Chapter 32
Braun
“Alpha?” Emeric’s serious expression as he stood in the doorway of my office would’ve made me worried, but he’d worn the same look yesterday when he’d asked me where the rest of the brownies had gone.
“Yes.” Pushing my chair back, I ignored the last of the grant that was on my computer screen and focused on the pup. “Come here.”
His slow walk said I was supposed to be taking the conversation very seriously, but he still sat down on my lap like the pup he was at least half the time.
The internet said that with human children in similar situations he might need more hugs and physical contact because he hadn’t gotten it before, but it’d also warned us about mood swings and anger he couldn’t explain.
We’d found a therapist and had the first session scheduled for next week, but this didn’t feel like a needs therapy kind of situation.
Had I accidentally eaten something he was saving for Dorian?
“How are you doing?” It seemed like a good starting place, especially when he sighed.
Ancestors above, he was learning to channel my mother.
“We need to talk.” Yep, that was my mother coming out. “Our family has a problem.”
With what?
I hadn’t eaten anything I shouldn’t have this time.
“I stopped it but you need to fix the rest.” He was so serious I knew it was important to him, but I had no idea what was going on.
“I appreciate you handling it, pup.” Whatever it was. “How can I fix the rest?”
“Sammy’s mom said it was good that you found your mate so that they didn’t have to keep forgetting to feed you, but she’s starting to worry because you haven’t claimed each other yet.”
Huh?
For fuck’s sake.
“They were forgetting to feed me?” What? “On purpose?”
Emeric nodded and it took me a second to realize that was his disappointed Alpha expression. “They were trying to push you to date more but you weren’t following their plan.”
Even the Ancestors wouldn’t help in this situation.
“It’s time to claim Uncle Dorian or they’re going to start getting helpful again.” Emeric’s sigh and the way he was shaking his head was pure Dorian when he was frustrated with someone. “We can’t have that.”
Agreed.
“Do you need help with mating?” Cocking his head, he relaxed a bit because that was what my mother would’ve done to manipulate me. “It’s okay to ask for help. We’re family and that means we help.”
And that we didn’t eat the last portion of dessert without checking in with everyone else first.
“I know how mating works.” Sitting straighter again, he squared his shoulders. “I can answer any questions you have…your mother is very helpful.”
Dorian was going to kill me.