Tina sobbed and collapsed against her husband, who wrapped an arm around her protectively.
I had always heard about the stages of grief, how some days were spent in deep sadness while others were filled with anger and resentment. I never imagined I’d witness all stages in the course of five minutes. Like a switch was flipped, their sadness turned to denial, turned to fury.
“This is all your fault,” Tina hissed, pointing a shaking finger at Liza. “If it wasn’t for you and your fucking omega powers, none of this would have happened. By marrying Ty, you put yourself in the spotlight and drew Castro to our town like a moth to a flame. Shame on you.”
“Mrs. Banks, please,” Liza implored, her hands outstretched.
“Liza lured Castro to Presley Acres,” Tina spat. “And poor Cecily got caught in the crosshairs. She is…wasan extremely intelligent woman. She’d never willingly choose evil over good.”
Robert’s face turned a deep shade of red, his voice shaking with rage. “Cecily loved you. She waited for you for years. She was so heartbroken when you cast her aside to mate with this… this… mongrel. Castro used her. She probably welcomed attention from another man, making her blind to Castro’s intentions.” His breath hitched. “My poor baby girl.”
I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my temper in check. This was exactly what I’d feared when Liza insisted to come with me. Beside me, I felt her tense up, but outwardly she gave no reaction and remained silent.
“How dare you do this to Cecily? First you steal her mate, now you trash her reputation. I won’t let this happen!” Robert roared as his face contorted with rage.
My alpha instincts kicked in the moment he lunged toward Liza. With lightning-fast reflexes, I stepped in front of her, blocking him from reaching her. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, all I saw was the burning anger in his gaze. But then,something shifted, a flicker of recognition. Who I was, perhaps? His place in the pack?
I showed leniency, understanding that his grief had pushed him to the edge, and stopped myself from doing something I’d regret.
“Enough!” I growled, asserting my dominance. My eyes were locked onto Robert’s, conveying my authority. Although it sucked having to put a grieving father in his place, I had to remind him who was in charge.
Liza sat back on the couch, dazed at Robert’s near-attack. She was shaken but maintained her composure admirably. I hated that Liza had been put into such a position when she had volunteered to come and support me, and had put her issues with Cecily aside to offer her condolences. The way she handled herself in such a high-stress situation impressed and awed me.
“Listen to me.” My alpha had risen to the surface, making my tone low and dangerous as I narrowed my gaze on Robert. “I understand you’re grieving, but if you ever attack my mate again, the consequences will be severe. I won’t tolerate the same mistake twice, nor will I hesitate to put you in your place.”
Anger burned in Robert’s eyes as he stared at me, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. I feared he wouldn’t back down, but after a tense moment, he lowered his head in submission. I released him, allowing him to slump back down on the sofa beside a sobbing Tina.
I returned to my seat next to Liza. “Consider this a warning for any future actions. Under no circumstances will I allow anyone to attack my mate. We are here to provide you with support, not to serve as targets for your anger.”
Liza straightened, her gaze steady as she spoke to Cecily’s parents. “I cannot begin to understand your grief, but I do understand your need to place blame on someone. The personwe need to be pointing our fingers at, the real enemy, is Castro. He’s the one behind all the suffering and heartache.”
My chest swelled at her words. Even in the face of a grieving father’s wrath, in the midst of a highly stressful situation, she’d stayed calm and collected. Her wisdom and grace shone through. She truly was the alpha’s mate and continued to prove to me she’d be able to handle anything thrown at her.
I’d never wanted her more.
“Why? I don’t understand. Why would Cecily do this?” Robert’s voice shook with equal measures of anger and sadness. “Why did this play out like it did, ending in our daughter’s murder? It just doesn’t make any sense.”
The anguish etched on his face showed me a broken man, genuinely distressed over the loss of his daughter. At that moment, I decided I’d made my point. He was grieving and had acted out of pain. It was obvious from his reaction that he had received the message loud and clear, and I doubted he would go up against his alpha in any way in the future.
“Like Ty said, we’re still trying to piece everything together,” Dad said. “But we thought it was important for you to know as soon as possible, so you were aware before the rest of the pack.”
“Thank you.” Tina sniffled and wiped her tears away. “We just can’t believe our sweet girl would ever get involved with someone like that.”
“People are capable of things we never expect,” Liza added gently, her empathy for them emanating from her. “The heart can lead us down paths we never would’ve chosen for ourselves.”
“Indeed,” I said, remembering my own tumultuous journey to Liza. “Our priority is to find Castro and bring him to justice for all his transgressions.”
“Tell us,” Tina asked in a small, shaky voice, “what sort of relationship did Cecily and Castro have?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I said. “I know they went on at least one date when he was posing as Stone Black, but beyond that… I promise you, though, we won’t leave any stone unturned. We will continue our investigation until we’ve got all the answers.”
In the end, Cecily’s parents accepted the truth, albeit reluctantly. Robert apologized for his outburst and thanked us for our understanding and patience. I wouldn’t condemn him for his actions—not when he was struggling to come to terms with his daughter’s death and betrayal—but I’d not forget about them, either.
As we left their home and climbed back into the SUV, I heaved out a sigh, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Dad clapped me on the back, pride shining in his eyes. “Both of you handled that situation well. I know it wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t be any prouder of you. Both of you. It was difficult for everyone involved, but you did right by them. We needed to be honest.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
