33. Liam

My legacy?What legacy? She was my fucking legacy. I've dedicated my whole life to finding her and now she was finally here, in my arms. What was a name if I had her?

"What if I told you I don't want to live in the spotlight? That I couldn't?" she asked, her eyes darkening like a storm on the horizon. "I've spent more than half my life making sure that I wasn't associated with a legacy pack. Even if I want this…I don't necessarily want to be a part of Valor or all the restrictions that come along with it. And what happens if the world finds out I'm a dominant omega? Or that I'm the daughter of the only omega ever convicted for murder?"

I may have anticipated this problem, but it still sent ice through my veins to think I got this far just for something so stupid to get in the way.

"You're the next heir to one of the most powerful legacy packs in the country Liam, and I'm nothing but the daughter of a serial killer." Lucy looked at me like she wanted to be furious with me, but couldn't quite commit.

She was still so scared.

But this was something I knew how to do. This I could fix. If she was willing to forgive me for not telling her sooner, the rest was easy.

"It's not like I didn't know who you were, even back then." I slid my hand up her neck to cup her face, tightening my hold until I knew it would leave a bruise, but I was too desperate to be gentle. "We didn't have TV or cell phones at the academy, but I heard what happened when I called Gideon one weekend. I came back for you then, but it was too late. There was no trace of you and Francisco insisted he didn't know where you were."

Her eyes narrowed. She probably thought I was lying, but I had proof – plane tickets and phone calls…all the proof was there if she wanted it.

"I knew everything and I still did everything I could to find you…I even planned for every possibility so I'd be ready when I finally found you again. Do you really think I didn't consider that you might not want to be a part of the Valor pack? I've planned for everything, Lucy. So, just tell me what it is you fucking want."

She grabbed my wrist and dug her nails into my skin, but she didn't try to get free. "It doesn't bother you that I'm a ticking time bomb? That one day…I might end up just like my father?"

"As if you're not already." I pulled her closer when she tried to get away, furious that I would dare say it out loud even though we both knew it was true. "And what makes you think a legacy alpha is any different?"

Lucy bared her teeth at me, ready to rip me to pieces all over again and I flipped her onto her back, carefully pinning her to the bed by her throat before she could hurt herself. "What is it that you're really asking me, baby? Are you asking if I would make sure you could get away with murder? Honestly, you could go on a killing spree and all I'd do is make sure you had everything you could possibly need to do it right, because all I need is you. I don't care about anything else."

Finally, she stopped fighting and stared at me like I'd lost my fucking mind. Amusing, considering I'd lost it a long time ago.

"There is literally nothing I won't do for you, Lucy. Want your father out of prison? I could make that happen. Want him dead? I can do that too. Want me to leave my pack and make you a new one? I'll do anything as long as you let me have you. Just tell me what it is, my vicious little omega. What do I have to do?"

Her eyes widened and I felt the acid in my veins start to ease when she realized I was actually being serious. She looked shocked by all my crazy even after everything she'd seen and it was just too fucking adorable.

The look on her face made me want to eat her right up and I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life trying to see it again.

Would she make that face when I told her I'd make an alliance with the Lopez pack just so she and Frankie could stick together without issues? Or would I get to see it when I told my mother to choose between me and her outdated ideals?

Lucy stared at me for a long time, and then she looked over at Cas. The way she considered the other alpha with such a serious expression on her face made me wonder what she could possibly be thinking in that crazy little head of hers.

The grin that slashed across my face felt sharp and I slid my gaze over to Cas, who was still leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest like such a good boy, eyes dark and face expressionless.

Waiting to pick up all the pieces just like he always was.

He's always handled everything for me. Ever since high school. Cas has dealt with the shit I couldn't, or wouldn't. He's kept my reputation squeaky clean and because of him, no one knew exactly what I was capable of.

Not yet anyway.

"I don't think our omega wants to become a Valor, Cas." I leaned down and licked the shell of Lucy's ear, holding his gaze.

"Why should she? You made her cry."

Oh he was furious with me. How delicious.

"I did, didn't I?" My breath on her ear made her shiver and my fingers flexed, gently squeezing her throat in a silent plea. There was no way I could control myself if she started squirming underneath me, rubbing her body against mine. Not when I was still fucking wrecked by her adorable little game.

"Hey, I've got an idea." She looked up at me, eyes wide and wary, but at least she wasn't crying anymore. "Let's start a whole new pack and call it Valentine. You've always been my legacy, baby. So let's make a whole new world with our own set of rules."

"Liam, don't be unreasonable."

Lucy and I turned to Cas together and I raised my eyebrow, wondering how he could still be so calm when we both had him in our sights.

"Am I being unreasonable, baby?"

"No, I don't think so. That's honestly the most reasonable thing you've said all day."

I looked down at her – watching the way she gazed at Cas like he was her knight in shining armor despite the way he was glowering at her.

Lucy still trusted me. Some part of her had to or she would never have taken her eyes off me. She wouldn't have let me pin her down, underneath me, her fucking life in the palm of my hand.

