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“She could be if he chooses her.”
I open my eyes to see my four foot tall mother standing toe to toe with my giant father, hands on her hips.
“Dad’s right,” I whisper, finding my throat dry. “I made a mistake bringing her here.”
My mother rushes over to me, helping me to sit up. She slides her arms under mine and gently moves me to a sitting position.
“Thanks, Ma,” I say. She gives me a soft kiss on the head before rushing toward the kitchen to make what I’m sure is a meal fit for a king. It doesn’t matter that we are all adults now. When any of her three children are hurt, we are her babies again.
My father walks up and settles heavily into the chair beside the bed with a sigh.
“Son, what were you thinking? You brought her here without my permission. Worse, with my express warning against doing so.”
“I know,” I admit, looking down at my lap. “I honestly don’t know what happened.”
“What do you mean?”
I glance up, see the concern in his eyes, and decide to be honest.
“If you asked me this morning if I intended to take Antonia as my mate, I would’ve said yes. I would have said it was just a matter of figuring out the logistics. But?—”
“But what? That’s all I needed to hear, son.” My dad beams, his anger at my betrayal forgotten. “Bring her back tomorrow. We will have a feast.”
I want to leave it there. He’s no longer upset with me, and I have what I want. That’s not who I am though. It’s not who he raised me to be.
“Something changed,” I begin, searching for the words to explain. “When I went to call her my mate, I just couldn’t. It’s like the words got stuck in my throat. Even now, the thought of taking her as my mate has my gut churning.”
The chair’s legs scrape against the floor as my father stands.
“So, you brought a woman who makes you sick to your stomach to our home?” he asks through clenched teeth. “This indecision is unfitting of an alpha.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as he walks away.
“I’m sorry too,” he whispers as he exits, pushing past my mother through the doorway. She looks confused and apologetic as she places the steaming tray of food on the bedside table.
“What does your owl think?” she asks.
“That’s the weirdest thing. At first, he was just as enamored with her as I was. Now that I think about it, he’s been absent more often than not lately. I can’t even remember shifting before today. You saw how that went.”
“Hmm…” She worries her bottom lip as she thinks. “But he cares for her as you do?”
I close my eyes and search for the feelings of my owl. He’s a part of myself, but his thoughts are a mystery to me just now.
“I don’t know…”
“Well, I’m sure you will figure it out.” She hands me the tray, laden with lobster bisque, a fresh bun, and some of her herbal tea. I greedily eat and drink before falling asleep once more.
The next time I wake, it’s to the sounds of screams ringing out through the village. I throw the blanket off and rise, my muscles still protesting as I slide on the pair of linen pants folded neatly beside my head.
“What’s going on, Ma?” I ask once I find her. She’s standing by the door with my youngest sister, Evangeline.
“I don’t know,” she whispers.
“Is Dad out there?”
She just nods her head, looking lost. They are both watching the door, their eyes wide with fear.
“It will be okay. Stay here and block the door after I leave,” I tell them, throwing the door open and closing it quickly behind me.
