She stood there, not moving. “Deedee …” As the warmth began to seep back into her body, it was as if her brain had unfrozen too. “Oh, Dee,” she cried before collapsing in her best friend’s arms.
Chapter Eighteen
“I just got off the phone with your mother,” Deedee said as she entered the kitchen.
“And you didn’t tell her the truth, right?” Astrid asked. “You made a pinky promise not to tell her.”
“Of course not.” She sat on the barstool next to her. “Pinky promises are 100 percent valid, no matter how old you are.”
“Do you think she suspected anything?”
“I don’t think so. I told her I had asked you to drive me to a conference I had to attend and that we had made the arrangements even before the Alpha punished you.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“Anytime, Astrid.” Deedee frowned. “So, what are you planning to do now?”
“Well,” she began. “First I’m planning to eat this delicious chicken.” She pointed to the whole roasted bird currently sitting on a serving plate in front of her. “Then I’m going to work on those potatoes and the cornbread. After that, there’s the pumpkin pie—hey! Give that back!”
Deedee had taken the plate and held it high over her head. “I’m not talking about food, you ninny.”
“What’s more important than food? I’m starving,” she whined.
“We just demolished seven boxes of Chinese takeout while we watched a bunch of scary movies.” Deedee put the plate down, but slid it away from Astrid. “You can’t possibly still be hungry.”
“Yes, I am.” She reached for the potatoes instead.
“Astrid, please. I can only lie to your mother for so long.” She placed an arm around her. “Talk to me.”
“I’ve told you everything. That—that— he—” She stuffed her mouth full of mashed potatoes and swallowed. When she arrived here last night, it all came pouring out of her and she confessed everything to Deedee. About Zac. And what he said about Daric. Even thinking about it now hurt. Eating seemed to be the only thing right now that could help distract her. It was a good thing her stomach had turned into some kind of bottomless pit lately and she could pretty much shove food in her mouth every few hours.
“Yes, I know,” Deedee said in a quiet voice. “And it’s still hard to believe that … about your dad. I can’t believe it.”
Neither did she, but here she was. Hiding out at her best friend’s house while her entire world collapsed. It all turned out just as she predicted, but she’d allowed it to happen anyway. At first, she thought that maybe, just maybe, Zac would at least fight for them. But it sounded like he didn’t even try. And if she were honest with herself, that was what hurt the most.
She still couldn’t believe it about her father. Surely, Nick was lying. No, her father wasn’t evil. He would never try to do anything to Cady or anyone else. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” The sound of her spoon hitting the bottom of the bowl of mashed potatoes made her cringe. “What’s been going on with you and Cross?”
That question made Deedee’s eyes bulge. “Nothing,” she croaked.
“He’s back in town, right?”
She shrugged. “Kind of. He’s still busy and stuff and—”
“You just need to get off your ass and tell him.”
Deedee raised a brow at her.
“Oh, boo. Don’t look at me like that. Just because my love life’s a disaster doesn’t mean yours has to be.”
“So, are you admitting that you love him?”
The question had her reaching for the cornbread. Hopefully this would keep her mouth busy and prevent her from answering that particular question. Did she love him? If she did, then she only had one thing to say about that: Love sucked. Big time.
“I came as soon as I could, skatten min.”
The sound of her father’s voice startled her more than his sudden appearance in front of Deedee’s breakfast bar. “D-dad?” Bits of cornbread flew from her mouth and she reached for a glass of water to clear her air passage. “What are you—” She turned to Deedee. “You pinky promised,” she accused.
“I pinky promised not to tell you mother,” Deedee said. “But not your dad.”
“Traitor,” she mumbled.
“I’ll give you guys some privacy.” Deedee turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Daric gave her a nod and then walked around to Astrid’s side.
“What did Deedee tell you?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Enough.” He placed an arm around her and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything. For not being truthful. And that my past actions have caused you pain.”
Her heart dropped all the way to her stomach. “So it’s true. What Nick said about you. That you—”
“Yes. I used to work for Stefan, our enemy.”
“But … why … I don’t understand.”
He let out a deep sigh and sat down on a stool next to her. “Stefan came to our village when I was a boy. He killed my father, your grandfather Jonas, so he could gain his powers. Then, he took my mother captive and forced me to do his bidding.”
She gasped and then reached out to cover his hand with hers. “That’s terrible, Dad. I’m so sorry.”
“It was … a gruesome time for me. I would have done anything to keep my mother alive.”
“Including … kidnapping Cady?”
He swallowed audibly. “He made me do a lot of horrendous things and to this day I have never quite forgiven myself, even though I did it to stop Stefan from hurting Signe. Kidnapping Cady seemed inconsequential then, just one of the many things I had to do to survive and keep my mother’s life safe. Had I known how much it would have hurt you so, I would never have done it.”
“But you didn’t … do anything else. I know you couldn’t do that.”
He shook his head. “No, I did not. Nick Vrost and the Lycans were able to save her before Stefan’s plan came to fruition. And for that, I’m glad.”
“What happened after, Dad?” she asked.
