Lily's eyes widened in disbelief, her gaze locked onto Brandy as if the world had just shifted beneath her feet. "What do you mean he's not my father?" she stammered. "What are you saying?"
Brandy looked depressed as she didn't want to have this conversation. She helped Lily out of the bed and said, "Let's get you into a bath first."
Lily wanted to argue with Brandy but as the adrenaline began to fade, she started to feel the pain in her body. She just nodded and let Brandy help her out of the bed. Brandy wrapped the sheet around her, tying it into a knot before leading her out of the room.
Brandy led Lily back to her bedroom. It was bare because Lily had moved all of her belongings to Garrett's villa. The thought of Garrett made Lily sad. She hoped he was okay.
'We need to worry about ourselves for now,' Dina said. 'This is all weird. Why is Brandy being nice to us? She has never been this nice.'
Lily was also confused and slightly frightened by the attitude change. Did Brandy have a revelation after being enslaved by Matthew? She was sure that would have been a humbling situation.
"I am sure that you don't need me to bathe you," Brandy said.
'Well, her attitude isn't fully changed,' Lily thought, smiling slightly.
"I will bring you more clothes," Brandy continued and prepared to leave but Lily grabbed her hand.
"Wait. At least answer my question. What do you mean he is not my father?" Lily asked again.
For a moment, Brandy thought about what to say. 'Don't tell her everything. We can't risk her freaking out. It will only get us into more trouble,' Mable, Brandy's wolf, said within her.
"Like I said Lily, we're not related. We never were," she confessed, her eyes avoiding Lily's searching gaze. "I don't know why you never noticed it or questioned it before. We look nothing alike. Even if we were half sisters, we would have at least had some similarities."
The revelation hung in the air like a heavy fog, casting a shadow of understanding over Lily's past. She had always felt like an outsider in her own family, the odd one out because she was an Omega. This newfound knowledge explained so much, the cruelty and neglect that had defined her childhood.
"How long have you known? Do they know?" Lily asked. "What about my mother? I mean, does Mandy know?"
"My father knows, but I don't think my mother does," Brandy answered.
Lily's mind raced, trying to process the implications of Brandy's confession. "Is that why you treated me like you did all through our childhood? Was that why you hated me?"
Brandy hesitated, a troubled expression crossing her face. "No. That is not why. My mother told me I was better than you. I would always be better than you because I was an Alpha."
"Do you still believe that?" Lily asked.
"No, I do not but I don't have all the answers, Lily. I only found out recently, and I'm still piecing things together. All I know is that we were both used," Brandy replied bitterly.
Lily's frustration and curiosity burned within her, but she sensed that Brandy was holding back, and she didn't want to push too hard. "Alright," she said, her voice softening. "Thank you for telling me, but why are you even telling me? You could've just kept this to yourself. How does this benefit you?"
"Because you needed to know," Brandy said simply.
Before she could inquire further, Brandy left the room. Lily walked into the bathroom to see the steam coming from the bath water. She pulled the sheet off her and got into the bath. A familiar presence filled her mind, and she felt a rush of relief. It was Tiffany, and their telepathic connection was re-established.
Tiffany's voice resonated in Lily's thoughts. "Lily! Oh my Goddess! I've been trying to connect with you for so long. Where are you? Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm in the Blue Creek packhouse."
"Why are you there? Are you hurt?"
"For the most part, I am okay. Brandy saved me."
Tiffany scoffed. "I don't believe that. She is too selfish to do anything that doesn't benefit her, but I am glad you're okay."
"No, it's not like that at all. She's a prisoner here too. We need a way out of here. Kenneth is acting weird and he has something planned."
"Don't worry, Lily. We're coming up with a plan. We're coming to get you. Don't try to be a superwoman. Just wait for us."
"Same for you. Don't rush into this. Kenneth seems overconfident."
Tiffany cut the telepathic link. Lily felt a surge of hope at Tiffany's assurance. She knew she had friends who would risk everything to rescue her from this situation.
"You are still linked to your friend's pride?" Brandy's voice, caused Lily to jump in fright. She didn't notice that Brandy had entered the bathroom.
"Yes, the effects of the drug that was in my system has worn off," Lily explained.
"Don't let my father find out. You need to make sure he doesn't know or he'll force you to reject the bond," Brandy explained.
"I don't understand why you're helping me," Lily said.
"Just...why do you have to ask all these questions? I am trying to make up for everything. Just stop questioning me about it, okay?"
"They're going to save you too, Brandy. You don't have to worry about that,"
"That's a sweet sentiment but I am not going to be able to escape," Brandy said, leaving the clothes on the counter, before leaving again.