14. Reg
14
REG
I’d driven home many times before, but I’d never been this strange mix of excited and nervous. I was bringing my mate to meet my family for the first time. They were going to love him—of course they would. But there was still that nagging fear, the tiny voice whispering, What if they don’t? What if they meet him and think, “Too human. Not good enough. See ya.”
There was no reason for me to have that fear. I’d told them all about him: how human he was, how we met in the silliest way, and how completely smitten I was with him. They’d even seen pictures. If they’d had any issue with him, they would’ve said something already. In fact, the first thing my dad did when I told him we were coming was to prepare one of the spare cabins for us.
“A newly mated couple needs their privacy,” he’d said. That meant he firmly believed that after this visit, we’d complete the bond.
Still, I wouldn’t breathe easily until the introductions were over and everyone had met him.
“So, tell me about your brother again,” my mate said, pulling me from my thoughts. He’d been peppering me with questions about my family and pack the entire trip, taking notes on his phone. He wanted to do everything right. I kept telling him that all he needed to do was be himself because that was already perfect. But for him, that wasn’t good enough, and I loved that he cared so much. I just wished I could take on some of his worries—though I had plenty of my own. Emotions are funny like that.
“Trenton’s a few years younger than me,” I explained. “He fixes trucks for a living, mostly diesels, though he can work on pickups in a pinch. He’ll probably live on pack lands forever because his wolf is a little ornery and doesn’t like leaving.”
“Your wolf doesn’t mind, though?”
“No, my wolf’s more adventurous than my brother’s. Besides, what I wanted to do couldn’t be done there. I always wanted to be a chef.”
“And own a restaurant?”
“Well, more the first, less the second,” I admitted. “I always wanted to be a chef, and I did it. I became a chef, and it was fine. But I realized that as much as I love cooking, I love the people more. When I became an owner, I found the perfect balance—working the line some nights, running the front of the house others. That’s where I truly found my place. Though, I’ve been excited about possibly hiring a restaurant manager.”
“Why?”
“So I can spend more time with you,” I said, smiling. “And because it’s long overdue. The restaurant’s making enough profit now that I don’t need to work all day, every day. It’s time.”
We pulled into the pack lands just as the sun was setting. I drove up to my parents’ house and parked the car.
“This looks like a neighborhood,” he said, “but not like a city neighborhood. Not really a country one either. Never mind, I’m explaining it wrong.”
He wasn’t wrong, though. The cabins were arranged in a way that did feel like a neighborhood. When we split from a larger pack in the ‘60s, we’d designed the pack lands to be more modern, taking inspiration from the suburban neighborhoods of the time. It wasn’t because anything had gone wrong with the larger pack; it had just grown too large. That was a good problem to have. Once upon a time, packs were small, not by choice, but because hunters kept our numbers down, thinking they were eradicating wolves. They didn’t realize we were shifters, but the result was the same.
“This is my parents’ cabin.” I parked the car. “We’ll go in there first, but leave everything in the car. We’re staying in our own cabin tonight, but it’s dinnertime, and Dad’s going to want us to eat with them.”
I took his hand. “Two things you need to know before we go in. First, they’re going to love you. Not as much as I do, because it’s impossible, but close.” I kissed his hand. “Second, I didn’t get my cooking skills from my parents. Just smile and say it’s delicious, okay?”
“Okay.”
I wasn’t sure he believed me about the food. He’d find out soon enough.
We were greeted at the door by my dads and my brother. The three of them immediately hugged my mate, introducing themselves and welcoming him into the home. We were shuffled straight to the dining room, where Banks quickly discovered I hadn’t been joking about the food. It was tasteless, yet edible. My dad wouldn’t know seasoning if it hit him in the face, but Father liked it that way. There was nothing wrong with the food—it was just plain.
“What are you guys up to tomorrow?” my brother asked.
“I was going to show him around the land. Maybe take him into town.” I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Wrong,” my brother corrected.
“What do you mean, wrong?” It wasn't like he was the activity coordinator and this was a cruise. Not that I’d been on one. My beast liked to stay on the ground.
“Tomorrow, I’m taking your mate to lunch, and I’m telling him all the embarrassing stories about you as a kid.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” I said, knowing full well he’d try anyway.
“We’ll see. Someone’s got to let this guy know what he’s getting into.”
“I think I’m pretty clear on that,” my mate said, grinning.
My father clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re good for my boy. His dad and I were getting worried about him being alone. But he insisted, ‘One day, I’ll meet the one.’ And look at him. He did. We’re so happy you’re here.”
“I am too, sir.”
My dad shook his head. “No, no, don’t call me sir. You can call me Ivan. Or Father. But not sir.”
“Okay, Father.”
I’d never seen my dad smile as brightly as he did in that moment. My mate had officially won my family’s hearts.
He had mine too.