Page 91

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Lilianna

I followed Lydia to the back of the shop where a cozy seating area awaited.

A low wooden table sat surrounded by mismatched armchairs that somehow worked perfectly together—one covered in faded blue velvet, another in warm brown leather, and a third wrapped in a patchwork of colorful fabrics.

The space felt lived-in and welcoming, like someone's favorite reading nook.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Lydia said, gesturing to the chairs as she moved to a small kitchenette tucked into the corner. "Do you take honey in your tea?"

"Yes, please," I answered, settling into the blue velvet chair. My fingers traced the worn armrests, appreciating how many people must have sat here before me, finding comfort in this little sanctuary.

Lydia busied herself with the tea, humming softly as she worked. There was an ease to her movements, a contentment that spoke of someone who had found her place in the world. I watched her pour the steaming water over tea bags, the fragrant steam rising between us.

"I have to admit," I said quietly, "I'm a little nervous. I've never really had a friend who... who understood what it was like to leave everything behind."

Lydia paused in her tea preparation, turning to look at me with gentle understanding.

"It's terrifying, isn't it? That first step into the unknown.

" She brought over two steaming mugs, handing me one before settling into the patchwork chair across from me.

"But also liberating in ways you never expected. "

I nodded, wrapping my hands around the warm ceramic. "Yes, exactly. Some days I can't believe I actually did it. Other days I wonder how I survived as long as I did in that life."

Lydia's lips curved into a knowing smile as she took a sip of her tea. "I understand completely. It's like you were sleepwalking through your own life, and then suddenly..." She snapped her fingers softly. "You're awake."

"Yes," I breathed, relieved at being so quickly understood. "That's exactly it. Like I was playing a part in someone else's story."

"Your parent's story," Lydia said gently, not a question but a statement of fact.

I nodded, staring down into my tea. The golden liquid rippled slightly with my unsteady hands.

"My Mother…she had my entire life planned out before I was even born.

The right schools, the right skills, the right Alpha from the right family with the right connections.

" I looked up, meeting Lydia's empathetic gaze. "Did your family...?"

“Yes. They had a pack picked out for me. An Alpha who already had Omegas who were more broodmares than anything.” Lydia told me, eyes glancing down at the cup of tea in front of her.

"Three of them," Lydia continued, her voice soft but steady.

"All pregnant, all quiet, all... empty behind the eyes.

And I was supposed to be number four." She took another sip of tea, a small furrow appearing between her brows.

"My parents thought it was the greatest honor—being chosen for such a 'prestigious' pack. "

I shuddered, imagining what that life would have been like. "How did you get away?"

A smile ghosted across her lips. "I ran. Literally. Though my parents did give me the push I needed. When I said I didn’t want that bond, they said I would or I wouldn’t be a part of their family.”

She took a sip of her tea, “I have a friend, a beta. Avery. She has been my childhood friend and always there for me….she helped me after I ran with no plan. She helped me find this shop and stand up on my two feet.”

Lydia took a deep breath, “I had always been good at art…had pieces bought by connections to my family. So I had money saved away. That money helped buy this place…though the money went to Avery first then given to me in cash so I didn’t have a trail leading to me in case my parents wanted to find me. ”

"A true friend," I murmured, warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of someone being there for Lydia when she needed it most.

"She saved my life," Lydia said simply. "And then..." Her eyes drifted toward the front of the shop where Lucian stood talking with Nicolaus, his tall frame silhouetted against the afternoon light. “I met my pack.”

"How did you meet?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Lydia laughed softly, tucking a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "I’d been living here for a year. Hiding behind suppressants and scent blockers….and I decided to go out to the farmers market…to try to get out and be brave to try something new.”

She trailed off a soft smile on her lips as if recalling a memory, “I met Elias. He smelled of warm honey….and drew me into his stand he had at the market. He took me by surprise. An Omega….freely walking around and doing what he wanted. No Alpha’s in sight.”

"An Omega..." I repeated, sitting up straighter. "Another Omega in your pack?"

"Yes," Lydia nodded, her smile widening. "Elias was the first pack Omega. He sells honey and his baked goods he’d sold at the market.” She laughed softly. "He sensed what I was immediately, despite all my blockers. He also just had a way. Like the moment he looked at me he knew I was special.”

I leaned forward, fascinated by her story. Her life.

“Once I met him….the others followed. It took me a while to trust them…but slowly I let them court me…and eventually I fell in love with the four of them. I let myself fall for them…and when I did…I knew that they were my forever.” Lydia glanced over at Lucian to see him give her a smile before going back to talking to Nicolaus.

"He still looks at you like you're the most precious thing in the world," I observed, following her gaze.

Lydia's smile deepened, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "All four of them do, even after three years together. It never fades—that's how you know it's real." She took another sip of tea before setting her mug down. "And your Alpha... Alphas, I should say... they look at you the same way."

I felt warmth bloom in my chest at her words. "I still can't believe I found them. Or that they want me."

"Why wouldn't they?" Lydia asked, her head tilting slightly. "You're clearly intelligent, brave, and from the looks I have seen you love them dearly.”

I gave her a sigh, “I just second guess myself…and trusting something not to disappear after finally feeling free…..is hard..” I told her. “Sometimes I wondered if they would rather not have to put up with my family drama, and just find an Omega who would fit them better.”

