Page 93 of Lilacs and Leather
“Six months of his stipend,” Lex says.
Mateo sets off pacing and swearing again, and I can’t help the pang of empathy in my chest. He wants out of this so badly, and I believe I have the reason slung across my lap. I know how I feel about Lydia, even if I haven’t told her yet, and it isn’t hard for me to imagine Mateo not being in love with her, too.
Lydia lets out a disbelieving scoff. “That’s it? Seriously? Did you even talk about renouncement?” she demands.
“We tried, but he wasn’t willing—”
I growl, anger flaring at her attempt to downplay what happened. Her eyes snap to me, but I ignore the warning flashing in their hazel depths.
“When we pushed, he threatened us. And you backed down, Lex,” I accuse, getting heated all over again.
I was done trying to play nice with Seth, especially after today and the shit he’s trying to pull. My pack has enough power that Seth’s existence is little more than a persistent nuisance. But with Lydia involved, especially now that I have such deep feelings for her, it was time to stop pussy footing around and handle him. And Lex not stepping up when we have this very real chance to be rid of him grates on my raw nerves.
“When you say that he threatened us, what do you mean?” Lucas asks suddenly.
“It was a thinly veiled threat, but after everything he said at Alice’s and in the meeting, it was pretty easy to read between the lines. He knows who Lydia is, and specifically called out her ex, Darren by name. At the restaurant, he said he looks forward to telling him what his omega’s been up to, and in the meeting, he said it wouldn’t be good for anyone if he decides to share what he knows about us with the relevant parties.”
As I finish speaking, I feel Lydia’s entire body lock up next to me, and she sucks in a sharp inhale. Immediately, my eyes find hers, and my heart pounds as I see the completely undisguised terror in her face. She’s white as a ghost, all color and warmth gone, and her mouth is pressed into a thin, bloodless line. She’s shaking, and her hand trembles so hard that her wine glass falls from her grip and shatters on the floor at our feet. I hear Mateo calling her name, but I can only focus on the stomach-churning scent of burnt sugar filling the room.
“Lydia, look at me. You need to breathe,” I say, nearly shouting.
Her eyes fly around the room, her hair whipping around her face as she shakes her head, hands twitching like she doesn’t quite know what to do with them. She takes a short inhale but doesn’t release it. I swallow, heart dropping. I seize her by the waist and set her in my lap, legs on either side of my hips. I take her face in my hands, holding her still even as her body trembles uncontrollably. I know what I have to do, and I only hope she’d forgive me.
“Omega. Look at me.”
Lydia’s back bows sharply as my true alpha bark settles over her. I feel the heady rush of power under my skin as I try to control the compulsion, to fill my unspoken command with as much concern as I can. She goes slack in my arms as she gives in and obeys, eyes finding me on instinct alone.
“Good girl. Breathe with me now.”
The compulsion isn’t as strong when I don’t use her designation, but take long, deep breaths, watching as her chest rises and falls in sync with mine. Her eyes clear a little, the color returning to her cheeks as the seconds pass. I release the hold between us, letting her breathe on her own. I move one of my hands around to the back of her head, tucking her face into the crook of my neck as the other bands around her back, cradling her close.
“You’re safe, Lydia. I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you. He’s not going to take you from us, not while I still have breath in my body. You’re safe, my love. You’re safe.”
I whisper the words into her hair, and I can tell when she realizes that I’m not using my bark anymore but letting her hear the words and believe them of her own will. She sags into my chest, and I feel the drops of her tears as they soak the front of my shirt. I swallow my growl, turning it to a purr to try to soothe her pain.
I feel Mateo’s body heat and he kneels on the floor, silently cleaning up the wine and glass before moving off to discard the pieces. Lex pulls a cashmere blanket from the storage ottoman, draping it over Lydia’s back and shoulders before settling on the couch beside me, sitting cross legged facing me. Lucas pulls the ottoman closer, sitting almost knee to knee with me as he leans forward and gently rubs Lydia’s back. The fragrance of soft cotton and graham crackers fills the air, and Lydia sighs as she scents it.
“It was warm,” Lydia breathes, only loud enough for me to hear.
“What was, my love?” I ask, keeping my voice just as quiet.
“Whenever he barked at me, it always felt like he was shoving me under water in an ice bath. But your bark was so… warm,” Lydia goes on, her voice almost dreamlike.
Because he was demanding your submission without ever doing anything to deserve it.
“Lydia, I can’t ask this of you. I’ll tell the lawyers that a meeting with you is off the table. None of us have declared intent to bond, so he doesn’t have a right to ask this right now. He can give up a year of his stipend, and we won’t press charges this time,” Lex says, resolute.
Lydia turns her head against my chest until she’s looking at Lex. Her silence stretches, but I don’t dare to speak over her again.
“If you back off now, it’s only going to be a matter of time before he pushes again,” Lydia rasps flatly.
Mateo settles on my other side, finding Lydia’s hand under the blanket. “As much as it pains me to say it, I really think Lex is right. I don’t like where Seth is going with this, and I don’t want to see you get caught in the crossfire.”
I refrain from making a snide remark, and even Lucas manages to keep his sarcasm contained to a snort. Lex rolls her eyes, but Lydia shakes her head.
“If we give him this meeting, we’ll at least have control of the circumstances. We won’t have to guess about his intentions, and he’ll have to back off. Keeping me away from him only shows that you have a weakness, and he’s going to use that against you,” she pushes.
“And if you do meet with him, will you be okay with the terms? Because he won’t budge,” Lex fires back.