Chapter 58

Lily & Harper

Lily cautiously enters the dining room. The table is elegantly set up, candles running down the center with the silverware polished that it reflects the flames from the candles with ease. She inches closer to her seat, which is typically sat to the right of her father, who sits at the head. His chair is empty.

There is no place setting in front of her chair, though.

Lily falters. She glances at her mother, who watches her with a close and daring glare. The young woman passes behind Harper. She sucks in a breath, hoping to death that her mother didn’t hear, and circles the table, finding her seat. She pulls the chair out and sits down, looking at the empty space in front of her.

There is no napkin. There is no fine porcelain plate and bowl. There is no perfectly polished silverware that she can see her reflection in.

Her bottom lip trembles, tears threatening to leave her eyes. She doesn’t dare look up from her spot. She doesn’t dare to provoke the beast that sits within her mother’s body.

“Mother…” she mumbles under her breath. Lily peeks through her eyelashes only to be met with a look full of disgust. Harper’s lip is snarled and her dark eyes evoke every negative emotion that she holds towards her daughter. “What did I do wrong?

“You know exactly what you’ve done,” Harper hisses, leaning forward with so much force that the table rattles, the once perfect set up now slightly shifted.

The dining room doors push open. The two women stand, facing the entrance. Lily’s head remains low, her eyes trained on the floor. Harper’s lips spread into a sickeningly sweet smile, one that lures in all creatures into a false state of comfortability, and bows her head to the Silvertail Alpha.

“You are just in time, my love,” Harper beckons to him, stepping out from her spot at the table. The Alpha doesn’t acknowledge Harper. He steps past her, hesitation in his step when his eyes land on Lily. His lips turn downward into a frown, eyes narrowing.

He fixes his gaze on Lily, who barely looks up from her hung head. She says nothing nor does she dare to look up and welcome him to the table. Keeping his eye on her, he slices through the air, taking his time, approaching his chair at the head of the table. The only sound in the room is his footsteps.

The Alpha pulls his chair out, the legs dragging across the marble floor, and he sits, the two women following suit. He settles into his spot, running his tongue over his canines.

He snaps his fingers and two Omega servants walk in at a brisk pace, two sets of appetizers in theirs hands, trapped under silver domes. They place them in front of the Alpha and Harper, ignoring Lily. They share a glance and nod, removing the lid from the plates, revealing an appetizing view of scallops. Lily’s stomach growls at the sight of food.

The Alpha and Harper gear themselves with a knife and fork, quietly digging in. Lily keeps her displeasured sigh to herself, watching with straightened posture, her hands in her lap.

Their chews are loud, lips smacking against each other. Lily grimaces, clutching her clothes stomach. The Alpha glances at her, shoving a forkful of scallop and bacon inside his mouth. His knife drags against the plate. The scratch sends chills down Lily’s spine.

She glances to her mother for any kind of help. Harper shakes her head, trying not to alert the Alpha with her movement. She clears her throat, trying to take some of the attention off of Lily, and tilts her body to the Alpha.

Harper hates Lily’s actions at Moonlit Labs and with Miranda. To her, her daughter acted irrationally and didn’t fully think things through, having no contingencies set in place nor a backup plan in case things don’t fall into place for her. Lily is still her daughter, though, and her maternal instincts scream at her to protect Lily.

“Husband, have you heard the good news?” Harper asks in cheery yet nervous tone. The Alpha doesn’t turn to face her. He keeps his eyes on Lily.

“How are things at Moonlit Labs?” His question silences Harper. Lily clears her throat, shifting in her seat, hesitating to respond. “Speak, girl.”

“I-It’s going okay!” Lily pushes the words out of her mouth. “Things are going very smooth right now, no thanks to Miranda.”

The Alpha slams his fists down on the table. Harper flinches and Lily lets out a surprised yell. The Alpha stands from his chair, leaning over the wooden table to get closer to Lily.

“No, things are not okay. You are ruining the company, Lily! Explain yourself!” He screams in her face. Lily whimpers, receding into her chair.

“Honey, please!” Harper sets her fork and knife down. She stands, stepping to his side, gently resting her hand on his arm. He yanks his arm away from her, though, and pushes her away. “You do not need to be so harsh with her! She’s just a child!”

“A child that is running the country’s largest pharmaceutical company!” He yells at Harper from over his shoulder. He turns his attention back to Lily, narrowing his eyes at her. “Do you know that we’ve lost over half a billion dollars in revenue because of you? Your petty beef with Miranda has ruined us! You’re worthless!”

Lily’s bottom lip trembles, hands shaking in her lap. She grabs the fabric of her skirt, balling it into her fists. Tears well in her eyes and she tries her best to blink them away, but it’s of no use. Tears roll down her cheeks, eyes red, and her mouth goes dry.

“Not only have you ruined the company,” the Alpha continues, “but you have ruined our relationship with the Alpha King and his pack! We’re outsiders in a world that we just joined, Lily! All because of you!”

“I-I’m sorry!” Lily cries out. She desperately wishes that Miranda were here. Her father’s anger would be directed at the half-breed instead of her. She would be spared of his tumultuous fury, hiding behind her mother, knowing that she’s safe from his wrath. “It’s not my fault!” She doubles down.

“Yes! It is your fault! It’s because of you that we aren’t connected with the Alpha King’s pack through marriage! Hell, you managed to get Miranda pregnant with his child instead of yourself!” He yells.

“Stop that right now, you fool!” Harper gasps, slapping the Alpha’s arm. “The servants could be listening! Who knows who they will tell of this information!”

“Who cares?! She’s already fucked it up for us! We’ve lost all our bargaining power! We have no King to support us anymore!” The Alpha’s words shake Lily to her core. She watches as her father, a man who once showed her immense love and adoration, has now turned into a man she can barely recognize or bring herself to love.

The Alpha pushes off the wooden table, turning on his heel, leaving his wife and daughter behind in a destroyed battlefield of his own making.

Harper sighs, looking at Lily from across the table. Her daughter shakes in her sear, hunched over, face buried in her hands. Her body racks from loud, agonizing sobs. Harper’s heart pangs with sadness but quickly pushes it away.

“What did you do?” Harper asks, realizing that the situation is more severe than she thought. Lily looks up from her hands, make up streaking down her face.

“I iced Miranda out.”

Harper sharply inhales, looking down at her daughter.

You fool. You absolute fucking idiot. What have you done?

“Go to your room,” Harper demands, rushing after the Alpha to try and reverse the damage her daughter has done.