His facade is a lie, just as it always has been. No loving father or responsible pharmaceutical leader would dare do the things he’s done to me. The things he’s no doubt doing to other omegas this very minute. Experimenting again.
It’s no wonder he lost his license to practice medicine, a fact swept under the rug when he took on the mantle of CEO after his own father stepped down.
“There’s more to this,” Ian says, drumming his fingers on my knee. “Your father is up to something, and I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either,” Luca growls. “Whatever he’s up to, it can’t be good.”
“He’ll be going after Juniper. You saw what he did at the Lunar Ball,” Cassian says, his voice hard. He takes my hand and squeezes it. “Whatever he’s up to teaching this bogus class, we’ll protect you, love. I promise.”
If only that could be enough against my scheming villain of a father.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
These lazy mornings in the pack house have become one of my favorite things. Waking up, shut away from the rest of the world with just my pack and Marcus, is peaceful in a way I never thought breakfast and coffee could be. Ian and I linger a bit longer before going to train the omegas, while Cassian gamely tries to follow Simon’s rant about his collar-searching algorithm. Luca considers another lump of raw quartz for his next transmogrification project, something to keep him busy over the summer, and Marcus lounges against the counter, drinking his daily green smoothie. I adore these quiet moments with my pack. Even Simon’s ranting has become part of the background chatter to these slow mornings.
My phone rings, disturbing the relative quiet, and I pull it out of the pocket of my leggings, checking the number. Half the people in the world who would call me are in this room with me. No… Itcan’tbe.
Forwarded from my old family phone, a call from my father is currently ringing through.
Ian looks over my shoulder. “Don’t answer it.”
Cassian comes to attention. “Who is it?”
“Redwood Rose,” Ian mutters, his blue eyes darkening.
I pick it up on the last ring, too curious to let it go to voicemail.
“Daughter,” he greets me in that brusque way of his.
“Hello, Father,” I reply hesitantly. What could he want now? Is he calling to gloat about his new teaching position?
“I’d like you to join me for lunch tomorrow. I’m in Fairhaven finalizing some paperwork for my teaching position this fall.”
No ‘I’d like to see you’ or ‘I’ve missed you’ or anything fatherly. He just wants me to join him for lunch. I know it’s not a request; it’s a demand. It’s one I can deny now. I have the protection of my pack, and I’m no longer beholden to my father, and yet…
My snap decision is to say no, but I hold it in, calculating.
“Say no,” Cassian hisses.
I shake my head and wave a hand, shushing him.
This could be an opportunity to get more information from my father about his current schemes. If I can’t get him to talk, I can try to use my affinity on him, plumbing the depths of his mind for information on the experiments I believe he’s conducting.
“Yes, Father. I’d love to,” I tell him.
We quickly make arrangements for him to pick me up outside of All Saints Hall. Though I’m certain he knows I don’t live on campus anymore, I’m not letting him anywhere near the pack house.
When the call concludes, my pack turns to me, similar expressions on their faces.
“Juniper,” Ian begins slowly. “What could possibly possess you to say yes to your father?”
I narrow my eyes at him for questioning my choices. “Information, that’s what. I courted Rad to pull informationabout Halcyon out of his head. I can go to lunch with my father to do the very same.”
“I don’t like it,” Luca says, looking up from the lump of quartz he was turning over in his hands. “He’s cruel. He’s only going to hurt you.”
“It’ll be worth it if I can get information out of him,” I argue, though my confidence wavers. My fatheriscruel, and I have no doubt he’ll turn that cruelty toward me during our lunch. Saints know he loves to break me down at any chance he gets. Still, I have to try.
Ian hauls me into his lap and presses a soft kiss to his bite. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”
