Mated To My Boyfriend's Dad
Chapter 87: _ His Name

Chapter 87: _ His Name

Isleen

~~

The blood drained from my face as I stared at the news report. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

But the woman on the screen, her lifeless face staring back along with an old picture of her was undeniably familiar.

Lupe’s mother.

A gasp escaped my lips, long and strained. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. Not after everything else poor Lupe had just been through.

Who could be doing this to us?

To our pack? Everyone knew these recent killings weren’t the works of vampires as those would drop dead should they ever taste our blood.

Liam, who was oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside of me, turned to me with wide eyes. "Look, Megami," he said, pointing at the screen. "Isn’t that... isn’t that Lupe’s mom?"

My throat tightened, the air suddenly suffocating. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the image on the screen. "Y-yes," I choked out. "It is."

"Who killed her?" He asked innocently with worry taking over his face too.

His innocent question crashed the strong facade I was trying to put up for him. I didn’t want to appear weak in front of my boy.

But thinking about how this wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to Lupe’s mother. I doubted Lupe could handle yet another death of her mother right after just losing her best friend.

When I didn’t reply straight away, "It’s the fairies, isn’t it?" Liam pressed on.

Heavens, no. Such hate in the heart of my boy. I didn’t want this for him. My eyes began to get glossy with tears.

Before the dam could break completely, I lurched forward and scooped Liam into a tight embrace. The scent of sunshine and warmth emanating from him was the only thing grounding me in the face of this new devastation. "Shh, Liam," I murmured. "It’s okay. We’ll be okay. We don’t know who did it and we can’t point fingers. The storms will pass, I promise."

Just as I clung to him, Liam clung to me too. His small body trembled slightly in my arms and I had to inhale hard. However, my grief didn’t blind me enough to not see the flicker of fear in his innocent eyes. "Are they going to kill us too, Mama?"

Nah. This pack was forcing kids to grow up fast. A twelve-year-old should be worried about homework... Not this.

The question was filled with childhood vulnerability but it tore a fresh wound in my heart open. "No, honey," I forced a smile. "No one will hurt us. Gamma Rhett... he’ll protect us."

I might have lied about no one hurting us but I knew the last statement was true.

My heart, however, clenched at the mention of Gamma Rhett’s name. Something hot and fiery gnashed at my heart – it was a forbidden longing, a yearning I desperately tried to suppress.

Yet, in this moment of utter helplessness, his strength, his relentlessness and his desire for me seemed to calm my nerves.

Gosh.

I could do better than this, really. Perhaps, Kylo had called me after seeing the news about Lupe’s mum. Yet, I cowardly ignored his calls and put off my phone to restrict any incoming ones.

Since when did I start taking Kylo this lightly? He deserved better. Guilt gnawed at me. This was bad.

Liam, who was oblivious to my devastation continued to speak. He tilted his head, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Gamma Rhett? But why are you so sure he’ll protect us?"

Oh, him again...

A bittersweet smile tugged at my lips. "Because, Liam," I said, my voice turning dreamy despite the circumstances– shame on me. "Gamma Rhett has a way of proving himself, time and time again."

"Is he powerful?" Liam’s questions were unending.

"Very powerful," I whispered, a tremor running through me at the memory of his touch, the raw possessiveness in his gaze. His...

Really, Isleen?

Get a grip.

Standing up, I wiped away a stray tear that had escaped my eyes. "We have to go see Lupe," I told Liam. "She must be devastated."

The thought of Lupe being in pain because of her mother’s death, was unbearable. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through.

We both rushed outside with grief on our shoulders. Truth was, I sucked at consoling people. Cullen was my only friend and he pretty much was a carefree and not-so-emotional type.

Hence, I was more worried about what to say to Lupe in this stance.

As we neared Lupe’s house, the sight that welcomed us was that ld reporters that swarmed the area, the pack’s soldiers standing guard, and cordoning off the house with yellow tape.

Approaching one of the soldiers with Liam in my hands, I explained myself to him. "I’m Isleen, Lupe’s friend. I need to see her."

The soldier was a young man with a stoic expression. "Who is Lupe?" He asked.

"Daughter of the deceased," I replied.

He now cast me a dismissive glance. "Sorry, ma’am. This area’s restricted."

Frustration bubbled within me. "But I-"

Just as I wanted to argue, a figure burst through the front door.

Lupe.

Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes red-rimmed and wild with grief. She ran straight into me, burying her face in my chest.

"Isleen!" she cried, her sobs racking her entire body.

My own tears spilled over, the well of emotions inside of me finally breaking. The double dose of grief – Lupe losing her mother on top of everything else – was almost too much to bear.

"She’s gone," Lupe wailed, her voice filled with pain. "My mom, she’s gone! How could they do this?"

A wave of anger washed over me. "They’ll pay," I whispered, clutching her tighter. "We’ll find who did this, and they’ll pay."

I hoped they would. They needed to pay. Such kinds of people didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as us. They belonged in hell.

Such cruelty!

I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt a small hand on my arm. Glancing down, I saw Liam who had his gaze fixed on the soldiers guarding the house.

"Gamma Rhett will catch the bad guys, right?" he asked.

Oh, Liam. Could you just stop mentioning his name?

A tremor ran through me.

That name, spoken by Liam’s innocent voice had stirred a potent mix of emotions within me - fear, hope, and a yearning I couldn’t – wouldn’t – acknowledge.