Reaper's Lily

26

(hope everyone is enjoying the book! with the holidays coming up rapidly, i will be attempting to get some parts out as well as spending time with my family! please bare with me and enjoy the book! thank you all for reading :D)

Kaiden's P.O.V:

I felt Lily's entire mood shift from uneasiness to complete anxiety. It was hard to not pick her up and walk out of here. I wanted to see my family, yes I really did, but I understood what my grandparents told me when I was becoming of age to have the bond kick in. Your soulmate was first priority, and it was going to be hell to not put them first. I experienced that first hand, and I didn't care to go through it again. I should've stayed home and taking the ass chewing from my grandmother later. Why did I let her chose? No, I should've kept our asses home and ordered some take-out to eat instead.

Lily stayed eerily silent as my father went on to explain, "They're trying to get the Von Stein twins under control, but they need us to help curb their fledgling numbers."

"They're trying to build another army?" Nate asked, and I noted my father glancing at Lily.

I glared at my father while he explained a bit further, "They're looking for something. Most likely, they're looking for someone and the older Von Stein had made it known he will not stop until he gets it. With Liliana's interrogation, you three boys, Liam included if he'd like to join, will have the all clear to kill him before he gets back whatever he's looking for."

With that, Lily attempted to rip her hand out of my grip but I kept her from getting up by holding her hand. I felt her guilt starting to hit a fever pitch with her trembling as my brothers went to start talking more about all of the councils' worry of the Von Steins. More specifically, the older twin who happened to be Lily's ex-boyfriend. When our food had arrived, both Lily and I barely ate, with my grandmother only watching us from the corner of her eyes when she wasn't stuffing her face with some steak and mashed potatoes.

My mother asked me, "So, where did you two first meet?"

Everyone was silent as Lily and I looked at each other, then Lily said, "He saved me from a house that I was being held prisoner."

"No, I didn't mean that, sweetheart," my mother must've seen her discomfort in remembering that night. Hell it even made me uncomfortable to a degree! My mother only smiled at us, "I meant when you realized that you two were first soulmates."

"Mom, I'd been over this before," I painfully reminded her.

"I know, honey, but don't you think Liliana deserves to know you've been in love with her since you first saw her?" My mother only smiled warmly, which was met with shock in the bond from Lily and my stone cold glare from me.

"I think you're getting it wrong, ma'am. I'm not looking to...be involved with anyone," Lily was still sticking to that excuse to keep running from a happy life with me. Great!

"Can we talk about something else?" I felt her guilt from those words, and it probably didn't help her with feeling my tension in this conversation.

My mother, acting as if she didn't just see her adopted son begging for a topic chance, merely asked Lily, "Was it a bad breakup? When are you feeling like you'll be ready to jump on the horse, sweetheart?"

Then I felt her embarrassment as Lily forced a smile on her face, and said, "I'm really okay with being alone. I don't need to be in that beartrap, ever again."

The last sentence she mumbled as she put a piece of food in her mouth, but I heard it loud and clear. Her emotions were at war with herself now, and I finally was confused as hell with her. I knew that my life was going to be with her, but she was determined to give me a clean break to allow me to find someone else to be with. I felt her small hint of depression as she remind silent with everyone now lost in multiple conversations around the table. If she was feeling depressed about her life, why wouldn't she want to jump at the chance to start a new one with me?