“Woah! Would you stop with the heavy questions and put the brakes on?” I’m suddenly feeling very hot under the collar. “From what I remember of your courting days, you hardly had everything planned out. Didn’t you bond within just days of meeting each other?”
“Well…” Mom fiddles with her bracelet. “That was different.”
“Not really,” I counter. “When you know, you know.”
“Our bonding was planned,” Dad tells me. “Not an accident.”
“I’m pretty sure Beckett was an accident,” I scoff. “And that worked out okay, right?”
“Having children is completely different from bonding.” Mom tries to shrug off my words. “And Beckett was a wonderful surprise.”
“Are you remembering the baby years like I do?” Bug shudders. “I’ve never known a kid who had so many blow-outs.”
Luca and Drax laugh, but Dad stays serious as he glares at Bug. “This is not the time for jokes, Gene.”
“Sorry.” Bug puts on his straight face then winks at me when Dad isn’t looking. I guess we’ve formed an alliance.
Pops looks at the other guys. “Are the rest of you planning to bond with Sabs too?”
“We would all be open to bonding,” Orin speaks before I can. I swallow hard, blood rushing to my face. While it’s been implied, it’s still nice to have it confirmed. “But only if and when Sabs is ready.”
Luca nods earnestly. “We’re all going at Sabs’s pace.”
“Have you filed the paperwork?” Dad asks. Adler nods, incapable of forming words right now. I sense he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing after their frosty introduction.
“We’ve submitted it,” Orin replies smoothly. “We’re waiting for the final papers to be sent now.”
“It sounds like everything is in order.” Pops dusts off his hands, eyeing the snack table, which tells me this isn’t going too badly. If he can think about food, then we’re probably through the worst of it.
“I really am sorry for not telling you all,” I say to each of my parents. “I wanted to, but I just needed time. I’m really glad you’re here now, though.”
“I can’t say that knowing you’ve bonded hasn’t come as a shock.” Mom sighs then takes my hand. “And I wish you felt like you could have talked to me, honey. But I remember what it was like to be in my twenties and madly in love. The entire drive here, I was hoping that you’d found a pack who could make you happy. And if you have, we’re happy for you.”
“So that’s it?” I gape at her. “No more yelling or telling me how stupid I am?”
“I don’t know why you sound so surprised.” Bug shakes his hips in an embarrassing Elvis-like fashion. “We’re pretty cool, you know.”
“Men in their late fifties should definitely not wiggle their hips like that.” I want the ground to swallow me up. “You’ll pop a hip!”
“Hey!” He pinches my cheek. “If I do, I’m sure Luca here could pop it back into place. Right, Luca?”
Luca laughs. “I could try.”
“We will be watching,” Dad mutters, ever the dark cloud. His eyes move to Drax. “But I feel better knowing that Drax is here. We’ve known the Stone family for years, and if Drax can vouch for these alphas...”
“I do,” Drax responds, not missing a beat.
“Then that’s good enough for us. For now,” Dad says.
“Okay.” Mom smooths down her dress, her usual bright smile returning. “I think it’s time we all got to know each other properly, and maybe we should have a toast?”
“Luca makes great bellinis.” Not only is it true, but I’m hoping to coax Luca out of his shell.
He bustles over to where Faye has laid out everything we might need. Drax joins him, picking up a lemon from the fruit bowl.
“Still like them with extra lemon, Mrs. Maverick?” Drax tosses it in the air like it’s a ball.
“You remember.” She’s practically gushing, palm pressed to her chest. “Yes please, and now that we’re family, you really have to start calling me Cassie.”
