WOLF and the Runaway Heiress.

Chapter 02

RIO

“Hey, Kitten.” My mum's voice from the doorway of my treehouse instantly drew my attention.

My treehouse was my safe space.

Ever since I was a child, my mother never had to look far if she couldn’t find me in the house. I was always in this very tree.

Our house was in a gated community filled with the rich and shameless, but personally, I think our backyard was the greatest. We didn’t fill it with gazebos and inground pools. No, when we wanted to swim, we went to the lake like a normal person.

We had a dozen trees, granting us extra privacy and a quarter of an acre of yard. I’ve always been one with an incredible amount of energy. I needed to burn it off, and my mum always made sure I had the space to do it.

I wasn’t one for going to the gym and building those crazy muscles to flash all over my social media. No, I was insanely into parkour.

It started with monkey bars and a rock climbing wall for twelve-year-old me, and then it grew into half the backyard becoming a miniature ninja training space.

My favourite thing was my big oak tree. It had the most perfect lounging branch. I would spend hours here, stretched out across it like a big cat.

Hence, the nickname, Kitten. My mum has called me that for as long as I can remember, and I loved it.

Afraid of me falling asleep one day and falling from my tree, my mum contracted a professional builder to build me a dream treehouse. One entire side of a big picture window, so I would never miss my sunsets.

This was where Mum and I watched the fireworks from across the city; it was where I made wishes on the stars, and it was where I went when I had too much on my mind and needed to clear some space.

“Hey, Mum.” I didn’t bother looking over; I knew she’d come in and settle up next to me.

That was just how we were. We were so much more than mother and daughter; she was my greatest advisor, my counsel, my walking diary, my best friend. We were rarely apart, unless she was away on business, in which case, Grace, my nanny, was a good placeholder.

“Are you upset with me?” she asked. That caught my attention. I looked at her, confused.

She, as predicted, scooted over to sit next to me by the big window, taking in the skyline.

“Why would I be upset with you?” I asked.

“Because of what happened over dinner. I know you and Liam want to get married right away, but I am asking that you wait until after your twenty-first birthday.”

I knew my mum better than anyone. She wasn’t malicious in any way, and when she gave me advice, I took it because she had never steered me wrong.

“Mum, I honestly don’t mind waiting. It was Liam who brought it up at dinner, and he’s the one who seems to have the calendar out. I have just graduated from pastry school, and I want to establish my career a bit more before getting married. We just got engaged after two years of dating; there is no rush for me.”

I watched as my mother sighed in relief, her shoulders immediately relaxed at my words.

It was true, though. We only just got engaged. I didn’t want to rush, but I did love Liam.

If he wanted a fast wedding, I would accept it, but only if my mum did.

I knew that involving my mother bothered Liam. And I could understand why, but we’ve only ever had one another, and I wouldn’t change my relationship with my mum for anyone, not even Liam.

He needed to understand that.

“So, does this mean that we are back on my birthday plan for you? A month-long trip to Alberta, see the mountains, and visit friends up there? Just the two of us?”

My mum has been planning this mother-daughter trip for over a year, and I wouldn’t cancel it. Again, Liam needed to accept that. I hated that he tried to turn that date into something else. He knew Mum and I were leaving for a road trip; he knew it was important to both of us.

For him to bring it up at dinner so casually, pushing for our suddenly advanced wedding date, bothered me a lot. It was why I was out here, not because I was upset with mum.

“Mum, I never agreed to any of what Liam was talking about there. As far as I am concerned, you and I are going on our long-planned trip together in just a few months. Nothing will ever change that trip plan for us. I promise.”

I sighed and shook my head.

“I need to talk with Liam and figure out what's going on in his head. I never agreed to dates or any of what he was going on about. We’ve officially been engaged for like three weeks. I have just graduated, and I am eager to focus on launching my career. I've already explained all of this to him before. Don’t most people wait like a year or two before they move from engaged to married?”

I turned to my mum after realizing her silence. I found her staring hard at me, as though I were a puzzle she was trying to piece together.

“What?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

“Are you in love with Liam, Rio?” A straight shooter, like always.

I paused and really thought about the question.

“I love parts of him. I don’t know how to put it into words. I love how ambitious he is. Even though he is at the bottom of the totem pole with his family, he’s still dedicated and tries.” My mum nods thoughtfully but remains silent.

“I love that when I am in the room, his focus is on me. I love that I never see him looking at other women. I don’t know, but it seems that most men with a little bit of cash get inflated egos, and the wandering eyes and hands come naturally. I don't get that from Liam, and it makes me love him more.”

I slump against the wooden wall and sigh again.

“Is it passionate, not the way I would have thought it would be when you love someone. However, I also realize that what one reads in books or sees in movies isn’t how it is in real life. I never really thought I would marry someone from the elite realm. Sometimes I do things wrong, and I feel like I've embarrassed him, or I get nervous in crowds and say something stupid, and the room goes quiet. I just— I don't know. It’s hard to explain, Mum. He loves me, and I love him, so I think that's enough. Right?”

I looked up at her and caught her eyes. They’re sad but strong.

“Kitten, I can’t tell you what to do with Liam. If you choose to marry him, I will support you. I will always support you, but never forget your value. That is my only wish for you. You are not like other people in our circle; you are quirky and awkward, you ask the most random things at the most inconvenient times, but that is what I love most about you. You, my beautifully brilliant daughter, are unapologetically yourself. Don’t ever change that.”

My mum was my biggest cheerleader, no matter what. I wished Liam were a little more accepting of my uniqueness, but with my mum by my side, she balanced it out.

“I love you, Mum.”

“I love you, too, Kitten. That will never change. You are my biggest accomplishment in this world, and you're priceless. Don’t let those bitches dim your light. Blind them with it.”