen counter.
“Damn it!” She moved back and grabbed a kitchen towel from the sink, sopping up the mess and muttering under her breath.
“Oops. Sorry, Liza. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I took a step back. “You aren’t really here today, are you? You seem kind of… distant.”
Liza’s face was flushed, her hands trembling ever so slightly as she cleaned up the creamer. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were downcast.
“What’s on your mind? You okay?”
She stopped cleaning and lifted her head. “It’s nothing.”
It was more than nothing, but I didn’t want to push her to talk until she was ready. I thought that was the end of thediscussion, but then she said, “Why didn’t you just tell me about your dad and his alpha powers fading?”
Liza tossed the dirty towel into the sink and handed me a mug of coffee as she waited for me to respond.
I gestured to the kitchen table, and she sat down across from me.
I sighed. “Believe it or not, I had several reasons for not telling you.”
