Of course, she didn't bring up dragons. Those don't exist. But her mention of Sadie correcting problems for her with no personal gain seemed to win over the judge. Perhaps he was aware of what had happened to Tommy's birth mother. Perhaps not. Word often traveled quickly within the supernatural community, but those listeners often found it unreliable.
"Ms. Adelaine, if you'd sign here," one of the court helpers asked, offering Sadie a form.
She filled it out quickly and handed it to me. There was a spot for me to sign and, last but not least, Lillian. I signed and eyed Lillian as I offered it to her.
Lillian, for her part, completely ignored me. She signed the paper, nodded in our general direction, and gave it back to the clerk. Then she got up and left the room.
The judge made the announcement to the room, but I didn't care. I pulled Sadie and Tommy close, hugging the boy between us. We'd walked into family court as a family to begin with. Just because adoption papers had been signed, finalized, and announced to those in attendance, made no difference. It was just more convenient when dealing with the overwhelming human population at large.
It always struck me as a little ironic that another werewolf had made that announcement.
Tommy chattered to his new, official mom as we walked back through the courthouse. I paid the minuscule paperwork fee at the desk near the exit, then gathered my mate and our son and headed into the wide, open world together.
Only one tiny detail made it a misery.
Lillian.
She waited by her car, watching us walk out. Sadie walked toward her, but I took Sadie's wrist and kissed the top of her hand. "Get Tommy in the Hummer. I'll be back in just a minute. I'd rather you not be anywhere near her, given what she did the last time you were within arm's reach."
I watched as my omega argued with herself over whether or not to argue with me. After a brief disagreement internally, she sighed and went to strap our boy into his car seat. I strode over to Lillian and, had I been in my true body, my hackles would have been up. "I appreciate you doing what you did in there."
"I said I would," Lillian frowned. I'd caught her off guard with the gratitude. Good.
"You've said a lot of things over the years," I said, then leaned against the car next to hers. "I still don't get it. But Sadie does, and that's the important thing. She saved your life. You gave her your family. I'd call that square, wouldn't you?"
Lillian glared at me, held eye contact for a moment, then sighed and looked away. "I suppose it's square enough."
"Does visitation help?"
She stilled for a solid 10-count. Then she looked at me once more. "Visitation?"
"One weekend a month, at your leisure. You can bank them if you want, so you can get a week with the little guy here and there. You're invited to holidays, full moons, and things like his birthday or his first day of school. The guys and I were against it because of what you did to her. Hell, we didn't even want her to call Eskal for you and, had we known that's what she was doing, we may have tried to stop her. But she did it and you're still Tommy’s aunt. She insists."
Lillian swallowed and lowered her head. "Maybe she's an all right omega after all."
It was the best I'd get out of her under the current circumstances. I inhaled and narrowed my eyes. Sorrow rolled off of Lillian, masked by her usual flowery perfume. Maybe Sadie was right. I'd lost, mourned, and healed from Becca's death; but what had I really done to assure Lillian did the same for her sister?
I'd spent money, but that wasn't the only thing that mattered in life.
"Lil."
She sniffled.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when Becca died." It was a stiff, brittle apology that withered as I said the words, but it was honest.
A couple of tears rolled down her cheek. She rubbed at them, trying to hide the fact that she had feelings. After all, how dare she; right? "You just don't understand. It was so hard. We were raised together. She was my other half. She knew everything about me." Lillian paused and scrubbed at her face again, ashamed of just being... well.
Not human, but you know what I mean.
After a second's pause, I drew her into my arms and held her as I had at the funeral. There, she'd punched me in the face and screamed at me to leave her alone. She'd said she wasn't interested in someone like me. I hadn't so much as tried to make a move; the feeling was mutual.
And that, as much as Becca's death, had been the start of our feud.
It'd taken Sadie coming into my life to show me how stupid it was. I nestled Lillian's hair and shushed her as she cried, letting her get it all out at last. After all, she was pack. Perhaps she didn't fall directly under me nor was she my equal, but she was pack in an extended sense. It was unlikely that she would drive so far just to hunt with us under full moons, but one never knew what could happen.
We had eternity, unless something killed us directly. I was sure we'd work it out.
"I should let you get back to your pack," she whispered, pulling away. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be such a weakling."
I rolled my eyes and hugged her again, a bear hug this time. "Don't be silly. Call. Make appointments nearby. Stop by just to chat. It'll take time for us to work through the past couple of years, but
