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Alpha grunts when I nudge his shoulder. “We could do with a food break anyway. Loki, you want us to get you some lunch?”
He continues to type into his laptop and nods. “Yeah, that would be great. Navy knows what I like. Thanks, Haven.”
“No problem. We’ll be back soon,” I tell him, yanking on Alpha’s arm as he continues to look over Loki’s shoulder at the screen. “C’mon, Alpha. The information will still be there when we get back.”
He groans but manages to pry himself away from the screens, and we head to the stairs.
When we get to the top and glance at the entry of the clubhouse, I stop still, gasping. Alpha follows my line of sight to Livvy and Poppy standing with a bunch of suitcases while the brothers and club members are taking turns hugging Poppy. Livvy stands with her arms crossed and a somber look on her face.
Alpha begins to breathe heavier, and I tighten my grip on him. “Just fucking play it cool,” I whisper to him.
He nods, and we continue down the stairs, going over to Livvy. Poppy spots her father and rushes into his arms. She slams into him, and he lifts her into a tight embrace. “Hey, baby girl, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Daddy,” Poppy chimes, cuddling into her father, his eyes focused firmly on Livvy.
She glances at me and the property patch I’m wearing when she steps up. “Congratulations, Haven,” she says, her tone kind, not curt like I expected.
Surprise, surprise. This woman is genuinely happy for me.
I smile with a nod. “Thank you, Livvy.”
Poppy turns to look at me, her fingers skimming my leather cut, and she smiles wide. “Did Daddy claim you, Haven?” sheasks, and I smile at her.
“He did. Is that okay with you?”
Poppy jumps down from Alpha’s arms and slams into my legs, embracing me. “It’s the best. Now you’re officially part of our family too,” she chimes.
I hold her tight, smiling at Alpha as Livvy turns to Alpha and exhales. “I know you’re wondering why we’re here… with suitcases.”
Alpha purses his lips with a shrug. “Wasn’t gonna say anything, but yeah, I’m curious.”
Livvy bends down to Poppy, smiling at her. “Honey, why don’t you go find Rhy and catch up with her?”
Poppy’s eyes light up, snapping her head around to face Alpha. “Can I, Dad?”
Alpha dips his chin. “Yeah, of course. Go on, off you go. Rhy would love to see you.”
Poppy bounces on her toes, then rushes off to find Rhyan while the tension between the three of us increases.
Alpha folds his arms over his chest and huffs. “What’s going on, Liv?”
She glances at Poppy, who’s sitting at the table on the other side of the room with Rhyan, and she rolls her shoulders. “I… I can’t keep up with her. She’s not the innocent little Poppy I knew before she was taken. This version of our daughter is someonemuch, muchdifferent.”
This is exactly what I thought would happen. I told Poppy to be herself and to put her training to good use. To not forget that I named her Hummingbird for a reason. I never wanted Livvy to feel like she didn’t know who her daughter was, but I needed her to know that the version of Poppy she knew was no longer there. She may have only been in training for two years, but those two years were intense.
She is irrevocably changed.
I think for the better.
She is stronger.
Tougher.
Wiser than her years.
She will have a more confident personality because of that training. Livvy may not see it or be able to handle the changes now, but she will be thankful for them in the long run.
Alpha turns to me, a cautious look crossing his face, so I make the judgment call for him. That way, he doesn’t have to look like the bad guy. “You’re finding it hard to keep up with her now?” I ask.
