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Chapter Five

Lilianna

I twisted the ring on my right hand nervously, an old habit I'd never quite broken. "If you're offering me a chance to decide my own future, I want to take it. Even if it's temporary."

Julian nodded, his expression softening. "Then we'll inform your parents tonight that we wish to begin formal courting procedures."

"They'll be pleased," I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "They'll think they've won."

Christopher reached across the table, his fingers stopping just short of mine. "Let them think whatever they want. It buys you time and freedom."

"When would I..." I hesitated, the reality of what I was agreeing to suddenly overwhelming. "When would I move in with you?"

"Traditionally, within a week of formal agreement," Nicolaus answered. "That gives both parties time to prepare necessary arrangements."

"We have a house on the north side of the city," Miles continued, his voice gentler than I'd heard it before. "Plenty of space. You'd have your own suite—bedroom, sitting room, private bath. Your own sanctuary."

I tried to imagine it—waking up in a place that wasn't monitored by my mother's critical eye, moving through rooms where my every gesture wasn't evaluated for propriety. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

"What about my things?" I asked, the practical question grounding me when emotions threatened to overwhelm.

"You can bring whatever you want," Julian said. "And anything you need that you don't have, we'll provide."

My mind raced with possibilities. Would my parents allow me to take my personal items? Would they try to control even that? "My mother... she might make it difficult."

"Let her try," Christopher said, his tone carrying an edge I hadn't heard before. "Once we make our formal intentions known, you'll be under our protection. Your parents' authority becomes non-existent."

The words sent a shiver through me—not of fear, but of something approaching relief. "What does that mean for me, exactly?"

Julian leaned forward, his expression serious. "It means that while you're being courted by our pack, any decisions about your welfare go through us. Your parents can't force you into anything without our consent."

"It's an old law," Nicolaus explained, his analytical tone making the information feel more concrete. "Designed to prevent families from interfering with the bonding process once formal courting begins."

I absorbed this, trying to reconcile it with everything I'd been taught about family duty and obligation. "They won't like that."

"They don't have to like it," Miles said with a slight smile.

"They only have to accept it," Julian added, his voice carrying that undercurrent of authority that hadn't been directed at me before, but now seemed protective rather than possessive. "And they will, because the alternative is losing their chance at an alliance with our pack."

I nodded slowly, understanding the dynamics at play. My parents would tolerate almost anything to secure this arrangement—including temporarily relinquishing their control over me. The irony wasn't lost on me; their own ambition would become my path to freedom.

"What happens tonight?" I asked, glancing at the elegant clock on the wall. "When I return home?"

Julian exchanged looks with his packmates before answering. "We'll call your father immediately after you leave. Express our interest in proceeding with formal courtship. By the time you arrive home, they'll already know."

"They'll be ecstatic," I murmured,"...unbearable, probably." I felt sick at the thought of their triumphant faces, the self-congratulatory toasts they'd make over securing such a prestigious match.

"You don't have to pretend with them," Christopher suggested gently. "In fact, it might be better if you don't appear too eager. They'll be suspicious if your attitude changes suddenly."

Julian nodded. "Christopher's right. Maintain whatever persona they expect from you. It's only for a few more days."

"A few more days," I repeated, the words tasting like possibility on my tongue. After a lifetime of careful obedience, a week seemed both impossibly long and startlingly brief.

Miles glanced at his watch. "Your driver will be returning soon. We shouldn't keep you too late—it might raise questions." The thought of leaving this sanctuary of unexpected understanding made my chest constrict.

"I don't want to go back," I admitted, the words slipping out before I could contain them. The vulnerability in my voice surprised even me. These few hours had cracked something open inside me that I wasn't sure I could seal again.

Julian's expression softened. "I know. But it's necessary—for now." He reached across the table, his hand stopping just short of mine. "May I?"

I nodded, and his warm fingers closed gently over mine. The contact sent a wave of calm through my system, his scent wrapping around me like a protective shield.

