“Dad came to you for help because he was a werewolf?” Triana asked.
She was a little surprised at that. Her father had always been a man who liked doing things on his own.
“Yes,” her mom said. “But not quite in the way you think. You see, there are three kinds of werewolves—alphas, betas, and omegas. Your father was an omega, meaning he had some anger management issues. When he got mad, his inner wolf would come out, and he was worried that sooner or later, someone would get hurt. He lived in fear of that happening, so he came to the shop looking for something to help him stay in control.”
Realization dawned on Triana. “The necklace!”
Her mother nodded. “Exactly. The wolf pendant was a charm designed to ward off negative energies and reinforce positive energy.”
“Did it work?”
Her mom tried not to look too smug. “I admit, it was one of my more inspired pieces. But while it was very powerful, I prefer to believe it was your father’s love for you and me that kept him stable. After all, love is by far the most powerful force in the universe.”
Triana dipped her spoon into her soup again. Clearly, the world was a far more complicated place than she had ever imagined. “Why didn’t you or Dad ever tell me any of these things?”
“Why?” Her mother smiled gently. “Because you were always much happier studying your own particular form of magic. We felt no need to confuse you with ours.”
Triana supposed she could understand that. She’d always been into science and had never bought into the voodoo stuff her mother did. She probably would have thought her parents were crazy if they tried to tell her about werewolves. Still, she couldn’t help feeling saddened by that fact. While it was strange trying to reconcile the sweet, kind man she knew with the savage ferocity she’d witnessed that night, it felt like there was a part of her father she’d missed getting to know.
Triana went back to her soup and sandwich, partly because she wanted to eat while it was still hot, but mostly because she needed time to think about what she wanted to ask her mom next. Her first instinct was to ask if her mom had known Remy was a werewolf before tonight, but she pushed that aside until later. The whole subject of Remy was too painful to get into right then.
“Quinn implied Lee and Dad used to be friends,” Triana finally said. “Is that true?”
Her mother sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. When I met your father, he was Lee’s enforcer. Since he was an omega werewolf, he was very good at his job. To some degree, your father was the brawn responsible for building most of Lee’s empire. But when he met me, that changed. I told him if he wanted to be with me, he couldn’t be in that life anymore.”
Triana smiled. She could definitely see her mom laying down the law like that. “How did Dad handle the ultimatum?”
“Better than I expected,” her mother admitted. “But only because he loved me so much. When you came along, it reinforced the importance of what he was doing.” Her lips curved. “The moment your father saw you for the first time, his entire world flipped upside down. He bought the club, settled down, and became an even better husband and a tremendous father. I was aware he still did an odd job for Lee on the side now and then out of some misplaced loyalty to the man, but by and large, he stayed on the straight and narrow.”
Triana’s heart ached at the memory of her father and how much she missed him right then. “Lee said he hired some people he called hunters to murder Dad because he wouldn’t sell drugs out of the club.”
Her mother closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were wet with tears. “I’m sure that was the excuse he used to justify what he did. But in reality, I don’t think Lee could ever forgive your father for walking away from him and leaving him weaker.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds in the dark room the clink of their spoons against the bowls and the low, deep voices of Remy and his friends drifting up the stairs. Finishing her soup, Triana pushed the bowl away and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing slowly. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she tackled the big pink elephant in the room.
“So, Remy and his friends…” she whispered, half-afraid they’d hear her. “They’re like Dad, aren’t they?”
Her mother laughed as she finished the last of her soup. “Don’t bother to whisper, dear. Werewolves have incredible hearing. If they’ve been paying attention, they’ve heard every word we’ve said.”
Triana blinked. Of course they had incredible hearing. Why not? She glanced over at the kitchen counter where she’d cut her finger the other night—right before she’d asked Remy if he was up for a quickie. Had the other guys heard them? She blushed even as she wondered what other abilities they had.
“Yes, Remy and his friends are werewolves like your father,” her mom said, bringing her attention back to their conversation. “Though technically, they’re a little different because all four of them are alphas, the more dominant kind of werewolf. They’re strong, heroic, and tend to attract a lot of attention everywhere they go. I haven’t met enough alphas to know for sure, but something tells me they’re all hunks too.”
Triana laughed despite herself. Remy was definitely that. But then an image of claws and fangs flashed in her head, and she shuddered. Things between her and Remy had been falling apart before she’d learned he was a werewolf. She doubted learning something like this was going to help their chances of working anything out. The thought made her stomach churn as if it wanted to reject the soup and sandwich she’d just eaten.
Her mother reached across the table and took Triana’s hand in hers. “Hon, I know this is none of my business, so if you don’t want to talk about it, I understand. But I’m a little confused about what’s going on between you and Remy. A few days ago you were talking about falling for him, and now you’re sitting up here in the dark with me while the courageous man who saved your life is trapped in exile downstairs. What happened?”
Triana shook her head. She couldn’t talk about it right now. Besides, what could she say? That Remy had already been in love and didn’t want to go there again? That she had no desire to be with a man who didn’t want her? That she had no idea how she felt about a man with fangs and claws? It was more than she could put into words.
“I’m tired, Mom. I just want to go to bed,” she said.
“Of course, go ahead.” Her mother stood up with her and came around to her side of the table to hug her. “I love you, baby girl.”
She hugged her mom back just as tightly. “I love you too.”
Triana didn’t bother with a flashlight as she headed for her bedroom, since she knew the way by heart. As she passed the staircase, she felt the same pull she’d experienced in Lee’s living room. She stopped to look down the stairs and saw Remy sitting on the bottom step, an empty bowl and plate beside him, his back to her like he was guarding the entry to the apartment, guarding her and her mother.
As if sensing her, he turned his head and Triana caught a glimmer of gold in the darkness. The urge to go downstairs, wrap her arms around him, and tell him how much she appreciated what he’d done for her and her mother was overwhelming.
