Chapter 26
Anger swirled off Raffe, and I placed my hands on the table.
Dad straightened and forced a smile, unaware that Raffe had heard everything despite the noise in the room.
Damn supernatural hearing.
I didn’t want to hide things from him anymore, but that didn’t mean I wanted to share something that would openly hurt and offend him.
“Raffe.” Mom placed a hand on her chest and laughed way too loudly. “You arrived faster than I expected.”
Raffe didn’t bother waiting for me to slide over. He sat next to me and threw his arm around my shoulders. Our connection sprang to life, and his freshly clean scent, along with his presence after hours of separation, made me light-headed. As my body pressed against him, I noticed he was damp and smelled more strongly of soap than usual, like he’d rushed from the shower to get here.
Of course he had. He’d felt that I was upset.
With the way my parents were acting, I should have pulled away so they wouldn’t give me more grief, but I couldn’t. Not that he would’ve let me; I could feel his wolf radiating from him.
“That’s what happens when I’m completely in love with her,” he replied, cupping my face with a hand. “I can’t help but rush to be next to her.”
My heart turned to mush, and the warmth of our love flowed between us, causing me to heat up in a very inappropriate way with my parents sitting right across from us.
Dad cleared his throat rather loudly. “How nice. Maybe you should grab something to eat and join us.”
I flinched. That was Dad’s not-so-subtle way of trying to get Raffe to leave so they could finish saying what they wanted to say to me.
What Dad might not have expected was that Raffe wouldn’t miss a beat.
Turning his attention to my parents, Raffe’s indifferent expression slid into place. “I will soon, but after playing ball for several hours, I want to sit down for a bit.”
Dad scowled, but Mom interjected, “Of course! We were just having a conversation with Sky we hoped to finish is all.”
“Alone,” Dad added.
Jaw twitching, Raffe linked, Babe. What do you want me to do here? I heard everything, but I don’t want to cause more problems between you and your parents, so if you want me to keep my mouth shut, I’ll do it. For you.
I sighed and despised that he’d even question that I wouldn’t stand up for our relationship. Once again, the bond that allowed us to share our emotions caused the other person to feel insecure. Only one thing could make this situation right. Even though I loved my parents, Raffe and I were different halves of the same soul.
“Shouldn’t Raffe be part of this discussion?” I straightened my shoulders, though my stomach churned. I’d never talked back to them like this before, and I hated that the first time had to be when the stakes were actually high. This wasn’t fourteen-year-old me wanting to argue over clothes or dying my hair. “After all, it’s about our relationship and how you want me to leave here and return …” I trailed off, unsure how to finish that statement. Home wasn’t the right word anymore, though it was where I’d grown up. Home had always been subjective, but not anymore. Now, home was wherever Raffe and I were together.
His relief poured through me, validating that I’d made the right decision. He wanted us to be in this together. There was no going back with us … not anymore. We’d sealed the bond and our love for each other.
“Skylar,” Mom gasped. “I can’t believe you’d do this. We’re only concerned about your well-being.”
“Which you think I threaten?” Raffe tilted his head, his irises darkening.
This was the man I’d met on the night I arrived, his facade of brooding seriousness in place. Now, knowing him in a way no one else could, I saw the self-control from his kind heart peeking through, as well as his regret that we had to face this. He could be vicious, but he was holding back for me.
Dad snatched a napkin and rolled it in his hands. “If this is how Skylar wants to handle it, so be it.” Dad tried to stick out his chest, but compared to Raffe, he failed miserably. “Yes, I do think you threaten it. You’re rich and have your life set for you, including scouts wanting to recruit you for the NFL. I don’t want my daughter getting hurt more than she will be when you graduate and just remember her as one of your conquests. Sky is inexperienced and naive, and you’re—”
“Mr. Greene, as much as I want to respect you as Sky’s father, you need to stop.” Raffe’s arm tightened around me as if he thought my dad would try to yank me away. “Skylar means everything to me, and it’s not because she’s shiny and new. It’s because of the person she is inside, and for you to think so little of her that you believe she would fall for someone who is callous and manipulative bothers me more than what you think of me.”
Face turning red, Dad threw his napkin on the table. “I’ve known Skylar her whole life, and you’ve been dating for a week or two, and you think you know her better than I do? I had to watch her come home every day when kids were mean to her, or something had happened that she couldn’t explain, so forgive me if I want to shelter her from another threat—like you!”
“Something you might not be aware of is that Skylar has never fit in anywhere,” Mom said, rubbing Dad’s arm. “So yes, you’re charming, clearly, and Skylar …” She winced and looked at me. “Well, she’d fall for anyone who would give her attention.”
