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Kismet looked at Ren and he wondered what she was thinking. Was her dad’s behavior normal? Was he always stoic?
Ren cleared his throat and extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir.”
E’lahn stared at Ren for what felt like forever. Then so slowly, it looked like he hardly moved at all, the male unfolded his arms and shook Ren’s hand. “Welcome to my home, Ren. Come inside, I believe we have much to discuss.”
CHAPTERSIX
Kismet’s heart pounded as she followed her dad into his home, holding tightly to Ren’s hand. Her dad had opened the front door with his wings out, like an avenging angel, and she could have kicked herself for not explaining to Ren where they were going. Or calling her dad in advance.
Suddenly, the weeks of silence with the secret longing for the wolf in her dream seemed like a super bad idea.
But, hindsight being what it was and all, they were stuck with her choices in this moment, no matter how much she wished she could rewind back about ten minutes and call her dad on the phone first before showing up.
“Sorry,” she whispered to Ren.
He glanced at her and winked, a smile quirking one corner of her mouth. She felt better instantly. At least he wasn’t mad.
Her dad led them down the long hall, past the parlor and kitchen, to his office. The large room had dark, hardwood floors that gleamed with polish, dark green walls, and a set of French doors that overlooked a garden she’d personally stocked with pretty flowers just for his amusement. The desk was a mahogany monstrosity big enough that she could sit under it as a kid while he handled military affairs.
He gestured to a green leather couch, and she and Ren sat while he took up in a chair next to the couch. He pulled his wings into his back, the long-sleeved, silk shirt he wore had hidden slits to allow the wings to come and go as needed.
“A few weeks ago,” he said, “you mentioned wolves. You went to see Rich, and helped an alpha pair and a berserker, as I recall. I take it something else has come up, and I say that not only because I’m brilliant and you introduced this male as your truemate, but because you’ve got a mating mark on your neck and you smell like a wolf.”
She blinked a few times in surprise and stifled the urge to sniff herself.
Did she really smell like a wolf?
Inhaling deeply, she let out the breath and gave Ren’s hand an extra squeeze. “The first time I met the alphas, I had a dream about a wolf. I felt connected to him even though I had no idea who he was. When I took the berserker ceremony book to the alphas, I asked about him and they told me it was Ren.”
Her dad’s brows rose. “You didn’t go to him right away.”
She shook her head. “I…don’t know why I didn’t.”
He hummed. “And the night of the ball?”
“Key was hemming and hawing about Jerhal and her father wanting her to marry one of the soldiers, and she said she’d talk to Jerhal if I would go to Wilde Creek. I realized when I got there, that I’d been foolish to wait, but I can’t take that back.”
Her dad said nothing for a long moment and then he said, “Go make us some tea. I’d like a few moments with your mate.”
“Of course. I’ll be back,” she said, smiling at Ren.
She left the office and hurried to the kitchen to put a kettle on. She would have given anything to be a fly on the wall in that office. What would her dad say?
* * *
Ren watched Kismet leave, trying not to make it obvious that he was staring at her cute butt. He turned his attention to his mate’s father.
E’lahn folded his hands. “This ishighlyunusual.”
“Which part? That I’m a wolf or that she dreamed of me?”
“It doesn’t matter to me that you’re a shifter. What’s unusual is that you’re mated, and I never knew you existed. My family doesn’t cavort around in secret like this.”
“It wasn’t my intention or request to keep things quiet. We haven’t known each other long.”
“Yet here she is, marked and mated, with nary a call to me.”
He stifled the growl in his chest. “I’m not going to apologize for following my instincts and making her mine. It’s the way ofmypeople.”
