The dinner table was awkward to say the least. Liam was watching my every move carefully, Alpha Conner was trying to tiptoe around my eating habits, Bella was glaring at me from across the table, Lily just wanted to eat her food quickly so she could get back to playing with her dolls, Luna Addie was ignoring everyone's weirdness and keeping up a table-wide conversation with minimal input, and me? I was trying to ignore the fact that this whole thing was slightly uncomfortable. There was a tension that hung in the air that I couldn't ignore.

"Have you ever eaten meat before?" Alpha Connor finally asked. I nodded and decided that the truth was the quickest way to get him to drop it.

"I was tied up and force-fed semi raw chicken after watching it murdered, and fed whatever I threw up in the process until I kept it all down," I said calmly before taking another bite of the delicious garlic bread. The table was quiet as they all stared at me.

"So sorry you had to go through that," Luna Addie sympathized, breaking the silence. I shrugged.

"It was necessary at the time," I said, meeting Luna Addie's eye. She seemed to understand it had something to do with my powers.

"Dani," Liam started.

"Don't talk," I said shortly, cutting him off.

"You can't talk to my brother that way!" Bella growled at me in his defense. I raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"She can, Bella, and you shouldn't stick your nose up at things you have no knowledge of," Luna Addie snapped at her.

"Why are you taking her side? Why is she even here? When Sophia finds out about this-"

"Sophia isn't my mate, Bella!" Liam blurted as he stood. He sighed and bowed his head in shame as his eyes glued themselves to the table. "Dani is," he admitted. I couldn't help the glare that burned through him.

"That's for me to decide and I'm not so sure of that right now," I said as he finally met my eye. They table was quiet ans the tension around us thickened. I sighed as I stood, keeping my eyes on his shocked expression. "You don't get to call me that until you earn it... if you earn it, and at this point in time, I'm tempted to break the bond completely," I explained. I took a breath before I looked at the rest of the table's confused and shocked expressions.

"Dinner was delicious, Luna Addie," I thanked her softly. She stood and gave me a gentle smile as if the whole thing never happened.

"Of course, dear. I'll drive you home," she offered.

"Thank you," I said fleetingly as I went to grab my coat from the front. I met her in the garage as she grabbed a pair of keys and headed for the SUV. The car ride was easy and wasn't nearly as awkward as dinner was as we rode in peace. After dropping me off with a goodbye, I rushed into the warmth of the house and out of the cold as I shut the door behind me. I released a breath and relaxed.

"Dani?" my grandmother called.

"Yeah, it's me," I yelled back before I started heading up the stairs to my room. I knew they had questions but they gave me my space. I shed my coat to the floor and turned on my portable heating unit my grandparents got for me. I showered and got ready for bed quickly. I wasn't in the best of spirits after dinner with Liam, but I wasn't hurting either. I was more annoyed than anything else. It helped knowing the ball was in my court and Liam would just have to wait and see.

I wasn't ready to fully give up on him just yet, but I was still bitter that he was so passive about me in the first place. The pull must not have been that strong for him if he could pretend that I didn't exist. When I stepped back into my room, Aria was sitting on my bed. I jumped in surprise before I tried to calm my racing heart.

"Could you give me a warning before you just show up?" I asked. She chuckled with a smirk.

"Literally, no, but you'll get used to it," she shrugged. "Good on you for sticking up for yourself tonight. Feisty... I like it," she said as she stood. I sighed and threw on my pajamas.

"I'm really tired, Aria," I said.

"Okay, go to bed then. But Liam is going to kiss you tomorrow," she said. I froze before looking at her. I couldn't see any part of what happened tonight urging him to even be around me at the moment.

"I won't let it happen," I said. She chuckled as I pulled the cover to my bed back.

"You need to let it happen. You won't be able to stop it anyway. Just be prepared. A mate's kiss isn't like anything you've ever felt before," she advised.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked confused as I got in my bed, keeping my eyes on her.

"So the ball stays in your court, and so you don't dodge it. You need to let it happen to understand," she said with a wink.

"You were listening to my thoughts," I said as I sat up. She shrugged.

"What part of 'connected' don't you get? You're an open book to me, and sometimes I get bored," she replied. I laid my head back on the pillow and I adjusted on my side.

"I don't mean to be," I said. She sat on the edge of my bed and gently moved my hair back.

"It's not a bad thing; just means I raised you right," she said with a sad smile. "It wasn't how I wanted your childhood to be. I never wanted you to see me as a monster. I wanted you to laugh and just... be a child. After all, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a daughter, but your own safety was more important. People would kill to get their hands on you. Packs could use you to start a war. I had to make sure they didn't know you existed, and suppressing your powers was the only way to make sure of that. I'm sorry, for how you viewed me growing up, but I did it because I love you... and you are technically an extension of me," she said. I sighed and got comfortable as she played with my hair. It was weird, I thought I would hate her more, but I understood where she was coming from and why she did what she did. It wasn't out of spite; it was out of love.

"I forgive you for... everything. Oddly, I understand," I said out loud. She smiled.

"Get some sleep, you're going to have a long day tomorrow. I'm going to start training you myself; what you need to learn, your school can't teach you. And you need to build up your strength. You should start eating meat again," she said before placing a kiss on my cheek and disappearing.

She was a little unorthodox, yes, but she was technically the closest thing I had to a mother, and a craved that. She did bring me back to life. She was looking out for me and my best interest like a real mother would. I didn't understand when I was younger, but now knowing the whole story, I understood. She was trying to protect me.

If I were an Alpha and I knew someone could predict danger and heal people with a direct line to the Moon Goddess, I would want them on my side, too. I hadn't exactly been secretive about my connection with Aria. I'd have to be more careful. Hopefully, word wouldn't get around too fast because I still had a lot to learn to protect myself.