“Well, there’s much more to the story, but basically, I met your mother, and she changed my life.” His mouth curled up into a fond smile. “She was the light I needed in my life, to take away the darkness that had consumed me. Love changed me. It changed all of us. When all was said and done, we all decided it was best to keep my involvement with Stefan a secret. We all thought it was better to forget the past. Now I realize how wrong we were. Forgive me.”
Despite the fact that she thought she’d cried every last tear she had the night before, she wiped at the tears that were pooling in the corner of her eyes. “It’s okay. Thank you for telling me now.” Strong arms enveloped her in a tight hug.
“Zac will come to his senses.”
She stiffened. “Deedee told you—”
“I … guessed.” Daric pulled away and then wiped the tears that had tracked down her cheeks. “Do not be embarrassed, Astrid.”
“I’m … I’m not,” she denied. “I’m just … what you said about him coming to his senses … even if he did, I don’t really give a shit.” The anger she had been feeling since yesterday had embedded itself deep in her chest. She held on to it, because right now, it was the only thing stopping her from feeling the pain he had caused.
“He does not know the whole story,” Daric said. “He knows only one side.”
“And he chose to believe his dad before learning our side.”
“I’m not talking about our side.”
Her father was being cryptic again. She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Zac’s made his position clear on this. It’s over and done.”
“If I could change the past, I would,” Daric said. “But I cannot. Nick Vrost is not a bad man. He’s loyal and solid as a rock, but just as unyielding. You will understand what it is like when it comes to your T—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, when
you have your own family.”
The thought of getting married and having children was the farthest thing from her mind right now. She never dared let herself fantasize about such things, not even when she was with Zac. It was probably because her brain was telling her she was making a mistake in getting involved with him. “What will you tell Mom?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Your story is yours to tell,” he replied. “But you cannot hide from her forever.”
“I know.”
“And you have duties to the clan and to the Alpha.”
She cringed. “I’ll come back to training tomorrow, I promise.” Hopefully, Zac wouldn’t show up at the training ever again. She would just have to endure Nick’s disapproving glares, at least until the year was up and she was free.
“I’m afraid I’m not just talking about punishment,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Grant and Frankie have decided that Lucas and Adrianna must ascend to Alpha status sooner rather than later. The ceremony is set to happen the day after tomorrow and will begin with a ball at the Waldorf Astoria.”
“Oh, no.” Placing her hands over the counter, she buried her face and let out a groan. “No. I can’t.”
“Attendance is mandatory.”
“Grrrr … can’t you tell them I have the pox or something?”
Gently, he lifted her chin up with his finger. “Astrid, you need to come. I will be there; your mother and your brothers will be there.”
And so will Zac. If he was going to become Beta, then of course he’d be there. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Yes you do,” Dee piped in as she poked her head through the kitchen doorway. “Sorry … I couldn’t help but overhear. But, remember you asked me to get rid of that dress? The one you wore to the wedding?”
“And I supposed you didn’t?”
“It was a gorgeous dress, Astrid. I couldn’t bear to throw it away. And you know you have to go.”
“You cannot miss it, Astrid,” Daric added. “It would be an insult to Lucas and Adrianna, and the entire clan.”
Astrid sighed. “I’ll make an appearance.”
“I’ll be your date,” Deedee said cheerfully. “I just found out from my mother as well. We can make a fun night out of it.”
She glanced at her father, who gave her a small smile. “All right. I’ll stay for the ceremony and then I’m leaving.” New York and New Jersey were the biggest Lycan clans in the world, plus there would be important people flying in from all over the world for the ball. Surely, she could avoid one person in a ballroom filled with hundreds of people.
Chapter Nineteen
“You know, you really would look more handsome if you smiled.”
Zac turned around and came face-to-face with Adrianna. The Lupa-to-be looked resplendent in a blue-green gown that matched both her eye colors. “I could say the same for you. This is your ascension ball, not a funeral.”
Her expression faltered. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”
“Is Jersey really that bad?” he asked.
She raised a thick, dark brow. “Have you lived there?”
He laughed. “No, but you would think it was the worst place in the world.”
She sighed. “I don’t know why the Lycan Council didn’t just let my mother and father consolidate the territory into one. It would have been simpler for everyone.”
Zac was still unsure why Adrianna was reluctant to take on the role of Lupa. It was her legacy, and her right. She would be one of the few female Alphas in the world. A Lupa in her own right, not just the wife of an Alpha. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“I know. But, let’s get back to you,” she said. “What’s got you tied up in knots? Still not sure about accepting the position at Fenrir and the role of Beta?”
Right about now, he wished that was his problem. Deciding on that would have been easier than what had really been torturing him the past few days. The sight of Astrid standing in the rain would be something he would never forget in his life.
You said I was yours.
His wolf growled at him. It had been furious the past two days, ripping him up from the inside. It wouldn’t let him rest, displeased at what he had done. If only he could explain. If only it would understand. But it was an animal, and it wanted what it wanted. And it wanted Astrid.
