“Are you pregnant?”
“Pregnant?!”
Drax spits out his mouthful of tortilla.
“Who’s pregnant?” I hear Dad ask in the background.
“Be quiet, Bob.” Mom scolds him. “I’m talking to Sabs.”
“Sabs is pregnant?!” he bellows. “What the?—”
“No one is pregnant!” I practically scream, earning the attention of people passing by who give me a funny look and our bench a wider berth. “Look,” I drop my voice. “I’m not pregnant, but I’ve met someone. Well,someones, actually?—”
“A pack?” Mom’s tone changes from hysterical to pure elation. “You’ve met a pack?”
“Calm down, I don’t want you getting overexcited. We’re courting?—”
“Bob, get the bags. Ray, pack the car. Gene, clear up those damn hops!” Mom barks out orders. “We’re going to SVU.”
I put my hand to my forehead. This is my mom all over.
“You don’t have to come,” I say. “Honestly, there really is no need.”
“If you’ve been avoiding my calls for the last few weeks, then this must be serious. We’ll be there tomorrow, and we will meet this pack of yours. No arguments.”
“Mom—”
“This is not up for discussion.” Clearly, I’m not going to win this argument. “Gene, for the last time! What are you doing? Our daughter has met a pack, and you’re trying to turn our house into a brewery!” She huffs in exasperation. “I’ll keep you updated on our journey, Sabs. We’ll find somewhere to stay in Forestville.”
“I-I-I?—”
“Send us a location and time to meet tomorrow.”
“But—”
“Sabrina.” The word is a warning. Like me, when she wants something, nothing stands in her way. “I’ve already told you, this isn’t up for debate.”
“Okay, fine,” I mumble. “I’ll… send you the details.”
“Perfect!” I can imagine her clapping her hands and twirling around the kitchen. “I can’t wait to meet them. Tell me all about them! Or actually, maybe it’s better for it to be a surprise.”
“Yes, a surprise.” I grimace. “Sounds great, Mom.”
“Love you, sweetheart!” She hangs up before I can even reply.
I stare at the phone in horror, feeling like I’ve been dragged through a tornado.
“So...?” Drax looks at me hopefully.
“They’re coming tomorrow.”
“And you didn’t mention that you and Adler were bonded?”
“As if I need reminding.” I pick up a taco for emotional support. “Mom sounded so excited to hear that I’ve met a pack, but I don’t know how they’ll react to the bonding bombshell. You know my parents are laidback, but they’re protective too.”
“Everything will work out. We’re all here for you.” He moves around to sit next to me, his giant hand eclipsing my knee and stroking in comforting circles. “Your parents are great. They’ll like the guys. I mean, if I don’t think Adler’s a total asshat anymore, then I’m sure they’ll get used to him.”
“Having you around will help.” I lean toward him so our shoulders are touching, his scent calming my racing thoughts. “Mom has always loved you, so at least that’s something.”
