"Of course you do," Lydia said with gentle understanding. "You're still learning to trust this new reality. It takes time." She leaned forward, her eyes warm. "But Lilianna, from what Nicolaus has told Lucian, those men adore you.”
"I know they do," I said softly, my fingers tracing the rim of my mug. "And I adore them. I just..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words.
"You're waiting for the moment when it all falls apart," Lydia finished for me, her voice gentle with understanding. "When they realize you're not what they expected, or when your past catches up to you."
I looked up, startled by how accurately she'd named my fears. "Yes. Exactly that."
Lydia's smile was warm but tinged with something knowing. "Your mother. She's still trying to find you, isn't she?"
The question sent a chill through me despite the warm tea in my hands. "Yes. She's been... persistent."
"Mine were too," Lydia said, setting her mug down with a soft clink. "For almost a year. She showed up at my shop after being opened a year….then both my mother and father showed up at Lucian’s,r I was staying there until they left town.”
My stomach dropped at her words. "They found you? What happened?"
"They demanded I come home," Lydia said quietly, her hands tightening around her mug. "Said I was embarrassing the family, that I was being selfish and childish." Her voice grew steadier as she continued. "But my pack... they stood between us. Not aggressively, but firmly. Lucian told them that I was an adult who had made my choice, and they needed to respect that."
"How did they react?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"About as well as you'd expect," Lydia said with a rueful smile. "Lots of shouting about duty and bloodlines and how I was throwing away my future. But eventually, they left….though that only happened after Lucian threatened them with legal action.”
I felt a mixture of relief and dread at her words. "Did they stay away after that?"
"For the most part," Lydia said, though something in her tone suggested there was more to the story. "They sent letters for a while. Tried to guilt me into coming back by telling me how disappointed they were, how I was ruining the family name." She met my eyes directly. "But eventually they stopped. I think they finally realized I wasn't going to break."
I took a shaky sip of my tea, processing her words. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm strong enough to do that. To stand firm if they find me."
"You are," Lydia said with quiet conviction. "You've already proven that by leaving in the first place. The hardest part is behind you."
Lydia's eyes widened, her hand reaching across the table to cover mine. "You were sold?" Her voice was gentle but tinged with quiet outrage.
I nodded, the shame of it still clinging to me despite everything. "My mother arranged it. She thought she was securing my future with a powerful pack." I took a steadying breath. "But they were different than she expected. Than I expected."
"Different how?" Lydia asked, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on my hand.
"They gave me a choice," I said, still marveling at the memory. "The very first night, Julian—he's the Head Alpha—he told me I could stay and let them court me properly, or they would help me find somewhere safe, away from my family." I smiled softly. "No one had ever given me a choice before."
Lydia's eyes softened with understanding. "That still counts as leaving—you chose freedom over what was expected of you. You chose them over the path that was laid out for you."
I nodded, considering her words. "I suppose you're right. I could have rejected their courtship and asked to be taken somewhere else."
"But you didn't," Lydia pointed out, her voice gentle. "You saw something in them worth staying for."
"I did," I admitted, warmth blooming in my chest at the memory of those early days. "Even when I was terrified and unsure of everything, something about them felt... right. Safe, in a way I'd never experienced before."
Lydia leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. "That's your instincts, Lilianna. Always follow those.”
I nodded as we kept on talking, some of my worries and insecurities melting away with her words. I was glad Nicolaus brought me here.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Lilianna
I must have fallen asleep in the car on the drive back, lulled by the gentle motion and the emotional exhaustion of the day. When I woke, we were already pulling into the driveway of the house, the familiar silhouette welcoming against the darkening sky.
"We're home," Nicolaus said softly, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from my face. "You slept the whole way back."
I straightened in my seat, blinking away the remnants of sleep. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such boring company."
