Page 84 of Capturing Their Omega

“I brought Abigail… I hope that is all right,” I hear Mr. Kaye saying to Ares.

I swallow and look away from my mom before I can get overwhelmed.

“Cassie…” Mr. Kaye’s voice says my name in a whisper. It’s the first time I’ve heard him say my name. “I’m happy to see you are well.”

He looks over me, taking in the obvious similarities between the two of us. I know this because I am doing the same. My face is a mix of his features and my mom’s. The same nose… the same high cheekbones… the same ears.

“Thank you, Mr. Kaye.”Am I supposed to call him Dad?

His eyes flash with disappointment for a quick second but it is gone before any of the others can notice. A part of me feels like an imposter for being here, knowing what this meeting is all about.

Leila’s fingers intertwine with mine and she offers me a sad smile, as though she read my thoughts. I return it, amazed at how close we have become in the past few weeks.

Mr. Kaye clears his throat softly, drawing our attention back to him.

“I would like to apologize for everything that has happened,” he says with a voice weighted with sadness. “Although I did not know what you were going through or even of your identity, it is because of me that all of this happened.”

“My actions as a wild young man have caused you so many problems from before you drew breath. I cannot claim to understand what you have been through.”

He shifts forward in his seat, eyes completely fixed on me and sighs.

“Cassie, I know I do not deserve to be in the same room as you, breathing the same air, but look upon this selfish man with mercy and please forgive me. Forgive my excesses and my absence from your life. Forgive me for not reaching out sooner to try and mend things and to help you as you navigated the new phase of your life.”

I swallow and blink repeatedly to stop the stinging in my eyes. My mates and sister crowd around me, offering their support. Jeremiah and Eric who stand behind the chair, place their hands on my shoulders, and Ares and Leila, who are sitting on either side of me, wrap their fingers around mine.

An overwhelming feeling of happiness floods me. My life has been a mess from the moment I was born, just like he said, but I would not have Jeremiah and Eric with me if I had lived with the Kayes, aware of my identity. And perhaps Ares and I might have met anyway, but maybe things would have been different between us.

“Thank you for reaching out and for apologizing. I know that all of this was as much of a shock to you as it was to me.”

I cannot remain angry over what has been done to me. I cannot forget that he also only just found out that I am his daughter. I look him over once more.

There are telltale signs of sleeplessness in the bags under his eyes and the way his clothes hang loosely on his body. It is nearly impossible for a werewolf to exhibit these signs, which shows just how much stress he’s been under.

A part of me feels pity for him. It must have been shocking to know that his wife had tortured his daughter all her life and nearly killed her.

He speaks before I can tell him that I forgive him.

“If it is all right with you, I would love to acknowledge you as my daughter in public.”

I suck in a deep breath. Although Ares had implied that this would happen, it is still a shock to hear it from him.

Claiming me as his daughter would mean a lot of things and bring even more changes into my life.

So far, I have been in hiding with my mates, only going out in disguises and going on runs in secluded areas so no one would find out I am the White Wolf or that I am about to get married to Ares.

For the first time since we entered the Kaye mansion, I look at the one person I have avoided making eye contact with.

Mom.

My throat tightens around the word, and I swallow it back down. She’s staring at me as she’s been doing since I arrived. I have felt her eyes on me as I spoke to Mr. Kaye, felt her longing and desire to hold me as my mates and sister surrounded me after Mr. Kaye’s apology.

The room is suddenly so heavy with emotion that I don’t know what to do or how to look away. It’s like I am no longer in control of my body. It’s like the helpless feeling I felt when my wolf wanted so badly to come out but was unable to before Ares forced my shift.

Mom. I want to run to her and hug her. I want to wipe that look from her face and stop the unshed tears that have pooled in her eyes from falling. I want to tell her that I’m sorry I ever doubted her intentions and I know now that she was only trying to protect me from Mrs. Kaye’s wrath, but I cannot force my body to cooperate.

My mind is reeling, and I am hurt that although she wasn’t trying to hurt me, she knew what was happening to me all those nights when I cried and the days when my bones felt too brittle and it seemed like I would shatter into pieces if I breathed wrong, yet she said nothing and allowed me suffer.

I finally turn away from her, not wanting her to see the betrayal and the pain that she has caused me. It will only make her feel worse.

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