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My father's voice breaks through my thoughts. "Because we need to do this now. We can't wait any longer." He and Mom followed me to the kitchen and are lingering on the other side of the room.
“Why?” Whining isn’t usually my go-to move, but I’m getting desperate.
And Dad isn’t backing down. "I know you don't want to hear it, but this is the right thing for our pack. And for you."
"Is that what you keep telling yourself? Because it sounds like you're just saying whatever you need to in order to convince yourself to do it."
My mother steps forward and takes my dad by the elbow. She pulls him away from me and directs him toward the sofa. "Take a seat.”
He complies, folding his arms like a pouting child.
"Look at me, Son."
I meet her eyes, holding back a scowl. “What?”
She shakes her head slowly, warning me to watch my tone. "This isn't a choice we've made lightly because we know it's going to break your heart."
Did I travel back a hundred years in time? "You don't get to make this decision for me."
"The decision has already been made, Jordan." My mother's eyes flash with an intensity I've never seen before. "Your name has been submitted, and we’ve already received word that you've been paired with an omega."
My heart stops dead in my chest as understanding dawns on me. "That's why you guys were blowing up my phone this morning? Not because you were actually worried about me."
"Of course we were worried." My mother furrows her brow as anguish crosses her face. "We love you, Jordan. More than you’ll ever know."
When I look into her eyes, all the fight drains out of me. Stepping forward, I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her head. I don't want to fight with them. I really don't. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just so confused right now."
"I know." She cranes her neck and presses a kiss to my cheek. "I'm sorry too. We just wanted to talk to you about it before you found out from anyone else."
I pull back from her and give my father a long, hard look. He's watching us with uncertainty in his eyes, waiting for me to say something. Waiting for me to do something.
I bite my lip and let out a soft sigh, hoping he'll just come out and say whatever it is that he needs to say. But he doesn't.
I guess I have to do it for him.
"I know you guys love me and that it's not a decision you would've made lightly." I exhale heavily and consider my words. "I'm just frustrated and..." I glance toward the messenger bag sitting near the front door. My laptop is tucked safely inside, waiting for me to continue working on my app. "I've got so much work on my plate right now, and I know I've been ignoring my duties to the pack."
A small smile flits across my mom's lips as she reaches over to squeeze my shoulder. "Now that you’ve been matched, we'll expect you to spend more time here. Your pack needs you, Jordan."
I nod weakly and force myself to meet my mother's eyes.
"I know that. I’ll figure out how to balance it all. I've got an app to update, a company to build, investors to woo. And now a mate that I've never even met. It's a lot to process."
She gives me a sympathetic pat on the arm. "I know you’ll do the right thing."
I look down at my feet and give her a weak smile. "Thanks."
My father speaks up, coming toward me. "In the meantime, we should go take a look at some of the empty cabins. You'll need to pick one so we can start fixing it up before..."
"Before your omega arrives," my mother finishes for him.
My chest tightens. This is really happening. "And, um...when is that, exactly?"
"We don't have an exact date yet." My father looks at his watch as if we’re talking about a matter of hours instead of months or weeks. "But it'll probably be some time next week."
Days? A matter of days? "Why so soon? He hasn't even been introduced to the pack yet."
My father sighs. "The sooner you pick a place, the sooner we get it ready for him."
