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She spots the claim mark on my neck, then the matching one on Aya’s. Her face lights up. “So you waited for me to get home so we can celebrate.”

My father comes over from the kitchen to join us. “I have beef ribs on the stove.”

My mother moves past me and pulls Aya into a hug. “Welcome to Ash Clan.” She steps back but keeps her hands on Aya’s arms. “Let me get a shower and out of these scrubs, and we can visit the border and watch the stars as a family.”

My father straightens like she’s handed him a telescope. The smile he gets nearly breaks me. All he’s ever wanted is his family under one sky, and I’m about to ruin tonight. I almost cave when my dragon whines at me to give him this. Do we really need to do this now? I could put off the meeting with Valek, but the Mer can’t wait.

I run a hand over my short locs. “Mom, another time.”

She stops at the edge of the stairs and frowns. Even after a long day at the medical center, she’s still beautiful and sure of herself. I can’t back down on this either. She steps down to my father’s side and plants her hands on her hips, a gesture I know too well.

“The Mer,” I tell her. “I plan to help them, but as a Stormscale. I’m here to discuss this with Valek.”

My mother raises a brow at my father.

He puts up his hands. “Claudia, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” she snaps. “I don’t understand why you have to throw away who you are for the clan.”

My father stares at the floor. His scent sours with shame, and I hate smelling it on him.

My mother huffs. “Give me half an hour. I need a shower,” she tells us. “You aren’t doing this alone, Ezra. We’re all going before Valek…” She gives us all a stern look. “As a family.”

I bow to her. Aya wraps her arms around my waist and presses into my side.

She lays her hand on my chest. “Will you eat now?”

My dragon purrs at her touch. She always knows how to pull me back. “I’m not hungry, baby.”

When I step away, her face falls. I bring her hand up and kiss the back of it. She sighs and rests her forehead against my arm. “I don’t like all this tension.”

“Neither do I,” I admit. “But I’m not going to sit back and stand for Valek trying to erase my bloodline. I know what happened with the Great War, but I’m not the past of my people. I’m the future. And I need Valek to understand that.”

Aya nods. “I understand. I will stand with you no matter what you decide.” She reaches up and cups my face. “I love you.”

I draw Aya close and breathe her in, wild berries with a little barbecue sauce mixed in. I kiss her, then tuck my mate under my arm on the sofa. We sit together while my father goes upstairs to be with my mother. Soon water runs through the pipes over our heads.

They come back downstairs about half an hour later. My mother’s freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Her scent is all soap now, with worry still sharp underneath it. She slips on her flat shoes. Aya and I stand. I take my mate’s hand and follow my parents outside.

The evening air hits my face. The sky has gone deep orange and purple. My mother leads us down the steps, and Aya keeps tightening her fingers through mine. My dragon pushes harder the closer we get to the alpha’s cabin at the center of the village.

Valek is already out front giving final orders to the clan members gathered around him. Hazel stands in the crowd with Dominic and watches us walk in without moving a muscle. Across the clearing, Sam and Lauren are deep in conversation on their porch.

Aya jerks her chin their way. “Did they just say something about stiff joints on a wolf shifter?”

“Tack that onto the list of shit we need to worry about,” I mutter, and she huffs.

My mother pushes her way straight to Valek. He spots us and gives my father a cold smile. Smoke puffs from my nostrils when my father kneels in return with his fist to his chest. It grates against everything in me. When my dragon growls, Aya squeezes my hand.

“We need to discuss an important matter with you,” my mother announces.

Valek pitches his voice to carry across the clearing. “Is this about the Mer? If so, I’ve already told King Amir that Ash Clan has no dealings with them.”

“But Stormscale does,” my mother counters.

He glares at his sister. The same stubborn streak runs through all of us.

Hazel returns Aya’s quiet wave without taking her eyes off Valek. My dragon likes her for that. I’m glad someone here is already looking out for my mate.