Page 176 of Wisteria and Cloves
Christopher
I watched Lilianna drift to sleep, her features finally relaxing as she nestled deeper into our makeshift nest. Even in slumber, she maintained a light grip on Julian's sleeve, as if afraid he might disappear if she let go completely. The sight made something fierce and protective stir in my chest.
"She's exhausted," Miles whispered, his fingers still gently stroking her hair. "Poor thing has been holding it together so well."
Julian nodded, his expression somber as he adjusted his position to better support her. "The waiting is always the hardest part."
Feeling the vibrations, I glanced at my pocket where her phone was resting. When curiosity got the better of me, I carefully extracted it, angling the screen away so as not to disturb Lilianna, and checked the responses to her post.
"How bad is it?" Nicolaus asked, his voice low and controlled.
I gave a hum, “Not too bad. A lot of our fans and even teammates, couches and people we know are now following her. They are giving very supportive messages and congratulations.”
I scrolled through more comments, a sense of relief washing over me as I read message after message of support.
"Mostly positive," I confirmed, keeping my voice low. "Lots of congratulations, some questions about how we met, a few comments about how beautiful she is." I paused, smiling at one particular message. "Coach Thornan says, and I quote, 'About damn time these boys found someone to keep them in line.'"
Miles snorted softly, careful not to disturb Lilianna. "Your couch has always been interesting Chris." I nodded, though very happy he had always been on my side when things with the media happened.
Julian's eyes remained fixed on Lilianna's sleeping face, his expression a mixture of tenderness and concern. "Any signs of trouble? Keywords we should be monitoring?"
Nicolaus shifted closer, his analytical mind already working through contingencies. "We should track mentions of her full name, her mother's name, and any references to arrangements or purchases."
I nodded as I continued scanning, pausing at a few comments that stood out. "A couple of people mentioning they recognize us from business news or sports coverage." I looked up, meeting Julian's steady gaze. "Nothing hostile yet, but the post is spreading faster than her usual content."
"Her follower count?" Nicolaus asked, ever the one to track metrics.
I checked quickly. "Up by several thousand already…and given the notifications that keep pinging, her followers are increasing by the minute.” Julian exhaled slowly, his arms tightening almost imperceptibly around Lilianna's sleeping form. "That'sto be expected. The connection to us was bound to attract attention."
"It's not necessarily bad attention," I pointed out, still scrolling through the overwhelmingly positive comments. "People seem genuinely happy for her—for us."
I kept scrolling, my eyes catching on a notification that made my stomach drop. "We've got our first media inquiry. Some lifestyle blog requesting an interview."
"It was inevitable," Julian said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "The moment that photo hit social media, this became a story. Four eligible Alphas finally courting someone…and this being an all Alpha pack which is already something different. We’ve always stated we would all have one omega too, t's catnip to the gossip columns."
Nicolaus's expression darkened. "Her mother will see it soon, if she hasn't already."
"We should prepare for that possibility," I agreed, setting the phone aside for a moment. "What's our strategy when she reaches out?"
Julian's jaw tightened, a rare visible sign of his anger. "We don't engage directly. All communication goes through legal channels."
"She'll try to reach Lilianna directly," Miles said softly, his hand still gently stroking her hair. "You know she will."
I nodded, my protective instincts flaring. "She doesn’t have her phone number…that helps. I just have a feeling she may try to find us while in public or show up here.”
Julian's expression hardened at my words. "If she shows up here, we don't let her on the property. Period."
"What about a public confrontation?" Nicolaus asked, his voice tight with concern. "She could easily find out where we work, where we go regularly."
I felt Lilianna shift slightly in her sleep, a small frown creasing her brow as if she could sense the tension in the room even unconsciously. I gently smoothed my thumb across her forehead, watching her features relax again.
"We'll need to be extra careful about our routines," Julian said quietly. "Vary our schedules, use different entrances to buildings when possible. And we don't go anywhere extra for a week or so to be safe.”
"I can work from home more often," I offered, my voice barely above a whisper. "Most of my training can be done remotely anyway, I've got that flexibility with having the home gym, I can practice there with no problem."
Miles nodded thoughtfully. "If I talk to my couch I may be able to take some time off this week for personal time."
"I have a game I can't reschedule," Julian said, his tone apologetic thinking of the tennis match he had this coming week. "But I can arrange for a driver, and avoid walking anywhere the public usually has access too.”
