Page 79 of Lavender and Lightning

“When Gabby was ten, her father, my son, and his mate were coming home from a Christmas party. There was black ice, and they went off the road. They didn’t suffer, but I’ve raised her ever since,” Wila whispers.

“How long have you lived in Everton?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“I was born here, as was my late husband, Ernie. We bought that store right after we got married. We didn’t know what we would do with it, but it just... spoke to us, you know?”

I nod, looking back up at the building. The frame still stands, as it was mostly made of brick and stone, but the blackened interior of the upper floors is noticeable through the broken windows.

“Ernie was an alpha, like Danny. We had trouble conceiving, but Danny was enough of a handful that we were never bored. We tried all sorts of businesses, but the one that stuck was the florist. Right around the time Gabby was born, we had our grand opening. Danny and Angela helped us run the business and practically lived with us after Ernie lost his battle with lung cancer. But after they were gone, it was just Gabby and me. Until Lydia.”

“Did Ernie not have a pack?” I ask.

“Oh, sure. But everyone sort of drifted apart after Danny left us. I still get cards and whatnot, but they weren’t like you and yours,” Wila sighs, shifting slightly.

She goes quiet, and I’m not sure how to respond to that. My pack is special; I’ve known that for a long time. We’re a family, bound by our choices and love. Lydia is part of that now, and the things that matter to her matter to me.

“I know you’re going to fight me, but we’re going to help you and Gabby get through this,” I promise softly.

“You’re damn right. I’ll fight you. I’m not taking your charity,” Wila snorts, lifting her chin.

I chuckle and shake my head. “It’s never going to be charity, Miss Wila. Family helps family. Lydia’s part of my family, and so are you.”

Wila looks at me for a long time, and I watch her eyes soften. She reaches out and takes one of my hands, squeezing slightly.

“You’re a good egg, Mateo,” she says at last.

“I try to be. So let this good egg get you put up for the night,” I tease gently.

She laughs lightly and shakes her head, but I know she’s not going to resist. We spend another moment sitting together before we move in unison, and I kneel beside Lydia and Gabby, shaking her shoulder lightly.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get Gabby and Wila settled and then go home,” I whisper with a smile.

She inhales sharply, looking at me with bleary eyes. She blinks, the clarity returning to her. Gabby moans and tries to snuggle down into Lydia’s arms, and I chuckle.

“I know, but you’ll be more comfortable in a bed. Let’s get you up,” I insist, poking at her side playfully.

“What time is it?” Lydia rasps, extracting a hand to rub at her eyes.

“Not quite sunup. We’re the last ones here,” I reply.

Lydia nods and shoves at Gabby with her shoulder. It takes a bit, but we finally manage to get Gabby awake enough to load her into the back of Lex’s car, along with Wila. Lydia turns to me as I close the door behind the matriarch, her eyes bright.

“Matty, I…” she whispers, voice cracking with unshed tears.

I reach for her, pushing her hair back from her face before cupping her chin with my palms. She steps closer and angles her head to keep looking up at me. My brow pulls down, heart kicking a little harder at hurt in her eyes.

“All of this with Seth... I don’t know how much longer I can do this. It keeps getting worse, and it just seems like we’re spinning our wheels,” Lydia goes on, not looking away.

“We’re going to figure it out, I promise,” I start, but Lydia just shakes her head.

“I don’t want people to keep getting hurt because of me,” she whispers.

I swear I feel my heart stop dead in my chest before it suddenly kicks into overdrive. I wrap my arms around her shoulders and clutch her to my chest. She gasps, and I can feel her tears as they splash on my shirt, but I only hold her tighter.

“This isn’t on you. None of this is your fault. We love you, and we want you here,” I ramble.

There are more feelings in my chest, but they’re too big for me to put adequately into words. Since Seth destroyed my life, I’ve only let myself have the shallowest of connections. Finding people to keep me warm for a few weeks before I have to push them away with my party boy persona. I’ve had to become someone I hate, because I couldn’t give my heart away again. But then Lydia came screaming into my life, full of passion and fight and so much love for everyone she lets into her heart. I’d never expected to fall for her like this, but from the first time I met her, she saw through all of my pretending and sarcasm, straight to the core of my lonely soul.

How could I not want to spend the rest of my life with someone like Lydia, beautiful, inside and out, so perfect for me and my pack? She’s saved us, saved me from falling apart. I can’t imagine a future without her in it. I don’t care what it takes, if I have to beg, steal, cheat, or kill, but I’m going to get my heart back from Seth and give it to Lydia. I belong to her as completely as any person can belong to another. There isn’t anywhere she could go and I wouldn’t follow. She’s a part of me now, and I’d sooner cut off a limb than let her walk away. But if she doesn’t feel the same…

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