Bondar Confrontation
Lucas
Shit, we shouldn’t have come . I thought for the millionth time as we pulled into my parent’s drive. I shifted in my seat and glanced over at Dominic, who appeared to be oblivious to my internal discomfort. My family wouldn’t take to meeting him easily. In truth, they were a bit prejudiced. They had lost their shit when Brian had told them he mated a predator shifter. It didn’t matter that the shifter was the king of a lion pride and all-powerful mega-rich CEO Edward Satchel. He was a predator, and they hated that. The only one that took it was my nana. Thankfully, they had come around, but not after putting Brian through a lot of shit.
“Relax, tiger. They’re going to love me,” Dominic said, his voice breaking through my spiral of worry. He had noticed my tension, after all.
“I just think we should have gone with Talon. We should all be meeting my family together. They can wait one more day, especially after the hurricane,” I argued, trying to stall.
Dominic chuckled. “That excuse kind of fell apart when Brian told your parents you were safe at his place and your home was untouched.”
“Damn Brian and his big mouth,” I muttered. “Still, we could say something came up. I really think we should wait for Talon.”
Dominic put the car in park and turned off the ignition before shifting in his seat to face me. “Tiger. First, Talon told us to go ahead. He said it would be best that he go to his parents by himself, and given what he’s told us about his past, I trust his judgment.”
“But what if they’re mean to him? You heard the story he told; we should be there with him,” I interrupted. I was still pissed at how Talon’s parents treated him. He was twelve damn years old—treating him like a sexual predator—bastards.
“Lucas, I know how you’re feeling. I feel the same way. After he told us, I wanted to kick their asses, but my du?a, our mate, asked us to let him handle it,” Dominic said softly.
I crossed my arms. “Fine, but we still don’t have to rush into meeting my family.”
“That brings me to my second point: we’re already here.” He pointed out the windshield. “It’d look pretty strange if we just drove away now.”
I exhaled sharply and slumped back, defeated by the logic. Dominic was right. It was too late to turn around now. “I just don’t want them to be mean to you. I want them to like you.”
Dominic gave me a reassuring smile. “Tiger, it’ll be fine. I promise.”
Though I rolled my eyes at his endearment, it warmed me more than I wanted to admit. “But I know they’re gonna have a hard time with this. I mean, things got bad when Brian brought home a predator shifter. My mom and sister, Olivia, can be pretty bigoted.”
“I’ve got pretty thick skin. I can handle it. Besides, I’ve got my fierce tiger to protect me,” Dominic teased, lightening the mood.
His confidence made me chuckle, easing some of my nerves. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
I reached for the handle, but Dominic stopped me. I glanced back at him, and he smiled before leaning forward and giving me a soft kiss.
“Everything will be fine,” he repeated.
Grinning, I felt a new sense of calm wash over me. So long as I had my mates, everything would indeed be okay. We stepped out of the car and approached the house. The driveway was bustling, lined with cars, and the sound of lively chatter spilled out from the open windows.
“They having a party?” Dominic asked as we reached the door.
I shook my head. “No, that’s just my family. In fact, looking at the cars, we may be missing a sibling or two. I know Brian isn’t here, so that leaves about eight or nine, plus their partners and kids.”
Dominic paused, placing his hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Wait, you have nine brothers and sisters?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his astonished expression. “Yeah, but like you said, it’ll be fine.”
His expression still registered shock as I pushed open the door. “Hey, everyone!”
The response was immediate; my family swarmed us with warm welcomes, engulfing me in hugs. As they each greeted me, I introduced Dominic with a quick, “This is Dominic.” The room buzzed with cautious curiosity as each member met Dominic.At least they didn’t freak immediately like they did when Brian brought a predator shifter home.
My niece Eva was the last to give me a hug. I quickly introduced her to Dominic, but she didn’t move on right away. She stepped closer to Dominic and sniffed before staring up at him and asking as only a child could ask. “What are you?”
The room fell silent. I crouched beside her and said gently, “Eva, Dominic is what the paranormal world calls an ‘other.’ He’s a demon.”
The word ”demon” hung in the air, heavy with implications. Instantly, Olivia, Eva’s mom, pulled her daughter back protectively while my brothers and father formed a subtle barrier around us.
“What the hell are you thinking, Lucas? How can you invite a demon into our home? There are kids here,” my father hissed, his tone laced with barely controlled anger.
I stood, positioning myself protectively in front of Dominic. “Dominic would never hurt you, any of you, and especially not a child.”
“How can you be so sure?” my brother Noah asked, his tone more curious than confrontational.
“Because he’s my mate,” I stated firmly, my voice carrying a conviction that I hoped would convey both the seriousness and the sanctity of our bond.
As I declared Dominic as my mate, the room exploded into chaos. Voices overlapped in a cacophony of shock, confusion, and disbelief.
”No way, Lucas, tell me you”re joking!” Emma exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked between me and Dominic.
”This has to be some kind of mistake,” Gabe muttered, shaking his head as if hoping what I said wasn’t true.
Amid the uproar, Noah stepped forward, his demeanor calm and grounding. ”Everyone, just calm down,” he interjected, his gaze fixed on me before shifting to Dominic. ”Lucas has never given us reason to doubt his judgment. Let’s hear him out.”