"That is normal.," Lydia confirmed, turning back to me with a gentle smile. "Though it wasn't always easy for me either. Trust comes slowly when you've been taught your whole life that your only value is in what you can provide."

I nodded, understanding completely. "Sometimes I still catch myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like this happiness can't possibly be meant for me."

"As I said…I used to feel the same way," Lydia admitted, setting her mug down and leaning forward. "For the first year, I kept a bag packed—hidden in the back of my closet. Just in case."

"Did they know?" I asked.

"Elias found it," she said, a hint of sadness crossing her features at the memory.

"About three months after I'd moved in with them fully.

I found him sitting on my bed, holding this pathetic little duffel bag with three changes of clothes and my art supplies.

" She paused, her voice growing softer. "He didn't say anything at first. Just sat there with tears in his eyes. "

My heart clenched at the image. "What did he do?"

"He asked if I was planning to leave. When I tried to explain that it was just..

. insurance, he very gently took my hands and said, 'Lydia, love doesn't come with escape routes.

'" She smiled through the emotion in her voice.

"Then he helped me unpack that bag, item by item, and we put everything away together.

Properly away. Like I was really staying. "

I felt tears prick at my own eyes. "That's beautiful."

"It was terrifying," she corrected with a gentle laugh.

"But beautiful too. And eventually, I realized the bag wasn't protecting me—it was keeping me from fully accepting the love they were offering…even if I knew I loved them and they loved me in return. I hadn’t fully let myself fall and trust completely. "

"When did you finally unpack it?" I asked, looking at the strong woman before me. Much stronger than I am.

"I didn't," Lydia said, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Elias did it for me. He understood what I couldn't admit to myself—that I needed someone else to make that decision.

To show me it was safe to stay." She traced the rim of her mug with her fingertip.

"Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is let someone else be brave for us. "

I absorbed her words, feeling them resonate in places I hadn't examined too closely. "I think... I think I might still have my bag packed. Not physically, but here." I tapped my chest lightly.

"Of course you do," Lydia said with gentle understanding. "You're still learning to trust this new reality. It takes time." She leaned forward, her eyes warm. "But Lilianna, from what Nicolaus has told Lucian, those men adore you.”

"I know they do," I said softly, my fingers tracing the rim of my mug. "And I adore them. I just..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"You're waiting for the moment when it all falls apart," Lydia finished for me, her voice gentle with understanding. "When they realize you're not what they expected, or when your past catches up to you."

I looked up, startled by how accurately she'd named my fears. "Yes. Exactly that."

Lydia's smile was warm but tinged with something knowing. "Your mother. She's still trying to find you, isn't she?"

The question sent a chill through me despite the warm tea in my hands. "Yes. She's been... persistent."

"Mine were too," Lydia said, setting her mug down with a soft clink. "For almost a year. She showed up at my shop after being opened a year….then both my mother and father showed up at Lucian’s,r I was staying there until they left town.”

My stomach dropped at her words. "They found you? What happened?"

"They demanded I come home," Lydia said quietly, her hands tightening around her mug.

"Said I was embarrassing the family, that I was being selfish and childish.

" Her voice grew steadier as she continued.

"But my pack... they stood between us. Not aggressively, but firmly.

Lucian told them that I was an adult who had made my choice, and they needed to respect that. "

"How did they react?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"About as well as you'd expect," Lydia said with a rueful smile. "Lots of shouting about duty and bloodlines and how I was throwing away my future. But eventually, they left….though that only happened after Lucian threatened them with legal action.”

I felt a mixture of relief and dread at her words. "Did they stay away after that?"

"For the most part," Lydia said, though something in her tone suggested there was more to the story.

"They sent letters for a while. Tried to guilt me into coming back by telling me how disappointed they were, how I was ruining the family name.

" She met my eyes directly. "But eventually they stopped.

I think they finally realized I wasn't going to break. "

I took a shaky sip of my tea, processing her words. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm strong enough to do that. To stand firm if they find me."

"You are," Lydia said with quiet conviction. "You've already proven that by leaving in the first place. The hardest part is behind you."

Lydia's eyes widened, her hand reaching across the table to cover mine. "You were sold?" Her voice was gentle but tinged with quiet outrage.

I nodded, the shame of it still clinging to me despite everything. "My mother arranged it. She thought she was securing my future with a powerful pack." I took a steadying breath. "But they were different than she expected. Than I expected."

"Different how?" Lydia asked, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on my hand.

"They gave me a choice," I said, still marveling at the memory. "The very first night, Julian—he's the Head Alpha—he told me I could stay and let them court me properly, or they would help me find somewhere safe, away from my family." I smiled softly. "No one had ever given me a choice before."

Lydia's eyes softened with understanding. "That still counts as leaving—you chose freedom over what was expected of you. You chose them over the path that was laid out for you."

I nodded, considering her words. "I suppose you're right. I could have rejected their courtship and asked to be taken somewhere else."

"But you didn't," Lydia pointed out, her voice gentle. "You saw something in them worth staying for."

"I did," I admitted, warmth blooming in my chest at the memory of those early days. "Even when I was terrified and unsure of everything, something about them felt... right. Safe, in a way I'd never experienced before."

Lydia leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. "That's your instincts, Lilianna. Always follow those.”

I nodded as we kept on talking, some of my worries and insecurities melting away with her words. I was glad Nicolaus brought me here.