Chapter 6
1002 Words
I stared at him, suddenly understanding. "They saw me as a threat. Even before they knew who I was."
"On some instinctual level, maybe." Liam nodded. "Alpha blood recognises Alpha blood, even when we don't recognises Alpha blood, even when we don't consciously realise consciously realise it."
I glanced back at the photos on the desk, at the faces of my parents, my real parents. People who had died because they dared to challenge the status quo.
"If your father reveals who I am at the ceremony, won't that put everyone in danger? The Northern Alliance…"
"Is weakened now," Liam finished. "Two of the three main families have new Alphas who don't share their fathers' extreme views. My father believes it's time to bring you out of hiding."
"And what do you believe?" I asked.
He met my gaze steadily. "I believe you deserve to know who you are and where you come from. The rest... we'll figure out together."
"Together?" I raised an eyebrow. "Since when are we a 'we'?"
A faint blush colored his cheeks. "I just meant..."
"I know what you meant." I stood up, suddenly needing space. "This is too much. I need time to process all of this."
"Of course." He nodded, gathering the documents and returning them to the cabinet. "But please, don't do anything rash. Don't run."
"Why would you care if I did?"
Liam locked the cabinet and turned to face me. "Because I've watched you all these years, trying to figure out why you make me want to…” before he could finish, his lips were on mine.
I froze, my eyes wide with shock. His lips were warm and soft against mine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. This was Liam Maxwell…one of the quad Alpha heirs who had watched his brothers torment me for years without ever stepping in. Yet here he was, kissing me like I was something precious.
My hands came up instinctively, pressing against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat racing under my palms, matching my own frantic rhythm. Part of me wanted to melt into him, to let myself believe that someone actually wanted me. But the rational part of my brain was screaming warnings.
I pulled back abruptly, stumbling backward until my back hit the cabin wall.
"What the hell was that?" I gasped, touching my lips with trembling fingers.
Liam's eyes were dark, his breathing ragged. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"
"No, you shouldn't have," I snapped, though my voice lacked conviction. My whole body was still tingling from his touch. "You can't just...you can't kiss me and expect that to fix seventeen years of being invisible to you and your family."
"You were never invisible to me," he said quietly, taking a step closer. I pressed harder against the wall, nowhere left to retreat. "I've been watching you since we were kids. The way you read during lunch instead of trying to fit in with the other girls. How you never cried, no matter what my brothers said to you. Your strength, your intelligence…I've always seen it."
"Then why didn't you ever say anything? Why didn't you stop them?"
Guilt flickered across his face. "Because I was a coward. And because..." He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "Because I knew if I got too close to you, I'd want things I couldn't have."
"What things?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
His green eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my knees weak. "You. I'd want you."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "Liam..."
"I know it's complicated," he rushed on. "I know you have every reason to hate my family. But when I saw you today, talking about leaving, about shifting alone…" His voice cracked slightly. "The thought of losing you before I ever had the chance to tell you how I feel...I couldn't bear it."
I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deception. But all I saw was raw honesty and something that looked dangerously like love.
"This is insane," I whispered. "Yesterday I was nobody. Today I found out I'm Alpha blood, and now you're telling me you have feelings for me? It's too much."
"I know," he said softly. "But my feelings aren't because of your bloodline. They existed long before I knew who you really were."
I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I wanted to believe him, but if I was his fated, that meant one thing: I was the fated mate of all four of them, not just Liam’s.
“No, no, no, ok, this isn’t happening, and no, it has to stop right here, right now, because if I’m your mate, that means I’m theirs as well, and that’s not going to happen. Let’s just forget that ever happened, ok.” I said as I headed towards the door.
Liam's hand shot out, catching my wrist before I could reach the door. "Wait. Please."
I turned back, hating how my skin burned where he touched me. "Let go."
"You're right," he said, his voice strained. "If you're my mate, then you're... you're all of ours. But that doesn't mean what you think it means."
I yanked my arm free. "Doesn't it? Four Alphas sharing one mate? I've heard the stories, Liam. I know how quad bonds work."
"The stories are mostly myths," he said desperately. "Yes, if we're truly mated, there would be a bond between all of us. But it's not about possession or sharing. It's about balance. Each brother brings something different to the bond."
"And what would you bring?" I asked sarcastically. "The ability to stand by and watch while the others destroy me?"
He flinched as if I'd slapped him. "I deserved that."
"You deserve worse than that." But even as I said it, my traitorous body was remembering the feel of his lips on mine, the way he'd looked at me like I was something worth protecting.
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