Page 104 of Generation Omega: Revealed
She frees their words, all the diminishing things they ever said—the worst, that she was their greatestmistake. Tillie shows me how she made lists of all the things they should have said—likeI love you—and later, how she burned those journals when she accepted that they would never be the parents she needed.
Tillie took it all on herself. If only she were better, prettier, sweeter, smarter,moreof whatever they valued. But it wasn’t about her. They lacked the ability to appreciate what was most precious, and I want to drown them both in a deep lake, though any puddle would do.
Tillie feels my rage and hurt on her behalf, my complete willingness to end them, and cries harder.
“You’re safe,” I murmur, when I’m able to speak again. “I will never leave you. There is nowhere I want to be, other than with you. You were born worthy of love. There was nothing you ever needed to do to earn that. It’s the right of every child to know belief, care, support, love, humor, and safety. Life happens to all of us, but our wounds should never come from the people who brought us into this world. From them, we deserve compassion and loyalty.”
“I always thought it was because of me, that I wasn’t good enough.”
“Oh, baby girl, it was never about you. They didn’t have love to give. They were incurably, emotionally bankrupt when the greatest treasure arrived in their lives, and they couldn’t see you for what you are. One day, they might. One day, I may arrange a meeting between them and the afterlife. Let’s not have a familymeet and greetanytime soon.”
“Never,” she declares with force. “I never want them to have anything to do with our lives.”
“Done.”
She snuggles into me and we breathe each other until her unpleasant past falls away. “Your father…”
My clever girl realizes that I glossed over a few of the less pleasant sections of my past. Unable to deny her anything, I give Tillie a more detailed tour of my father’s wisdom, delightful sense of humor, love of reading, and sudden illness. I share my pride at the packed church for his funeral and all the things I said about him after he was gone, not one of which I hadn’t told him when he was alive. I was so lucky to have the time to know him as an adult, though it could never be enough.
“I’m so glad you had a father like him, and your mom seems fun.”
“She is fun.”
“And your sister too.”
“She’s great and annoying. When you meet her, she’s going to mock me ruthlessly—I expect you to defend me, not join Bernie’s Anti-Gideon Cabal.”
“I can’t make any promises about that,” Tillie murmurs with a soft chuckle. Then she pulls back, her worry clear. “Are they safe?”
I brush my fingertips over her cheek. “Yes. They’re off the grid right now, enjoying a vacation.”
“What about Ethan’s mom?”
“Kazimir hired a dozen bodyguards who are currently watching over her. If needed, they’ll extract her and keep her safe.”
Tillie’s relieved, and I know it’s time to deliver the news Ethan didn’t get the chance to share. No secrets. I think back to my conversation with Kazimir, replaying it for Tillie, who stops breathing until she knows everything I know—that Kazimir bit Ethan to save him.
I expect shock, horror, more tears, but not her actual response.
Wearing a content smile, she gushes, “No one can ever take Ethan from me or challenge his place with us. If Kazimir is my alpha, then Ethan is basically my beta. I mean, he’sEthan—he doesn’t need a designation to belong with me, but he has one. Hebelongswith me—he always has. That’s the part of this that was the biggest struggle for me, the idea that my love for Ethan was somehow suddenly irrelevant. It isn’t and he’s got a bondmark to prove it.” Her hand moves up and lightly traces over my bite on her neck. “Just like me.”
I mirror the movement, touching her bite. “And me.”
With misty eyes, she whispers, “Pack.”
“Exactly.”
With a mischievous grin, she slowly leans closer and kisses my neck, running her tongue over her bite. My knot, still inside her, begins vibrating again.
Kissing up my neck and then back over her bite, she sighs. “I really love your knot.”
I laugh. “It’s a good thing because it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.” Lust burns brighter. “My turn.”
I graze my teeth around my bite, kissing and then teasing along it with the tip of my tongue. Her inner muscles twitch, gripping my cock in the best way.
A needy, little whimper escapes her. “I love this. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby girl.”
