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“We’ve barely had a chance to chat, what with your recovery and everything, but, darling…” She pulled back to look me over, something I didn’t want anyone doing before a shower and a coffee. “I’m so happy you chose my boy! He loves Kade so much. He tells me about everything he’s been up to when we talk on the phone. Now, this is probably a bit presumptuous, but he mentioned how much Kade likes Star Wars so—”
“Mum?” Aidan staggered out of the bedroom, blinking owlishly. “What are you doing here? It’s really bloody early.”
“Well, I thought we’d do a nice celebration breakfast to start to get to know each other as a family. We have so much to do today, and I don’t really know any of Flick’s preferences. This is different than if you’d been accepted by a local girl. I could ring her mum and get the low down in two seconds flat. What if I order food she doesn’t like? Or if I get the boys to bring beer around and she doesn’t want alcohol served?”
“Ssh…” he said, closing the door carefully behind him. “Kade’s still asleep. We’re letting him sleep in, and we’ll see if he wants to go to school when he gets up.”
Renee paused for a moment, looking at her son with a look I knew well. Her eyes shone with pride as she swallowed, then smiled.
“I always knew you’d make a great dad, darling. Ophelia says you’ve been instrumental in that boy’s recovery. Honey, I’m so proud!”
“Well, how about you tell me all about it while we give Flick time to have a shower and get dressed?”
“Oh my god, of course! I’m so sorry. Aidan is the first of my sons to find a mate, so I admit I’m a little flustered. I’m gushing, aren’t I, Aidan? Oh my god.”
“Siddown, Mum. I’ll make you a cuppa.”
I beat a hasty retreat, looking blankly at the mirror in the bathroom once I’d closed the door and stripped down. Same old Flick looked back at me, though thankfully, injury free now.
But I wasn’t the same me, was I? I searched for signs of the new me, of the me who might transform into a whole other thing, but didn’t see it. I just nodded, acknowledging the woman in the mirror for the moment, even if I was still getting to know her, and then had a shower and got dressed.
“So you might think this is a bit much…”
Renee stood in front of her car, trying to shield us from the packages inside.
“Holy shit, Mum. What did you buy?”
“Well, Kade’s my first grandchild and—”
“Mum?”
“I might have gone a little overboard. I saw the two of you together at the mess, and I just knew this would happen, so I did some research and found so many cute things online!”
So, so many. We peered past the woman to a back seat crammed with gifts.
“It’s customary that when a man joins a pack that already has children within it, his family brings them something nice. I got something nice.”
“She looked at so many something nices, she couldn’t decide and then bought them all.”
We turned to see three tall men walking up the driveway.
“Honey, we talked about waiting until they got up,” one man said, moving over and wrapping his arm around Renee’s waist.
“How’re you doing, son?” another man said, placing his hand on Aidan’s shoulder and looking down at him in that manly way men do, before he pulled him in to a backslapping hug. “Sorry,” he said when he finally drew away. “I’m Cooper, Aidan’s dad, and this is Smokey and Vin.” Vin was the guy standing with Renee, shooting me a smile and a wave, but Smokey hung back a little. He stepped forward and offered me his hand when named, but there was something reserved in those grey eyes. This was the parent I needed to impress, who was waiting to see if I was good enough for his boy.
“So I assume Renee’s brought enough food to feed a horde,” Vin said. She fidgeted a little at that, but was clearly pleased. “Why don’t we get things started and get to know each other a bit better?”
“I didn’t bring the boys, Aidan’s brothers,” Renee said as we set the table. The guys had gone out the back to cook up a protein rich breakfast on the BBQ that came with the house, leaving the two of us alone. “I figured that might be too much all at once, but they’re terribly excited to meet you and Kade. My youngest, Mikey, is in high school. He’s kept an eye out for Kade at the school, made sure the other kids know not to mess with him. But he seems to be settling in really well?”
“Yep, I’ve been surprised about all of it. Kade… It’s like this was where he was always supposed to be.”
“Ophelia thinks he’ll turn when he grows to adulthood. It’s unusual for outsiders, but it must have been some perfect genetic storm to have both of you show such strong potential.”
“Potential?” I’d been bemused when everyone seemed to think I would turn into this wolf beast thing.
Except for your ability to communicate with me. And those very nice claws.
"Well, you're taking a mate before your first shift for one. The fact that you can generate the venom to do so for another. Most members of the community from mixed human heritage find that hard or impossible to do.” Her eyes dropped to the bags she’d brought in, pulling out flour, sugar, eggs, and milk. “Ophelia’s been holding your beast back from the shift, waiting until you’re ready. She said she’s really struggling.” Her hand came to rest on my arm. “She’s strong, your animal. Really strong to push an alpha. It doesn’t have a bearing on people’s standing in the community, but I’m glad Aidan’s got someone capable at his back. He’ll do anything for those he loves, you know that, don’t you? I just want the same from his mate.”
