by Katie Low
As that thought sunk in, Cori pulled to a stop in front of a large log structure that Liliana assumed was the griffin alpha’s home. It was a bit ostentatious, especially when compared to her Uncle Fearghus’s house, but she wouldn’t judge. Perhaps the alpha had a large family. Maybe it was more of a community home.
Thad and the others piled out of the sedan, but Liliana seemed to be frozen in place as she stared at the building in front of her. This was it. The end of their journey. The reason that they had flown all this way. It was right on the other side of that door. All she had to do was get out of the car and put one foot in front of the other.
She stayed in place.
Absently, she palmed the amulet resting against her chest. Before she did this, she had one thing that she wanted to do. She shut the door, and hit the power lock, preventing anyone else from getting back into the car—well, aside from Cori, since she had the key fob. She stroked the purple gem three times and felt it warm in her palm as it gave off a faint glow.
“Daddy,” she started on a whisper. “Please don’t worry. I’m not in trouble. Well, I’m most certainly in trouble, but I’m not in any danger. I just needed to talk to you. It has been a pretty crazy birthday, and I only hope that when you catch up to us you go easy on Thad. None of this was his idea. I don’t even fully know why I felt that I needed to do this, or what I hope to gain from it, I just know that if I didn’t come here, I would have regretted it. I know that I went about this all wrong, and if I could go back, that’s the one thing that I would fix about this situation. I guess that I just wanted you to know that I think you are awesome, Dad. Please don’t feel as if we did this because you aren’t enough. You are more than enough. Thad and I have never felt as if we were lacking in the parental department. You and the uncles have always made us feel like we could do anything. Be anything. We are who we are because of you. I love you.”
She pressed her thumb to the gem again, and watched as it faded back to its original state. With a swipe of her hands against her cheeks, she brushed away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. A deep inhale, and exhale, and she was pushing her way out of the vehicle door, and marching up the steps to the front door.
Without hesitation, she raised her fist to the wood and rapped her knuckles against it. As she waited for someone to answer, fingers threaded through hers, and she glanced over to see her brother standing by her side, holding her hand. She gave his fingers a brief squeeze to show her appreciation.
Before long, the door in front of them was thrust open and a brutal looking man stood between the frame. He was at least as tall as Ruarc, and wider than Ean—who, before today, had the largest muscles that Liliana had ever seen. The man’s gaze was harsh as his eyes narrowed onto the twins.
“Excuse me, sir,” she breathed out. “Is Charlotte Leo here, by chance?”
For a few moments, the man continued to stare down his nose at the two of them, giving them no indication that he had even heard Liliana’s question.
“We’re her kids,” Thad added, in hopes that the man might be more amiable to their request if he knew who they were.
“Wait here,” he said, before the door closed in their faces. A glance around at their companions showed that everyone looked how Liliana felt: completely baffled by his reaction to them. She hadn’t been expecting a hug or anything, but perhaps an offer to sit on a sofa wouldn’t have been a stretch.
After a few moments, the door swung back open to reveal a woman who looked so much like Liliana it made her heart squeeze. She had the same chestnut-colored waves, the same ice-blue eyes, and even the same short, turned-up nose. If Thad was the facsimile of their father, then Liliana was the same for their mother. The thought was almost too much to bear, so Liliana pushed it from her mind and flashed her mother her largest smile.
“Liliana, Thaddeus,” Charlotte said. “What are you two doing here?”
Six words. Six words were all that it took to completely wipe the smile from Liliana’s face. “We came to see you, of course. Can we talk?”
With a heavy, put-upon sigh, Charlotte glanced around the porch, and waved to the Adirondack chairs that faced out toward the trees. Closing the door firmly shut as she stepped out of the house, Charlotte led the way to the sturdy porch furniture.
As they sat, Liliana noticed that Cori and their friends had disappeared from the front yard, presumably giving them some privacy so that they could speak to their mother. For what was possibly the twentieth time that day, Liliana felt her heart expand at the thought of her friends. If only she could get the same warm feeling from the woman across from her. The same woman who stared at her two children as if they were strangers to her. She supposed that in a way they were. Charlotte looked as if the two of them were door-to-door solicitors that she couldn’t wait to be rid of.
“What can I do for you?” So cold. So disconnected. Perhaps this had been a bad idea, after all.
Liliana stumbled over her words in her haste to get them out. “I just came… I just wanted to ask you… why?”
“Why what?”
For the first time in almost seven years, Liliana looked her mother directly in the eye. No matter the answer that came next, Liliana would not back down from asking the question that had plagued her for half of her life.
“Why did you leave us? Why don’t you visit us? Or even call us? Why are you looking at us as if we’re a nuisance that you can’t wait to be rid of?”
Charlotte heaved a sigh. “I suppose you’re old enough now to know the truth. I would have assumed that your father had told you already, but I guess he hasn’t.
“The truth is. I never wanted children.”
Liliana didn’t know which part of her dropped further or faster, or heart, or her jaw. She had no words. She just sat there with her mouth wide open, catching flies, as they say, staring at the woman who should have loved them more than anything, and just admitted to never having wanted them at all.
