Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Lilly pov.

“So, when are you going to turn me?” I asked Brent casually. I know it's anything but lighthearted. I've asked him a few times since Claire was born, but his answer remains the same. No, it's dangerous. But there has to be a way to convince him, right? So now, I'm going for the casual approach. Not that it works because he answers, "No, Lilly. I've said it before. It's dangerous." His voice sounds irritated.

"But Brent! How will it be when Claire grows up? When she gets her wolf? How am I supposed to help and understand her if I don't know what she is going through? Why don't you understand that this is important to me?" I cross my arms and look at him intently. He mimics my face and says, "Don't you think she would rather have a mother who is human, than no mother at all?" When I don't say anything, he continues. "It's just too risky." I throw my hands up in frustration. “Maybe I'm willing to take that risk!” Deep down, I know that's not entirely true; I would never to do that to Claire and Brent.

"Well, I'm not! You're selfish. Have you thought about what it will be like if things go wrong? The chance that it goes wrong, that you don't survive is more likely than that you survive. And what do you think that's going to happen?" The desperation is evident on his face, and I see him holding himself back, not to scream, not to wake Claire.

I look at him silently, not knowing what to say. "Lilly, if you die," His voice breaks, and seeing him in such pain breaks my heart. “If you die, I don't know if I'll survive.” I try to swallow the lump in my throat. "I know you want nothing more than for me to turn you to be a wolf, just like me." He walks slowly towards me. "And believe me, if there was a bigger chance of success, I would have done it already. But I'm just an Omega; the chance of things going wrong is too high. You don't know what it's like when a wolf loses its fated mate. I would go so crazy that I couldn't care for Claire and probably kill myself out of desperation." Meanwhile, we both have teary eyes, and his confession makes me regret trying to push on. This is the first time he has said this.

I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his chest. "I'm sorry," I mumble. "I'm sorry to go on and on, but I'd love to be a wolf just like you and Claire." He steps back and takes my face in his hands. Before he can say anything, we hear a door slam. We look at each other in shock. We don't expect anyone, and there are only two people who have our house key. My parents and Brent's best friend. None of them know his true nature.

I quickly wipe away my tears, and at that moment, my parents walk into the room. I look at them in surprise. "Mom? Dad? I didn't know you were coming." I try to sound cheerful. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Brent observing them, it wouldn't be good if they found out what he really is. Or rather, it wouldn't be good if my father found out. Considering that he is the head of a criminal organization and has always done everything he can to keep me as safe as possible, I hate to think about what he would do if he found out that his only daughter is with a werewolf. Brent once tried to convince me to move. But even though I despise the organization my father and brother run, I don't have the heart to leave. Even if only to give Clare a chance to be with her grandparents. Since my family is the only family she has besides us. We never see Brent's family because he refuses to visit. The pack where he grew up is not exactly welcoming to humans.

"Is something wrong? Because you guys showed up unannounced?" Brent's voice sounds suspicious. My mother looks at him, offended. “Like we always need a reason to come over.” I give her a knowing look. It never happens that my parents just come for fun, my father is far too busy for that. She sighs and rolls her eyes when she sees my look. "Okay, fine." She says and gestures to my father to tell him what is wrong.

"I could use your help." He says nonchalantly. “You know I'd rather stay out of it.” I answer, frowning. "I know, I know," He replies. "But it's no big deal." I roll my eyes. My father doesn't think anything is a big deal as long as it doesn't involve torture or anything dangerous. “What do you want me to do?” I ask, sighing.

"Alex has a new girlfriend." My mother jumps in. Her voice sounds cheerful, which probably means she likes her. "Okay?" I say doubtfully. “And what does that have to do with me?” Normally, I can guess where it's going, but now I'm in the dark. My brother often has a new girlfriend; he is quite active in that area. "It seems serious, but he's not telling much. I need to know more about her." My father explains. "Yeah, so? What do you need me for? It's not like you've never done that before." I answer. "I don't want Alex to find out." My eyebrows shoot up at his answer. "Why not? He also needs to know whether she can be trusted, especially if things get serious." I argue.

"She's a sweet girl, but there's something... special... about her." My mother clarifies.

"Special? What do you mean?" This request is getting stranger and stranger. "I don't know, that's just how I feel." My mother replied thoughtfully. "So, what do you say? Want to help your old dad again?" My father's voice sounds casual, but I know that's just an appearance. "I have to think about it. You know what Alex is like." I answer, and my father nods understandingly. There is a moment of silence.

