"Jessica," I repeated, my gaze sweeping over each of them as if I could extract the truth from their very souls. "Who is she?"
"Erica, this isn't the time or place," Liam interjected, his voice strained as he entered the room behind me. I could feel the heat of his presence, but I refused to let it sway me.
"Who is she?" I asked again, my voice rising in pitch as my frustration mounted. I locked eyes with Damon, hoping that he, at least, might be willing to give me the answers Liam so desperately wanted to keep from me.
"Maybe it's time you told her," Damon said quietly, his dark brown eyes filled with an intensity that seemed to bore straight into my soul. He kept his gaze fixed on Liam, who glared back at him.
"Tell me what?" I asked, my heart racing as I turned to face Liam. His eyes were locked onto Damon, a glare so fierce I could practically feel the hostility radiating from him.
"Erica... I..." Liam hesitated, still refusing to look me in the eye. There was something raw in his voice, a vulnerability that I had never heard before.
"Please, Liam," I whispered, my throat tight with emotion. "I need to know."
My patience had worn thin, and I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "Liam, either you tell me who Jessica is right now, or I'm leaving. I can't take these secrets and lies anymore. If I walk out that door, I'll make sure you never find me again." I could see the pain in his dark eyes as he finally looked at me, his lips parting to reveal clenched teeth. He whispered, almost desperately,
"Please don't do this." But it was too late. My resolve had hardened like steel, and I shook my head, turning to leave. With every step I took towards the door, my heart pounded against my chest, a mix of fear and determination coursing through my veins.
Liam's voice rang out just as my hand reached for the door handle.
"Jessica was meant to be my Luna."
Chapter 30
Liam
Iwatchedinfearas Erica turned slowly to face me, her vivid green eyes wide with disbelief. The dread I'd felt building in my stomach since she asked me about Jessica in the bedroom now threatened to consume me entirely. How could I tell her that not only had I intended to pick a chosen mate, but that it was also my fault it ended the way it did?
"Your what?" she asked quietly, her voice devoid of anger or malice, just pure shock. I tried to take a step towards her, my love for her so strong that the idea of her leaving me made it hard to breathe. But instead of accepting my advance, she backed away and looked past me into the room. Careful not to touch me, she walked by and went to sit on the sofa next to my father. I couldn't help but keep my eyes on her, her light red hair cascading down her back like a fiery waterfall.
"Your what, Liam?" she repeated, forcing me to confront the truth I'd been trying to avoid. My heart raced as my mind scrambled for words, desperate to find some way to explain without losing her forever.
"Jessica," I whispered, barely able to speak her name. "She... She was supposed to be my chosen mate." The weight of my confession hung heavy in the air between us, and I braced myself for the storm that was sure to follow.
"Tell me everything, Liam," Erica said, her voice steady but laced with the vulnerability she couldn't hide. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I feared her reaction to the truth. Would she think less of me? Would she want to leave me after learning about the pain I'd caused? I moved to the opposite sofa and sat down next to Damon. Despite my frustration with him for pushing this situation, I knew he had only been looking out for Erica, and for me.
I inhaled deeply, gathering the courage to tell Erica about Jessica. My heart raced, fearing her reaction and the possibility of losing her.
"Jessica... she was a rogue who came to our pack," I began, my voice wavering. "She'd lost her parents in an attack and had nowhere else to go. My father took her in, and she quickly became a valued member of our pack." I didn’t know how to talk about what happened to Jessica without talking about the person that she was.
"Her hair was like spun gold, her eyes the colour of a clear winter sky," I continued, my mind's eye painting a vivid picture of Jessica. "Jessica was a skilled fighter, quick to learn and adapt," I explained, trying to convey her strengths without dwelling too much on my feelings for her.
"We grew close, and eventually, I fell in love with her."
Damon's fake cough beside me snapped me out of my thoughts and I realised what I was saying. Feeling the weight of my confession hanging in the air, I tried to find the right words to express my remorse.
"Erica, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was comparing you to Jessica. That wasn't my intention." My voice trembled, betraying my fear of losing her. "You're my fated mate, and there's no comparison between what we have and what I had with her." Erica rolled her eyes, a hint of amusement breaking through the tension.
"Liam, I know you had a life before me. We've both lived our own lives, and it's natural that you loved someone else." I was relieved by her understanding. I wasn’t sure I would have such a clear thought. But as she studied me intently, her expression turned serious.
"But you did love her?" she asked, her green eyes searching mine for the truth. I grimaced, memories of my time with Jessica flooding back to me. The pain of losing her clawed at my heart, but I couldn't hide the truth from Erica.
"Yes," I admitted, nodding my head. "I did love Jessica very much." As I spoke those words, a heavy silence filled the room. I could see Erica processing what I'd told her, and I worried that this revelation would drive an irreparable wedge between us.
"When I turned twenty-five, I asked my father to make Jessica my chosen mate," I admitted, the painful memories resurfacing. "I wanted her to be the new Luna of our pack." The guilt tightened its grip on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I began to explain that we needed me to find a mate because of the curse, but I caught myself, realising now was not the time to unload that burden onto Erica.
"Anyway, we announced our intention to become mates, and it was...it was a big deal in the pack." My words were heavy with emotion, and I could see the impact they had on Erica, her eyes wide and searching mine for understanding.
"Everyone was excited about the announcement party; it was all they talked about for weeks," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "The whole pack came together to celebrate, and I remember feeling so proud to have Jessica by my side."
