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Levi’s throat bobs. Miles looks a little gray. Fox’s jaw ticks, but Richard and Craig don’t notice at all. I glance over at Nelly, but she is, of course, a good little Omega, and her eyes are cast to the table.
“And speaking of our family name,” continues Richard. “You’ve made the right step in finding an Omega. Riley will help stabilize the pack, and you won’t have to spend so much time overseeing issues. And that gives you more time to devote to other things, like the family research.”
My stomach turns at his words, and suddenly, I can’t eat another bite. I go to drain the rest of my water glass and find it’s already empty. When did I drink that second glass? I pour another glassful, but my fingers quiver around the handle of the pitcher. I shake my hand, trying to work out the sharp, trembling feeling, and put my hands in my lap.
I cast my gaze around the table, trying to calculate how much longer this will go on. I can’t take Thane’s parents right now. This might not be my pack, but I’m feeling protective of them and I don’t like the way Richard and Craig are talking about any of them, least of all their own son. It reminds me of the way my fathers spoke about me, spoketome, as if I knew nothing and they knew everything. As if I were less than instead of equal to.
Thane Woods, despite all the issues between us, is a good man, a good Alpha, and he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.
A warm brush of fingers touches the back of my hand where it lies on my lap. Thane’s hand curls around my own, and he entwines our fingers together. If he notices they’re slick with cold sweat he doesn’t indicate as much, and when I try to gently pull away, he only grips me tighter, making my chest squeeze.
It feels good and I hate that it feels good.
His touch eases a little bit of my physical stress, but then that just makes me feel guiltier. He’s having enough of a hard time with his parents talking down to him like he’s unable to make the simplest of decisions. And maybe it’s the headache forming in my skull, or maybe I’m just tired, but suddenly, I don’t want to be quiet anymore. Fuck being the perfect Omega.
“You know,” I say carefully, anchoring myself to Thane with a squeeze of my hand. “Thane has a lot to offer the world in many different fields. He is well-versed in both cervology and Endocrinology, sure, but medicine isn’t the only option available to him. He’s young and could go anywhere he wants to. What matters is doing something that makes him happy.”
Thane’s hand goes still against mine.
“For example, this meal. Have you ever had a salad this incredible before? And he has stuffed Cornish hens in the oven for the next course. Your son is a genius in the kitchen. I could see him as a chef at a Michelin-star restaurant, happy, doing something he loves.”
“Riley…” Thane warns, but I’m not finished. Fuck these downcast eyes. I turn my head to meet Richard’s glare head-on. Yeah, look in my eyes now, Daddy Woods.
Next to him, Craig’s mouth is slightly agape, his gaze darting between his Alpha partner and me. I hold their startled gazes while I take a long sip of water, my throat parched after just those few sentences.
“And if you were halfway dece—”
“A restaurant?” Richard scoffs, interrupting me. “Are you telling me my Thane wants to work in a restaurant? Riley, dear, I think perhaps you’ve overstepped. I absolutely agree that Thane is a magnificent cook. It’s a useful hobby, nothing more. We all have them, but we don’t make a career out of them. No one creates a legacy making fancy salad.”
“Well, maybe a legacy isn’t the most important thing in Thane’s life!” I snap. My throat is so dry now I can barely get the words out, and my lips feel numb. “Maybe Thane just wants to make his own decisions and stop trying to continue some so-called legacy that you care more about than your son’s own well-being!”
A bead of sweat drips down the side of my face, and my entire body feels too hot. Part of me wants to grab the pitcher of water and just dump it over my head to get some relief. A spasm hits me, deep in my belly, and I hold back a curse as I realize what’s happening. It’s not just that this is overwhelming. Or that I’m so angry. It’s…
Oh no.
Notnow.
A flash of heat scorches through my body, making my back arch and toes curl with a convulsion I’m barely able to conceal. That only happens before a cervus episode.
I need to get out of here before it gets any worse.
If I can just make it to my bedroom, I’ll be able to manage. It won’t be fun, but I’ve been through these before. I don’t remember it ever coming on this strong or this fast, but I can handle it. Ihaveto handle it.
“Young lady, I—” Craig’s mouth snaps shut as I stand abruptly on wobbly legs, and to my surprise, Thane stands with me, still gripping my hand in support. Anger crosses Craig’s expression, but then his brow furrows with concern. “Riley, are you all right? You don’t look very well.”
I hiss through an exhale. “Yes, I’m fine. I’d like to excuse myself. Please, enjoy the rest of your meal.”
I pull away from Thane’s grip and try to turn to leave, but he stops me with a firm grip on my forearm.
A cervus spasm rocks me hard, and I have to grip the table’s edge for support. My other hand flies out of Thane’s grip to my chest, where a stabbing pain threatens to steal all the air from my lungs. I clutch at my heart, trying to catch my breath, but the sensation only tightens until my breath rasps from dry lips.
Miles stands so quickly his chair falls back onto the floor with a clatter. He dashes to my other side, and together, he and Thane hold me up. Levi sprints behind me, holding me from the back, his mouth at my ear, whispering comforting words.
Is this what it would have been like, confronting my Alpha fathers, if I’d had the love of a good pack behind me? I feel loved,cherished,even as my body begins to fall apart at the seams.
“Thane,” Richard says in a warning voice, but his gaze isn’t tracked onto his son. I meet his gaze, and his expression grows grave. Even with the high emotions running through the air, he knows. He recognizes the symptoms.
Thane’s father has figured me out. And I have no doubt Thane has as well.