The lump in my throat blocked me from swallowing, and I felt as if I’d been slapped. I understood that they were concerned, but their concern centered on how poorly they thought of me; they thought I was a weakling desperate to fit in and who would do anything so someone would want me.
Raffe dropped his arm from my shoulders, took my hand instead, and leaned over the table. “Let me be very clear. I’ve been interested in your daughter since the day she arrived. But I acted stupidly and foolishly then, and I would have deserved everything you said about me, but know that when I treated her like that, she didn’t try to get my attention or make me like her. She tried to avoid me. But I couldn’t let her.”
“Son, you’re not making this—” Dad started.
“I’m not done,” Raffe bit out, his eyes taking on a faint glow. “I let you have your say, and I’m being honest and not putting on a front to make you like me. Your daughter is remarkable and stands apart from everyone, and it’s a damn shame that no one acknowledged that before she arrived here. I want you to understand my intentions. Skylar is the love of my life, and I will never let her go.”
Mom inhaled sharply. “You two are young. You’ll be going off to the NFL or working for your father’s company, and Sky will be going to vet school. Maybe at this moment, you think that, but there’s a whole world out there that you haven’t experienced yet.”
In a way, she had a point. I hadn’t considered what would happen when Raffe went on to play professional ball or work for his dad while I remained in school. But none of that mattered. We’d figure it out.
“Not to mention you’re showing signs of obsessive behavior.” Dad grimaced. “In fact, I’m worried and think we need to bring Sky home with us to put some distance between you.”
Raffe released a low growl, which clued me in that I’d been quiet for too long. I’d been sitting here, letting Raffe go up against my parents. “I’m twenty-two years old. I’m not going anywhere. Raffe isn’t the only one who feels that way—I love him, and I will spend the rest of my life with him.”
“So you’re going to give up your future and follow him around while he sleeps with every woman he can behind your back?” Dad spat. “Because that’s what guys like him do. My boss cheats on his wife all the time.”
My chest heaved, and my wolf surged forward. “If he dared to even look at another woman, I’d kill them both. It won’t happen.”
“Skylar!” Mom’s eyes widened, and she stared at me as if I had two heads. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Oh, I know what has,” Dad cut in. “Him! There’s no doubt what they were doing this morning, and whatever brainwashing he’s done on her since she got here is working.”
“That’s it.” Raffe stood, taking my hand and pulling me out. “We’re leaving. I won’t let you talk to or about her this way. It’s disrespectful, and I won’t tolerate it. You say you’re so concerned with her well-being, but you’re making her feel as if you see her as a weak woman and a fool. It’s gone on long enough.”
“Listen, this isn’t a healthy relationship. You’re both so possessive of each other, and Skylar just threatened to kill you if you look at another girl.” Mom blinked like she was trying to choose her words.
Raffe shrugged. “I’d deserve it, and it won’t be a problem because I will never see anyone but her ever again.”
We couldn’t keep dragging this out. I didn’t want to leave things like this, but they didn’t understand. They couldn’t. This wasn’t an unhealthy human relationship, but that was all they could see. They didn’t understand that we were fated and made to be with only one another forever. They couldn’t understand our world.
Ourworld.
I’d always felt like an outsider, and after coming here, I finally understood why. I’d been neither fully human nor supernatural. Each species saw me as different from them. With Raffe, I finally fit in. But being with him had put a gap between me and my parents. I couldn’t explain this to them without putting them at greater risk. It was safer for them if they left.
“We should go.” I stepped into Raffe’s side, needing the comfort of our connection buzzing between us. My heart ached at leaving things like this, but it was the right call. “I know all this seems crazy and intense, and I can’t explain it, but I promise I love him, and your fears are truly unwarranted. Either way, just know that I love you even if it seems like I’m not listening.” I forced a sad smile, not wanting them to think I wasn’t the person they knew. Human Skylar was still there, just a little different.
I’m sorry, babe. Raffe’s regret swirled inside my chest, making it constrict more tightly. Had I known, I wouldn’t have pushed you to tell them about me.
No, this was inevitable. I forced myself to turn my back on them. My life has gone in a different direction than theirs, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be beside me.
“Robert, I hope you’re happy with yourself,” Mom muttered. “You had to push her. I told you not to bring this up until later. It’s the first time we’ve seen her in months.”
We were already halfway across the room, but I might as well have been sitting with them, given how clearly I could hear them.
“You want to say nothing and let her fall for him more?” Dad scoffed. “She needed to hear the truth. How else are we supposed to protect her?”
“Yeah, that’s protecting her, all right. You just pushed them closer, and she’s leaving with him, not us. I can’t take this.” Her hurried footsteps became louder behind us. “Sky, wait.”
