by Lila Felix
He huffed out a laugh. “That’s all on you, mate.”
Tarrow
I followed her home, even though she’d insisted she would go alone. She’d look back every once in a while and shake her head, like my actions were ludicrous.
They didn’t feel ludicrous.
They felt right.
We came upon a cottage among trees and she slowed. “This is my house. I can text you directions, if you want to come over.”
“I can find you anywhere without directions, female. I just didn’t want to show up at your house earlier.” It was my turn to think she was ridiculous.
“Goodnight, Dahlia. Sweet dreams.”
I left her at her doorstep as soon as she opened the door and began to enter. She yelled out to me, asking me about the creed I’d mentioned, but I kept going, needing to speed up and break myself from her presence before I suggested a lot more than just talking. I ran most of the night, exhausting my bear into submission.
He couldn’t have her yet, but one day soon, she would be ours completely and wholly.
The rest of the week took the prize for most stressful and most restless week of my life. I ran constantly as a bear, but far away from the scent of my mate. He was absolutely out of control.
Not to mention, my mom. She’d made seven dishes to bring to the clan dinner, since it was now potluck with the Coeur unable to cook for that many people while pregnant.
“Mom, seven?”
“Yes, seven. And I’m coming with you to pick her up. I want to meet her parents.”
“Mom, no. It’s like our first date.”
She scoffed while covering the last lasagna with aluminum foil. “That’s not a first date. Trust me. I know I’m older, but I know a first date.”
“I love you, Mom. You will meet her later. I don’t want her impression of me to be…”
The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt my mother’s feelings.
“You are already marked as a mama’s boy aren’t you? I understand. I’m sorry I’m so pushy. I only have you and your sister. She didn’t let me get too involved in her mating. I got carried away.”
I sighed and tucked my much shorter mom under my arm. She wiped at her eyes and it wrecked me to be hurting her.
“I’ll drop you and the food off at the Alpha’s house. You could probably give Echo some well-received advice. Hawke said she’s a little nervous about the birth.”
“That’s a good plan. Plus, I made a blanket for her. Let me get that while you start loading the car.” A wave of her hand, fanning the sadness away and a new person to help, she was back in business.
I loaded all seven dishes into the car that was once my dad’s, his ’72 Dodge Dart. My mom wouldn’t drive it. She’d never learned to drive anyway. They were mated when she was still in high school and he drove her anywhere she wanted to go.
“I’ve got the blanket.” My mom called to me when I was already in the driver’s seat.
I drove the very short distance to the Alpha’s home and he helped me get the aluminum pans out of the car and into his home. While he was outside getting the last one, I saw Echo at the top of the stairs with a look on her face that just shouted ‘I can’t do this’.
“Coeur, allow me.”
I bolted up the stairs and offered her my arm. Instead, she wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned on me the whole way down. The Alpha came back in and his eyes shot to me, but he said nothing.
Shit. Now I’ve really done it.
“It’s pride, not anger,” Echo whispered to me, letting go mostly, but not completely until her hand landed on the back of the couch for balance.
“Good to know.”
“He knows that in his absence, I would be taken care of.”
By now, my mom had entered the room and was helping Echo sit down, which seemed to be a feat in itself.
“Tarrow, can we talk outside?” Hawke said. He opened the door and walked outside.
“Yes, Alpha?”
“You’ve been spending some time with your mate? Are you nervous about her meeting the clan?”
“I’ve spent not nearly enough time with her.” He chuckled.
“Trust me, it’s never enough.”
“She’s hesitant about meeting the clan, I think. She has some antiquated ideas about clan life and clan males.”
“And by antiquated, you mean, she’s heard of my father.”
We both looked at each other in knowing. His father didn’t have the best reputation as Alpha and the rumors were louder than the truth.
“Yes.”
“And if she doesn’t want to join the clan?”
“She’s my female.”
There was no other answer. In my mind, the protection and brotherhood of a clan was something to be desired and cherished.
But that opinion was not always shared.
“Go. It will all turn out fine.”
I nodded and wasted no more time. The drive to her home took me a little over thirty minutes, but I was still on time.
Her family home looked like a bungalow from Hansel and Gretel. Wooden shingles covered a home with no rhyme or reason. It looked like it had been stitched together like a voodoo doll, room by room. Gnomes and brightly painted normal items had been turned into makeshift flower beds.
There was an actual headboard and footboard sunk into the ground with flowers planted in between. It looked like a quilt made of flowers.
This had to be the work of my mate—it just seemed to breathe her name.
My watch told me I was an hour early, enough time to spend some time with her family—but not enough time where Dahlia would change her mind.
My heart flopped around as I knocked on the door and waited.
Her father could hate me.
Her mother could warn her off of me.
She could end the mating and send me off forever.
If she could hear my thoughts, she’d think I was a world class nutzo.
