“All bark, no bite,” my mom retorts, and Kurt nuzzles her neck with no care in the world that Dread's face is right there.
“I’ll show you fuckin’ bite, Teresa, don’t push me,” he taunts, rubbing his nose along the scar tissue on the side of her face.
“Gross, you three,” I tease as I pour a cup of coffee for myself, which is more creamer than coffee.
“You’ll understand one day,” my mom sighs with a beaming smile in my direction.
I want to say something sassy about how the fuck am I supposed to understand when no one in this house will let me go out and explore or find the pack of my dreams? I already know how Kurt feels about it. He’s made it clear. But maybe I just need to push harder.
“Lily, hun, can you help me with this?” Kurt asks. I put my coffee down and follow him into the living room. I love this house. It’s so cozy and sweet; you can tell Kurt decorated it with my mom in mind. It’s more reminiscent of a high-end cabin in the woods than any home I’ve seen in Florida.
“What’s up, Pop?” I ask him. He smiles at me, his sun-worn skin crinkling at the edges of his eyes, which are a deep shade of brown. He’s wearing a hat—he always does, now that he’s gone bald—but his black and gray speckled beard is still going strong.
“I need you to stay close to the girls at the party,” he says.
“You don’t trust your guys?”
“There’s going to be a lot of new blood tonight. Men that I don’t trust enough around my daughter.” My heart beats rapidly in my chest. It’s hard for me to defy Kurt, the streaming has been my only major defiance ever. How can I be hurtful to someone who raised me as his own and loved me deeper than my biological father ever did? My sense of loyalty runs deep when it comes to Kurt and the club.
“What about the patched guys?” I ask. Kurt gives me a stern look and then nods.
“Fine. Your brother will be there, anyway.” I smile even bigger at hearing that. Leon has been gone for weeks on club business. I’ve missed him. While being with my mom and her pack brings me comfort, Leon is my true home. Sometimes Leon can feel more like a second father than a brother to me, but I wouldn’t change it. I just selfishly wish he was around more, buthis responsibilities over the last year have taken him away from the compound more often than not.
Kurt holds out his arms and gives me the much needed hug I’m itching for. It’s not even in the realm of the same way he touches my mother. It’s just like any dad hugging his daughter, only I need affection to survive. Maybe that’s dramatic, but it feels like it’s getting worse lately.
Kurt inhales, clearing his throat before taking a step back. “After the party, I think we need to have some serious discussions about finding you a pack.”
When I roll my eyes, he grabs my chin. “Don’t you go rolling your fuckin’ eyes at me. You’re turning twenty-one in a few weeks. We should have started lookin’ before now, but shit’s been busy.”
“There are dozens of guys outside that would make a fine pack,” I say, reiterating how I’ve always felt.
Axel is truly the only one I have in mind when I say that. Part of me wishes I didn’t have such an immense crush on him, but I can’t help myself. Maybe it’s because we’re forbidden to be together and the Beta doesn’t seem to give a shit, flirting with me at every opportunity. But I want him... no, I need him.
I'm open to other guys in the MC as well, especially since there are about to be some new patched members. I’m not meant for some rich, boring-ass pack. Listen, don’t get me wrong, I love money, nice things, being doted on, but more than anything, I want some adventure. I want to actually live. I don’t want to be tucked away in a big house with my only purpose being to pop out babies and keep the house clean. That’s not me and it never will be.
“I want better for you, Lily. I want you to have the world,” he says. And I know he isn’t trying to be a dick. My stepdad genuinely thinks this place isn’t good enough for me.
“What about my mom? Is she not good enough to leave this place?” I ask, knowing I’m being a petulant brat.
“You know damn fuckin’ well your mom is too good for this place, but she’s mine, and there’s no changin’ that now. You have a chance, Lily. A real fuckin’ chance to have whatever you want in this world. I promise, things are calming down with the club. We’ll make finding you a pack a priority,” he vows.
“Okay.”
He flicks my chin, and I scoff at him. “Go help your mom, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I reply before walking away, feeling nowhere closer to getting what I want. Maybe I have to take things into my own hands like I did when I started Marielli’s Mass. I’m just not sure how to make that happen with a Beta; it would be so much easier if I already had Alphas who were a part of the club in mind. I smirk to myself as I go back to the kitchen. My mom and Dread grab handfuls of food, and I do the same. Dread walks in between us as we enter the square.
The square is what we call the vacant area between the body shop, the clubhouse, and Dead Palms Hardware. The two businesses are owned and run completely by the club. And I’m sure they all launder a fuck-ton of money; significantly more than what they bring in because they’re not even open half the time. I’m not an idiot, I know the club does some very illegal things, but being the Prez’s stepdaughter doesn’t make me privy to that information. Hell, even as an ol’ lady and a bonded Omega, my mother isn’t allowed to know anything about club business.
The gates are closed for non-members today, but during the week they’re periodically open to where people can come and go to the businesses. But most people don’t come, unless they have some affiliation to the club, or have been local for a long time. It’s the way the club likes it.
The prospects and a few of the younger, patched-in guys are helping out by setting up the tents. The sweet butts are also contributing by dropping off food on the long rectangular tables, and I smile at each of them. They are the only friends I have; I’m not sure how tv shows depict club life, but in reality, we’re a family. Sure, there’s always drama with a smaller group like ours, but we all depend on and love each other.
Dread kisses my mom’s head and whispers in her ear. She smiles to herself and shakes her head. Dread is different from Kurt, what you see is what you get. His only soft spot is for my mother. I know that he only cares for me because I’m a piece of her, and I’m okay with that. I don’t have the same relationship with him and that’s okay. To be honest, the man still scares the shit out of me. He’s a huge Alpha, and well… he didn’t get the road name Dread without reason.
“You want me to fix you a plate?” my mom asks, and I politely shake my head. “You need to be eating more, sweetie. You’re too thin,” she comments.
I’m not too thin; I’m just extremely toned because running is one of the few things I’m allowed to do around here. And lately, I’ve felt the need to expel more energy than usual.
