Chapter 158

Allison's POV I followed the pack down the stairs, tears blurring my vision as I saw my mom, Gina, watching me with glistening eyes. My heart ached as I embraced her, feeling the weight of leaving my family pack for the first time. "Mom..." I whispered, my voice catching. Gina patted my back soothingly, her wolf instinct to comfort her pup still strong despite my adulthood. "It's okay, sweetheart. These are happy tears. Just promise you'll build a good life with your mate." "Dad..." I turned to Mark with watery eyes. He quickly wiped his own, his Alpha pride not allowing him to show too much emotion even as his daughter left to join another pack. "Go on, Allison," he said gruffly. "Don't worry about us." I said goodbye to my younger siblings, Emily and Eric, then wiped my tears and turned toward the waiting car—toward my new life with a man who was essentially a stranger. Liam, my new "husband," closed the car door behind me, then addressed my parents. "I'll take good care of her," he