Chapter 21
After dinner, as the family drifted off to explore the castle or retire to their rooms, Sienna walked the corridor toward the Rose Room with Liam beside her. The castle was peaceful, the warm glow of electric sconces casting soft, dancing shadows on the ancient stone walls.
“Thank you for tonight,” she said when they reached her door. “My parents look happier than they have in months.”
“They deserve it,” Liam said, though his attention lingered on her mouth, not her words.
She fumbled with the door handle, nerves flaring at the thought of sharing a room. “Are you sure you want to stay here? Mrs. Fraser said there are other rooms.”
“I’m sure.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “We need to talk.”
The door swung open to reveal the elegant Rose Room, its four-poster bed framed by a view of the moonlit loch. Sienna stepped inside, hyperaware of Liam following and the door closing in his wake.
They were truly alone. No campers nearby, no family within earshot, no urgent travel plans. Just the two of them, one bed, and far too many unspoken words.
“Talk about what?” she asked, her pulse skittering as her thoughts scrambled ahead of her.
“Us. About what I want.” He stepped closer, and she caught the familiar scent of pine and feline.
Her legs wobbled, and she lurched toward the bed, craving space between them.
“What do you want?” The question barely made it past her lips.
His blue-green eyes gleamed, and something in his gaze made her breath catch.
“Right now? I want a kiss.”
She blinked once. Then again. “Why?”
“Because I’ve been thinking about kissing you for days,” he said, taking another step forward. “But with no privacy, all the traveling, the camping, me being sick… There wasn’t time. Wasn’t space. I want more than that.”
Panic fluttered in her chest. “I—I thought we were talking first.”
“We are, but right now, I have other things on my mind.” His gaze dipped to her mouth, and she didn’t need to ask what those things were.
“Liam.” She backed toward the window, putting the width of the room between them. “You wanted to go home. I didn’t think we had a future. So much has happened…and we didn’t start normally.”
“We didn’t.” He padded after her, careful and quiet, every step measured, ears alert to her slightest movement. “But that doesn’t change how I feel.”
“How…you feel?” Her voice wavered, soft and uncertain, like a whisker twitch before a pounce.
“Despite the rocky start, Sienna Teague, I like you. A lot.” He paused, focus locked on her. “We’ve kissed before, and I enjoyed every moment. I want to see where this could go.”
The room seemed to spin around her. This couldn’t be real. Men didn’t say things like this to her. Not when they knew about her family.
“You’re playing games,” she said, her shoulders hunching defensively. “I realize I deserve this, but no one wants a do-over more than me. I wish I could turn back time and put this entire sorry mess behind me.”
Liam’s expression shifted, hurt flickering across his features. “I don’t play games, Sienna. I’m telling you how I feel.”
“B-but you’re going home.” The stutter was back, embarrassing her further. “I don’t even have a passport, and besides, I can’t leave them.” She gestured vaguely toward the door, meaning her family.
“Which is why I want you to consider moving to New Zealand. All of you.”
“We’re not mates.” The words burst out of her, final and desperate.
Liam tilted his head, studying her with those too-perceptive gaze. “Are you sure?”
That question hung between them, loaded with possibility she didn’t dare examine. When he lifted his hand and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, the gentleness of the action made her tremble.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“What do you think I’m doing?”
She pulled away, putting a safe space between them again. Her back hit the stone wall beside the window. “P-playing games. I know I deserve this—”
“Stop.” His voice cut clean through her spiral. “You keep saying you deserve punishment, but I’m not here to hurt you. I’m trying to tell you I care.”
“Why?” The word came out raw, torn from somewhere deep inside her. “Why would you want me? You know what my family is. The genetics, the rumors, the whispers—no one wants the bad seed of the Teague bloodline.”
Something fierce flickered in Liam. “Is that what you think? That I’d judge you based on gossip and fear?”
“Everyone else does.” Tears burned, but she blinked them back hard. “The boys at home made it clear—I’m good for a fling, maybe, but nothing serious. Who wants children that might not shift properly? Who wants to be tied to a family that everyone shuns?”
“I would.” His voice held such quiet certainty that her breath caught. “I want to have children with you. And if they inherited your father’s traits, I’d love them just as fiercely as I’ve come to love your brothers.”
“You don’t mean that.” Her voice was barely audible.
