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“Pack business might well be my business one day, sweetie.”
In truth, riling her probably wasn’t a good idea—and I had the scars to prove that—but there was something inside me that just couldn’t help it. Besides, both Katie and Jaz had told me that standing up to her might be the only way to win pack approval, especially given I would never—no matter what I did or said—winherapproval. She remained too mired in past hurts and memories to ever see future hope.
“Listen here, witch—”
“What thefuckis going on here?” a familiar and very angry voice said. “Mother, what the hell are you doing?”
She swung around, surprise flickering across her expression. She’d been so intent on me that she hadn’t heard him come in.
But then, neither had I.
He strode into the room and stopped midway between the two of us. “This has to stop, Mother.”
Her gaze swept him somewhat contemptuously. “No matter what else you are or what you become, you are my child, and you will not—”
“What I willnotdo is stand by and let you berate and harass the woman I love.” His voice held a note I’d not heard before—a whip of censure and command. The alpha had fully emerged. “I’ve tiptoed around your feelings and memories for too fucking long, and it almost cost me any chance of happiness. But no longer. Iampack alpha now, and any decision I make regarding who I choose as a mate is mine and mine alone. Understood?”
She bared her teeth, a low sound of warning rumbling up her throat. I doubted she’d actually attack him, but her hands were clenched, and her control seemed decidedly knife’s edge.
“She willneverbe a part of our pack, Aiden. They will never accept her. You know this.”
“Thatis a pack decision and one I will abide by when it comes to where we live. I’ve already called a pack meeting for tomorrow morning, and both Liz and I will be there to present our case for living within the reservation to the wider pack. You will, of course, have the right to state your case against us, but be warned—if you make any attempt beforehand to sway the vote, I will ask the council to rescind your position as co-alpha.”
She stared at him. “You can’t do that.Theycan’t do that.”
“You forget, Mother, that with Father dead and my accession officially approved, you only hold the position by default until I’m married. Which, I must point out, I soon will be.”
We hadn’t actually discussed a date, but I was totally on board with it being sooner rather than later. It wasn’t like I wanted a big, fancy wedding. My found family and my mom were all I needed as witnesses when I walked up that aisle and married my werewolf.
Hell, I didn’t even really want a church wedding. I was perfectly happy getting hitched in a forest or a garden. In fact, Ashworth’s rear garden, with its pretty autumn trees and lovely roses, would make the perfect setting.
She stared at Aiden for a long minute, her expression unreadable but skin decidedly paler. “You can’t be serious.”
“I have never been so serious about anything—or anyone—in my entire life.” He glanced at me then, and all the emotion, all the love, was right there in his gaze for all to see. “I love Liz, and I’m going to marry her, and not you, not the pack, not even the fucking council or a goddamn vampire war is going to stop me.”
She blinked. “What vampire war?”
“The one that has already killed at least two people and is threatening to erupt into all-out violence at any moment. Do you not listen toanythingI say at council meetings?”
“I wasn’t at the last one—”
“I noticed.”
“I had my reasons—”
“I know, just as I know how hard the last few weeks have been. I’m grieving for my father and uncle too, remember. But it’s no excuse for your actions here today or for skipping council meetings and sending a proxy in your place. It will stop.Youwill stop.” He paused. “Or I will follow through with my threat.”
“Fine,” she snapped, then glared at me. “I will seeyoutomorrow morning.”
With that, she walked around her son and stormed out of the café.
“Well,” I said lightly. “That went better than expected.”
He laughed, swept me into his arms, and kissed me so damn thoroughly that by the time he stepped back my head was spinning. “Many would saythatwas well overdue.”
I raised an eyebrow, amusement twitching my lips. “That being the kiss?”
He laughed again and lightly ran his fingers down to my kiss-swollen lips. “If I’d confronted my mother the moment our relationship became serious, I might have saved us both a whole lot of heartache.”
