Chapter 71 They are gods, mom
“My princess.” Dad finally pulled away from the Merryways when we stopped before them.
His eyes dropped to where Hale was still holding my hand in his, and a shadow crossed his eyes.
But he pulled me into his arms, and I gently slipped my hand out of Hale’s to hug him back.
“This house feels empty without you.” He pressed his lips to my cheek for a long second, and finally pulled away.
Mom wrapped one arm around me, pulling me to her side.
A stranger would have interpreted it as motherly affection, but she was simply putting distance between me and Hale.
I gave her a tight smile.
Since I moved in with the Hearthrown Alphas and found out their real identity, I have found myself fantasizing about my parents' reaction if they ever found out who Hale really was.
That this quiet, polite man was one of the two gods of Carlifonia. The ancient wolf and real Alpha.
No doubt, they would offer half their wealth to get him to marry me immediately. The only thing my parents loved more than each other was more power.
“You look well.” I smiled at both of them now.
Dad smiled, mom blushed, and finally, Dad turned to Hale.
“To what do we owe this esteemed visit, Mayor Denver?” He took the Mayor's hand in both of his. “You have never honored any of our invitations in the past.”
“I recently reconnected with Miss Grunder, and she brought me up to speed with pack activities.” Hale gave him a firm handshake, complete with the phony politician smile. “She convinced me.”
“Ah.” Dad looked between us, and I could see the flicker in his eyes.
There was no doubt going to be a long family meeting after this. My family may act clueless about the events from four years ago, but among us Grunders, there were no secrets.
And every one of us knew the atrocity from four years ago could be the end of the Grunders if the mayor ever learned the truth.
“We’re delighted to have you, sir.” Dad finally turned towards the mansion. “Alpha Rosamund would be delighted to see you, and discuss all the latest events at Glass Meridian.”
“How delightful.” Hale walked beside him. “Tokyo is a recent priority…”
Mom turned to me as soon as they were out of earshot, and seized my arm, “Come with me.”
She led the way down the side of the mansion, and went in through the pantry, and then the kitchen.
“Fentone is here,” she said as an explanation.
The kitchen, as large as an average town hall, was teeming with chefs, cooks and maids, chopping, cooking, planning. Our household had at least twenty domestic staff.
Mom spared no expense when it came to comfort.
A few looked up from their tasks now and smiled at me. I gave them a nod, and winked. A smile back would send mom into a rage.
But she seemed preoccupied as we walked into the grand hallway and turned up the wide carpeted staircase.
“What did you tell them?”
“What?” She blinked back in surprise, and seemed to get my meaning.
“The truth. That you were an adult and wanted your own space for sometime before you got married.”
I scoffed, “No one would believe that. You both did not let me move out all these years. Why do so now?”
“Are we really going to talk about why your Dad and I never trusted you to live on your own?”
Fire leaped in my chest. But I squeezed my hands into fists, and pressed my lips tight.
On the third floor, she pushed the door to my old bedroom open, and finally released my arm from her clutch.
My breath caught at the sight of my bedroom. A thousand gift boxes and shopping bags, bouquets and bouquets of roses, sunflowers, lilies, fresh, wilting, and dead.
“Fentone,” Mom said as I closed the door. “That young man is devoted to you, has sent gifts here every day because he is unaware that this is no longer your residence.”
She paused for breath.
“Now can you explain what you’re trying to do by showing up here with your old fling.”
“He was not…” I stopped myself.
There was no point going over this again. It was too painful for me, and they did not care.
“These are a lovely shade of pink.” I walked towards the heap of gifts on a table by the window, and ran a light hand over the pink rose petals.
“Lys Astre Grunder.” Her voice rose.
I did not turn.
In the past, I would have trembled, stuttered in a hasty explanation, falling all over myself to assure her that I was still their perfect daughter.
But now, there was a new firmness to my spine. A confidence that I never even had from owning a powerful wolf like Rhea.
Finally, I turned around and crossed my legs at the ankle, clutching my purse in front of me.
Her eyes dropped, traveling the length of my body.
“You look different.” She whispered with a confused look, and then she shook her head. “How did you get these? You left here with nothing.”
She walked closer, lowering her voice.
“If they got these for you, they’re not brutes after all. They have…” Her hand brushed over the tweed jacket hanging over my shoulders. “Really classy taste.”
In my elegant mother's eyes, there was a rare emotion there now.
Shameless thirst for gossip.
“What are they like? Have you seen their real faces?”
She stopped, taking a step back. “Are you blushing?”
I said nothing.
She frowned. “Will they be trouble, Lys?”
“If you are asking if their unbelievably good looks would make me lose my head and decide to not marry Fentone, I’ll tell you that you have bigger things to worry about.”
I walked over to my bed, and carefully took a seat.
My eyes closed momentarily to the feel of the plug in there. How long before I’m allowed to take it out?
“You and Dad have no idea who you are up against.” I turned to my mother. She could have been a runway model. She had the face and figure for it.
“You’re worried about Fentone?” I scoffed quietly, “What do you think his father, that very human president, can do if the Heartthrown Alphas decide he’s a bother.”
The next time anyone makes you cry, we can do whatever we decide is best.
My family was in trouble, and they did not even know it.
That dragon was lethal. And if he decided to come for them, Hale could not be the diplomat he usually was, not after the freaking mess they made four years ago.
Mom was biting her lip in distress now, slowly pacing the room with that faraway look in her eyes.
“You don’t have to return to them, Lys.” She looked up with a new resolve. "You can stay with your brother or grandmother till the wedding. If they ask, we'll tell them you disappeared from here, and we have no idea where you went.”
“They can hear you.”
She froze, eyes popping out of her head.
I stood up with a shrug. “I mean, If they cared to listen in right now,” I clarified.
Draki had been too preoccupied to care about anything else when we left. But Hale… now that was a different matter.
“They are gods, mom. gods. I have no idea what you and Dad were thinking, but you’ll not get away with this.”
Her head jerked back as if I had slapped her.
“Don’t you dare twist the narrative. It was all you. You ran away with them. You went with them without telling anyone.”