But I knew this was important to Ava, and she’d be so happy once she found out I did this for her. Plus, if I knew for certain her family really did accept me, it’d make things easier for everyone down the line. I wanted to make sure there were no objections when it came to our marriage, and that everyone got along. This was the first step.
I pressed on. “I know you don’t know me very well, and I didn’t come from the best background, but I was born Hawkei. My tribe was stolen from me, and I want to find my way back to it. Ava has taught me so much about who I am and what it means to be part of this family, but we never got a chance to unite our families properly. My past isn’t the best, but I’m going to do better by her in the future. I know if I had a daughter, I’d never want her to marry someone like me. But I’m asking you to look beyond my flaws, accept me as your son and help Ava and I create a brighter future together. I love Ava very deeply, and would do anything for her. So starting now, do you accept me as I am, and will you support us going forward?”
“Of coursewe accept you, Charlie,” Sophia replied, and she reached out to give me another hug. “What happened to you wasn’t your fault, and we don’t judge you for your past. What matters is that you make Ava happy, and that you’re here to protect her. We know you do both of those things, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to accept you into our family.”
The others echoed their agreement. There were so many people talking I couldn’t understand most of it.
Jonah clapped me on the back. “You have no idea what you’ve just done, kid. You’re one of us now. Now you cannever leave?—”
Jonah was cut off by the sound of the door bursting open, as if someone had literally kicked it down. I jumped from my seat, but the others remained calm as I heard a pair of high heels click across the floor.
“Howdareyou plan my granddaughter’s wedding without me!” a woman cried.
“My dear, I’m sure our invitation got lost in the mail,” a man replied in a bumbling voice.
I recognized him. It was Professor Baine— Grandpa Elliot, to Ava— and he’d brought along his wife. Grandmother Eleanor— Madame Doya, to me, certainly— was not happy.
Ez leaned over and whispered, “Are yousureyou’re ready to join this family?”
I had better rectify this. But I knew how to kiss ass when it was time, and Ava and her grandmother weren’t so different. Flattery went far with both of them.
I stood and shook Baine’s hand. “I wouldneverdo something like this without such important people present.”
Before either of them could reply, I took Madame Doya’s hand and kissed it, before I added, “Especially not thematriarchof this family.”
Madame Doya relaxed, and I swear, I heard her let out a slight giggle. “You’re lucky you’re so charming, young man.”
We had to pull up two more chairs for them. Everyone started eating, and throughout the meal, we were laughing and having a good time. They asked me about Ava, and I told them stories about our time together. There weren’t a lot of good stories from the Institute— all the fun ones were inappropriate, and obviously stuff I could never tell her parents— but I told them about how Ava and I did physical therapy together, and how I’d helped her recover after she got out of the hospital. I knew I could take care of her, and I wanted her family to know I was in this for the long-haul.
Over an hour passed, until we finished eating and people started to go home. Oberi and I stayed to help Sophia with the dishes, but before I could lend a hand, Liam stopped me. He put a firm grip on my arm.
“Charlie, come with me,” he ordered bluntly. “We need to talk privately.”
Nerves tangled in my gut. I’d noticed that Liam hadn’t said much at all throughout dinner. I expected he’d try to talk to me afterward, but I didn’t know what he’d say. The guy was a chieftain, and he wouldn’t be convinced easily, especially not when it came to his daughter.
Secretly, I cared about Liam’s opinion more than anyone else, and I wasn’t sure if I had his approval yet. He was a hard man to read.
Liam led me to a sliding glass door and onto a rooftop terrace. Oberi followed behind, and I felt his unease through the bond.
Once the door was closed and we were alone, Liam turned to me. “Look, kid. Your smooth talk and charm isn’t going to work on me.”
My heart turned to stone in my chest. I guess we were going to do this the hard way. Fine. I was used to it. If Liam wanted to fight me on this, I could play. I was already married to his daughter. He couldn’t exactly tell me to stop.
“I know you think I’m not good enough for your daughter, and I agree with you, because who could ever be? She’s perfect,” I said. “But I’m going to be Emperor soon, and as a chief, that should be good enough for you.”
Liam laughed lowly. “You haven’t been married to Ava long enough if you think she’s perfect. You can drop the tough-guy act. I just want to talk.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets, and my spine stiffened. “All right. What do you want?”
“I know Ava loves you more than words can say,” Liam started. “But she’s my peanut, my firstborn, and as much as I know I have to let her go, it needs to be to the right person. I can accept that you love her, because I’ve seen how well you’ve cared for her, especially after she got hurt. You’ve cared for her mind and body, but I need to know you can care for her heart.”
I was baffled. How could he even say that? “Of course I care about her heart. She’s the most precious thing to me. I promise to keep her safe, no matter what.”
Liam’s tone, if possible, got even blunter. “I’m not asking you to make promises, or if youwantto be there for her. I’m asking if youcando it, because one day, Ava’s going to push you past your limit. I need to know that you can handle it, because I’m her father andIcan barely do it. I need to know you love her as much as I do— no,morethan I do— because otherwise, this isn’t going to work.”
I could appreciate that he was being upfront with me. I guess if I had a daughter, I’d probably be the same way. I’d rather he give it to me straight than pretend to accept me, then privately disown me down the line. I just wanted to prove to him that this was the right choice.
“Ava and I care about each other,” I said. “I understand you’re worried, but whatever she throws at me, I can take it.”
