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My father didn’t laugh at that, didn’t scoff. He grunted and nodded in agreement, as if he’d have it no other way.
“Good,” he finally said, but I could still see so much tension and anxiety radiating off him.
“I know this will take time and is an adjustment.” I waited until his eyes locked on me, ones that were bright-blue and identical to mine. “But I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” I reached out and twined my fingers through Tucker’s, the first time I’d willingly sought him out. And it felt incredible. It felt like I’d been missing out on so much with just that small touch. “Tucker and I are here for you. For good.” I felt my mate’s agreement and approval at my words, and it solidified how right this was and how foolish I’d been to fight this.
My father exhaled and nodded once more. “I know, and I’ll come to terms with it. I only want your happiness.” He slowly looked at Tucker—so slowly that I actually tensed in preparation for him to lose his shit. But instead, he held his hand out. My mate instantly clasped his with the Alpha’s. “If you don’t take care of her—”
“I’d kill myself before I ever hurt my mate.”
I shivered at the hard determination and truth in Tucker’s words.
“She’s the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and even if I proved that to her for the rest of my life, it still wouldn’t be enough.”
I felt myself softening further for my male. To hear those words spoken with such conviction had any kind of worry or confusion I had over mating him fade away.
“Good” was all my father said, and then he turned to look at the pack.
I felt myself lean against my mate. He wrapped his arm around me, and it felt so… right.
“Well, now that the dramatics are done, let’s finish our meal and enjoy the new longhouse.”
The pack went wild with shouting and clapping, whistles and laughing.
And just like that, everything felt normal once more. Well, as normal as it could feel with being newly mated and feeling like all you wanted to do was tear your mate’s clothes off.
Tucker pulled me to the side, and I found myself gladly going with him. He took me to a quiet corner, where the thick wooden beams were a good place to “hide” from everyone around us. And then we faced each other, him looking down at me, me staring up at him, the noise and chaos fading away.
“Mia.” He said my name on a damn near groan, and I felt it to my toes. He took my hands in his and just stared at where we were connected. I felt the tightening of his fingers on mine, and then a second later, he closed his eyes, his massive body shuddering slightly. “Just having you close,” he growled and opened his eyes, then brought my hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles, all the while staring into my eyes. “I’m sorry about all that. I’m sorry you had to be put in the middle of it.”
I slowly shook my head. I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t anyone's fault, not mine or Tucker’s for not revealing we were mates right away—because that was our business and no one else's. And not my father’s for not being able to control his worry because he was overprotective—because he was in a dark place and had been for a long time.
It was just the way things landed, but the situation had been diverted from something that was potentially awful to something that was far better than I could have imagined.
“Everything will be fine. I’m just glad no fights broke out.” And no blood was spilled. I didn’t want to think about the Alpha and Beta fighting, especially not over me. There were far greater things that needed the attention of the Alpha and his council, and a rift between him and his second-in-command could rock the very foundation of the pack.
“Crisis averted,” I mumbled.
Tucker was silent for so long I wondered if he’d say anything at all or just watch me with this need I felt in every erogenous zone in my body.
“I can’t lose you,” he said so softly I was shocked I heard him. “Not when you’ve just really come into my life, Mia.” He took a step closer, and I held my breath as all kinds of sensations slammed into me until I felt dizzy from them. He cupped my face and leaned down so we were eye-level.
Kiss me, the words repeated in my head, but I was too much of a chicken to say them aloud.
And he kept glancing at my lips enough times that I knew he wanted to. But he didn’t. He straightened, a small smile playing across his lips, and I felt all my worries fade away in the moment as pure pleasure washed through me.