An older man with thinning hair on the top, but a ponytail at the bottom answered the door. His clothes were splattered with paint. As he let me in, no apologies were made for his state, so I assumed it to be his job in some way.
It drove me to madness not knowing the little things about her life. After a week, I should at least know what her dad’s job was.
“You must be Tarrow. I’m Dahlia’s father, Clint.”
I shoved my hand at him a little too forcefully and answered. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir.”
He looked at my hand like it was the vessel for some contagious disease.
“Tarrow, I’m Vidalia.”
I held back a snort that her mom was named after an onion.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Ma’am.”
“Have a seat. You’ll soon learn that Dahlia is always late. She’s just a mess in general.”
Her warning was responded to by some shuffling up the stairs.
“She also has six sisters who are very nosey. I’m sure they are relating their first impressions to Dahlia right now.”
I sat down on the end of a couch that had seen better days and had more pillows than sitting room. The place was messy, but clean at the same time.
My mom would come unglued.
“So, Tarrow. You work?”
“I do, Sir. I work for the construction company owned by our Alpha’s uncle. He manages it.”
He nodded. “I worked for a construction company too when I was young. Don’t think I could do it anymore. Lived in a studio apartment in downtown Lafayette for a while after leaving the clan.”
Five minutes and they were already speaking about clans. There were some serious underlying issues here.
“I live on clan lands with my mother. My father died when I was a kid and my sister moved out after mating.”
“Sounds smart to me.”
I nodded and honestly, could’ve gotten up and hugged the man for someone finally recognizing the plan I had. “Yes, Sir. No rent. I save most o
f my paycheck for—future.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Water, please.”
“Sure.”
He nodded at my choice, but never moved to actually get me water. It was probably some test to see if I drank alcohol.
Clint sat back in his chair and stared at the staircase like Dahlia would vaporize from the steps. “I’m sure there’s some fatherly questions I’m supposed to ask you, plus threaten your life, but I can’t think of any right now and I’ve always been somewhat of a pacifist. Do you have any questions for us?”
I didn’t want to sit there like an idiot, so I asked a question off the top of my head while trying to strangle the sensation to follow my sense of smell right up the stairs to wherever Dahlia was. My ears perked up at the sound of certain steps that could be heard overhead, just knowing they were hers.
And they weren’t in any hurry to make her way to me.
“Let’s see. Dahlia is twenty, Acacia is seventeen, Rose is fifteen, Acacia is thirteen, Juniper just made ten, Daisy will be seven in three months and Briar is the youngest at five. I think I got that right. All I know is that there are four months with no birthday cake. Better for my gut.”
He patted his belly. He spoke of his daughters jokingly, but anyone could see the pride that oozed from his tone.
It warmed my heart to know that Dahlia was raised by caring and loving parents. She deserved that—everyone did.
“May I ask what you do for a living, Sir? I’m afraid Dahlia and I haven’t had the time I wished for these kinds of questions.”
“Not at all. I’m a painter.”
The guy wasn’t talking drywall. With the millions of different color splatters on his shirt, I guessed artist.
“I’d love to see some of your work.”
“No time. I’m late. I’m sorry.” My chest seized as my mate tripped down the stairs, holding on with one hand and wrangling a sandal with the other. She wasn’t clumsy, just—everywhere all at once.
“It’s fine. We still have some time.”
“You mean I’m on time? I didn’t make you late?”
I chuckled at her utter surprise. Her lips were covered in some shiny stuff and it made them look even more lush and plump. They would be mine—soon.
“We are not late. I got here early to spend some time with your parents. I thought it was only right. My mom even tried to tag along, but I didn’t know if that would be okay.”
“Of course! You are family now. We’d love to meet her.”
“I’ll make that happen. Actually, she probably will. It was tough to tell her no.”
Clint huffed something, but I couldn’t make it out.
“We can take the tour later, Dad.” Her eyes grew and she popped herself in the forehead, which my bear and I did not like at all. “Nevermind. Take the tour. I forgot my purse!”
Vidalia laughed. “That purse has a way of disappearing. Come on. We’ll both give you the tour.”
I wouldn’t call what Dahlia’s father did painting. The name Picasso comes to mind and while that’s some people’s thing, it just wasn’t mine.
But you can’t really tell your future father-in-law that.
“These are like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
That was the best I could do without lying.
He shrugged. “They pay the bills.”
By the time they had talked me through every painting, we were late—really late.
I’d catch hell for that from Rev and a handful of others.
“You’re officially late.” Her mother sang up the stairs.
“I’m coming. I found my purse, but it didn’t match my outfit and then the wallet didn’t match and Acacia made me find another one. I swear, this is why I stay a bear for such long periods of time. Bears don’t give a scat about fashion.”
Thank the Creator she had a sense of humor.
Not only had she changed clothes and shoes, but her hair was down now and even her lips had a tint of color on them. I had a flash of the future where I spent a lot of time waiting on her to get ready.
I wouldn’t mind at all.
“Or purses.”
