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She shot a smirk at me before turning to lead the way down the hall. Instead of going straight into the dining room, she turned and kept going. Everyone used the dining room when Father was home, but when it was just us, she preferred to eat at the little breakfast table in the kitchen, and I was glad she’d chosen it despite Cadence being with us.
Cadence’s brows were raised when she looked up at me, so I smiled, trying to reassure her. I loved how she looked to me when she was uncertain, the alpha part of me preening at the omega’s trust. We were so close to what I wanted us to be, I just needed to guide her through the last few steps until she was as certain of me as I was of her.
Mother turned and walked through the doorway into the kitchen, and we followed after her. Since Father had the house built for them, Mother had been able to have the kitchen she wanted, and she’d insisted on an old, Tuscan style. The walls were a warm beige, with brown stone backsplashes between the dark butcher block counter tops and the cabinets. The appliances were a custom copper color that blended into the browns throughout the room, and I’d always thought the room felt cozy despite its size. It could easily hold more than the four of us without anyone bumping into each other.
“Go ahead and take a seat at the table girls. Leo, could you get the bread from the oven?”
The table was already set, the salad and lasagna waiting in the middle, and Eleni led Cadence over as I moved to do as Mother asked. The scent of garlic and butter hit me when I pulled open the oven, and I groaned in anticipation. There was nothing better than Mother’s fresh garlic bread to sop up the sauce from the lasagna.
Mother grabbed a bottle of wine resting on the counter as I plucked the bread from the baking tray and placed it in the waiting basket to carry to the table. Cadence still looked stunned when I settled onto the seat beside her, but a smile played around her lips, and her scent didn’t hold any signs of stress. I wouldn’t even admit to myself how much I wanted her to enjoy being with my mother and sister, and a pang hit me at how she must feel about her family meeting me. It probably wasn’t excitement she felt. Cadence was just as sweet and innocent as Eleni, and I thought they’d make great friends, but I was a terrible model for her brother, and she wanted to keep him as far from me and the business as possible.
Swallowing my sigh, I focused on the three women most important to me. Despite the guards protecting the house and property, I still felt better being here while my father was gone, and I was glad Cadence had agreed to come, though my instincts were on high alert being the only alpha in a house with three vulnerable omegas.
“Oh, Leo, I went to the range and tried out that P320 you suggested. It was much easier on my hands even though it was larger than my last one.”
Cadence gave us a quizzical look as my sister turned to her.
“You should come to the range with us sometime. I’d never thought shooting guns could be fun, but it really is!”
Lips parted, Cadence looked like she’d been knocked upside the head as she stared at my little sister. Eleni wasn’t much younger than Cadence, only about three years, and I could tell Cadence was shocked that my sister could shoot a gun. Eleni didn’t look like she carried, but Father had insisted on teaching her to handle guns as soon as she was old enough to understand the importance of safety, and despite being too young for a permit, she always had one with her.
So did our mother.
“Maybe one day,” I said so Cadence didn’t have to respond.
I wanted Cadence to have the same protection, but it was something I’d need to ease her into. Perhaps going with Eleni to a range would be a good idea to get her comfortable with firearms.
Once we became public, she might need one of her own.
Mother steered the conversation toward safer topics, asking Cadence about work, and her brother, and which colleges he was looking at attending since I’d mentioned Michael to her. Eleni was excited to have another omega to talk to that wasn’t more than twice her age and mated, so she chattered away, asking about Cadence’s high school and the jobs she’d worked. Eleni was sheltered, and I could see how she envied Cadence’s life, though I didn’t think my sister would have been able to handle the things Cadence had gone through.
Cadence slowly relaxed and appeared to enjoy herself as we ate, but Mother noticed she hadn’t finished as much as Eleni, and my sister seemed to live on little more than sunshine and air.
“Does everything taste okay?”
Mother would never show it, but someone not enjoying a meal she’d cooked was like a physical wound to her. Her love language was cooking.
“Oh, it’s delicious! I’ve never had a better lasagna, and I would die for this bread, but my stomach hasn’t been happy the past few days and won’t let me eat any more of it. I’d hoped it was just nerves, but it’s still a little upset.”
I stiffened, dragging my eyes over Cadence like I could see through her to figure out what was wrong. She hadn’t mentioned having an upset stomach, but we didn’t eat together except on the weekends since she usually had dinner with her family before leaving for ‘work’. I’d thought perhaps it was just the warmth of the room, but her cheeks were a little flushed, and her eyes were slightly glassy, her forehead shiny in a way that suggested she was sweating. It wasn’t from the alcohol because she had barely sipped her glass of wine.
“Let me get you something dear.”
Mother was up and bustling around the kitchen before Cadence could protest. She always had a kettle on since she preferred to drink tea, and she was back with a mug in moments.
Setting it by Cadence’s hand, she went back for the honey pot.
“Ginger tea with a little honey has always helped my stomach when it’s being disagreeable,” Mother said as she took her seat again.
Cadence’s smile was a little shaky, as if she wasn’t sure about drinking the pale brown liquid, but after stirring in a bit of honey she lifted it to her lips, drawing in a breath before taking a sip. Her brows rose and her smile grew steadier after she took a larger drink and let out a hum.
“This is good.”
Mother chuckled as she reached for her glass of wine.
“I drank gallons of it when I was pregnant with these two. Morning sickness is a very misleading name for something that comes whenever it wants, and sometimes never leaves. I was miserable constantly with Leo, though Eleni was easier. Perhaps because my body had already been through it once before.”
Cadence tried to hide it, but I saw the sudden flash of fear in her eyes, her throat working as she swallowed another gulp of the tea. Everything else in the room froze as her gaze darted to mine, sound fading away until the only thing I could hear was the heavy thud of my heart. Even my thoughts were quiet, caught by the sudden suspicion growing inside me.