“I would’ve thought you’d trust me by now,” he said, and she heard the frustration building in him. “After everything we’ve been through together. After I stayed, after I helped your family, after I—” He stopped, running a hand through his dark hair. “But have it your way.”
The hurt in his voice raked through her like claws. She wanted to reach for him, to take back the doubt and fear, but the words stuck in her throat.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, heading for the door.
“Liam, wait—”
But he was gone, the door closing behind him with a quiet finality that somehow hurt more than if he’d slammed it.
Sienna sank onto the edge of the four-poster bed and buried her face in her hands, guilt and longing warring in her chest. He’d offered her everything—love, acceptance, a future—and she’d thrown it back in his face.
Deep down, in the place where old wounds lived, she still couldn’t believe she deserved it.
The next morning, Sienna woke alone in the four-poster bed, the space beside her cold and undisturbed. After their argument the night before, she hadn’t expected Liam to return, but the empty room still left her aching with disappointment.
She found him in the castle’s breakfast room with her family, looking like he’d slept poorly. His hair stuck up in untidy tufts, and dark circles shadowed his eyes, clear signs he’d likely spent the night on a library couch instead of a proper bed.
“Sleep well?” he asked as she joined them, his tone cool and distant.
“Fine, thank you.” The lie came easily, though from the look he gave her, she doubted he believed it any more than she believed his casual front.
Her family seemed oblivious to the tension between them, chattering excitedly about the castle and their comfortable night’s sleep. Mrs. Fraser bustled around them with her usual efficiency, but Sienna caught the housekeeper’s sharp glance between her and Liam, as if she sensed something amiss.
Angus appeared in the doorway with his usual impeccable timing. “Saber Mitchell is available for a video call this morning.”
An hour later, they assembled in Niall’s office, where the large table accommodated the entire family, plus their hosts. The video screen flickered to life, and Sienna’s stomach tightened. She didn’t know what to expect.
“Good morning, Saber. London,” Niall said, his voice steady. “This is the Teague family.”
Saber was tall, with black hair, broad shoulders, and striking green eyes that immediately locked on Liam—sharp, assessing, and faintly worried.
London, a curvy, brown-haired woman, clutched Saber’s arm. Her concern softened into a broad smile. “Liam! It’s so good to see you. We’ve been so worried.”
“Liam,” Saber said. “How are you?”
Sienna caught the flicker of emotion across Liam’s face, the slight glitter in his gaze as he murmured, “I’m okay.” He cleared his throat and ran through quick introductions, starting with her parents.
“Good morning, everyone,” Saber said, his warm smile now directed at the group. “I’ve brought some friends who wanted to meet you. This is Marcus, a wolf shifter, and his mate, Ria.”
Sienna’s breath caught as the camera panned to a woman with distinctive cat ears that didn’t quite fold back properly and hair streaked like a calico’s. Ria stood close to Marcus’s side, offering a tentative smile, but obviously uneasy in the spotlight.
“Hello,” Ria said, her golden-brown eyes flicking nervously between the camera and Marcus.
Calan shifted his hair to reveal his pointed black ears, and Kitto’s tail flicked into view. “We’re like you,” Calan said, understanding her shyness.
Relief flooded Ria’s features, and she nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. Marcus’s protective stance relaxed as he saw her comfort level increase.
“Ria’s been the only one in our community with unique traits,” Marcus said. “She’s been looking forward to meeting others, but she’s not much for big groups.”
“We understand,” Hedrek said.
Sienna felt her heart sink. “We don’t have passports. None of us do. Papa and the boys don’t exactly blend for official photos and interviews.”
“That’s not as big a problem as you might think,” Saber said. “I have contacts who specialize in helping shifter families with unique circumstances. People who understand the challenges of documentation for those who don’t fit the standard mold.”
“Is that legal?” Tamsin asked.
Saber smiled. “It’s more about knowing which forms to fill out, which officials to speak with, and how to handle the photography discreetly. These contacts have helped other families in similar situations.”
“But surely the photos—” Jago began.
“We can handle those with proper lighting and angles,” London finished. “It’s not about deception, it’s about presentation. Official documents need clear identification photos, and there are ways to achieve that.”
Hedrek and Tamsin exchanged a look of amazement.
“Would you really arrange this for people you don’t know?” Hedrek asked.