She canted her head at me and then looked at her mother. “He gets me.”
“Go!” Her mother pushed us out before I could thank them or anything.
“That went well. I’m sorry I made you late.”
We rushed to the car and I opened the door for her. She climbed in and looked shocked.
I got into the driver’s side and after getting on the road, slipped my hand under hers while it rested on the space between us. “Is this okay?”
“It’s better than okay.”
I brought her hand up to my mouth and kissed the top of hers. I didn’t care if it was okay. It was either that or I go full-on bear right there in the car.
“How’d you do this week?” She looked at me like I’d asked about her colon. “Your finals? All the tests went okay?”
“Oh, yes. They were fine. My graduation is in January. I thought you were asking about this.” She motioned between us.
“Now that you mention it, how was this week?”
My ego wanted her to say that she ached without me, but I knew she wouldn’t admit that—yet.
“It was tough—hard to concentrate—hard to stay home. I wanted to run a couple of nights, but my dad advised me against it. He told me to ask you why.”
The temperature of the inside of the car went up twenty degrees.
And I kind of loved her innocence about everything that dealt with mating. That way, I could explain it to her from the point of view of her mate. Everything would be conveyed from my mouth.
“Once a female is mated, it’s better if she runs only with her mate until…” I swallowed against the knot forming in my throat. “Until she’s marked. It’s not that anyone would think you were available. Honestly, it would be only for my well-being.”
“Your well-being?”
“Seeing you among other males without being marked might be too much for my bear. If we saw other males looking at you, he would become violent. I don’t want to hurt any of my clansmen.”
“Then you’re going to have to start running more…”
“Or we need to mark each other soon.”
Damn it all to hell, with every breath I took, my soul was infused with her scent. She smelled like wild honeysuckle and grass.
I barely made it to the lands without pulling over and taking her mouth on the side of the road.
Sounded like an Aspen move.
“These are the lands. My house is over there.”
“I’m nervous.” She didn’t have to tell me. My own throat constricted with her anxiousness.
“Hold on.”
I got out of the car and filled my nose with fresh air just to clear my mind. She opened the door right before I reached her side and I growled a little, completely out of turn.
“Did you just growl at me?”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to get to your door and you beat me to it. I’m on my best behavior here.”
She got out and fisted the front of my shirt. “Well, that’s no fun. I thought you were coming over here to convince me not to be nervous.”
I looked deep into her cinnamon eyes and watched as her pupils dilated the tiniest bit. “I can’t control you, female. My job is to hold your hand while you get your shit together. My job is to stand strong next to you, not drag you through life. If you’re nervous, I can help a little through touching you, but I’m no good at convincing anyone of anything.”
That confounded her. She stood dumbstruck, her eyes focused on my eyes until her gaze dropped to my mouth.
If she didn’t stop looking at my mouth, I would die.
“Are you ready?”
“I think so. Do I look okay?”
She turned around slowly. I didn’t know how I hadn’t noticed, but the back of her shirt was nothing but strips of tied ribbons. She had changed into one of those lo
nger skirts that girls wore and had a different pair of sandals on.
I thanked the Creator that her hair was down, it covered most of her back and soothed my bear’s inner turmoil about that much skin showing.
“You want the truth?”
I kept my face stoic.
“Yes. Of course.”
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and will ever see, no matter what you’re wearing. But you’re extra beautiful tonight.”
She squinted her almond-shaped eyes at me. Doubt churned in her soul. She was doubting my feelings and my intentions.
“Why do you doubt me?”
“I feel like this is all a ruse. Like tomorrow you’ll turn into a jerk.”
Thousands of bangles jangled and rang tones as she animatedly talked to me. She leaned against my car after she finished talking. I took steps toward her, flushing my hips against hers, caging her in.
My wild girl. Caging her in was my only chance.
“Close your eyes.”
She stuttered out something unintelligible and then blew out a great breath, giving up and closing her eyes.
I bent down and pressed the left side of my face against hers, feeling her breathe against me. “Let your bear do the feeling for once. Our humanity complicates what the Creator meant to be so easy. What is she telling you?”
Her hand left my waist, where it had wandered and she looped both arms around my neck and slipped her hands into the back of my hair.
“She’s—she trusts you. She’s desperate for me to kiss you and discover—she wants to mark you. She wants us to run together and other things.”
“Do you trust your bear, female? Her trust is pure and untainted by this world.”
“Yes.”
“Can you feel him?”
I referred to my bear and she nodded, her smooth and silken face rubbing against the roughness of my beard.
“He trusts his female with his life—already. He and I have been in hell without you this week. I don’t want us to go that long without each other ever again.”
“Then he has some things to figure out.”
“Yes, we do. Starting with you meeting the clan.”
I backed away swiftly, before I did something out of order—like throw her to the ground and kiss her before she’d even met my mother. Our hands linked and she treated me to one of her smiles. My bear settled at the gentle gesture.
