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I slipped silently past the group, circling around towards my father’s scent without being seen. I wanted to catch him alone. No matter how often I had asked to see him, or tried to get him to talk to me, Mina was always there. Always between us.
I wanted to talk with the only Alpha I had ever known, not the silent, passive shell he became around my mother. I needed his guidance, and I was praying that the man who had raised me was still in there somewhere.
I spotted him less than a minute later, his bladder now empty as he headed back towards where the group was resting.
I held up a hand to get his attention, a wary look passing over his face as he stopped to wait for me.
“Liam, is everything ok?” he asked as I reached him.
I nodded. “Yeh, Dad, I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Ah, I see,” he replied, his eyes darting in the direction of the group. “Shall we go and sit then?”
“I’d rather chat in private,” I said, refusing to move now that we were finally alone. “It feels like we haven’t really talked in a while.”
He cleared his throat before nodding. “Sure, sure, what’s up Liam?”
“How are you?” I asked, ignoring the question.
He looked a little startled. “How am I?”
I nodded and waited him out, folding my arms across my chest.
He glanced towards the distant group again. “I’m fine, Liam. I know things are a little stressful right now with the peace talks, but I have my mate back. Everything will be fine.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Do you really believe that?”
He frowned at me. “Don’t be like that. I know your mother is pushing you right now, but she’s trying to help.”
I held back the growl of frustration that threatened to escape. “Dad, do the pack bonds feel different to you lately?”
His expression fell into a carefully blank mask. “How do you mean?”
“The whole pack link feels off,” I explained, my gut dropping a little at his reaction. “Weaker. Like our connections aren’t as solid anymore.”
Dad let out a slow breath, his eyes dropping from mine in a way that made my spine stiffen. I might be his Alpha now, but it wasn’t like him to show submission. Not unless he had no choice. I knew he’d been quiet lately, but the lack of fire in him made something inside me break a little.
“Dad, what the hell is going on?” I rasped, emotion crawling up my throat as I looked down at the man who had raised me. A man I had only ever looked up to before now. “What has she done to you?”
His gaze snapped back up to mine at that, fury flooding his face. “Don’t you dare bring your mother into this. She lost twenty damn years with us and we finally have her back.”
My chest tightened, knowing first-hand now how hard it must have been for him to be forced apart from her.
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything; I’m just saying that you’ve changed since she’s been back. A lot of things have, and it’s an interesting coincidence.”
He gave a low growl. “She is your mother. You just don’t know her.”
I raised a brow. “Do you? Twenty years is a long time, Dad. You’re betting the safety of the entire pack on your faith in her.”
Something that looked like fear suddenly flashed in his eyes, but a soft voice cut off whatever he might have said in answer.
“Liam? What on earth are you two doing out here by yourselves?”
I closed my eyes briefly to disguise my disappointment at Mina’s arrival as Dad turned to her with open arms.
“We were just chatting, is everything alright?”
She gave him a patronising smile. “Chatting about what?”