"We'll send a car for you in seven days," he said, his voice low and steady. "Sunday morning. Pack whatever matters to you. We'll handle the rest."

"Seven days," I repeated, trying to make the words feel real. One week until everything changed.

Nicolaus cleared his throat. "It would be wise to prepare a list of what you'll need," he suggested, his practical nature asserting itself.

"Especially items your parents might object to you taking. We can arrange to have duplicates waiting for you….or even things you want your parents hadn’t let you have. "

I nodded, grateful for his foresight. "I will."

Julian squeezed my hand gently before releasing it. "One more thing—we should exchange contact information. Just in case you need to reach us before Sunday."

The idea of having a direct line to them—a lifeline extending beyond this room—made something loosen in my chest.

"I don't have a personal phone," I admitted. "My parents monitor my communications."

Miles made a sound of disgust. "Of course they do."

Christopher reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black device.

"This is a secure phone. Untraceable. It only has our numbers programmed into it.

" He slid it across the table to me. "Keep it hidden.

If anything happens—anything at all that makes you uncomfortable or scared—call or text any of us. Day or night."

I took the phone with trembling fingers, slipping it into my small clutch purse. The weight of it felt significant—my first secret possession, my first real connection to a world beyond my parents' control.

"Thank you," I whispered, looking up to meet each of their gazes in turn. "For...everything."

Julian stood, signaling the end of our meeting. "We should get you downstairs. Your driver will be waiting."

The others rose as well, and I followed suit, smoothing my dress with suddenly nervous hands. The reality of returning to my parents' house—of pretending nothing had changed when everything had—settled over me like a heavy cloak.

"Remember," Julian said as we walked toward the door, "you're not the same person who walked in here tonight. No matter what they say or do, that knowledge belongs to you now."

The elevator ride to the lobby felt both eternal and too brief with all five of their eyes on me.

I coudln't help but feel a little out of sorts.

I stood between Julian and Christopher, hyper aware of their presence, their scents still lingering in my system like a promise.

When the doors opened, I could see the black sedan waiting through the glass entrance.

"Lilianna," Julian said quietly as we approached the doors. I turned to face him, and he studied my expression with those perceptive hazel eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

The question was simple, but I heard the deeper concern beneath it. Was I strong enough to endure the next week? Could I maintain the facade my parents expected while carrying this new knowledge inside me?

"I think so," I answered honestly. "I have to be."

Miles stepped closer, his voice low. "You're stronger than you know," he said, his green eyes holding mine with unexpected intensity. "What you did tonight—asking for what you want, making a choice—that took courage."

I felt heat rise in my cheeks at the compliment. "It didn't feel courageous. It felt terrifying."

"Courage isn't the absence of fear," Nicolaus observed, his analytical tone softer than usual. "It's acting despite it."

Christopher opened the hotel door for me, the cool evening air rushing in to replace the controlled climate of the lobby. "Seven days," he reminded me quietly. "Just seven days."

I nodded, stepping toward the waiting car. The driver, the same kind-eyed beta from earlier, stood ready to open the rear door. But I hesitated, turning back to look at the four men who had just offered me something I'd never dared to hope for.

"Thank you," I said again, the words feeling inadequate for everything they'd given me tonight. Not just consideration for formal courting, but the first real choice I'd ever been offered. "I'll see you Sunday."

Julian nodded, something unreadable flickering in his expression. "Sunday," he confirmed.

I slipped into the backseat of the sedan, my purse clutched tightly against my side where the hidden phone pressed against my ribs like a secret heartbeat.

As the car pulled away from the hotel, I watched the four figures in the lobby grow smaller through the rear window until they disappeared entirely.

The drive home passed in a blur of city lights and racing thoughts.

My parents would already know by now—Julian had said they'd call immediately.

I tried to picture my father's face when he received the news, my mother's barely contained triumph.

They'd gotten what they wanted, or so they'd think…then I hoped these Alpha’s were telling the truth and I could be free…

free to choose…and free to live life like I would want it.