Page 135 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

Goddess, whenever I think he can’t surprise me anymore, he says something like this. I can’t believe it. Sometimes his possessive Alpha attitude comes through, like before when he was so wary about allowing me to go out on my own, but then he listens whenever I call him out on something.

He seems to notice my surprise. “I like it,” he points out. “That you voice your wishes and opinions so clearly.”

“It’s not too much sometimes?” I want to know. “I sometimes feel like it might be annoying.”

“Not at all. You are my mate, not a doll,” he says firmly. “I appreciate that you stand up for yourself and tell me what you think. I might not always agree, but I need to know, especially since I suck at reading the mood.”

I chuckle at his last words. “I think you are selling yourself too short sometimes,” I point out, thinking about how he handles Marius’ provocations, how he sometimes just knows which questions to ask and what to say.

“It’s because I found you,” he admits. “I was really bad at it. Your presence adds a new perspective to many things for me.” He looks at me. “Annalise, you’ve got a deal… I will try to loosen up once we've dealt with our enemies. Meanwhile, you'll allow me to choose a car for you. I want something that has security standards we approve of, like tinted windows to protect you from prying eyes… especially wolves’ eyes. Bullet-proof. It doesn’t come cheap. And we will need to choose a steady guard for you, a Beta just like my mother has one at her side.”

I nod tentatively. “Deal,” I say with a grin. “But I want to have a say in the Beta you choose for me.”

“Absolutely,” he nods. “I can’t put someone at your side you will hate. We will find someone together.”

“Good,” I feel content with the outcome of this discussion. Sure, it’s not exactly the way I’m used to things, but it’s a good compromise for me. “Now, let’s meet our friends.”

Chapter forty

Chapter 40 Aftermath

*ANNALISE*

Davehugsmeinstantlywhen he sees me, not letting go for minutes. Liam keeps glaring at him for minutes until even he realizes it’s hopeless and waits for Dave to calm down. I feel bad that I can’t invite him to the pack grounds. It’s impossible. Humans are not allowed unless they are someone’s mate. It’s one of Silverlake’s most important rules. Elden is a fair and good leader. There are things his pack members can discuss with him. He will listen to their points, he will change his opinion. But this… is a set law. He dislikes humans with a passion, and I wonder what happened in his past to make him feel so hard and unforgiving towards them.

It’s no different from how it was before, though. Moon Blood also didn’t allow any humans, though Alpha Cedric didn’t seem to hold a personal grudge. So we need to meet at other places for now.

When Dave finally lets go, I hug Celine too. She looks a bit tired but overall quite well. I assume dealing with Lauren wasn’t too fun for her. Today it’s just Celine, Dave, me, and Liam. Ella didn’t come because her life is truly in grave danger, more so than mine. She is trying to bring her Alpha down, after all. No place aside from Silverlake is safe for her, and Finn and Dante promised to keep her company so she wouldn’t feel too lonely while I met with Dave and Celine.

We have guards stationed all around, and Aryanna accompanied us. Even the restaurant was handpicked by Liam and Dante beforehand because it lived up to their security standards. It’s not exactly a private meeting, but I appreciate how everyone tries their best to give us a feeling of privacy.

“This is an Italian restaurant. How come they don’t have pizza?” Dave asks in shock while he scans the menu.

“It’s a Venetian restaurant,” Celine explains patiently.

We chat about a few random things before Dave finally starts throwing questions at me. It’s obvious he was worried to no end. Fortunately, Celine filled him in on most things. We all leave out the more gruesome details though.

Dave’s expression grows from horrified to disgusted when we tell him about Lauren. “What’s wrong with her!?” he spats out. “Is she a freaking psychopath?”

“Close enough,” Liam agrees.

“No seriously… I always knew she was nuts, she was always a bully, but she has crossed the line… by far. How could this happen? How could she have stooped so low?” he asks in disbelief.

“I believe she is a sociopath,” Liam points out. “She feels zero empathy. I didn’t feel anything coming from her aside from fear for herself.”

The others didn’t catch on to what he said, but I did.What do you mean? You can read people’s emotions?

Yes, to an extent.He explains.

Is this an addition to your lie detector ability?I want to know.

He chuckles slightly and nods.Actually, I have a lot of abilities that target other people’s minds. I can also erase or alter a person’s memory, but it’s hard, and gifts like these need to be used cautiously. I only use them when necessary.

You need to tell me more about this when we are alone,I say curiously. His gifts sound insane, and I’m relieved that Liam was gifted with them and not someone else less responsible. He uses them carefully and wouldn’t abuse his powers.

“What did you do with her, Celine?” I ask. “With Lauren?”

“She is in one of our cells for now. Liam was there when we questioned her, and her story added up. However, we think we will involve the Council. I would like her to be taken to an actual werewolf prison,” Celine says. I know there are things she and Liam are not telling us, but I leave it alone for now. I don’t want to know what happened to Lauren aside from her having to face justice. Being brought in front of the Council is a very serious matter. “We only allow her mother to visit, but I think she only does so because she is her daughter. You should have seen them, Annie, her parents,” she pauses. “Dan actually cried in disappointment.”