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Her father looked from her to Damon.
“Something is different.”
“I need to talk to you and Mom. It’s important.”
“I’ve got something to talk to Damon about. You go on ahead.”
Holly looked back at Damon, who winked at her. She didn’t want to leave him alone with her dad, but she saw no choice.
Stepping over the threshold, she smelled the onions and garlic, and her mouth watered. Without waiting for an invitation, she went straight to the kitchen where her mother was already serving up food.
Lidia gasped. “Really?”
Holly looked at her mother and then behind her. “What is it?”
“I see the mark, darling. Oh, my, you’re mated. Who is it?”
Holly touched the mark on her neck and smiled. “Mom, you know who it is. I’ve been changing in front of everyone in the pack. Think about it, there is only one man I’ve never turned in front of until last night.”
Lidia sighed. “Damon.”
“Why are you sad?”
“I’m not sad. Your father … he … voiced his thoughts.”
“He’s angry?”
“No. No. This was before last night. It was when he came to see you at Damon’s house, before you came to town. Your father said the way Damon was with you, he acted as if you were already mates. I didn’t think it was possible because you can never know your true mate, but what he saw, he was convinced of it.”
“Oh,” Holly said. “How?”
Her mother shrugged. “It was all to do with the way he acted. How he constantly seemed to want to touch you. I have to say when you came to the town hall, I saw it. He watched your every move and his hand during the meeting kept opening and closing. I think he was trying to feel you even when you were gone. It was such a sweet gesture. Are you happy?” her mother asked.
“Yes, I am. I’m very happy. Damon has been through a lot. He hasn’t had the best experiences when it comes to pack life. He doesn’t trust easily.”
“I get that sense too. I can’t believe my little girl is all grown up and mated.” Lidia rushed toward her and wrapped her in a big hug.
Holly laughed. “I’m not going to go anywhere. Dad’s not going to hurt Damon, is he?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Mom, Damon believes I’m going to have to make a choice between him or the pack. Will I?”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Mom, they’re both alphas.”
“That doesn’t mean they can’t work together. Your father will be able to show Damon another side of being an alpha.” Her mother smiled and stroked her cheek. “Now, let’s get this food ready. I’m starving and I’ve got cheesy garlic bread.”
“Lots of cheese?”
“Is there any other way to eat garlic bread?” Her mother winked at her. “Come on, relax and enjoy.”
Holly tried to listen to her father and Damon, but she couldn’t hear a single thing. She set the table, and her mother disappeared to go find them.
Locking her fingers together, she waited to see who would come into the house.
Damon and her father came in together.
There were no bruises or blood. They looked happy together. She looked between them with a smile. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Never been better, honey,” Christopher said. He kissed her cheek.
Damon growled again, and her mother giggled.
“This is going to make family festivities interesting. Damon, I hope you brought your appetite with you.”
“I’m starved.”
Damon held out her chair for her and winked. She lowered herself into her chair and kept on looking between her dad and her mate. Neither of them gave anything away, and the not knowing was driving her insane.
How could they sit there without saying a word?
Her mother served them all huge piles of spaghetti. The sauce dripped from each strand, soaking the plate beneath, and they mopped it up with the cheesy garlic bread.
“Christopher, we need to start talking to the pack one by one.”
“Don’t you think that is going to alert them?” her father asked.
“We need to do something. With every day that passes, we run the risk of those hunters coming back here.”
“This is not a good dinnertime conversation,” Lidia said.
Her father put his hand over her mother’s. “I know, darling. We’ve got to get a handle on this.”
“I don’t like it one bit,” Lidia said, standing up. “I can’t believe that anyone in our pack would do such a thing. We’re all good people.”
“Good people snap,” Holly said. “I agree with my dad, though.” She looked at Damon. “It will be suspicious. Think about it. All of a sudden, we’re interviewing the entire pack about that night. Someone is going to figure it out and then there’s a chance of a rebellion and putting us in more danger. If the person feels threatened, they could call the hunters to us.”
“What if they’re watching us already?” Lidia asked, moving to the window near the kitchen and closing the curtains.
