Page 151 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

Just then, the doorbell rings, and I drag myself up to answer it. It’s my mother, looking worried as she takes in my disheveled appearance. “How are you holding up, Liam?”

“Terrible,” I admit, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth. “I don’t know what to do, Mom. Selene is out there somewhere, and I can’t find her.”

My mother’s eyes soften, and she steps closer, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “When was the last time you slept or ate?”

“I can’t sleep, Mom,” I confess. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her face, and I start imagining all the things that could have happened or might be happening to her.”

“We’re all worried about you, Liam. You can’t keep going like this. Why don’t you come join us for dinner? It might do you good to be around family.”

I shake my head, unsure if I have the energy to face the world outside my front door. “I’m not hungry, Mom,” I mumble, avoiding her gaze.

But my mother is persistent. “You can stay here as long as you need to, Liam,” she says, wrapping me in a comforting hug. “We’re all here for you, and we’ll get through this together.”

I don’t realize how much I need her words of comfort until she holds me in her arms, and the tears begin to slip out.

She continues holding me until the exhaustion of the past few days finally catches up with me, and I fall asleep in her embrace.

I wake up to the sound of clattering dishes, my head still heavy with sleep. Blinking away the remnants of dreams, I realize it’s my mother tidying up the kitchen. “How long have I been out?” I ask groggily.

“About six hours,” she replies with a smile. “You needed the rest.”

I sit up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “You didn’t have to stay,” I say, feeling a pang of guilt for burdening her with my troubles.

She shakes her head. “I’m your mother, Liam. Of course, I stayed.”

I appreciate her words more than she knows, but I push myself to my feet, feeling restless. “I’m not hungry,” I tell her, my appetite still nonexistent. “But maybe I could shower, and then we can head home. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

My mother nods. “Alyssa is at the house, and all your siblings are there too. We can all stay together. Emmett is there as well.”

I feel a sense of relief wash over me at the thought of being surrounded by family. “Okay. Thank you, Mom.”

She walks over and wraps me in a warm hug, her embrace comforting and familiar. “You’re the blessing in my life that I never knew I needed,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I return her hug, overwhelmed by her love and support.

Stepping into the shower, I let the warm water wash away the physical and emotional exhaustion of the past few days. I realize my stepmom’s love is a gift I’ll always cherish. My biological mother couldn’t even love me the way Mom chooses to every single day.

I trudge down the stairs, my footsteps heavy with exhaustion. My mother is already bustling about, packing my bags for the trip to the mansion. Without a word, I grab my bags and follow her out to the car.

The drive home is quiet. The only sound is the hum of the engine and the occasional sigh that escapes my lips. But as soon as we walk in, I’m enveloped in a wave of warmth and familiarity. Grayson comes running, throwing his arms around me in a tight hug. This is my family.

Layla is in the kitchen, cooking up something delicious, while Alyssa is curled up on the sofa, lost in thought. Colt is glued to his laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard, and my father is standing in the kitchen, a glass of whisky in hand.

He walks over and wraps me in a hug, the familiar scent of his aftershave engulfing me. Then, he kisses my mother.

“You brought him home,” he tells her.

“I promised you I would,” Mom replies.

“Welcome home, son,” my father says, pulling me in for a longer hug.

As soon as he lets me go, Layla lets out a loud whoop. “I am so glad you are here. I am making my world-famous pizza.”

These are my people.

“I have the pizza place on speed dial,” Grayson replies, which leads to my sister tossing a kitchen towel at him.

A sense of relief washes over me at this normalcy. “I’ll just put my things down in the room and come down,” I say, already feeling lighter.

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