“I’m all ears.” She took a sip of coffee and leaned back in her chair.
“You need to understand that it’s an extremely delicate subject for Dad. After being alpha for so many years, it can hurt a man’s pride to slowly lose his powers. Losing the alpha power… it’s almost like a slow death. You’re waiting for your strength to diminish entirely, turning you into a mere shadow and a shell of the man you used to be.”
Liza frowned. “That sounds horrible.”
I shrugged. “It’s all part of the process; circle of life and all that. Just because it’s a normal process to pass those powers down to your son doesn’t make it easy. Sure, Dad’s proud of me, and he’s excited to see me lead the next generations of the Keller pack, but I can tell he’s grieving over losing his position. Though, I doubt he’d ever admit it.”
Liza set her cup on the table and folded her hands in her lap. “What else? You said there were several reasons for keeping this from me.”
I nodded. “It wasn’t my secret to tell. It was my father’s. The changes his body is going through are only obvious to Mother and me because we’re his family and we’re around him all the time. It’s not so noticeable to others yet. Who was I to strip that dignity from him by telling anyone about it?”
Liza pondered my question, and when she spoke again, her tone was gentle. “I’m not just anyone, though, Ty. I’m your fated mate.”
Good fucking point.
“Yes, I know, but I didn’t want to betray my father’s confidence. If I’m going to be the next alpha, I have to prove myself to him—not that he’d ever say that out loud. If he tells me something in confidence, I’m expected to keep it to myself.”
I paused. I’d told Bryce about it, but that was different, right? He was my righthand man, the Nico to my Dominic. If he didn’t know what was going on, how could he help and advise me?
“If I’m being honest, one of the biggest reasons I kept the information from you was because I didn’t want you to carry my burden.” I stared at my feet, hoping she’d hear the sincerity in my words. “I care so much for you, Liza. I’ve had to watch as you’ve been mentally tormented by Castro and the memories of my dad attacking your pack ravage you. Not to mention the changes you’ve experienced in your body due to being an omega. Me heaping more pressure on you and telling you that it was up to us to mate now in order to keep the alpha powers within the Keller pack might have…” I trailed off, but Liza finished my sentence for me.
“It might have sent me into another rage and made me shift against my will. Right?” Her huge, beautiful eyes bore into my own.
“Yes.” She had hit the nail right on the head.
Liza reached across the table and took my hand, linking her fingers with mine. “I understand your reasoning, and it make sense now why you and your parents were in such a rush to move forward with the claiming.”
I sighed, and it was as if all the tension in my neck and shoulders evaporated. “Thank you for understanding. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before my parentsblindsided us.” I felt lighter now that Liza knew what was at stake. Hopefully, we could face it together. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been replaying the conversation with your parents over and over again, giving everything they said a lot of consideration. I’ve also been spending a lot of time with your mom.” Liza’s smile at the mention of my mother made my heart swell. “I’m just now starting to realize what my role would be as the alpha’s mate and how important it is. I admit that it’s a lot of pressure—more than I would’ve imagined.”
Liza paused, and I squeezed her hand. “What else? You can tell me no matter what it is.”
She smiled. “I also realize now that keeping a pack running properly requires a lot of love. I sort of thought your mom was more of a figurehead. I never imagined Persephone getting her hands dirty and doing all of the behind-the-scenes tasks she does, or working with the council to ensure that all members are taken care of—mentally, physically, even financially. It’s a lot to wrap my mind around.”
“How are you handling all of this? Mentally, I mean.” I hoped my asking that wouldn’t piss her off, but now was my chance to understand how she was really doing.
Could she handle all of it or was she on the verge of shifting against her will again?
Liza took her empty cup in the sink, then came to stand next to me. Looking at me, she bit her lip before answering. “It feels like a lot more pressure has been put on me now that I better understand the gravity of the situation.”
“That’s the issue in my mind. I don’t want you to feel as if you have to move faster than you’re willing.” I took a chance and tugged her onto my lap, taking a second to smell her hair and enjoy her ass on my thighs.
“Your reasons for us not claiming each other yet are valid. Wedostill have a lot to learn about one another. Plus, like you said, we have to learn to work together as a team.”
She pressed her cheek against mine. “But will we have time for all of that?”
I pulled her close and gently kissed her along her shoulder and her neck. “We’ll make the time. I don’t want you to feel forced into the claiming. I want you to do this because you want to.” I slid my finger under her chin and pulled her into a kiss. “We have time, Liza. Don’t worry.”
I wanted to tell her that I loved her, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right time. I didn’t want to keep putting it off because Liza needed to know how I truly felt about her. Maybe there was no time like the present.
I opened my mouth to confess my love for her, but my damn phone started ringing. I glanced at the screen. Bryce.
I held up a finger. “Just a second, it’s Bryce. I have to take this.” I swiped the screen and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, man. Just wanted to make sure you were on the road.”
Shit. The meeting.
