Blood Legacy

27

S

oon after we finished dinner with the family, we were back in Liam's car, returning to Wolf Moon Academy.

"I'm a little surprised, but I had a great time." Liam reached over and took my hand in his. "Your family is so supportive and loving."

"And they love you too." Going back there today had been better than I could ever have expected. At dinner, my parents told embarrassing stories about me and what Liam had gotten himself into. We had laughed so much that my sides had started hurting.

"I'm damn lucky to have found you. I never had that growing up." He gave me a sad smile. "We would eat dinner together at night. But it mostly consisted of what Bree or I needed to do better and to learn etiquette. If we did have a general conversation, it was around council business and how the packs needed to stop complaining so much. They had it so much better than years past."

"I'm sure you and Bree had fun together." Bree had a great sense of humor and was as loyal as they came.

"She's always been a pleaser though." Liam squeezed my hand. "Dad was always focused on me and who I had to become. Bree tried to do anything to get his attention. She went out of her way to get great grades and be the daughter she thought he wanted. That's one reason why she fights her bond with Nate."

"Like someone else I know." I arched an eyebrow. He’d fought our bond for almost two months.

“And why am I not surprised you figured out they were mates?”

"Because, I pick up on things. And you and me, well that was different." He narrowed his eyes at me. "And you know it. I thought I was putting you in danger." He paused and held up a finger on his left hand, which was on the steering wheel. "Correction, I've put you in danger."

"Not any more than I'll be when the truth comes out, and besides, you're worth it." I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. Even though I was better, I still got tired easily.

"Take a nap. I'll wake you up when we get home." Liam's voice was deep and comforting. For once, I didn't mind listening to him, and I faded into sleep.

AS WE CLIMBED out of Liam's car, he stepped around to my side and took my hand. "Come on, let's get you packed before we head over to my dorm. We need to sleep there tonight so we don't wake Bree up in the morning. You know how she is."

"Wait. Why am I getting packed?" I'd been avoiding thinking about him leaving me for a week and purposely had steered clear of that conversation with him. I was afraid I'd guilt him into staying, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Because we travel in the morning." He arched an eyebrow at me, and then he nodded his head as if realization had sunk in. "Did you really think I would leave you behind unprotected?"

"No … I mean I was going to stay on campus and not follow anyone, especially Amber, anywhere." The thought of going with him excited me, but I didn't want him to feel obligated to take me.

"I'm not going without you." He stopped and turned my body to face him. "So if you don't want to go, say the word."

"I don't want to cause more problems between you and your father." At the end of the day, Mr. Hale was still his dad.

"Do you really think there could be anything else that got in between us?" Liam raised an eyebrow. He tries to control me. He tried to keep me from mating with you, and he hired mercenaries to kidnap you. Hell, I have no clue what their plans at the end of that fiasco were for you. He doesn't have my best interests at heart, and I'm starting to have my doubts about whether he should actually be in power. I don't trust him with you, and honestly, I don't want to go anywhere without you by my side. So are we going, or are we staying home for the week?

He won't let me on the plane. I could only imagine his reaction when I showed up.

He won't be there. That's one reason why we're going so early. Evan scheduled it with the sole purpose of you going with us. After all, we are really just following his directions. All the heirs are to go on this trip, and you are, in fact, an heir too. You need to see all this just as much as the four of us.

It would be helpful for me later, especially since I would wind up being a council member. Okay, let's go. I hadn't ever gotten to travel before, so this was exciting. Not only that, but we'd get to meet other wolves and see what kind of problems their packs had.

Good, now let's go get your stuff. He took my hand and led me inside the dorm. When we entered the room, Bree was pulling two large suitcases behind her.

"Where are you going?" Liam's forehead wrinkled as his eyes landed on the suitcases.

"I'm... uh..." Bree looked at me and cringed.

"She's going home with Nate to meet his family." He had to get over not wanting them to be together.

"Like hell she is..." He growled.

"Oh, shut it." I rolled my eyes and stepped in front of him. "He's her fated, and she has just as much right to be with him as you do with me. So stop acting like your father."

It was like he deflated right before my eyes. His shoulders sagged, and he stared at the ground. "I am, aren't I?"

"Don't you want her to be happy?" I walked over to Bree and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "She deserves to have what we have. Do you want to keep pushing her, making her feel like you did when you were trying to reject me?"

Bree let go of one of her bags, which had been rolling behind her, and wrapped her free arm around me as well.

"God, no." He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. "Fine, go. But don't tell Dad."

"Really?" Her mouth spread into a huge smile. "I love you both so much." She pulled me into her arms and then ran over to Liam and hugged him. Her face was glowing with happiness. "Okay, I've got to go. But I'll see you next week. You two be safe." She grabbed her luggage once again and wheeled it out to the elevator, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I'm an asshole." Liam finally looked up at me. "What the hell am I doing?"

"You're trying to protect your sister." For the first time, he was starting to see things differently. It proved he was the man that I’d always saw in him.