It’s better this way, he told himself. Blood and family were the most important thing in the world. He kept thinking of his mother’s face. How disappointed she would be. Or how awful it would be for her to find out that he’d been sneaking around with the daughter of the man who—
“Zac?” Adrianna’s face was now drawn into a look of concern. “Zac, I’m being serious now. What’s the matter?”
“I’m fine, Adrianna.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Enjoy your party.”
He didn’t want to walk away from his friend, but he was not in the mood to talk. Or even think. Maybe he could find some sort of distraction; drown himself in alcohol until he couldn’t think straight. Or some other way to get his mind off Astrid. This was New York, after all, and there were lots of beautiful women out there, surely he could find one to help him forget Astrid. But the thought of even being with another woman made his stomach churn.
As he began to walk toward the doors, a hand looped around his arm, stopping him from going further. “Zac, where are you going?”
His mother’s gentle voice shook him out of his thoughts. This is for her, he told himself. You’re doing this for her. The woman who gave you life. “Mom,” he greeted and kissed her on the temple. “You’ve done a marvelous job.”
Despite the time constraints, The Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria looked absolutely stunning. The room was dressed up to the nines with flowers, huge crystal centerpieces on every table, and green and gold decor pieces all over. It must have taken an enormous effort and amount of time to pull this off, and only Cady Vrost would have been able to do it.
“I had a lot of help,” she laughed. “But I am glad we were able to organize it all And that almost everyone could make it.”
“This is a momentous occasion,” he said. “I’m sorry, Mom, did you need me for anything? Otherwise, I did want to just pop out for some fresh air.”
“Your Aunt Lara was looking for you. It’s been ages since she’s seen you and she wanted to say hello. Everyone from San Francisco’s here, of course, including all your cousins.”
Zac put on a tight smile. “Let’s go and say hi then.”
He allowed Cady to lead him back to the middle of the room where two women were standing by a cocktail table. They both looked similar though one was older, but not by much, at least, not at first glance.
“Zac, there you are!” Lara Henney embraced him in a full hug. “It’s been so long! I haven’t seen you since before you left for London.”
“You look great, Aunt Lara.” The older woman was dressed in a beautiful red ball gown the same shade as her hair.
“Hey, Zac,” his cousin, Elise, greeted in a shy voice. She was almost a carbon copy of her mother, except for the eyes which were a stunning electric blue color. Her dress was the same shade, but much more modest, including the long silky gloves that covered her arms. Zac embraced her too, though she stiffened slightly at the contact.
“It’s been a while, Elise. Why don’t you ever visit us in New York? You guys used to do it all the time when you were younger.”
She shrugged. “I just prefer to be at home.”
“I had to drag her out here,” Lara said. “And since my mother couldn’t make it to the ball, we’ll be visiting her upstate.” Lara’s mother, Vivianne, was the head of the New York coven. “Won’t you come with us?”
“I’ll try, Aunt Lara,” he said. “So, where’s Uncle Liam? Who else came with you?”
“Your Uncle Liam’s around somewhere. Donovan’s here too,” she replied, referring to her eldest son. “Hmmm … I thought I saw him … oh, ther
e he is.” She narrowed her eyes toward the dance floor. “Who’s that he’s dancing with?”
Cady laughed. “Lara, don’t you recognize her? That’s Meredith and Daric’s youngest. Astrid.”
“Astrid?” Lara did a double take. “That’s her? I always imagined her as that rebellious teen who shaved her head. That young woman is stunning.”
The mention of her name made Zac freeze. Slowly, he turned to where his aunt was looking. Sure enough, dancing with his handsome cousin was Astrid. The sight of them made his mouth turn to dust.
Astrid indeed looked stunning. She was wearing a dress in varying shades of purple with a full skirt that flowed around her as she spun on the dance floor. A cape covered her shoulders, adding some modesty to the top, but when she twirled, he could see that the front plunged into a deep V. She threw her head back and laughed, and her long, lustrous hair shook around her like a golden waterfall.
A deep longing shot through him. And it was at that moment he knew he’d made a mistake. Seeing Astrid again, the way his heart just longed for her, made him realize that there could never be anyone else for him. It was time to stop living in the past. It was time to stop living the life others wanted for him.
“Excuse me,” he said to his mother and cousin. He didn’t even wait for them to acknowledge him before he started walking away. With each step he took, his feet felt like lead. He was dreading this, knowing there was a chance he could fail spectacularly and he would lose Astrid forever. But I have to try. She has to know that—
“Son, where are you going?”
Nick’s chilly voice made him stop in his tracks. He didn’t even turn around. “I’m going to her,” he said. “I’m going to ask her to forgive me and take me back, even if I have to beg on my knees in front of everyone in this room.”
“I warned you,” his father hissed. “She’s no good. She’s—”
“Warned him about what?”
This time, they both froze. Cady stood behind them, her eyes narrowed and arms crossed over her chest. “What’s going on? Nick? Zac? And don’t say nothing, I’m not dumb!” Her eyes blazed with anger. “The two of you are so alike, I know when something’s wrong. You two have been like fire kegs, waiting to explode.”
A Twist of Fate: True Mates Generations Book 1 Page 17