“If you didn’t want children, then why did you have us?” Thad asked, when all Liliana could do was stare, dumbstruck.
“Well, I knew that your father wanted children, and I wanted the status of being with the Second of the dragon clan. I thought that when I had you, he would marry me. When he didn’t, I decided to leave and start over. It took me a few years, but I finally found Xylander. You see, dragons and griffins have a destined soul mate, if you will, and your father refused to marry anyone who wasn’t his. My cousin is mated to the alpha down here, and she pointed me toward Xylander. When he found out that I had children, he was thrilled. He also had always wanted to be a father, and thought that I could give him that. He has no idea that I never intend to have children ever again. I like my life exactly as it is. Carefree, and effectually in charge of this entire reservation. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“So, just like that, you decided that you didn’t want to be a mother anymore so that, what, you could boss other people around instead?” Liliana couldn’t help the bite in her tone. Thad had tried to warn her so many times, but she didn’t want to believe him. How could she believe that her own mother wanted nothing to do with her? And yet, here it was. Her own admission that she had never wanted them.
“Watch your tone, young lady,” Charlotte snapped at her.
“Or what? You’ll ground me? Send me to my room? I’m nothing to you, remember? Just a pawn that you used and discarded on your way to getting what you wanted. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone quite so selfish as you.” Liliana stood abruptly, the heavy Adirondack chair clattering to its side behind her. “Don’t worry, I’m not so insecure that I would force my company on someone who didn’t want it.” She looked to her brother, refusing to let the woman before her see the tears that started in her eyes. “Let’s go, Thaddeus. I think it’s time that we returned to our real family.”
With that, Liliana turned on her heel and marched off of the porch, never once looking back.
Chapter Sixteen
Thad w
atched his sister stomp off of the porch and straight to Cori’s vehicle, never once glancing back at their mother. He had seen the hurt on Liliana’s face as Charlotte told them that she had never wanted to be a mother, but she had hidden it well. If Thad hadn’t known his sister so well, he might have believed that she was indifferent as she heard those words. The only sign that she gave of her emotions at all was when the chair that she had bolted out of clattered to the ground.
He had been so proud of her through this whole ordeal. She asked the questions that she wanted answers to, listened, said what she had to say in response, and let that be the end of it. The fact that she stood up to their mother was what had a brief grin tugging at his lips as he slowly stood, and methodically walked to the top of the stairs.
Before descending, however, Thad said the one thing that he felt he had to get off of his chest before he walked out of their mother’s life. “I really hope that one day you come to regret this decision. That someday you’ll wish you had put what was best for us above yourself. If that day comes, however, please don’t contact us. We’re better off being surrounded by those who love and cherish us.”
Without waiting for a response, Thad left the porch and sniffed the air. One thing that he hadn’t noticed before that moment was that his sense of smell had improved with the appearance of his griffin. He followed his nose until he reached his friends and Cori. At his approach, their jovial conversation stopped, and they looked at him with solemn expressions. Perhaps he hadn’t hidden his emotions as well as his sister had.
His turbulent emotional state wasn’t even caused by his mother’s declaration. In fact, before coming here Thad hadn’t expected this reunion to be a happy one. He always knew that Charlotte harbored no love for them, even before she left them behind. He just wished that he could have spared his sister this pain. Liliana was so empathetic that she felt all emotions in an all-consuming way. Joy, anger, frustration, fear, no matter what it was she felt it deeply.
If he could have spared her this, he would have. However, while her emotional capacity was limitless, so was her stubbornness. No matter what he would have said to her, the result would have been the same.
“We’re ready to go back to town to wait for our dad,” he said to Cori. “Thank you for doing this for us.”
She gave him a warm smile and enveloped him in a tight embrace. “You’re so welcome.”
Liliana was quiet for the entire drive back to town. A part of her felt numb after her brief cry while her brother retrieved the others. She knew that everyone was worried about her, but she couldn’t muster up the energy to convince them that she was alright.
What surprised her the most, though, was that she felt that she would be alright. She had an amazing support system back home. People who loved her unconditionally, who would do anything for her.
As they pulled onto the main street of the town, she saw those people come into view. Her jaw dropped as she realized that it wasn’t just their dad and Cardi that had come after them. Ruarc, Fearghus, Ean, Eamon, and Eoghan stood next to her father on the street, and the eighth person in their party was a man that she had met a few times prior to today, Xylander.
She didn’t know why her chest constricted at the sight of them, but when the car rolled to a stop in front of the group, she didn’t waste time getting out to face the music.
Her father stepped in front of the others at her approach, and she stopped dead in her tracks. His face was an emotionless mask, so she had no idea what to expect from him. When he marched forward and scooped her up into a fierce hug, she was shocked speechless.
She melted into the comfort of his embrace, and tears stung her eyes when her uncles and Thad surrounded them and joined in. In that moment, she didn’t know why she ever felt like she needed to come here. She had everything she had ever needed right here.
As their group-hug ended, Faolan pulled back to look Liliana in the face. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Never,” she agreed.
