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He pushed past me. “What in the hell is going on here?”
I swallowed. “Dad…” I had no idea what to say. Not even the foggiest.
He knew this was coming, remember? We’re not doing anything wrong. He faced Dad. “I know this must be difficult, but we talked about the bonding before, Mr. McCaide.”
Dad crossed his arms. “Right.” I was a little relieved to hear that from him, but the word was clipped. He was still angry.
But we’d been over this. I knew Dad wasn’t happy—he’d made that known at my birthday party—but I’d hoped that he was over it by now.
“Tessa and I completed our bond two nights ago.”
Dad’s jaw ticked. “I thought that wasn’t until the full moon.”
Oh shit. Dad smelled like the sharp tang of anger. You think we should’ve waited until he wasn’t so pissed to tell him?
Keeping it from him won’t solve anything. “When Claudia returned fully bonded to Lucas, we learned it was possible without waiting until next month.” I had to give it to Dastien, he was staying really calm, even while Dad was giving him the ninth-degree stare down. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, but with everything that’s been going on, there’s not been a lot of time. I hope you know that I love and respect your daughter more than anything or anyone in the world.”
Dad ran his fingers through his hair, and it stood on end. “So basically my only daughter is married and I had no idea about it.”
“Sorry.” I winced. “We were thinking of having a wedding later.”
His face told me exactly where I could stick that idea.
“Okay. I should’ve warned you. This isn’t the best way to find out about us, but Dad—you knew this was going to happen after my birthday. It got delayed. That’s all.”
He rubbed a hand down his face. “I know. I just—when it didn’t happen—I thought maybe it wouldn’t. That you’d have more time being a kid. Go to college. All those kinds of things.”
“I can still go to college. Once all this craziness is dealt with.” Not that going to college was even on my radar at this moment. Anything beyond the fight with Luciana felt like a million years away.
“We’ll talk about this later. I’m sure your mother and brother are going to want to know, too.” He blew out a breath. “The FBI wants to talk to you.”
Cops were one thing. I didn’t like them—they made me totally nervous even when I hadn’t done anything wrong… Except show up in a place will a few dozen dead bodies. But FBI? That was big time.
“Am I in trouble?”
“No. I think this is more curiosity than anything else.”
“Why don’t they talk to Mr. Dawson? Or Donovan? Or anyone else who’s not a total newbie?”
“That’s why they want to talk to you. Because you’re new. They’ve already talked to Michael and a few others, but you’re the one from the news, so they want you.”
I tried to take a little bit of comfort in that, but nerves were still creeping in. “Okay.”
“Get changed and dressed. I’ll wait for you in the common room.” He waited for a second, glancing from Dastien to me and back again.
Dastien laughed through the bond, but his face was a mask of seriousness.
You’re not helping. I stepped past Dad, and opened the door. “I’ll be right down.” He nodded, and left without another word.
I closed the door, and leaned against it. “Was it just me or was that super awkward?”
“It wasn’t just you.”
Laughing came from Meredith’s room. “Yeah. Laugh it up, you two. Just you wait. I know your brothers’ phone numbers. And your mother’s. I can get them down here in no time for an awkward encounter of your own.”
“My parents are happy about this. They’re Weres. They were expecting me to pick a mate years ago.”
She was right. They’d been super happy when Donovan claimed Meredith as his. “Damn it. Why am I always the newbie?”
