Filed to story: Claimed by My Ex’s Alpha Brother
For the first time, I understood why my parents had started the rumor that I was sick and moved me to Aunt Mia’s farm. They did it to protect me from ending up…like this. If I had been exiled, I could have been attacked like my dad. Now that I had a child, I could see why they had started that rumor six years ago. I’d do anything to protect my son.
My stomach plummeted as I remembered Liam’s words last night.
I don’t believe Noah will stop there. I think that once he joins the Rogues, he is going to share all of WaterLock’s secrets to help them take over our pack.
Was he right? Was there an army coming for WaterLock?
I shook my head to clear it.
I couldn’t worry about that right now. One problem at a time.
My mother was sitting next to my dad, gripping one of his hands in both of hers and murmuring words that were too quiet for me to hear.
Grayson let out a gasp from beside me as he looked at all the wires attached to his grandpa, and his little hand tightened around mine.
“Can he hear me?” my son asked, walking forward slowly and staring at his grandpa with wide eyes.
My mom reached her hand out to Grayson and pulled him against her side.
“I’m not sure, sweetheart. But I like to talk to him anyway, just in case he can,” my mom said.
Immediately, Grayson launched into a story about the long car ride here and how he missed Goose, and he had trouble falling asleep last night because his dog always slept in his bed.
A small grin crossed my face as I listened to my son’s chatter. Even in one of the toughest moments of my life, Grayson could bring me joy.
***
“How are you, Mom?”
We were eating lunch in the hospital’s small cafeteria after spending the morning talking to my dad. Grayson had gone quiet and didn’t want to eat his turkey sandwich, so Aunt Mia had offered to take him on a walk outside.
“Hm?” my mom asked, poking at her cup of chicken salad with a faraway look in her eyes.
“How are you holding up?” I asked and grasped her hand.
“I’m…numb,” she answered and crossed her arms. “This doesn’t feel real. I’m waiting for the moment when Healer Nia tells me that someone made a mistake, that isn’t my husband lying there fighting for his life.” Her voice was devoid of all emotion.
My stomach jolted, and I pushed away my unfinished sandwich.
I’d never seen my mother act like this. It was like her mind was dissociating to protect her from the pain she was feeling. This switch had happened right after Grayson had walked away, and I realized she had put on a brave face to protect him.
For ten minutes, I tried to talk to her, but she would just shake her head. Sensing she needed a minute by herself, I left the table to buy us coffee. The line was long, and there was only one young girl making all the drinks. I was thankful for a moment to collect myself.
Before I could even take a deep breath, my heart started beating frantically.
“Ella?”
When I spun around, Liam was standing closer than I’d expected, and his nearness made my breath catch. He was dressed in a fitted gray suit and black tie. His hair was tousled, and my hands itched to run my fingers through it. The swell of his arm muscles strained at the fabric, and I had to rip my eyes away to stop myself from staring.
“Liam, hello,” I said in a brisk tone, angry at myself for being affected by him.
“Healer Nia told me that you’ve visited your father. How are you?”
My heart lifted a little.
“I’m doing all right. Thank you,” I replied and crossed my arms as we shuffled forward in line.
“How’s your shoulder feeling?”
“It’s all right,” I said.
Our conversation was stilted, awkward. I almost preferred our brutal honesty last night. At least that talk had seemed real.
The woman behind us turned around, and her brown eyes brightened when she saw Liam.
My jaw clenched.
“Liam, I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for my husband. Adam wouldn’t be alive today without you,” the woman said with tears shining in her eyes. “Can I please buy you a coffee? It’s the least I can do.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary, Hannah. I’m just glad I could help.”
The two chatted until it was Hannah’s turn to order. She ended up paying for our coffee, and after I thanked her, I walked back over to my mom to give her a small coffee with one cream and two sugars. My mom murmured a thank you and continued to stare out the cafeteria window. Her passive behavior was really starting to scare me.
I went back over to the other side of the room and found Liam at the coffee station pouring cream into his cup.
“So, did you become a healer in the last six years?” I asked as I took off my white lid to add two sugars to my drink.
“What do you mean?”
“Hannah said her husband wouldn’t be alive without you. Why did she say that?” I asked and picked up a wooden stirrer.
Liam’s cheeks reddened. I could see the maroon color even through his beard.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?