“So, what were you guys arguing about before we came?” My father asks, looking disapprovingly at Brent. "Xander!" My mother says warningly before either of us can answer. "What?! You saw her tear-stained face, too." He says as he continues to look at Brent. "Nothing special," I mumble.

A wave of relief runs through me when I hear Claire's babble through the baby monitor. An excuse to avoid the subject.

I feel Brent's eyes on my back as I rush upstairs to get Clare out of bed. Probably with a helpless look because I now leave him alone with my parents. Even if it's short, knowing my parents, those few minutes will feel excruciatingly long. For a moment, I feel guilty for running away so quickly, but I am soon overcome with a feeling of love when I see Claire's happy face. She looks at me with a bright smile and a sparkle in her eye. She may only be 6 months old, but she looks exactly like her father, especially with those adorable eyes. I'll pick out the cutest dress for her, which will catch my parents' attention and hopefully make them forget what they just asked. Not that a cute dress is needed. Claire has my parents wrapped around her little fingers. And not just my parents, but everyone we know loves her. Not that that surprises me, because she is the cutest and sweetest baby I have ever seen, especially with those little curls she has when her hair is wet. Well, of course, every mother says that about her child.

When I come downstairs with Claire, the tension is palpable. My father looks at Brent with a straight face, and I can tell from Brent's tense posture that he's almost collapsing under my father's stare. Fortunately, he knows how to hide it well from my parents. I put Claire carefully on the floor. "Look, grandma, what I can almost do!" I say cheerfully to lighten the mood. As if on cue, Claire tries to get down on all fours. When she finally succeeds, she moves herself from front to back as if she wants to crawl. My mother claps her hands enthusiastically. Claire looks at me expectantly, but she doesn't do anything else. "I don't think it will be long before she really starts crawling." I say proudly. My mother picks Claire up and showers her with kisses and hugs. "Isn't it a bit early to start crawling? Is that good for her little body?" Although my mother sounds a bit worried, I also hear pride in her voice. I shrug. "They say girls are faster at everything. And I think if she wasn't ready, she wouldn't try." I say nonchalantly. Luckily, she doesn't say anything else, and I don't have to come up with any other excuse for the fact that she is progressing faster than the average human baby.

“We have to get going again,” my father says firmly and rises from his chair, not giving my mother any room to argue. The disappointment is evident on her face as she hands Claire to Brent, who "Let me know when you've made a decision," the tone in my father's voice makes it clear that he wants me to make a decision quickly. I nod briefly, and then he looks intently at Brent, a short, almost invisible nod. I can guess what that means, and it isn’t something good.

“What did my father say to you?” I ask as soon as I close the door behind them. I can tell from his face that he's deciding whether to tell me or not. I look at him expectantly. "He asked if I would persuade you to help him. Because it means a lot to the family," he finally answers. "What a surprise," I mumble, rolling my eyes in irritation. "That man is unbelievable. I don't understand why he can't just accept that I don't want to help him with his criminal affairs." My voice gets louder with every word I say, and I can feel the anger rising inside me. Brent comes over to me and wraps his arms around me soothingly. "You know I won't persuade you if you don't want to. It's your choice. I fully support you." He says to calm me down. Luckily, his touch helps keep me calm, one of the few things I feel from the mate bond. "What does your feeling say?" He asks after a while. I'll have to think about that. "I don't know. On the one hand, I don't want to help him just because Alex can't find out." I answer doubtfully.

“But on the other hand?” Brent asks curiously. "I want to do it, but not necessarily to help my father, but more to get to know his girlfriend. There is a reason he doesn't tell much about her. So there must be something going on with her." I tell. “Like what?” he asks. "No idea, but my mother said there was something special about her. Suppose, and the chances are small, I know. But suppose she is a wolf or some other supernatural being." I explain and look at him hopefully. How nice would it be if I could talk about it with another human, in this case, Alex, which only makes it better because he is my brother.

“Hmm, yes, it could be.” He says doubtfully.

"Why don't you invite him over for dinner? With his girlfriend," he suggests. "Then you just say that you heard from your parents that he has a new girlfriend, which is true, so you're not lying. And that you're curious about her."

That's actually a good idea, at least it doesn't seem suspicious to Alex. "Yes, that is possible. But what should I say to my father? If I don't say anything, he will keep asking about it. And if I agree, he will also keep asking about it." I collapse on the couch with a sigh. "And what if you say that you want to do it, but only at your own pace? And that you don't feel like being rushed?" he suggests. I'll consider it, but knowing my father, he won't stick to it.

In the end, I send Alex an invitation, because, knowing him, he won't have time for another week or two anyway, so that gives me plenty of time to think about what I'm going to say to my father.