I needed to remind her—needed her to make a choice before I killed Cas for somehow getting off scot-free. He'd known who she was too, but he kept it to himself, and yet she didn't hate him the same way she hated me.

It's not like I didn't understand why.

She found his loyalty so fucking endearing.

Well, I could be loyal too.

"You know…with my hand around your neck like this I can squeeze the life out of you so…easily." I loosened my hold, knowing I shouldn't risk it, but I needed her to decide. "What is love without trust, right? That's why you won't answer me. But what if I could prove it?" I squeezed, emphasizing my point.

When I finally let go, Lucy started coughing, staring up at me with wide eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

"Oh, did I squeeze too hard? Was it too rough? You fucking loved it though, didn't you?" I brushed my lips against her cheek so softly she'd barely feel it. "This is what you do to me, Lucy. You make me fucking crazy and I can't stop. I could choke you until you pass out and you'd wake up begging for more, wouldn't you?"

She held so still I didn't think she was even breathing, but her pheromones betrayed her, oozing from her pores with the most decadent, delicious scent in the world and it smelled like desire – just as desperate as mine.

"See, I know exactly what you want. I know exactly what you need." I slid my gaze back to Cas who looked like he was about to snap, but he didn't move a single inch. Not yet. The man was a fucking rock and I needed to reward him before he killed me. "What are you still doing over there? My hand is around your omega's throat, ready to mark her…one way or another."

For once, the bastard didn't ignore me. He crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed me by the hair, ready to throw me off of her if I so much as breathed wrong.

"Tell her to be a good girl and hold verrrrrry still," I instructed, biting back a moan when he yanked my head back just the way I liked it. "I have to show Lucy my proof and I don't want her running off before I do." I held his gaze, silently pleading with him to understand just how dangerous it would be if she did.

"We're not starting a new pack with my name, Liam."

I smirked, knowing he would take whatever name Lucy wanted. "No need to be coy, Cas. Just be a good boy and do as I say."

Lucy let out a tiny gasp, so quiet no one would have heard her under normal circumstances but Cas and I were always way too focused on her to miss it. My smirk sharpened and I swiped my tongue over my bottom lip, remembering every detail of what they made me watch.

What they made me listen to.

Cas's expression didn't change, but I knew he understood because his grip on my hair softened ever so slightly. "Lucy, if you so much as breathe too hard, I"m going to punish you. So, stay very, very still. I promise it will be worth it."

"Good boy," I whispered, giving him the shit-eating grin he couldn't fucking stand. "Now, sit on the bed with your back to the headboard. Shoes and shirt off."

Cas held my gaze for a long time, weighing the pros and cons of obeying me. If he sat down I could do something really crazy before he could stop me but he knew I'd never hurt her. He just didn't like not knowing what it was I planned to do.

He leaned down and got in my face, those blue eyes burning with the intensity of his emotions. "Make her cry again and I will kill you."

I licked my lips when he yanked his shirt over his head to comply with my demands. "Tears from pleasure don't count, do they?"

Cas unlaced his boots, eyes on our omega. "Up to Lucy."

Looking down at her, I admired the rosy flush to her cheeks, hoping she'd like the present I was about to give her. "What'll it be, baby?"

"Bold of you to assume I'd ever give you the chance to please me again." Her whispered words were full of venom, still so desperate to please Cas and I couldn't fucking stand how perfect she was.

I buried my face in her neck and breathed in the scent of her desire coupled with the sharp tang of her pain.

Lucy would understand. I'd make sure of it.

Closing my teeth around the hickey Cas had left on her neck, I was very careful not to break the skin just yet, but this was where I'd bond her. Here it wouldn't ruin the spider lilies she'd inked into her skin. Ones she'd gotten for me.

The bed shifted when Cas climbed up, settling down against the headboard exactly the way I wanted.

"It is very bold of me to assume," I agreed. "But I'd like an answer regardless. Just in case."

She didn't move even when I sat up, bringing her with me. I gently placed her in Cas's lap and then took his hands, placing one on her waist and the other on her throat, knowing she needed this just as much as I did.

"You look so pretty when you take care of her," I murmured, admiring how small she looked in his arms. They were both being so obedient that I finally felt like maybe I wouldn't accidentally kill either of them. "It feels safe, doesn't it?"

Grabbing the fabric of her sweatpants, I yanked them down and tossed them to the floor – grinning when she still didn't move. "The weight of our hand around your throat makes you feel safe and grounded, doesn't it Lucy? You need to choke on us or you'll fall apart…and we need to hold you or we'll lose our minds."

Neither of them said anything to that, but I didn't care.

No matter what they did, they were both perfect…as long as they stayed with me.

If they left I'd fucking kill us all.

"If I put my tongue in your tight little pussy and made you cry because it feels so fucking good…would Cas have to kill me?" I slid my hands up her legs and hooked my thumbs in her underwear, slowly pulling those down so she'd have more time to answer me.

"Hypothetically speaking…no."

I tossed her underwear to the floor and reached back to grab the neck of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. "Hypothetically speaking," I agreed. "Thank you for your answer, Lucy."

The scent of her desire spiked and I pretended not to notice even if my dick was suddenly throbbing.