Jane, beside him, nodded in agreement, her voice gentle but firm. ”Let”s not jump to conclusions. We”re family. We should talk this through, not fight.”
“But he’s a demon!” Olivia yelled, her protective grip on Eva tightening.
Ben, Olivia”s husband, rubbed his temples, clearly overwhelmed, while Alice quietly moved to stand beside Jane, her posture suggesting she was open to listening.
“I will not stand for this!” my father boomed, his voice thundering over the others.
The chatter continued, with everyone talking over each other, trying to get their points across, creating a whirlwind of noise that made it nearly impossible to think. Amid the uproar, I caught Dom’s eye, his expression calm but firm, reassuring me we could face anything together.
“What the hell is going on? What’s gotten into everyone?”
I released a sigh of relief, thankful at hearing my nana’s voice. She was the one I’d hoped would be here when I revealed Dom’s nature and my relation to him. The room instantly quieted as she entered.
I took a deep breath and explained, “I told them that my fated mate is an ‘other,’ and they don’t like that—”
“He’s brought a demon into the house, Nana, a demon!” Olivia interjected hysterically.
Nana dismissed her with a wave of her hand and focused on me. “Are you sure he’s your mate? Everyone thought it was that lion you’ve been mooning over. Talon or something like that.”
“Yeah, we all thought you were avoiding the predator. What gives?” Emma chimed in her confusion evident.
I glanced at Dominic, gathering strength from his presence, before facing my nana. “I’m sure Dominic’s my mate, just as sure as Talon’s also my mate.”
This revelation sparked a fresh round of murmurs, but Nana waved her hand again, silencing the room. “Schatje, I’m old and have been around a long time, but I’ve never heard of anyone having two mates.”
“There, you must be mistaken,” my mother added, desperation creeping into her voice.
Before I could respond, Dominic spoke up. “Miss Nana, you are by no means old; you’re what? In your late fifties.”
My nana blushed. “Oh, I like you. You know how to put on the charm. I’m eighty-three.”
“Young as ever. And I’m a bit older than that,” Dominic said with a wink, eliciting a chuckle from Nana. “While shifters normally don’t have more than one mate, demons can and do have more fragments to their soul. And that’s what Talon and Lucas are to me—my soul. There’s no mistake.”
Dom’s smile was reassuring, and I couldn’t help but return it. Although I wanted to kiss him right then, I turned back to Nana. “It’s true, Nana. In fact, we’re already bonded. All three of us. Can’t you sense it? There’s no denying the mate bond.”
Nana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her smile was wide and genuine. “You’re very right, Lucas. I’m so happy for you, Schatje.” She stepped forward and pulled me into a warm hug. After a moment, she released me and embraced Dominic. “Welcome to the family.”
“Mom,” my father began, his voice strained. “You can’t—”
“Louis, you can sense the bond just as much as I can,” Nana cut him off firmly.
My mother shifted uncomfortably. “But Hilde, he’s a demon.”
Nana nodded sharply. “Yes, he is, and he’s also your son’s fated mate. Fate believes they are perfect for each other. Who are we to question it, Camille?” She looked back at Dominic and me, her eyes twinkling. “Besides, look how happy your boy is. He’s practically glowing.”
My mother’s gaze moved between Dominic and me, lingering on the contented expression I probably wore. With a heavy sigh, she straightened and approached Dominic. “I’ve learned from my other son that I need to be more open-minded. I was cruel to him and his mate because of my prejudices against predators. I almost lost him because of it. I was wrong then, and I’m wrong now.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “It may take some getting used to, but welcome to the family, Dominic.”
After her declaration, my mother did something I hadn”t anticipated—she hugged Dominic. It was awkward and tentative at first, but genuine. Then she turned to me, her eyes misty, and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Congratulations, my son,” she whispered.
Her acceptance seemed to break the dam. One by one, the rest of the family approached. Ben, Emma, Gabe, and even Alice came forward, each offering their congratulations and welcoming Dominic with varying degrees of warmth but genuine effort. The atmosphere shifted palpably from tense to tentatively celebratory.
Olivia was the last to step forward. Her approach was hesitant, her eyes flickering between me and Dominic. She took a deep breath before speaking. “I learned a hard lesson with Brian. I regret the pain my actions caused. I hope I can do better here.” She extended her hand to Dominic, who accepted it with a nod, and then she hugged me. “Congratulations, Lucas. Really.”
The room filled with a lighter chatter, the earlier tension dissipating as family members shared their storm experiences and caught up. Noah, always the peacemaker, clapped his hands to draw attention. “So, how did you guys fare the hurricane? Everything okay back at your place?”
The question caught me off guard. I hesitated, wondering how much to share. Should I mention the attack by the demon? The room waited for my response, and I grappled with how much of our recent ordeal to reveal.
“Yeah, we managed,” I started, choosing my words carefully, my mind racing. Do I bring up the demon attack? How do we even explain that?
Noah nodded, seemingly satisfied with my vague response, but his curious gaze told me the conversation was far from over. Fuck, I’ll tell them later. No need to bring down the mood now. I nodded to myself and looked back at Dominic, who was in an animated conversation with my brother Gabe.
I laughed as I heard him ask, “So, do you have wings? What do you look like in your true form?”
Yeah, I’ll tell them about the other stuff later.