Selling Myself To The Alpha
Chapter 116

Liana POV

"What's going on with Luther?" I ask softly as Axel, and I make our way to our table with plates of food.

"He seems fine to me," Axel shrugs as he puts the plates down and pulls my chair out for me.

"Don't test me, Axel," I warn him as I pick up my fork and stab a carrot. "Something's up with him, and I know you know."

"Fine," he exhales loudly. "Luther kind of swore off everything and everyone alpha, except for me."

"Since when?" I gape at him in disbelief. This does not make sense to me.

"For the last decade or so," Axel smiles and takes a bite from his steak.

"For f*vck's sake, Axel," I hiss and push my plate away. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you go ahead with my idea to make Adele alpha when you knew she's mated to Luther?" "It's not my place," he looks at me flabbergasted. "And Adele had a choice, I didn't force anything on her."

"It might've not been your place, but at the very least you could've told me it's a terrible idea to offer this to Adele," I grunt as I stand up. "Now look what you've done. I'm starving, but I completely lost my appetite." "Liana, wait, where are you going?" Axel jumps up as I turn around.

"I don't know," I grunt. "I'm pregnant and can't even have a glass of wine, and I'm hormonal. So, I'm walking away because I'm furious with you, and I still want sex tonight when we get home. I need to calm down." "I love you," Axel grins as he sits back down to eat.

Men! I huff inwardly as I walk away. Luther and Axel knew the truth, but they kept it from me and Adele. How is she supposed to lead a pack when her attention is divided between her work and her love?

I see Adele come out of her office and walk to the bar, and I follow her.

"There is nothing more I would like right now than having a glass of wine with you," I sigh longingly as I take a seat next to her.

"I'm not having wine," she grunts. "I'm having whiskey.

Luther just told me he hates the alpha thing."

"Did he use the word hate?" I ask cautiously.

"He might as well have," she sighs and empties her drink in one go.

"Did you know about this?" She turns to me. "Did you know how he feels about alphas?"

"I found out a minute ago," I huff. "That's why I'm here, staring at the wine while my food is getting cold. Men."

"Men," Adele sighs and orders herself another drink.

"Why didn't he tell me?" She looks at me with a pained expression. "I would've declined this for him."

"Hell, if I know," I sigh. "Axel didn't tell me I'm his mate for months. He said it was to protect me, and in our case, he was right. But I don't know what went through Luther's mind. Or Axel. He knew. He should've known this could become a problem." "I'm sorry, Liana," she sighs apologetically. "But I'm going to resign. I'll stay on until you replace a replacement for me, but I don't want to do this without Luther." "Don't be sorry," smile as I place my hand on hers. "I understand and support your decision."

Luther POV "s**t!"

I toss my empty glass against the wall, and it shatters to pieces. I f*vcked up. I really f*vcked up. I have been carrying this secret for so long and pushed it to the back of my mind. And to be honest, I am afraid to tell Adele the truth. What would she think of me if she knew? She is such a compassionate and fair person. Not only did I not want to burden her with it, but I was also afraid that she might leave me.

I thought I could do this. I thought I put my anger and disgust behind me. I thought that if I tell the lie long enough, it will become the truth.

Adele will be a great alpha, but me... I will screw this up for her. No, I am screwing it up for her. Power and money corrupt people. Not that I think Adele could ever be corrupted, but I thought that about my parents too. And look how they turned out. I better get out there and apologize. If she will listen, remains to be seen, but I will beg if it comes to it.

I walk out of the office, and it takes me a moment to spot her and Liana at the bar. My heart sinks to my feet when I hear Adele telling Liana she is going to resign.

"Don't do it," I say as I stand next to her. "This is my baggage, not yours."

"You're my mate," she looks at me. "That makes it my baggage."

"I want to tell you everything," I push through and ignore her remark. "If you let me. Maybe you'll understand my reasoning better."

"Even if I do understand, it will not undo the embarrassment," she replies. "I stood up in front of a bunch of strangers and promised to protect and lead them. Now I must take it back like a coward."

"I can't undo what I did," I grind my teeth. "And you don't have to resign. I will tell you everything, and if you still want me as your mate, I will stay here and support you as we planned."

1look at Liana, hoping that she will give us a moment, but Adele intercepts my wordless plea.

"Liana's not going anywhere," Adele says adamantly. "Axel already knows and it's only fair that she does as well."

"Fine," I grunt reluctantly and take a deep breath. "When I was five, my mother went on vacation with her sister to Switzerland. During that time my father had an affair, and his mistress became pregnant. Since my parents were literally continents apart, my mother didn't feel the betrayal.

Mom came home, and Dad broke it off with the other woman. But a couple of months later, the woman knocked on our door with a baby in her arms. Naturally, my mother was furious and left my father. He begged her to come back, and she agreed on one condition. He must get rid of his mistress and the baby. She wanted nothing to do with them. Dad agreed and paid the woman an astronomical amount to disappear and never to contact him or return.

Dad abused his power and status to deny his blood, and I hate him for that."

Liana and Adele look at each other for a moment before

Adele turns to me.

"That's it?" She asks confused. "I thought at least genocide."

"Or child trafficking," Liana mumbles.

"Bloodshed isn't the only sin," I growl irritated and clench my fists. "A child had to grow up without a dad and with an alcoholic mother because my mother was more concerned about what people would say than the wellbeing of an innocent life. My dad washed his hands off his child with money. So, for you it might be 'that's it, but for me, it's more. I don't even know if I have a brother or sister out there. I don't know if he or she is healthy and alright. What kind of childhood and upbringing did he or she have? I don't even know if they're still alive. I tried to replace them, but my dad destroyed everything that could lead me to them. I begged him to tell me where they were, but he refused and that's why I left my family. If you can do that to your own flesh and blood in the name of status, what more are they capable of?"

I do not stick around for their response before I turn around and walk away. I have not talked about this for ten years and saying the words out loud brought everything back.

Mother's nasty and sneering comments about Dad's worker and his bastard child. Dad's cold and heartless attitude towards his estranged child. He made it abundantly clear that he does not give a s*t if the child is alive or not.

This might not be a big deal to others, but it is to me. My entire life it was drilled into me that family is important.

That we stick together and stand up for one another. My parents are such hypocrites.

For years it haunted me that I grew up with the best of everything while I did not know if my sibling had food to eat or a roof over their head.

The longer I thought about it, and the longer I searched for them, the bigger my repulse grew. My parents did, were unforgivable and I am ashamed to be associated with them.