chapter 98
Tori's POV:
My heart plummeted at his words, the fleeting sense of safety I'd found in his embrace crumbling to dust.
I'd kept secrets, hidden my past, and run away without explanation.
Of course, he was furious—what had I expected?
Lucas's arms slowly unwound from around me, leaving me suddenly cold despite the warmth of the living room. His intense silver-blue eyes fixed on mine with an unwavering gaze.
"You always do this," he said, his voice carrying the unmistakable weight of Alpha authority, yet somehow gentle. "When things get difficult, when we reach a point where real trust is required, you choose to run."
I dropped my gaze to the floor, unable to meet his eyes. The accusation stung because it was true.
"The bond between mates requires complete trust, Tori," he continued, his hand lifting to tilt my chin up, forcing me to look at him. "You leaving without a word, hiding things from me... it makes me feel like you're keeping me on the outside of walls I can't break through."
I finally met his eyes, my vision blurring with unshed tears. "I don't want to be apart from you... Lucas"
"Then don't be apart," Lucas said firmly, pulling me back into his embrace with one swift motion.
As I fell against his chest, I froze for a moment before the tears finally spilled over. "But I've got blood on my hands. I was in Silver Fang for four years..."
"That doesn't matter," Lucas replied without hesitation, one arm securing me around my shoulder blades, the other cradling the back of my head.
"I dated Ethan before," I confessed, my voice muffled against his chest.
"That doesn't matter either."
I wrapped my arms tightly around his strong waist, burying my face against him, breathing in his unique scent—pine and winter frost. Years of pent-up hurt and injustice suddenly rushed to the surface now that I finally felt safe enough to let go.
"I never played two sides," I whispered urgently. "I never contacted Noah privately, nor have I ever thought about seducing him. I never—"
"I know," Lucas said, cupping my face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away my tears.
Through my blurred vision, his expression remained serious, with that characteristic calm steadiness.
His eyes were deep and unreadable, but his touch was gentle. I could feel his compassion washing over me, and I looked at him intently. "Do you believe me?"
"I believe you," Lucas answered without hesitation.
His immediate trust hit me like a wave, washing away years of disbelief and accusations.
"Thank you for believing me," I whispered, my voice breaking slightly.
The simple act of being trusted, of being believed without question, felt like the most precious gift.
"I was always afraid to tell you. I feared you'd look down on me like everyone else. After Ethan told me that you once said the Grayson family could never accept an Omega who had been in Silver Fang as a mate..."
Lucas wiped at my endless tears before drawing me back against his chest.
His voice was firm and resolute: "If I had known that person was you, I would never have said those things."
Listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, my tears flowed even more freely. "So you don't hate me, right?" I asked, needing to hear it directly.
"No," he answered without a moment's hesitation. "If anything, I'm proud of you for having the strength to survive."
I stared at him, disbelieving. "Proud?"
"You've been through so much," he said softly, his hand gently stroking my hair. "These past four years must have been incredibly difficult for you. Alone, rejected, carrying a burden no one should have to bear."
I looked up at him, stunned by his reaction. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined he would respond this way—with compassion instead of judgment, with pride instead of disgust.
The relief was so overwhelming it made me lightheaded.
"If it led me to you," I whispered, a small, tremulous smile forming on my lips, "then it wasn't so difficult after all."
His eyes softened at my words, and I could feel something shift between us.
The sound of the front door opening shattered our moment.
Keys jingled, followed by the rustle of shopping bags.
"Tori? I'm back with dinner ingredients," Janet called from the entryway.
I quickly pulled away from Lucas, wiping hastily at my tear-stained cheeks. The last thing I wanted was to worry Janet or have to explain my emotional state.
"Coming!" I called back, my voice still slightly hoarse.
I gave Lucas an apologetic look as I straightened my clothes and attempted to smooth my hair. "I should help her with dinner."
Lucas nodded, understanding in his eyes. He reached out to brush away a tear I'd missed, his touch lingering just a moment longer than necessary.
I took a deep breath, composing myself before heading to the kitchen where Janet was already unloading groceries onto the counter.
The mundane domesticity of the scene felt surreal after the emotional revelation I'd just experienced.
"Need any help with those?" I asked, reaching for a bag of vegetables.
Janet smiled, seemingly unaware of the emotional hurricane that had just passed through the living room. "That would be great. I got everything for that stew your grandmother likes."
I nodded and began washing the vegetables. The weight that had been crushing me for years felt lighter now, shared between us.
As I chopped vegetables for the stew, I reached for what I thought was the salt container.
My mind was still half-elsewhere, replaying Lucas's words of acceptance, when Janet turned to answer Anna's call from the other room.
Dinner came together quickly, and soon we were all seated around the small kitchen table. I ladled the stew into bowls, passing the first one to Grandmother, then Lucas, before serving everyone else.
Lucas took his first bite just as I tasted mine.
The overwhelming sweetness hit my tongue, and I nearly choked. Horror washed over me as I realized I'd added sugar instead of salt to the entire pot.
"I'm so sorry," I blurted out, mortified. "I mixed up the containers."
Lucas paused, expression unreadable as he carefully chewed and swallowed the sickeningly sweet vegetables.
"It's actually quite good," he said calmly, taking another deliberate bite.
I stared at him in disbelief. The vegetables were practically candied. There was no possible way anyone could find them 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.
Grandmother tasted a small spoonful and quickly set down her spoon.
"Oh dear," she said with a gentle smile. "Perhaps we should order takeout or go to a restaurant?"