Page 12 of Echoes of Us
“Heard it on a television show once.” He smirked, taking a bite of eggs. “After last night, I thought you’d be singing and dancing around the kitchen.”
“When have you ever seen me singing and dancing around the kitchen?” Willow snorted with a roll of her eyes.
Setting his fork down, he wiped his mouth and then stared at her. “You know this isn’t going to be easy.”
Willow opened her mouth, ready to toss out something sarcastic, but the words died before they left her tongue. Her grandfather had always seen straight through her, and he wasn’t buying her fake calm. With a sigh, she dropped her gaze to her plate, dragging her fork through her food without really eating.
“Yeah, I know,” she admitted softly. “I just don’t want all of this to interfere with Talon.”
Her grandfather set down his coffee mug, the sound sharp in the quiet kitchen. His gaze was heavy with the weight of truth. “Oh, it’s going to interfere with Talon. There’s no avoiding that. Arthur made sure of it.”
Her heart sank like a stone. The words she didn’t want to face pressed down on her chest until it was hard to breathe. “I can’t let that happen.” She shook her head, desperation creeping into her voice. “Talon was born to be Alpha. He’s everything a leader should be. I can’t be the reason he fails.”
Her grandfather leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. “Willow, I’m going to tell you something, and I need you to hear it.” His voice was gentle but firm, carrying the kind of authority that only came with age and love. “Talon is a man. Let him be one. You love him, I see that clear as day, but love doesn’t mean carrying his battles on your back. You already took one choicefrom him, trying to protect him. Don’t take another. Don’t strip him of the chance to fight for himself… or for you.”
Her throat tightened, tears stinging the back of her eyes. She wanted to argue, to insist she was doing the right thing, but the conviction in her grandfather’s gaze held her still.
“But what if being with me costs him everything?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Her grandfather’s expression softened, and for a moment she saw not just the stern man who’d raised her, but the gentle one who had always believed in her. “Or what if you’re the reason he gains everything?”
The words wrapped around her heart like a balm and a blade all at once, cutting deep while soothing the ache. She swallowed hard, afraid of the hope she was feeling. Her grandfather’s wisdom had always been a guiding force, but now it hit her with the weight of truth she couldn’t ignore. Talon’s fate wasn’t hers to shield or shape. It was his.
And maybe… just maybe… she wasn’t his downfall at all. She might be the piece he’d been missing.
Willow let out a shaky laugh, blinking away the tears before they spilled. “When did you get so smart, old man?” she teased, trying to lighten the heaviness that still clung to her chest.
Her grandfather arched a bushy brow at her, lips twitching with the ghost of a smile. “I’ve been smart my whole life. You’re just finally old enough to see it.”
Willow snorted, shaking her head. “Yeah, sure. Next thing you’ll tell me is you’re going to start writing advice columns in the paper.”
“Don’t tempt me. My advice could set a lot of people straight.” He reached for his coffee again, but his hand was steadier now, the lines of his face easing as he studied her. “That man loves you, Willow. Don’t you dare forget that. Let him handle what he needs to handle. Support him by standing strong next to him, proving to those who doubt you that you are the perfect match for their Alpha. Nothing in this life is easy. And you—” his gaze sharpened, fierce and proud all at once “—you weren’t raised to bow to anyone.”
The words hit her as tears filled her eyes. She rose quickly, grabbing her empty plate and his too, taking them to the sink. He started to protest, but she waved him off. “I’ve got it.” She said, not wanting him to see her tears, as she was trying too hard to hide them.
“Willow—”
“I said I’ve got it.” She cut him off as she rinsed the dishes. “Besides, if I don’t keep busy, I’ll just sit here and overthink until I drive myself crazy.”
Her grandfather grumbled something about stubborn women as she dried her hands after she finished, then Willow walked over, kissed the top of his head, and murmured, “Thank you for believing in me.”
“You have my blood running through your veins, Willow,” he said gruffly, though his eyes softened when he looked up at her. “I will always have your back until the last breath in my body. But when you are wrong and being a stubborn ass, I will tell you without a second thought.”
She kissed him again, this time on the cheek, then grinned at him. “All my stubbornness comes from you, old man.” She teased, then headed toward the door.
“Damn straight it does,” He replied, then frowned. “Where the hell are you going. I thought you didn’t work until tonight?”
“To mow the grass.” She shot him a grin over her shoulder.
“Dammit, Willow, I told you I’d call someone to do that.” Her grandfather called out as she went onto the porch.
“I need to clear my head,” Willow countered loudly so he could hear her, tugging on her boots. “Stay out of the beer.” She warned him, knowing him well.
He yelled something that sounded close toyou’rejust like your grandmother, but Willow just grinned, taking that as a compliment as she headed into the yard.
The sun hit her face, the crisp scent of cut grass lingering from the neighbors down the road. She rolled her shoulders back, determination settling in her chest. Her grandfather was right. She couldn’t shield Talon from every battle or carry his choices for him.
But she could be there, unshakable at his side, when he faced the ones that mattered.
