Dangerous Desires
Chapter 82

Chapter 82

82 Alone

Tia

I could not believe what had just happened! I never saw the punch coming. Luke had struck a nerve withhis father. One thing I knew was that Alpha Aesop loved Luke dearly, which was why the man reactedthe way he did. After Alpha Aesop voiced his mind and walked away, we were still shocked. I wasstunned, and I could not move. I believed Luke went too far with his father, and he had hurt the manAesop sounded like a man that has been hurting for many years. He cried in public for the first time, andthe memory of his late wife caused it.

“You need to go after him and apologise,” I linked Luke. I was afraid that this might take a toll on hishealth. Aesop did not react well to things.

“No,” Luke said, and I could not believe my husband.

“Unless you are ready to become an orphan, Luke. You need to go and apologise for insinuating he killedhis wife. He is clearly still hurting over her. For goddess’ sake, Luke, you of all people know how his facelights up when he is talking about her. What you said was a low blow. You both need closure and won’tget it from attacking each other at the breakfast table. You need to go to him before it is too late, Luke. Ithink he is really done,” I warned my husband, and Luke reluctantly got up and went after his father.

Stacy began to weep at the table. No one comforted her.

“Caleb, how can you let them do this to us?” she said to her son, and Caleb was too shocked to evenrespond.

“Caleb,” she cried again, and I saw him snap.

“What the hell do you want me to do, mother? You dug your grave, mother. Just look at you? You havelied to father for years. You were mean to your stepson, and you stole from them. No one ever believesyou because you lie. You connived with our enemies to steal from Luke. You slandered his image andtried to make him miserable by making our father buy a wife for him. As if that wasn’t enough, you stilltried to ruin the marriage. Then you brought your niece here to create problems for them,” He said, andshe looked at him, shocked

“Yes, mother. I am not stupid. I choose not to speak, but I am not stupid. You brought Monica here soshe can get close to Luke. We know how women from Dome are, especially where money is concerned.If that wasn’t the case, you would have cautioned her to stay away from Luke. You wouldn’t be trying toget her to work with my brother. Why isn’t she respectful and nice to Tia if it is so innocent? After all, Tiais her Luna and boss. That bitch is only nice to Luke because you hoped he would slip up with her.Everyone knows what

you were doing, mother, so don’t try to pretend that you are the victim here.” he said, and she wipedaway her tears. It was clear that the things Caleb had said left her stunned.

“How can you even imply that kind of.” she said, and Caleb shook his head, interrupting her in theprocess.

“Where is Regan Adhit, Mother?” he asked her and I could feel his rage. He was an Alpha, too, and Iexpected him and Luke to be annoyed coming back from their journey. Kimberly could feel it, and shelooked at me with fear. Caleb was tired of her lies.

“Calm down, Kim. This is between our men and their parents,” I linked her, but she couldn’t calm down,and she dared not get up. Luckily for her, Michelle was caring for Emma in the left-wing. We knewbreakfast would be explosive, so they did not bring little Emma to the table.

“I said…” Stacy said, trying to defend herself.

“Enough!!” Caleb yelled, “You are despicable, mother. You are an embarrassment. I wished you were notmy mother. Do you even know the gravity of your actions? Luke has done everything to shield me fromyour mistakes and lies. That journey was to see how he could help me maintain my dignity. If we do notreplace this bastard, my life will be over, mother. Where is the grave of this child, and where is he?” Calebasked her, and she looked

at me.

“Leave Tia out of this. She already knows everything. Everyone sitting here knows everything, so dropthe act. Where is he, mother? Where was the child buried, that is, if there was a child? I know you arehiding something. We asked around about you and Regan in Dome, and no one had anything nice tosay. Did you really go and stay with your late sister in Cleeve, or did something happen? I know Grandpaand Grandma are lying, mother, and they will do anything to cover for you. Whatever you did, savedthem from extreme poverty,” he said and began to laugh.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. You did all you did, ripped Tia from my life because you felt shewasn’t good enough for me. You said they were too poor for me. I saw the true meaning of poverty inDome. The Lockwoods are wealthy compared to your folk’s mother; Tia is premium material compared toyou, and because of what you have done here, I know you will do anything for money. Where is ReganAdhit? I know you know where your exis, mother.” Caleb yelled at her, and Stacy began to shake.

“If you do not start speaking, you will be on your own. Father said he was done; I know he meant it thistime. Luke put up the Dome house on auction on our way back, I am sure your folks are moving out aswe speak. When you return to Dome, it will not be that duplex anymore. It will be the shabby ramshackleyou grew up in. Do not expect help from me. I do not want to be tied to you, mother. You are just toowicked. You maltreated your stepson, the very reason father married you, the very reason you couldenjoy…” Stacy interrupted him by banging the table and standing up. I saw her claws grow out, and I

knew she was mad. I had to be on standby in case she chose to wolf out on us. She will not attack Calebor Kimberly. I knew he would come for me.

“I can never love Luke. Aesop did not give me a chance!”She yelled back.

