Hard.
It took a few seconds, but she eventually returned the light kiss before pulling away.
“I really am fine.”
She sighed. “Alright, I’ll stop worrying.”
“You probably won’t, but that’s alright.”
She made a face, but didn’t disagree.
I knew her too well for that.
I draped an arm over her shoulders. She leaned closer.
I was still surprised by how comfortable I was with her, sometimes. I’d never expected it would be possible. Even if I’d imagined having a mate, I wouldn’t have pictured it being so… blissful.
It was fucking magic.
There was a sheet of paper taped on the chest-achingly familiar front door in front of us. It said in my mom’s writing:
COME ON IN!
I hadn’t warned my parents that we were coming, so I knew they weren’t expecting us. They’d be doing their usual Thanksgiving thing. That meant dinner with their adult pack, while the younger generations came and went.
My own childhood pack and a few others made up the younger generation. One or two of my old packmates already had kids, which was a real feat considering the shitshow that was werewolf fertility.
That was the main thing Jade’s team was currently researching. I knew more about it than I had ever even considered wanting to know, but I did love listening to her talk about it.
“You’re not going to freeze up if you see them, right?” Jade asked.
“No. Have a little faith in me.”
“If I saw someone who cheated on me, I think my wolf would want to claw their eyes out.”
She wasn’t that far from the truth about how I’d felt, but ultimately, it had happened a long time ago.
I was infinitely happier with Jade than I ever could’ve been with Corrine. My fiery mate had become both my best friend and closest companion.
The sex was really fucking incredible, too.
I finally opened the front door, and we stepped inside. No one was in the building, of course. Everyone was outside. It was a werewolf party, after all.
We made our way through the house and finally out to the backyard.
There were so many people, no one noticed us at first.
“It’s packed,” Jade whispered. “No pun intended.”
“Yeah. Extended family parties usually are.”
“I don’t think werewolves and humans have the same definitions for extended?—”
“Wyatt?” My mom’s gasp made my stomach clench.
It had been too fucking long. I should’ve come back sooner.
People were staring at us by then, but I was too busy releasing my mate so I could hug the woman who brought me into the world.
