40. Lucy

I got up slowly,trying not to overthink everything. "Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Frankie rubbed her hands over her face and I knew she was exasperated with me. She only did that when she wanted to be mad with me but couldn't because we both knew I wasn't doing this on purpose.

"You make it sound so easy." Frankie planted her hands on the counter and stared into the sink. "You know I'm not a real alpha and yet you never fail to act like I am one. How do you do that?"

"Because you are an alpha." I frowned, not sure what she was getting at. "Being a delta isn't a bad thing, Frankie. It's honestly kind of amazing. When you're an alpha, you're an alpha. When you're an omega, you're an omega. You can switch if you need to for survival of the species in case circumstances require immediate adaptation. That's the whole point of your designation, isn't it?"

"Biologically speaking, yes. Or at least, that's what my father's research says." Frankie gave me a rueful smile, but there were tears in her eyes and I didn't like it.

She was so special but she just couldn't see it.

"You're like a butterfly, Frankie. You're a real alpha and a real omega." I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder. "You became exactly what I needed when I needed it the most and I will never, ever be able to repay you for that."

"Lucy…my father wants me to come back."

I pulled back so I could see her face, but I had no idea what she was thinking or feeling.

"Is that what you want?"

Frankie shrugged one shoulder and gave me a half smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just want you to be happy. So I'll do whatever I need to, to make sure that happens."

I watched her turn and open the fridge, grabbing another energy drink.

When Frankie had left for college I'd asked to be emancipated and both she and her father had flipped their shit. How could I possibly go off on my own as an unbonded omega minor? There would be no one to protect me.

It hadn't been easy, but I'd convinced Francisco to let me do it as long as I stayed with his pack until I was in college. That was when Frankie asked to change her name and distanced herself from her pack.

For me.

Now it was my turn to help her.

"If you want to go back, I don't mind." I leaned against the counter and watched her pause before cracking open the can. "If you want to be Francesca Lopez again, that wouldn't keep me from being your family or partner."

Not anymore.

Frankie turned around and studied me closely. "You've never asked me to choose. That was my own decision."

Right, but we both knew I would have distanced myself from her if she'd stayed with the Lopez pack. I was terrified back then that people would find out who I really was, because why else would Francisco take care of a defective omega orphan?

That trial had been on every news channel in the country so it wouldn't be hard to put two and two together.

"I'm bonded to Liam Valor. This isn't something I can distance myself from anymore, so if you really do want to be a public member of Lopez then I one hundred percent support you, but if your father is pressuring you into coming back I'll kick him right in the balls as a special greeting when I see him at the meeting."

Frankie let out a loud cackle that startled me but I smiled, glad I could still make her laugh even if I didn't always mean to.

"You know, my father wants you to officially join the Lopez pack." Frankie grinned and slammed the fridge closed. "He's convinced that you'll agree to let him adopt you because it would create an alliance between Valor and Lopez."

I winced, remembering Liam's conversation with his mother. An alliance with Valor may not be possible, but if Liam insisted on making his own pack it couldn't hurt to have Lopez on our side.

"I'll do it if you make a deal with River Steele."

This was something that would put Frankie back on every legacy pack's radar, so I understood why she was so hesitant. But I really felt like a temporary agreement would help the both of them get through whatever came next since Frankie was going to take back the Lopez name and Liam had rejected Randolph Steele with such vicious finality.

Frankie took a sip of the bright red drink that matched the color of her hair and considered my proposition. "Are you asking me to save her?"

"No, not exactly. I'm just asking you to create an opportunity. Diverting the Steele pack's attention away from Liam would give us, and her, some breathing room. The Steele pack may not have anything to do with Gideon's death, but their timing is super suspicious." I sighed, wishing we had more tangible proof. "I don't like the way they approached Valor and no, not just because this is about my alpha. I don't like how Liam and Gideon had an argument about them, and then only a few weeks after he was killed, Steele tried to get River and Liam engaged again."

It could be a coincidence, but we couldn't know for sure without proof.

"Once we know who killed Gideon, you can break off the engagement. Your father's an infamous shark attorney. He would make sure you had an airtight prenup for the engagement and marriage. But if you don't want to, I'll drop it and find another way to get the information we need."

Frankie sighed and swirled around the liquid in the can. "We'd have to set up a way to talk to her without making her alpha suspicious."

My stomach flipped. "Are you serious?"

"The legacy event at the end of the month would be a good time to make our relationship public," Frankie admitted.

"Well…" I couldn't argue with her there but I couldn't decide if I was glad she was seriously considering this or not.

If Frankie reached out to River, then I'd be obligated to let Francisco adopt me.

Watching Frankie throw back the drink that always made her smell like radioactive fruit punch, I decided it was worth it just so I could keep her as my family. Then the whole world would know she was my sister.

It would put all the rumors about us to rest too.

"Call your father and tell him I agree."

Frankie dropped the can and the whole thing exploded, spilling bright red liquid everywhere. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie? You know I suck at it." I brushed the red drops off my sweats, knowing I would smell like radioactive fruit punch now too.

"Jesus, he's going to faint from shock." Frankie held onto the counter like she might just faint too.

Liam and Cas ran into the kitchen then, skidding to a stop when they saw the mess.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Cas grabbed Frankie under the armpits and lifted her up like a child to set her back on the floor, away from the mess. She was so shocked by what I'd said she didn't even react.

"I'm going to let Francisco adopt me."

Liam stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "Why?'

"Why not?"

Cas slid his arm around my waist and pulled me into his arms. "You're sure you wanna do that sweetheart?"

"I think it's a good idea." His eyes were always so fucking pretty. "The Valentine pack is going to need some allies, don't you think?"

Liam snickered when Cas closed his eyes in exasperation. "I told you she'd like your name better."

"You two are exhausting." Cas carried me over to the office and dropped me back in my office chair. "Now get some work done while I clean up this mess."

Liam yanked me up and sat down in my chair before settling me on his lap. "Come on, let me help you. I want to show you just how good of an assistant I can be."

I found myself grinning like an idiot as he grabbed a pen and a notepad, asking if I needed him to order Cas to bring us any snacks.

These two were worth it.

They were worth doing things I never wanted to do before because this way…this way I could protect them too.