chapter 99
Tori's POV:
Before I could agree and hide my culinary disaster, Lucas took another deliberate bite of the sugar-laden stew.
His silver-blue eyes remained steady as he swallowed.
"That won't be necessary," he said, his deep voice calm and assured. "This is quite good, actually."
I stared at him in disbelief.
There was no possible way anyone could find the sickeningly sweet vegetables edible, let alone "quite good." Yet there he sat, the powerful Alpha of the Grayson Pack, elegantly consuming my culinary disaster without a single complaint.
"Lucas, you don't have to—" I started, but he silenced me with a gentle look.
"I enjoy it," he insisted, taking another bite as if to prove his point.
Janet looked between us, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, if you're sure, I could get some bread to go with it?"
"That would be perfect," Lucas replied smoothly.
As Janet left for the kitchen, I leaned closer to Lucas. "You're lying," I whispered. "It tastes terrible."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Anything you make tastes good to me," he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.
His voice softened even further. "It's special because you made it."
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I had to look away, unable to maintain eye contact under the intensity of his gaze.
We continued our meal, Lucas valiantly making his way through a second serving while Janet and Grandmother opted for bread and cheese.
Anna, bless her innocent heart, actually seemed to enjoy the sweet vegetables, happily declaring them "like dessert dinner."
As we finished, Grandmother dabbed her lips with a napkin and fixed her gaze on Lucas.
"So, Alpha Lucas," she said, her voice carrying the gentle authority that only comes with age, "a successful Alpha like yourself must have many responsibilities. I'm surprised you haven't found your Luna yet."
The question sent a jolt through me. I nearly dropped my spoon, suddenly intensely interested in studying the remaining food on my plate.
"Grandmother," I murmured in warning, but she merely smiled innocently.
Lucas set down his fork deliberately, his voice measured.
Then, to my complete shock, his eyes shifted to me, holding my gaze with an intensity that made my breath catch. "But I believe I'll have one very soon."
The silence that followed was deafening.
My heart thundered in my chest so loudly I was certain everyone at the table could hear it. Grandmother's eyes darted between us, a knowing look crossing her face as she took in my flushed cheeks and Lucas's steady gaze.
"I see," she said simply, but her tone carried volumes.
Janet cleared her throat. "Who wants dessert? I bought that cherry pie from Wilson's Bakery."
"Pie!" Anna exclaimed, effectively breaking the tension.
As Janet served dessert, Lucas's phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked the screen, a slight frown forming between his brows.
"I'm afraid I need to take this," he apologized, standing from the table. "Pack business."
"Of course," Grandmother nodded understandingly.
Lucas looked at me for a long moment. "I'll call you later," he said softly, the words more a promise than a statement.
I nodded, unable to form a coherent response as he excused himself and stepped outside.
Once the front door closed behind him, Grandmother turned to me, her eyes sharp despite her age.
"Tori, is there something you'd like to tell me?"
I swallowed hard, feeling like I was sixteen again, being questioned about staying out past curfew.
I took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm going to formally decline Mrs. White's offer. I... I already have feelings for someone else."
I expected her to ask who, to demand details about Lucas and our relationship, but instead, her expression grew serious, almost troubled.
"Tori," she said quietly, "I know you've been through a lot. You've had to be stronger than anyone your age should need to be."
She reached across the table, covering my hand with her weathered one.
"But please be careful not to be dazzled by power and money. Sometimes the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows."
Her warning caught me off guard. Lucas isn't like that, I said defensively in my mind.
"I don't need you to be wealthy or powerful, Tori. I just want you to have a stable, peaceful life," she said, her hand patting mine. "Mrs. White's grandson Andrew might not have much wealth or status, but he's reliable, hardworking. The kind of man who would provide a steady life."
"Grandmother," I said firmly, meeting her concerned gaze. "I appreciate your worry, but I'm not interested in Andrew White. Not now, not ever."
I took a deep breath. "I know what I want."
She studied my face for a long moment, then sighed and waved her hand dismissively. "Well, it seems your mind is made up regardless of what an old woman might say. " Her tone carried resignation.
"I'll be careful," I promised, standing to clear the dishes.
Grandmother gripped the wheels of her chair and slowly turned away from the table. "I'll speak with Mrs. White formally about it tomorrow," she said, her voice tired. "No sense in letting her hold onto false hopes."
I watched her wheel herself down the hallway toward her bedroom, her shoulders slightly slumped, and felt a pang of guilt twist in my stomach.
Was she disappointed in me? Had my stubbornness let her down when all she wanted was my happiness?
The sight of her retreating form made me feel like a child who had disappointed a parent, despite knowing in my heart I was making the right choice for myself.
"Let me help you with those," Janet said, breaking into my thoughts as she reached for the stack of plates in my hands.
As I stacked plates, Janet joined me at the sink. "She's just worried about you," she said quietly. "After what happened with your mother..."
"What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly alert.
Janet glanced toward the living room, where Anna was puzzling. "Your mother was a lot like you at your age—bright, determined, beautiful. She fell for a man who was completely wrong for her. When she got pregnant with you, he abandoned her."
The information wasn't new to me, but something in Janet's tone made me pause. "Janet," I said carefully, setting down a plate, "do you know who my father is?"
Her hands stilled in the soapy water.
For a split second, panic flashed across her face before she composed herself. "Tori, some things are better left unknown."
My heart began to race. "You do know, don't you?"
Janet sighed deeply. "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't acknowledge you anyway."