Chapter 53

My heart is thundering. I should have waited to ask Adrian about this. I’ve been through so much today already. I’m not sure I have it in me to hear this right now.

I’m confused, but I’m relieved and overjoyed at the same time. Finding out I was Julian’s mate had come with a sense of dread. Like I was trapped. With Adrian, it feels the opposite. I want to be his mate. I want to be his.

“I don’t understand. Why did Julian think I was his?” I ask.

“I don’t know. Having two mates isn’t unheard of, but it’s incredibly rare. Especially for humans. Maybe Julian was mistaken. Feeling a strong attraction can be confused with the feeling of finding your mate. Julian is young, he might not have known what he was feeling.” Adrian answered.

“How sure are you?” I ask. I need him to be sure. What if he’s experiencing the same confusion. I don’t understand how this is possible.

“Let’s just say that I’ve had enough life experience to know what this is.” Adrian answers with a ghost of a grin.

“In other words, you’re old.” I tease.

“I’m not old. I’m not even 40 yet.” He feigns indignation and reaches out to draw me close to him.

“Well, give it a few months.” I laugh as I place my hands on his waist and let him pull me close.

“How do you feel about it?” Adrian asks. He sounds sincerely concerned and the question takes me aback. The concept of mates is so new to me, and this is the first time I’ve been asked what I want. I never thought about it as something I had a choice in. Yet, Adrian was giving me one.

“Happy.” I say simply. There’s no other word to describe it and the look in Adrian’s eyes tells me I don’t need to say anything else.

He pulls me into an embrace and holds me tight. And for the first time all day, a feeling of calm security falls over me.

A throat clears and we turn to see Susan at the door, her stern face unreadable.

“Sir, Miss, you have a visitor. He is in the parlor.”

I sigh. Will this day never end?

We go downstairs and head into the parlor where a small older man sits politely in a cushioned chair.

“Phillip!” Adrian greets him warmly and guides me to sit in a chair opposite the guest. “What brings you by? Not that it’s not good to see you.”

He sits next to me and relaxes into his seat.

“I heard about the events of today. First let me say, I am overjoyed to hear Grace was found safe and I hope whoever is responsible is caught and brought to justice swiftly.” Phillip says gravely and Adrian nods his thanks. “I also heard that you claimed Lily as your mate.”

I sit up, worried about what this obviously well-respected member of the community will say.

“As the most senior member of your council, and as one gifted with sensing such things, I wanted to give you official confirmation of your claim.” Phillip continues and Adrian gives him a nod of gratitude.

Upon seeing my confused face, Adrian explains, “Phillip was granted the gift of seeing certain powers and gifts of the werewolves. Part of his responsibility is to confirm mates, Alphas, and such. If I had been mistaken, his job would be to correct my claim.”

“It explains my little slip of the tongue at the party, my dear. When I assumed you were Adrian’s mate, it was because you are. I didn’t sense such a thing when you were with Julian. But that party was no place to correct him, and I have seen how Julian can be when challenged. I decided to wait until he requested the confirmation.” Phillip continues, an unspoken apology in his face.

“Your decision probably spared me being the subject to another scene, so I appreciate your discretion.” I thank him.

“Your mother would be so proud of you.” Phillip says and my heart seizes.

“How do you know my mother?” I ask quietly. Adrian reaches over and places his hand over both of mine clasped in my lap. The touch grounds me and I cling to it like a life raft.

“So, it is true. You don’t know what you are?” Phillip asks me with sympathy.

“What do you mean, Phillip?” Adrian asks.

“Lily, you are the daughter of Robert and Rose Roberts. The former king of queen of the Lycans.” Phillip says gently.

I have no choice. I couldn’t have stopped myself if it meant the end of the world. The laugh that escaped me was a little hysterical, but the claim was absolutely ridiculous. I was human. Phillip was mistaken.

To his credit, he waits patiently, not at all offended until I stop laughing before he explains.

“I scented your bloodline when I first met you. You look so much like your mother, except for hair and your nose. That you got from your father.” Phillip says and Adrian clutches my hand harder.

“I’m not a Lycan.” I say with confidence. “I think I would have known something like that by now.”

“Your mother was only half Lycan. It would explain why turning would be difficult for you and your wolf instincts so easily suppressed. You will need help in turning for the first time, but I have no doubts about who you are, my dear.” Phillip explains.

I look at Adrian, expecting him to correct his friend, but he’s looking at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. This is completely absurd, but I don’t want to argue with the older man and risk offending him.

“I will leave you two now. I’ve given you enough to consider and it has been a most trying day.” Phillip rises from his seat, and I join Adrian in walking him to the door.

After he leaves, Adrian turns as though he wants to discuss this immediately, but before he can say a word, I cut him off. “We should check on Grace.”

“We need to talk about this.” He insists.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not a Lycan.” I argue. “And Grace will be awake soon. I don’t want her to wake up alone right now.”

He knows I’m right and doesn’t say another word as we head upstairs.

Grace is just stirring awake when we get there. She looks better and a little more herself. The nap did her some good. I sit on the bed next to her and she wraps her arms around my waist in a tight hug.

“Grace, I know this is hard, but you need to be brave now. Can you tell us what happened?” Adrian asks gently as he sits down on Grace’s other side.

Sitting between us, safe in her bed, Grace takes a breath as though fortifying herself. Then so softly I almost don’t hear it, she says, “The blonde lady from the pack, the mean one, Vanessa, she took me away.”

Why am I not surprised? That woman knows no shame. I clutched Grace a little tighter.

“When the ride stopped, she waved for me to come to the fence. I thought it was okay because she’s from the pack. But then she grabbed me and took me away. I tried to yell for you, Lily, but she covered my mouth. Then we went in the woods, and she covered my eyes too.”

Grace is starting to cry now and I’m struggling to hold back my own tears. My heart is breaking for this little girl and guilt slams into me like a hammer. I was responsible for her and I let this happen.

Adrian arm comes around us both pulling us in closer to him. Like we could disappear right here. “Did she say anything?” He asks.

“She said this was revenge and we were all going to pay. Because you would lose me and everyone would blame Lily. She left me in the rocks and told me that she was coming back to take me away and that I better not leave because then she would find me and kill me and Lily.” She starts sobbing again. The poor girl is shaking with fear.

“No one is going to hurt you again.” I promise her. “You’re safe now. It’s all over.”

When he doesn’t say anything, I look at Adrian. His face might be the picture of fatherly assurance and calm, but I recognize that gleam in his eyes. They are filled with an unrestrained rage.