by Jen L. Grey
A huge smile spread across his face. Damn straight, you will. There’s no one I’d rather work next to, and we’ll make sure you assume your rightful place on the council. We just have to be careful and take our time.
That, I could do. Even though it was something I wanted so very badly, it could wait. At the moment, there was too much going on, and we needed to make sure my secret was revealed at the proper time. Whenever that may be.
He took my hand as the elevator doors opened, and he pulled me toward my classroom. As soon as we walked through the door, Tripp, Robyn, and her two followers, along with another guy glanced at us. Robyn’s eyes narrowed on Liam and my joined hands.
“Ugh … I had hoped you’d come to your senses by now.” Robyn shook her head as her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Or is it just that you want to fuck the nobodies before settling down with a real woman?”
“Do you mean a real woman or a brown-noser who’s had their head so far up someone’s ass that she can’t smell anything other than shit?” I batted my eyelashes and grinned.
“You better watch it.” Robyn stood from her desk in the middle of the front row. “Do you have any idea who my father is?”
“No, you better watch it,” Liam growled, his eyes glowing with his wolf coming forward. “I could take your father down so fast it’s not funny. One more word, and it’ll happen.”
Robyn frowned but didn’t sit down.
“You’d better sit down.” Her friend, Olivia, said as her pale green eyes widened. “He’s not kidding around.”
“Fine.” Robyn huffed and reluctantly sat in her seat. Her body was tight with anger.
I brushed past her and sat at my desk right behind her and next to Tripp.
"Hey, man." Tripp smiled at Liam. "How's our badass doing?" His eyes landed on me and winked. "How am I not surprised she's here today?"
"Because she's strong." Liam bent down and kissed my cheek as he placed my backpack at my feet.
"And stubborn." Tripp pointed at me like his fingers were guns. "I bet you didn't have any say to her being here."
"Damn right about that." Liam chuckled.
"You two realize I'm sitting right here." They were both picking at me, but I hated to be talked about as if I wasn't there.
"Hey, we're just kidding." Liam squeezed my hand gently. I'm really trying to get along with your friends. That's all. I know they're important to you.
Still not happy about getting picked on. I arched an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled and glanced back at Tripp. “Make sure she stays here after class until I can get back down here.”
“Will do.” Tripp saluted him.
I love you. He kissed the top of my head and turned, heading out of the classroom.
“He’s like a different person now.” Tripp shook his head as he watched Liam disappear into the mass of people.
“No, that’s always been him.” He was an amazing person, and now people were finally seeing it. “He just got lost along the way for a little while.”
I leaned back in the passenger seat of Liam's car and closed my eyes as we headed toward my parents’ house. We'd woken up early to visit them since Liam needed to get back at a decent hour to pack for his week tour of some of the large cities with the other heirs.
We'd hoped to go Saturday, but he had a late football game that he didn't need to miss, especially since he had skipped the one last week. For once, I enjoyed the game and got to hang out with Bree, Tripp, and Kai without any drama. After the game, Liam and Evan joined us back at my dorm to watch some movies and celebrate their win.
"It's nice seeing you relax and not wincing in pain every few seconds." Liam reached over and took my hand in his. "I was so damn scared you weren't going to make it."
In all reality, it took longer than I'd expected to heal. I had been more injured than we initially thought, and Evan said I was damn lucky I survived. Honestly, I'd almost succumbed to the darkness, and it was only because of Liam that I didn't. He had saved me. "Well, it didn't happen, and we're together. That’s all that matters." Today was the first day that I didn't have much pain. The shoulder still bothered me if I moved suddenly, but not anything compared to how I was that first night in Evan and Liam's dorm room. It had hurt just to breathe.
The rest of the ride was spent in companionable silence, and soon Liam was pulling up to my parents' house.
The front door opened with both Mom and Dad rushing out the door and heading over to me.
Dad opened my door, causing his blue shirt to bunch on his shoulders, and then held his hand out. "Here, let me help you."
The concern and love on their faces warmed my heart. "I'm better now. You don't have to help me."
"Let your father help you." Mom narrowed her caramel eyes at me and crossed her arms. "We've been beside ourselves this past week. The only saving grace for me and your dad not showing up on campus and throwing a fit is because of your mate. So if your dad wants to help you get out of the damn car, you can let him."
Damn, now I see where you get your strength. Liam chuckled as he climbed out of the car and shut his door.
Dad took my arm and helped me get out of the car. He actually made my shoulder twinge in pain by assisting me, but I wasn't going to let him know. "Thank you."
"It's nice to see you again, Mr. And Mrs. Davis." Liam nodded his head at them and smiled.
He was a completely different person than the last time he came here. Granted, we had been here on a learning expedition and had only just completed our mate bond.
"Oh, after everything you've done, you're getting a hug." Mom hurried over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I don't know what would've happened if it weren't for you."
Liam hugged her back, and his cheeks turned a slight pink. "I didn't do anything."
"You took care of our daughter when we couldn't." Dad walked over and shook Liam's hand. "Last time we met you, it wasn't under the best of circumstances. But this time, I'd like to say welcome to the family."
