incidents made me realize that as much as I've been running from my responsibilities as alpha, I keep on doing things that make me responsible for others."
I gave a short laugh. "Did you know that Anjelo and Lily have both declared me their Alpha?"
Grams raised her eyebrows but didn't look shocked.
"Not entirely surprising," said Mom. "Both work with you, trust you, care about you."
I nodded. "Yeah. They certainly have contributed to my troubles."
"And where does Logan fit in?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't."
"Does he know he might not fit, and why?"
I shook my head. "He's struggling with his own issues. The last thing I want is for him to be bothered by my problems."
Mom laughed. "Really? This is how you think relationships work?" She sounded annoyed. "You finally accept that you are an alpha, that you can handle responsibility, and then you go and do something like this?"
Like what? "What? What did I just do?"
"You're finding reasons to bail on your relationship." Grams sounded as unimpressed as Mom. "Is there another man?"
I thought of Justin, but I hadn't given him much thought since Greer's funeral. I shook my head. "Nope. Nobody else."
"You sure?" asked Mom, her dark eyes piercing.
"What do you know?" I asked, finally suspicious.
"Justin came to see your father."
She had to be kidding. "And that was enough for you to think he was in the picture?"
"It was when he came to ask for your hand in marriage."
"For Ailuros' sake, Mom," I snapped, losing all patience. "That was premature of him. One conversation weeks ago and suddenly he pops the question? And to Dad not me?"
"When did you talk?"
"Greer's funeral."
Grams shook her head. "That boy certainly has bad timing,"
Mom smiled. "I know you had feelings for him."
"A teenage crush, Mom." I said, and stopped short. "How did you know about it?"
Mom opened her mouth, then closed it, her eyes flicking to Grams.
"Should have known," I grumbled, glaring at Grams. "What else did you tell her?"
Grams lifted her chin. "Whatever she needed to know."
I turned to Mom. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have a mother-in-law like her?" I jabbed a thumb in Grams' direction.
The two women shared a warm smile, but neither said a word. They didn't need to. Amid all the frustration and worry they shared a moment of happiness and I was there to witness it.
"So, can you get Dad to tell Justin to back off?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Already done."
"Huh?"
"When I heard, I told your father what I thought."
I laughed. "I'm guessing Justin was stupid enough to say I had no knowledge of his offer."
Mom nodded.
Idiot. "He has zero skills."
Mom nodded. "So you're sure you aren't interested in him."
I gave a swift jerk of my head. "I'm sure." I stared off into nothing for a moment, thinking about the kiss, thinking about the years I'd spent head-over-heels for him. "Another place, another time. Maybe. If Logan wasn't in the picture. Sadly, I only have eyes for one guy."
"Hah. I knew it," said Mom, pointing her finger at me. "Then what's all this about leaving him?"
The same things she'd walked away from Dad over, I supposed.
"I just want to protect him from all this drama. And . . . if I stay with him I can't be alpha. Then, if my people need me, I won't be able to help them."
"So you'd sacrifice your relationship for the possibility of your people needing you."
I groaned. "Mom you're making my head hurt."
She chuckled. "There is only one way to sort this out."
"What's that?"
"By ensuring the high council doesn't win. Our future is integration, even if it means just integration within the paranormal community for now."
Mom leaned forward. "We've been inter-marrying for centuries. It's always been accepted, even if it hasn't been publicly acknowledged or encouraged. When I happened along it was accepted and people just lived with it. With paranormals, the genes aren't watered down. They're amplified by each other."
Amplified
I gave a short laugh. "Did you know that Anjelo and Lily have both declared me their Alpha?"
Grams raised her eyebrows but didn't look shocked.
"Not entirely surprising," said Mom. "Both work with you, trust you, care about you."
I nodded. "Yeah. They certainly have contributed to my troubles."
"And where does Logan fit in?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't."
"Does he know he might not fit, and why?"
I shook my head. "He's struggling with his own issues. The last thing I want is for him to be bothered by my problems."
Mom laughed. "Really? This is how you think relationships work?" She sounded annoyed. "You finally accept that you are an alpha, that you can handle responsibility, and then you go and do something like this?"
Like what? "What? What did I just do?"
"You're finding reasons to bail on your relationship." Grams sounded as unimpressed as Mom. "Is there another man?"
I thought of Justin, but I hadn't given him much thought since Greer's funeral. I shook my head. "Nope. Nobody else."
"You sure?" asked Mom, her dark eyes piercing.
"What do you know?" I asked, finally suspicious.
"Justin came to see your father."
She had to be kidding. "And that was enough for you to think he was in the picture?"
"It was when he came to ask for your hand in marriage."
"For Ailuros' sake, Mom," I snapped, losing all patience. "That was premature of him. One conversation weeks ago and suddenly he pops the question? And to Dad not me?"
"When did you talk?"
"Greer's funeral."
Grams shook her head. "That boy certainly has bad timing,"
Mom smiled. "I know you had feelings for him."
"A teenage crush, Mom." I said, and stopped short. "How did you know about it?"
Mom opened her mouth, then closed it, her eyes flicking to Grams.
"Should have known," I grumbled, glaring at Grams. "What else did you tell her?"
Grams lifted her chin. "Whatever she needed to know."
I turned to Mom. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have a mother-in-law like her?" I jabbed a thumb in Grams' direction.
The two women shared a warm smile, but neither said a word. They didn't need to. Amid all the frustration and worry they shared a moment of happiness and I was there to witness it.
"So, can you get Dad to tell Justin to back off?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Already done."
"Huh?"
"When I heard, I told your father what I thought."
I laughed. "I'm guessing Justin was stupid enough to say I had no knowledge of his offer."
Mom nodded.
Idiot. "He has zero skills."
Mom nodded. "So you're sure you aren't interested in him."
I gave a swift jerk of my head. "I'm sure." I stared off into nothing for a moment, thinking about the kiss, thinking about the years I'd spent head-over-heels for him. "Another place, another time. Maybe. If Logan wasn't in the picture. Sadly, I only have eyes for one guy."
"Hah. I knew it," said Mom, pointing her finger at me. "Then what's all this about leaving him?"
The same things she'd walked away from Dad over, I supposed.
"I just want to protect him from all this drama. And . . . if I stay with him I can't be alpha. Then, if my people need me, I won't be able to help them."
"So you'd sacrifice your relationship for the possibility of your people needing you."
I groaned. "Mom you're making my head hurt."
She chuckled. "There is only one way to sort this out."
"What's that?"
"By ensuring the high council doesn't win. Our future is integration, even if it means just integration within the paranormal community for now."
Mom leaned forward. "We've been inter-marrying for centuries. It's always been accepted, even if it hasn't been publicly acknowledged or encouraged. When I happened along it was accepted and people just lived with it. With paranormals, the genes aren't watered down. They're amplified by each other."
Amplified
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