When her father released her, Liliana turned to find Cardi watching them with tears in her eyes, her bottom lip trembling slightly. Liliana laughed, and launched herself into the witch’s arms, glad when they wrapped snugly around her. “We were so worried about you.”
They pulled back from each other, but before Liliana stepped away from her, Cardi brushed the hair from her face with her palms and stared at her for a few heart beats. “You’re okay?” she asked, inspecting Liliana’s features for her answer.
She smiled. “Yes, we’re alright.”
A quick jerk of her chin, and a mumbled, “Good,” were her response, before she released Liliana and subtly brushed away the tears that had splashed onto her cheeks.
Cori stepped forward then, taking Liliana’s place in her sister’s embrace. “Hey, sis.” When the two pulled apart, Cori handed Cardi a small pouch that Liliana hadn’t seen the woman holding before then. “Here are the ingredients that you asked for.”
“Thank you,” she said, kissing her sister on the cheek before taking the pouch in her hands. “I miss you,” she whispered low enough that if Liliana hadn’t had Shifter hearing, she wouldn’t have caught the words.
Cardi gave the men a nod, and Uncle Ruarc approached the vampire who was essentially their stepfather. “Xylander,” he said, before taking the man’s right hand in his, and clapping him on the back with his left. “Thank you for allowing us to invade your town. Your hospitality will not be forgotten.”
Xylander smiled. “Anytime, my friend.”
For the first time since they left their mother behind, Thad spoke up. “Excuse me, Xylander, sir.”
The vampire’s grin widened. “Yes, son?”
Her twin glanced around tentatively before speaking up again. “I don’t want to overstep, but I have something that I think that you should hear.”
The man’s eyebrow raised as his interest was piqued. “Oh? Well, then, by all means, my boy. Let’s hear it.”
Thad pulled his phone from his pocket. Liliana hadn’t even realized that he had retrieved it from the backpack, but when he unlocked the screen and tapped it, her jaw dropped open in disbelief as their mother’s voice filled the space between them.
“…always wanted to be a father, and thought that I could give him that. He has no idea that I never intend to have children ever again. I like my life exactly as it is. Carefree, and effectually in charge of this entire reservation. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
When the recording ended, Liliana looked back and forth between her brother and Xylander, wondering how their mother’s mate was going to react to hearing those words.
The only indication that he gave to his emotions was the flash of his irises from hazel to crimson. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, son. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to express to you how much I appreciate your interference in this matter. If I could ask one more favor of you, I would be forever in your debt.” When Thad recovered enough to snap his open jaw shut, he nodded. “Could you please text me a copy of this soundbite?” Her twin nodded again. “Grand. Thank you, again. If ever you need anything at all, you need only ask.”
Uncle Fearghus stepped forward and addressed the leader of Lore. “Xylander, if you would, please tell Charlotte that she has been disowned by the Leo family, and she is no longer welcome anywhere near the Fabled Griffin Clan. I will give this message to her myself as well, but this is my formal declaration from Alpha to Alpha.”
The vampire nodded. “I agree, and accept,” he said, before he ruffled Thad’s hair and kissed Liliana on the cheek, and strode away, his steps determined.
Thad and Liliana shared a baffled look, but no one seemed willing to enlighten them as to what had just occurred between their uncle and the vampire.
“You-all ready to go home?” their dad asked.
“Uh, Dad? How are we getting home?” Thad asked.
“Well, son, I’m gla
d you asked. On the flight here, I was giving it a great deal of thought, and I had just about settled on making you and your sister fly back carrying your three friends, Cardi, and the backpacks with all of our things.” Thad’s face fell, which made their dad grin. “But then I received your sister’s message through my ring, and I changed my mind. Now, we’ll get you all home, but you can expect to be grounded for a few weeks, and essentially be my personal assistants for each minute. I think the station needs cleaned from top to bottom, don’t you, Ean?”
“Definitely, Chief.”
The twins groaned, which caused the adults to laugh.
“Cardi? How does this magic work?” their dad asked the witch.
“You’ll see. First, I need a doorway that we can hijack for a few moments.” They all looked around the main town for an entryway with little foot traffic.
“We could use the bar,” Cori offered. “It’s still early enough in the afternoon that they shouldn’t be getting too many people trying to get in. I can stand on the inside to make sure that no one tries to go out.”
“That’s perfect. Thanks, sis!”
They made their way down the street to the tavern. When they reached the front door, Cardi pulled out her phone and placed a call. “Orla? … Did you get everything? … Yes, I do as well. … Okay, go ahead and start. Thanks again, I owe you one.”
She tucked her phone back into her pocket, and pulled her sister into a tight embrace. The two exchanged a brief goodbye, before Cori went into the bar. Liliana couldn’t help but wonder why the two had to be separated, it was obvious that they were close to one another.
When her sister was out of sight, Cardi reached into the pouch that Cori had given to her and pulled out a conglomeration of different herbs, several of which Liliana had never seen before. She rubbed the herbs between her palms and Liliana could hear them breaking up with the friction. Cardi began chanting in between her two hands until a glow formed between her clasped palms. She continued to chant as she wiped her palms along the frame, and began to draw symbols across the door itself.
