Page 209 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

“That’s why I love you,” I kiss the side of her head softly.

“Because I share your food addiction?” she giggles.

“You know what they say: The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach.”

Annalise chuckles.

My mother grins too. “I can wholeheartedly agree with this,” she beams.

“What will you get?” my father asks, most likely to stop her from sharing too many stories about what, how, and when he did something because of good food.

My mother tilts her head. “I think I’ll go with your choice too, Annie; but with roasted potatoes and bacon-wrapped green beans as a side dish, though.”

I nod, ordering for all of us. When we got our appetizers, my father decided to speak up. That’s what we came here for, after all.

“I’m very proud of you two for stepping up as Alpha and Luna of Red Claw,” he says earnestly. “It’s mine and Flora’s loss that you won’t take over from us, though.”

My mother nods and shows us a smile. “I strongly believe that fate led you two to Red Claw, but still… as Elden says, it’s our loss. When you told me you found your mate, I was immediately head over heels. I would have accepted any girl as my future daughter-in-law just because I know how much the mate bond means to us. But Annie-” she takes Annalise’s hand and squeezes it. “I told you once. It’s like you switched on a light in Liam. You bring forward different sides of him we didn’t even know he had. As a mother, I’m thankful that you accepted him as your mate despite knowing all the responsibilities coming with him.”

They share a short moment. One I don’t quite understand, but maybe that’s because they are both mates of Lycan Alphas.

Annalise smiles warmly. “There is no way I would have walked away from Liam. I was so insecure when I met him. I thought I had no strengths and no special qualities. I grew more confident with Liam because he’s just such a good man.”

My mother looks like she’s about to squeal and throw her arms around Annalise and squeeze her. Dad wisely puts an arm around her shoulder, probably to keep her rooted in place. “You two would have been everything we wanted for Silverlake’s future. But you don’t need to worry about that,” she continues.

“She’s right,” my father agrees. “While it is our loss, it is our problem and not yours. You don’t need to feel guilty. I decided to wait until you either found your mate or turned twenty-four. And everything that happened in Red Claw… well, who would have known?” He smiles. “I’m very proud. I mean it when I say that. The moment you saved Red Claw and stepped in front of the pack and took over your responsibilities, my heart almost burst at knowing that this is MY son and my daughter-in-law.”

“He has already rubbed it into Jace’s face more than once,” my mother grins before turning surprisingly earnest again. “I’m more than proud too. I stayed with you for two weeks after you took over, and I’m amazed by what the two of you have already achieved in such a short time. We raised you to become a strong leader, Liam. You just happened to become Red Claw’s Alpha and not Silverlake’s.”

“What is your plan now?” I ask. I can’t deny that their words fill me with pride. I’m not a teen anymore who clings to his parents for approval, but their honesty means a lot to me. I also like how much they praise Annalise. Without her at my side, I wouldn’t be where I’m now, and we all know it.

“Aurelia has shown qualities I didn’t expect her to,” Dad muses. “Ever since Annie got abducted and Aurelia almost got killed… something changed in her. She never misses training. She accepts every job I give her – even patrolling at night. She studies for school, she trains, she works out. She stopped messing around. She even goes out of her way to develop new ideas and plans for improving our safety.”

Pride fills me. My sister is fantastic, and I always knew it! “She always had this drive,” I point out. “She just needs to realize it for herself.”

“Finn is not one to underestimate either,” my father muses.

Mom nods. “He might lack Aurelia’s stealthy fighting qualities, and he’s less tough than she is… but recently he has become more serious and focused. He also knows how to talk to others and make them agree to his plans. He’s good at negotiating, and that’s important too.”

“It’s probably going to be a decision between these two,” Dad agrees. “I’ll give all of us a few more years. Aurelia only recently turned sixteen, after all. And then we’ll hopefully find a mutual agreement.”

“What about the twins?” Annalise asks.

Flora smiles. “Dario and Felix have wonderful qualities… They have Alpha blood in them and it shows, but I see them… somewhere else.”

“There are a few paths in front of them, and neither Flora nor I want to prevent them from choosing their own,” Dad agrees.

Now that was cryptic,Annalise tells me.

I agree, but I guess it’s something Dad saw with his gift. When it’s about handing over the pack, they are dead serious. He probably saw that both Aurelia and Finn might be up to it.

Does Flora have the same gift? I just know she can turn silver into a weapon.

My mother sees butterflies and fairies,I explain.

WHAT!?

I grin.She’s not simply absent-minded sometimes. She just sees something and chases it. I think they lead her to secrets sometimes… things only she can see. It’s a gift that’s hard to grasp though, because it’s way more… obscure than what my father can do.