"Thank you." Liam scratched the back of his neck as he glanced in my direction. Through our bond, I could tell he was happy but uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being treated this way.
The front door opened again, and Max stuck his head out. "You better get your ass in here before I eat all the cinnamon rolls." He held one up so I could see and took a huge bite out of it.
"You better not." I hadn't had Mom's cooking in so long, and those baked treats were one of my favorites. I hurried inside and ran to the left, down the narrow hallway, following the decadent cinnamon smell of home. When I saw the hot pan of ten cinnamon rolls, I picked up two and took a large bite. The taste was heavenly, and I hated to admit it, but I moaned.
I'm not sure if I should be jealous or not. Liam entered the room behind my parents and smiled when he saw me. He reached for one of the treats in my hand, and I jerked my hand out of his reach.
"Uh-uh; Get your own," I growled through a mouthful of vanilla frosting and cinnamon.
"Why are you encouraging him to eat any?" Max frowned as he popped the last bite of the one he had been eating and went for another.
"You two, stop it." Mom giggled even though she tried to school her face into an indifferent expression. "He can have some too."
"I'm not sure that I can." Liam laughed. "I might get bitten."
"Looks like Mia has already done that to you." Max pointed to the faint scar of teeth marks on his neck.
"Maximum Davis." Mom pointed at him and frowned. "Please don't ever point that out to me again."
"What? You know they're mates." Max whined as he grabbed two more cinnamon rolls before walking away with his head hung in shame.
"You’d better get some before they're gone." Dad made his way to the pan and grabbed one for himself. "Those two are vicious and will eat them all if given the chance."
"Well, if they're as good as they're making them out to be, I just might need to take two." Liam winked at me and grabbed two.
&nb
sp; "This is all on you." Max pointed at me. "You had to go get mated, so now we have to share our food."
Mom watched the whole interaction with the biggest smile on her face.
"So, Max and I are going to watch some football in the living room." Dad glanced at Liam. "Do you want to join us?"
Liam walked over next to me so our arms were touching. Mind if I go in there so you and your mom can have some alone time? I’m assuming that’s what your dad is getting at.
Go if you want to. I'd never thought my parents would be so welcoming to him. After the way Mom had reacted when I told her about who my mate was, and considering how everything went down the last time I was here, I kind of gave up on my family being okay with our bond. I'll be fine. She is my mother after all.
"Sure, let's go see who is playing." Liam's eyes were light blue, which was rare for me to see. He crammed a cinnamon roll in his mouth and grabbed another one while talking with his mouth full. “But let me grab another one of these before we leave the kitchen.”
Max growled and scowled at me. “This is on you.”
Dad laughed. "Well, all right then." Dad finished his food, waving Liam and Max toward the living room. "Let's go and give these two some alone time. Come join us when you ladies are done."
The three of them rushed out of the kitchen, leaving Mom and me behind.
"Really, I'm the winner here. I have direct access to the rest." I grabbed the last cinnamon roll and made my way to the rectangular table that was in the corner of the kitchen. I sat in one of the seats and got comfortable.
"One second. I’ll be right back." Mom disappeared into the living room.
I got up and opened the stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. As I settled back into my spot at the table, Mom came back in with a picture album.
As she took the seat next to me, she gave me a grin. "I was wrong about him."
"Liam?" I didn't want to say too much and ruin whatever she wanted to tell me.
"Yes. I'll be honest; I'm not thrilled that you're at that school. When you told me that he was your fated mate, it petrified me. The night you came here and he was so guarded and angry, I thought it proved my point even more. But he was so good to call us and let us know everything. The pain in his voice — that was when I realized he really does love you. And seeing him here, I'm glad fate chose him."
"Even though he's an heir to the council?" The last few times I'd talked to Mom, she was acting normal. I’d hoped it hadn't been a fluke, and her words eased some of my worry.
"Honey, I've come to realize it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you're an heir just as much as he is, and fate has a way of unveiling hidden truths." She opened up the picture album and caressed one of the photos. "You were meant for great things just like your father was." She turned the photo album toward me.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at a man who was a complete stranger but also seemed familiar. His emerald eyes that matched my own stared back at me, and like me, his hair was as black as the night. "Is that him?"
"Yes, that's your biological father, Brent Forrest." Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him. "The love of my life who was stolen way too soon."
"Why are you showing me this?" I didn’t know how, but this made everything seem so much more real. He now had a face and one that I would see every time I looked in the mirror. I wasn’t sure if I was happy to be able to picture him or if it somehow made the whole thing worse.
"Because you need to know your heritage. I know I tried keeping it from you, but it took seeing Liam treating you like a mate and you getting hurt to make me realize I’m not in control. That, in fact, I was actually hurting you. By not sharing him with you, I didn’t let you in on something that you have every right to know about." She flipped the page again. "Unfortunately, Brent's parents died shortly after he took over the seat of the council. That's when the other council members became more to him. They were his second family until he met me. The five heirs were inseparable growing up."