“He compared me to that bitch for twenty-three years. For twenty-three fucking years! I was never smartenough; I wasn’t polished, lacked etiquette, was useless, name it. He said that to me all the time. Hecalls her name in his sleep and sometimes calls her name when we are together. When Aesop and I gottogether, I sympathised with him over Chloe and offered to take care of Luke because he had a revengeplan. I cared for that boy for three years, hoping Aesop would see and fall for me. Aesop saw no oneexcept Chloe. She was his world. I thought he would get over her with time, but he never did. He marriedme three years later. He didn’t marry me because he loved me. He married me because he believed Iwould be a mother to Luke, did not want Caleb to think his father was unfair to her. That was the pictureshe was trying to paint. She was trying to poison her son against his father. Aesop might not feel thesame way he did for Chloe, but he loves her. Besides, I had to commend him; Stacy was difficult to love

At this point, our discussion wasn’t the cause of her tears. The possibility that she would have to face theworld alone had dawned on her. Luke and Aesop were not going to care for her, and Luke was right; Luiswas a bigger problem right now, and since Stacy nor her parents were unwilling to give the informationneeded to apprehend Regan, there was no point stressing over it.

I would have excused myself from the table, but I was too hungry and pregnant to do so. There was noway I was letting the breakfast go to waste. I dug in and linked Kimberly.

“You are breastfeeding Kim, better eat,” I said, and I did not need to repeat it; she copied me and dug inWe were used to the breakfast, and right now, we were numb to their emotions

which was why I hated that boy. My existence depended on him.

After we got married, he refused to claim me or touch me, Caleb. He said I had a job, and that was tocare for Luke. I told him I was better off as Luke’s nanny because that was my job before he decided tomarry me, and he said Luke needed a mother. I felt like shit. He would travel and bring things for Luke.

I was more like an afterthought, so yes, I hated Luke. I couldn’t leave because I needed financial help,and I had betrayed Regan by leaving him for Aesop. So I needed protection from Regan. Aesop and Iweren’t together then, I was just caring for his son, but the world thought we were together. He did notsee me until three years later. Have you entered our bedroom? Her picture is everywhere. Twenty-threeyears I felt like a stranger, like an intruder, a substitute. I did not exist. I tried to love him the best I could. Iwalked away from Regan because I fell in love with your father. I had to get him drunk to get pregnantwith you, Caleb. If not, that asshole would never have touched me. He didn’t start to pay attention untilfifteen years ago. I hate Luke, and I hate Chloe.” She said and began to weep. She had lost it and didnot care that I was on that table anymore. As entertaining as it seemed, it hurt to see the family broken.

“So I brought Monica to catch Luke’s attention. That is how we survive in Dome. We either prostituteourselves or catch rich mates. It is our way of life! That is how we survive. Your father left me no choice.He gave everything to Luke! What about us? What about me and you, Caleb? He did not think wedeserved anything,” she yelled and began to laugh.

“Dome is a poor place. We have no resources. We have nothing, so the women there migrate toprostitute. I was lucky I did not need to do that. Regan was the Alpha’s son and had a key mark, but hewas broke. I almost died with the arsehole. He was violent and abusive, but I stayed with him becausethat was how I survived. Aesop was a breath of fresh air. He helped me once in Dome, and I fell in lovewith him, but he was married then Three years later, we met, and he was a widower, so I offered to carefor his son. That was how I escaped Regan I left him to come and care for Luke so I could be withAesop. I did

not know men could be caring or nice until I met your father, little did I know that I would be living insomeone else’s shadow. I had to pay up, Caleb; I had to pay Regan. You have seen Dome, I did not

want to go back there, and I knew Aesop did not love me enough to hold on to me. If Aesop haddiscovered all these things before I had you, I would have been out the door and lost on all fronts. After Ihad you, Regan increased the money, and I had to pay because now it wasn’t only my reputation atstake. Yours was too,” she said and sat on the chair and began to weep.

“There are days that I just want to end it. I hate Tia simply because she has everything I would havewanted. Look at how you are caring for Kimberly. My life was never this sweet. I can’t even tell you thingsI did to survive,” She said and took a deep breath.

“I do not know where Regan is. If I did, I would have assassinated him so I could have peace, but he isdangerous and wicked. I cannot tell you the things the man has done. I am afraid of him. I thought yourfather could protect me, but I was wrong. He will quickly hand me over to protect Luke,” she said andcontinued to weep.

I honestly did not know what to say. She might not have given Caleb the correct answers, but the womanwas hurting too. Why didn’t she talk to her husband about her feelings? It was clear she was only sayingwhat she wanted Caleb to know. The woman was a can of

worms.

“You are wrong, Stacy,” I managed, remembering my encounter with Aesop at the office,” He might notshow you how much he cares, but Alpha Aesop loves you in his own way And I know this because of thelength he went trying to force me to do something that would make you happy. When I told him about theblackmail, he was in shock. You can only feel those emotions when you care about someone,” I said,and she did not answer me. She continued to weep.