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Then again, I’d focused so hard on keeping Easton in check during the hike that she probably thought I was holding back.
Fuck, I had to fix this.
“Oh good idea, two mugs is a selling point,” she said with a quick nod of approval. Her face was grim and her body tense enough it looked painful. My protective side was out to play and I was ready to protect my omega from whatever demons her father brought with him.
The knock on her door was loud and full of authority. She started to move forward but I stopped her by stepping in the way and pulling it open.
The man glaring back at me blinked in confusion. He wasn’t expecting her to have someone else here. They clearly weren’t watching closely enough then. We were always around her unless she was with Felix and Warren.
Tori’s dad cleared his throat and I eyeballed him in silence, forcing him to say the first words.
His cologne and suit screamed of money along with his pompous haircut and condescending smile.
I fucking hated him and he hadn’t even spoken yet.
If he elicited that kind of reaction from someone like Tori, then he was a monster.
“Leander Winters, and you are?” he offered, his hand extended.
I glanced down at his outstretched hand and ignored it, stepping back and holding the door open.
“Tori is in the kitchen, Mr. Winters,” I said in a sharp tone.
“Ah, I see our little Tori has been talking about me,” he said with a gruff laugh. “You know how these omegas are. So sensitive and quick to assume the worst.”
“She’s about as level-headed as they come,” I countered. “What is this visit about? We have reservations in an hour.”
His fake smile fell and a void of ice took its place. He turned to his daughter with a sneer and dismissed me much like I did to him.
“What are you planning with that trust?” he growled.
“It’s money you can’t touch, Dad,” she said with a defeated sigh. “My plans aren’t your concern.”
“You can’t, either. The stipulations are clear,” he said in a growl.
What trust and what stipulations? Was she thinking about finding a way to buy the inn? I’d seen that spark of excitement and pure joy. Is this trust why that fell away?
“Again, what I choose to do is not your concern,” she said in as strong of a voice as she could manage. A wave of pride ran through me and I moved closer to her side, making our coffee and doctoring them up without bothering to offer this man any.
“Why is he here? This is a family matter,” Leander bit out.
“I’m family to her,” I said as I handed her mug over and kissed her temple. “We’re mates. She is, in fact, more mine than yours. So, if you could please leave.” I waved my fingers at the door in a dismissive gesture meant to offend his delicate, alpha sensibilities.
His face turned a ruddy purple as he fought not to lash out. His fists tightened and I gently nudged her behind me.
The way she shook was enough for me to drop this act altogether.
“Let me make something very clear to you, Mr. Winters. You may have done some terrible things to her but you won’t ever touch her, or bring her down, again, do you understand? You have no rights to her trust, as she just told you. So, there is nothing further to discuss here.”
“Tori,” he warned through gritted teeth. The veins in his neck were bulging and pulsing with his fury. “You have obligations to me. A wedding to attend.”
“Leave, Dad. He’s right. I’m not doing this anymore. I want you out of my life. You can tell your precious associate the wedding is officially off.”
“After all I’ve done for you?!” he roared in a deafening scream that had me pushing her further behind me.
“What, trauma and pain? Mom leaving you wasn’t enough?” she squeaked out, her indignation finally kicking in. She stepped out from behind me and faced off with the furious alpha. “You let that alpha break me and said I should just look pretty and take it! You took my career from me! All my life you’ve tried to keep me under your thumb and I’m done with it. Leave!” The last word was a feral scream that matched his.
My arm went around her waist to pull her against my chest, holding her there.