I glanced at the page and found five faces smiling at us. It was easy to pick out who was who. Simon's dad had that California glow like his son did. Micah's skin was just as dark as his father’s, and both Mr. Rafferty and Mr. Hale looked nearly the same as they did now. It was almost as if they hadn't aged.
When she turned the page again, her eyes clouded with tears. “This was right after our claiming ceremony.” The picture was a younger version of her with him on a beach. He had her scooped up in his arms, and they were looking at each other with love written across their faces. She wore a simple white dress, and he was in a black suit. The waves crashed behind them as though the ocean was applauding their love.
“You two were so happy.” If I had any doubts that she loved him, they were gone now.
“That’s how you and Liam look at each other.” She wiped a tear from under her eye and gave me a sad smile. “I still dream about this day. Sometimes, I wake up smelling the salt in the air as if I were still there.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t imagine not having Liam in my life. If he were to die, I didn’t know if I could be strong enough to move on like she’d done.
“I won’t lie. I miss him just as much as the day I realized he wasn’t coming home.” Her shoulders shook. “But know that with Ethan, Max, and you, I was able to find a sense of happiness, despite it all. What I’m trying to say is to cherish Liam. I was wrong for telling you to reject him. Cherish him and love him with all your heart. One day, he might not be there, and I don’t want you to have any regrets like I do.” She sniffed and turned the page again.
It was her in a room that had Wolf Moon Academy’s school colors with my dad bent down with his head on her belly. “That was when we knew we were having you. He set up a camera to capture the moment together.” She smashed her lips together as tears poured down her cheeks. “He was so excited. Your heartbeat was on the higher end, so we knew you were a girl. I was afraid he’d be upset when we realized you were a girl and not a boy. He shook his head no without hesitation on his face. He said it was fitting since the original Overseer had been a woman, and he hoped you looked just like me.” Her laugh was between a strangle and a cry. “And here you are, the spitting image of him.”
“Mom, we don’t have to do this.” My heart was aching, not only over the man I never got to know but because my mother was breaking down in front of me. She had never done that before.
What’s wrong? Liam’s concerned voice linked in my mind. Do you need me?
No, I’m okay. Mom is showing me pictures of my father. It wasn’t fair that dad had been taken from us. He didn’t get to live near long enough. I’ve never seen him before.
“Here is one last picture that I have.” She flipped to another page, and I blinked several times. There, beside my father, stood a man who appeared to be several years older than him. He looked like my professor for Shifter History 101. "Who is that?" Liam, you need to come in here. I opened the bond so he could hear what my mother was saying.
"Ah, that's your grandmother's brother. I’d heard he was the last living relative of your father." She gave me a sad smile. "He was never in line for the council seat because it was from Brent's mother's side. The lineage came down from your grandfather's family tree."
Liam walked into the kitchen and to my side. “What’s wrong?”
I pointed at the picture. "He's my history professor." It had to be him. The man looked just like him. "Professor Johnson."
"I'm not sure. I never got to meet him, but your father said he hated the council and everything it stood for. It was a point of contention between your grandparents." Mom's face filled with pain. "And honestly, your father and I had only a month together. Most of it was spent with the two of us caught up in each other.”
“So that’s why they are keeping him as faculty.” Liam laughed, but it was without humor. “I always wondered why they kept him on when Dad and the others
hated him so much.”
“What do you mean?” I wasn’t following his logic.
“Sometimes it’s best to keep your enemies close.” Liam’s eyes darkened like they did with anything that dealt with his father or the council. “That’s one reason why we heirs would always hang out together. Stay close so you can monitor and threaten if needed.”
“So, they are keeping him close so he can’t speak horribly of the council.” Mom shook her head and took in a deep breath. “Trying to control what message he spreads into the world.”
“If you think that’s bad, you don’t want to know everything.” Liam met my eyes. Something isn’t right, and we need to get to the bottom of it.
His words scared me. They weren’t anything I hadn’t thought of myself, but this was the first time he’d said the words and meant them with every fiber of his being.
Chapter Eleven
Soon after we finished dinner with the family, we were back in Liam's car, returning to Wolf Moon Academy.
"I'm a little surprised, but I had a great time." Liam reached over and took my hand in his. "Your family is so supportive and loving."
"And they love you too." Going back there today had been better than I could ever have expected. At dinner, my parents told embarrassing stories about me and what Liam had gotten himself into. We had laughed so much that my sides had started hurting.
"I'm damn lucky to have found you. I never had that growing up." He gave me a sad smile. "We would eat dinner together at night. But it mostly consisted of what Bree or I needed to do better and to learn etiquette. If we did have a general conversation, it was around council business and how the packs needed to stop complaining so much. They had it so much better than years past."
"I'm sure you and Bree had fun together." Bree had a great sense of humor and was as loyal as they came.
"She's always been a pleaser though." Liam squeezed my hand. "Dad was always focused on me and who I had to become. Bree tried to do anything to get his attention. She went out of her way to get great grades and be the daughter she thought he wanted. That's one reason why she fights her bond with Nate."
