CHAPTER SIX
One week.
That’s what her grandmother had said.
Well, it had been five days, and Sara was already a nervous wreck. She’d only spoken to her father once since she’d been there, still too angry at what he’d done, and thankfully he’d been too busy to force the issue. But in two days’ time, she’d be seeing him face to face. Or at least she thought she would.
“Grandma?”
Celia stopped chopping vegetables for the stew she was making and turned around to lean against the worktop, eyebrow raised.
“When Dad gets here, will I see him?” She bit her lip as Celia set her knife down and turned round to face her fully. Clearly it wasn’t going to be a short answer.
“Do you want to see him?”
“I—” Did she want to? Her knee-jerk reaction was to say no, definitely not, but it had been almost three weeks since she’d left the pack to come here. Despite everything, she missed him. “I don’t know,” she hedged.
With a sigh, Celia walked over to her and took Sara’s chin in her hand, forcing her to meet her gaze. “It’s okay to miss your father, Sara. Even if you’re mad at him for how things are right now, he’s still your father. It’s okay to want to see him.”
“Ugh.” Sara tipped her head back and glanced at the ceiling, her frustration leaking out in a huff of air. “Iammad at him. Furious. All this… this…paincould’ve been avoided if he’d given us his blessing. But nooo…” She deflated and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “I miss him. But I’m not sure I can face him, knowing he still feels the same way. Does that make sense?”
Celia let out a small laugh. “Oh, it makes perfect sense to me. The man is a narrow-minded idiot, and to this day, I have no idea what your mother saw in him. But as I said, he’s your father and you love him. You don’t have to agree with his decisions, though, and if you can’t face him while he still clings to his ridiculous ideas, then that’s your prerogative. I won’t force you.”
“What if he asks to see me?”
“Then I’ll tell him you’re unavailable. I’m quite capable of standing up to him.” She gave Sara a pointed look, and Sara’s cheeks heated.
“Sorry. I forget that not everyone has to do as he says.”
“He’s not my alpha.” Celia visibly shuddered. “Nor is he in a position to question me or my actions. So if you don’t want to see him while he’s here, then you won’t. But if that changes, let me know. It’s not set in stone.” She smiled and opened her arms wide.
Sara sank into her embrace, her grandmother’s comforting scent enveloping her. It reminded her of her mother. If Sara had stayed with her mother’s pack, none of this would’ve happened. But then she’d never have met Rachel either, so… “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re very welcome.”
ON THE MORNING of her dad’s impending visit, Sara was a nervous wreck. Although she had no idea why, since she’d stuck with the decision that she didn’t want to see him.
So why am I so bloody nervous?
Because everything rests on today, that’s why.
Celia still refused to tell her what the council would be discussing with her father, but it had to have some bearing on her and Rachel, right? She paced in front of her bed, phone in hand. If only they’d exchanged numbers, she could be talking this over with Rachel right this second. But no, they’d stuck to her father’s stupid rules, and so here she was alone in her bedroom, worrying.
“Fucking hell,” she hissed and threw her phone onto the bed.
“Language, Sara.”
Sara jumped a mile, not having heard her grandmother approach, and she spun round to find her leaning against the door frame. “You startled me.”
“Evidently. You need to pay more attention to your surroundings.”
Sara let out a nervous laugh. “I can’t focus on anything other than his visit.”
“Sit down a minute.” Celia pointed at the bed, so Sara sat, and Celia took the spot next to her. “Even if nothing comes out of today’s meeting, it’s not the end of things. I have a few more ideas if this doesn’t work.”
“If what doesn’t work?” Sara asked, as innocently as she could manage.
Celia laughed. “Nice try.” She stood, smoothing out her trousers as she did so. “I know it’s probably pointless, but try not to spend the next few hours worrying. Go outside, get some fresh air, and think of me cooped up in a meeting room on the ground floor of the council building. There’s only one window, and no matter how wide we open it, it’s always stuffy in there. The outside air never seems to filter inside. Anyway, I should be going.” Ducking back down, she gave Sara a kiss on the head, then left.