Taking the phone out of my pocket, I tapped my mother's contact as I tossed my shirt on top of Cas's. The sound of the phone ringing got a thousand times louder when I put it on speaker and Cas went so still that Lucy actually looked scared.

I showed them both the phone as I reached down to unlace my own boots. Lucy frowned slightly when she saw the name ‘boiled potatoes have a better sense of humor,' but she had no idea who that was.

Cas did though.

He was practically vibrating with the need to move – to stop me from doing whatever crazy shit I was about to do, but Lucy was in his arms, holding him hostage.

As usual, the second my mother picked up the phone she didn't bother with any type of greeting. "Why aren't you back in the office yet, Liam?"

"Hello to you too, Mother."

Lucy's eyes went wide and she lurched forward but Cas covered her mouth with his hand and yanked her back against him. I wondered if he'd consider that enough to punish her, or if he'd let her off easy because he should be trying to stop me too.

"I've been calling you all week and you never fucking pick up," my mother snapped. "You've been wasting my time Liam, why would I bother with hello?"

"Oh, I don't know, because I'm the only son you have left?"

It's been a long time since I've shocked my mother into silence…and I was pretty sure it was around the last time I'd seen actual fear in Cas's eyes. He was looking at me like that now too, torn between holding Lucy down so she didn't make it all worse or stopping me before I set off a nuclear bomb.

He really didn't have to worry so much. My mother could try to play her usual games, but I wasn't my brother. I would never roll over and show my belly when she bared her teeth at me and I wouldn't die so easily when I had something so precious to protect.

My very own family.

"Unfortunately, I have some bad news, Mother. I know you were hoping I'd take Gideon's place, but I don't think that's going to work out. You see, I found my scent matched omega and my mate just doesn't want to be a part of a legacy pack."

My vicious little omega bit down on Cas's hand so hard he cursed, but he still wouldn't let go of her.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" my mother snapped. "You're going to abandon your pack—your family? For some omega you barely know?"

The smile dropped from my face and Lucy stopped struggling like she could sense the sudden shift.

I didn't like how annoying my mother could be, or how much of my life she's dictated up until now, but I did love her. She was my mother after all.

But that wasn't enough.

"I'd be very careful how you choose to proceed with this conversation," I warned, as I brought Lucy's very delectable ankle up to my mouth. "We both know you can't win against me. Don't we, Mother?"

Any other day and my mother's silence would have made me uneasy, but today? Today Lucy was looking at me like I'd lost my fucking mind, but it was clear she finally understood.

"What do you want?" my mother asked. Her tone was stiff but it was as polite as she could make it given the circumstances. "What will it take to get you to stay?"

I kissed Lucy's ankle, marveling at the softness of her skin. "There's nothing in the world I want other than her."

"Liam…I've already lost one child…I can't lose another."

I've never heard my mother sound so vulnerable before, but it wasn't my job to worry about her anymore. "I'm still your child, I just can't be your heir. She won't take me otherwise."

Lucy tried to kick me, but the angle wasn't working in her favor. She let out a little scream of frustration and I watched her thrash around in Cas's arms. My omega finally fucking understood just how serious I was about this.

"Why are you doing this? I let you have Cassius. I thought he was the one you loved…if you need an omega too, you can find one that wants to join our legacy. You don't have to leave."

Lucy snarled so viciously my mother must've heard her even though Cas was doing his best to muffle the sound.

"Actually, it's pretty great because Cas is also her scent matched alpha. So it works out quite nicely." I smiled at Lucy, hoping she'd be pleased with me once she was done being mad. "You made me leave her once, Mother, but you won't manage it a second time. As such, I'll be sending you my letter of resignation and I'd appreciate it if you would remove me from the family registry as well. We'll be forming our own pack."

"Are you really serious about this?"

"Deadly serious."

Lucy elbowed Cas in the ribs and this time he let her go, giving me a look as if to say what are you gonna do about it now?

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lucy demanded, climbing on top of me to try to get to the phone. "I never said?—"

"You said you didn't know if you could live in the spotlight," I reminded her, holding the phone just out of reach. "You asked if I could give up my legacy for you and this is your answer. It's easy to say I would, but to actually do it?"

I hung up on my mother before tossing my phone over my shoulder, too distracted by Lucy's scent to think straight.

Pulling her up and off my lap shocked her enough I was able to rearrange her body so she was straddling me before she could do anything about it.

Lucy looked up at me like I was a psychopath – like she'd somehow forgotten. But there was something else too. Her eyes were still all red and puffy, making the grey glimmer with that nearly white color and they were so round with shock – like I'd just told her I'd set fire to all her plushies.

Her lips parted, begging to be kissed.

But this wasn't about sinking my scent into the deepest part of her until it oozed from her pores – marking her as mine. This was about the proof she needed to understand my reality. The rest…could wait.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" I asked, reaching up to rub my thumb over her flushed cheeks.

"But…your family, your home…"

"Baby, you are my home. Where else would I go?"

Lucy looked like she was about to cry again and I kissed her before she could, taking my time because I knew this wouldn't be my last chance.

She was mine.

And I was hers.

Wholly and completely.