My feet slowed of their own accord, and I hoped like hell we could salvage the way we’d ended the conversation. Raffe stiffened but didn’t urge me forward.
We turned toward her, and Mom’s face creased with worry.
“Look, this got out of hand.” Mom licked her lips. “The last thing I’d ever want is to cause a rift between us, so I’m sorry.”
My lungs worked a little easier. She was as upset as I was. “Mom, I get that what Raffe and I share is intense, but I need you to trust me. He takes good care of me and makes me happy.”
“Okay.” Mom pressed her lips together, but I could see the wariness in her eyes. “But this is your first relationship, so your dad and I have a right to be concerned. We’ll try to be more open-minded.”
I smiled, hope growing in my chest and making room for my heart to beat normally once more. “That’s all I’m asking.”
“And Mrs. Greene, I do love her.” Raffe gazed at me adoringly. “Her happiness will always come before mine.”
Mom pushed some hair out of her face. “Now I understand why your mom said fiancée.”
I giggled. Not only did I like the sound of fiancée, but I also liked watching Mom try so hard to accept Raffe and me even though she didn’t like it.
“If you give me a real chance, I swear I won’t disappoint you.” Raffe held out a hand to her. “You’re important to Skylar, and that means something to me.”
Some of the lines on Mom’s face eased as she arched a brow. “You really are sweet on her.”
Raffe chuckled, his own relief uncurling more of the knot in the bottom of my stomach. “You have no idea.” He covered one side of his mouth so I couldn’t see and whispered loud enough for Mom and me to hear, “She completely owns me.”
Dad remained at the booth, shooting daggers at us.
I pursed my lips. “And I hate that Dad isn’t even willing to listen.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “You know your father. He worries about you and overreacts. We were surprised to learn you were dating someone. Then to come here and find you … the way you were, to see how serious the two of you are, and to learn who he’s related to … well, it was unsettling. Your father needs time, and I’ll work on him.”
That was the thing with Mom. If anyone could get Dad to change his mind, it was her.
“You two, go.” Mom nodded in the direction we’d been heading. “I’ll get Grumpy Butt and take him back home with me.”
“Okay.” I hugged her, tears burning my eyes. Now that things were patched up between us, I didn’t want her to leave. But she needed to. “Thank you for coming.”
“Sorry that the ending wasn’t so great.” She pulled back and kissed my cheek. “Next time, it’ll go better.” She cut her eyes to Raffe and said, “You better take care of our girl.”
He laughed, a sound usually reserved for me. “More than happy to, though she can be a handful.”
“Oh, I know.” She patted his shoulder. “I raised her. Now, goodbye.”
My steps felt lighter as Raffe and I headed out the door. That cocky smirk was back on his face, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment by teasing him.
What are we going to do about getting something to eat? I linked, knowing he had to be hungry. He’d just played football for three hours.
He wrapped an arm around my waist as we headed toward the double doors at the back of the student center. Let’s order pizza. I want to get you into the apartment and away from any more drama.
I could agree with that.
But as soon as we reached the doors, a familiar musky smell hit my nose, and Raffe stopped in his tracks.
King Jovian stood in a corner near the exit, leaning against the green wall. Well, that was something to watch, along with at least twenty other supernaturals. I see her parents aren’t thrilled about you two either.
Show’s over. We’re leaving, Raffe linked, opening the door for me to walk out first.
As we went outside, King Jovian followed. The three of us need to talk.
No, we’re good. Raffe moved faster.
It’s not a question. It’s a command. We need to talk about the two of you and the future, he insisted.
Just when I thought we’d dealt with all the drama of the day, more had to show up and prove me wrong. A conversation with his dad, though, was inevitable. Raffe, he won’t leave until he talks with us. We should listen. Keith and Adam are close by, right? Maybe he’ll let something slip about the wolves that attacked me.
Raffe paused, and his emotions grew turbulent. Fine, but you stay beside me at all times. He added Lucy, Adam, Keith, and Josie to the link. Dad wants to talk to us, and I need you to come around to the woods by the student center. He’ll want to go into the woods, but I’ll make sure we stay close to the tree line.
On our way, Adam replied.
We turned to King Jovian, who had a grin on his face.
That was where Raffe got it from.
“Your mother is in the bookstore, so let’s go into the woods. She wants us to talk, but not in the open.” He turned on his heels, expecting us to obey.
Not arguing, we followed him, and a quarter mile in, Raffe stopped and said, “We’re far enough.”
King Jovian grimaced, and his nostrils flared. “This is our problem now that she’s here. You’re trying to tell me how to run things when I’m still the alpha. That’s not how this works, and you know better. If this keeps up, there will be more consequences.”
A shiver ran down my spine as hot rage blasted from Raffe. He linked, Like trying to kill her again?