The rest of my classes and the afternoon seem to move by in a blur. I even change and get ready to drive home for dinner, zoned out. Addy gave me a curious and concerned look as I left but didn't ask what was up. Maybe deep down, she knew it was time for me to face the music.
I do my best to pull up and park in the driveway in front of my childhood home, trying to shake this feeling of dread. I try to focus on the dark brick and black trim of the house to bring up fond memories to lighten my mood. The empty flower boxes that hang off the rails of the front porch have me longing for the lazy days of summer, where life always seems to be a dreamy state of bliss.
Stepping out onto the paved drive, I shut my door and inhale the crisp fall air imagining white light pouring into me and as I exhale dark, murky fog leaving. It helps to ground me and allow me to become more present. It also gives me that small boost of encouragement I need to enter the house.
Stepping to the porch and using my key to let myself in through the bright blue door, I am slammed with the wonderful aroma of garlic and Italian spices. My mouth begins to water, and as I enter the kitchen, my stomach growls.
"Hey, mom, do you need an extra hand with anything?" I see her standing at the stove, stirring a pan of sauce with her back to me. She has her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and I notice she is still wearing her makeup from today as she turns to address me from over her shoulder.
"No, I think I have it. If you want to set the table, though, I would appreciate it. Your father is looking at today's newspaper again at the table. He can help." She turns back to the stove with a smile on her face.
I force myself to be productive and begin gathering everything to set the table. I don't plan on troubling dad with this simple task. I have done it plenty of times.
With a handful of dishes and silverware, I enter the dining room with a smile on my face. It is decorated with light tones of blue to set an air of relaxation. It goes perfectly with the white wooden table and silver accents in the room.
Dad glances up from his paper as I set the plates down and begin to put things in their proper place.
"Hey, sweetie, it’s good to have you home. I have missed you! I guess school has been busy as of late?" He stands and moves around to embrace me. I smile and hug him back, taking in his sweet minty smell. As we stand and hug a minute, I feel his arms tense, and he takes a step back. He squats down some to look me in the eyes as if trying to read me.
"I missed you too," I say, trying to distract him from what I think he has discovered. I didn't think about the change in smell that comes with being mated.
"School has been hectic. I spend way more time studying than I did in high school. It gets pretty tiring. How have you been?" I move away and return to setting the table as he watches me and returns to his seat.
"I have been doing okay, and the bakery has been having an increase in foot traffic. I think we may need to hire more staff before long."
"Oh, that is great!" I finish putting the last items down. "I am going to get some iced tea; would you like some?" He is still watching me like a hawk.
"Yes, that sounds wonderful."
I return to the kitchen and fix everyone a glass of sweet iced tea. Mom is busy plating food, so I return to the dining room with our drinks and take my seat.
Dad takes a sip of his tea and places it down softly. He clears his throat to get my attention before speaking. My body becomes tense anticipating the conversation to follow. There is no denying what he picked up on.
"So does your mother know because I can smell the change, sweetheart." He stares me down with a mischievous smile on his face. I also take in that his eyebrows are elevated to emphasize the question as well.
I drop my gaze to the table and fiddle with my napkin. I observe the lines in the wood of the table, taking my time before meeting his gaze. I am nervous but it is time to share what has happened. "No, I wasn't sure if she would, and she was preparing plates. I didn't think about my smell being different. Are you mad?"
"Why would I be mad? You found your mate! The one created specifically for you; your fate bound! It's so rare these days! That is something to celebrate." He is bouncing in his seat as he shouts with excitement. I did not expect this reaction.
I smile at dad, who smiles back. Mine quickly falters some when mom enters the room, and butterflies fill my stomach. I watch silently as she carries a huge bowl toward the table and other dishes on her arms. She hasn’t picked up on the different smell yet. How will she react? I don’t think it will be anything like how dad responded.
"Here is the food! Oh, the table looks perfect! Let me get this sat down, and we can eat. Did I hear your father say something about celebrating?" She rushes her words out as she hands us our plates and takes her seat. She has a massive smile on her face, though.
I shove spaghetti into my mouth, rendering me unable to speak for the moment. It isn't polite to talk with your mouth open. The tomato and cooked meat flavors seem to burst on my tongue as I slowly chew, giving me more time. It slides down my throat with difficulty due to my nerves though causing me to almost choke.
"Yes, dear, I did. Can't you smell the difference? Our sweet daughter has found her mate!" My dad says with a proud look on his face. He has his shoulders squared and is sitting tall, smiling at me.
I watch as my mother's face whips in my direction. She pauses with a fork full of noodles hovering in mid-air. I get excited as her face ignites into a radiant smile; it causes me to smile and relax. It seems to light up the room, and her eyes are glowing.
"That is wonderful! Now we will have a wedding to plan and babies to think about!" She returns to her food with a proud look on her face. I can tell that her mind is running wild with possibilities.
Relaxing, I pick up my fork and begin to eat again. My food seems to go down easier. I am just about to drop my gaze when her face pales, and a look of terror replaces her smile.
"Oh, heavens, no! It wasn't him, was it?" She says with a pleading look on her face. She throws her napkin down on the table next to her plate and places both hands on the table. She appears to be bracing herself.
"Whatever are you talking about, dear?" Dad picks up his icy glass of sweet tea to take a drink. I watch drops of condensation fall to the table as it drips down the glass before he returns it to its original position.
"Is it that mage?" Mom ignores dad and is now staring daggers at me.
I try not to cringe at her accusation. She isn’t wrong but I also don’t want to deal with her wrath. There is no avoiding it now though. I place my fork down, knowing things are about to get heated. I already feel myself sweating, and my nerves are no longer butterflies. I feel insecure and nauseous.
"Yes, I found my mate. His name is Alex, and yes, he is a mage. He is not a shifter." I watch as tears spring to my mother's eyes. My dad just looks confused, watching my mom and her reactions. I sit as a look passes between them before mom stands from her seat. I maintain a calm yet serious look on my face and wrestle with my anxiety.
"This can't be! It is unheard of and is not proper. We can fix this. There has to be a way. We will find you someone else, a shifter. I am sure the bond can be broken." She moves from her chair and begins to pace. It is as if a volcano is erupting.
"Now, honey, you know that is not true. Stop being irrational." My dad does his best to try and ease the tension. He stands to follow her, reaching out to attempt to grab her. I stare open-mouthed and in shock that she would even say that.
She spins around to face him and points a finger at him. "No, we follow tradition in this home, and our family has done so for generations! That's why we were paired together, remember even though we aren't true mates. We will fix this." She begins to pace again.
I watch several minutes longer as she seems to contemplate what to do. My thoughts are all over the place and I am upset by her reaction.
She ceases to pace and turns her attention to me, "you will end this thing with Alex and call Theo. His fa
mily has good blood, and you would make a great pair."
Enraged by her request, I stand, causing my chair to fall over backward. My anger is bubbling over and I feel my blood pressure rising as well. Who gives her the right to make that decision! She has no control over fate! My chair makes a loud crash as it hits the floor behind me, and both my parents wince. "I will do no such thing!" I feel my face flush as I yell. They both cringe and take a step back, surprised at my outburst.
"Yes, you will! I forbid you from being mated to a mage! We will not have it in this family!" My mother yells back. We are both ignoring my father, who is trying to calm us down. He maintains a safe distance from both of us which is probably a good idea. I can see his mouth moving but I am not hearing his words at this point.
"And if I don't," I ask, crossing my arms and glaring at my mom. She can’t tell me who to be with. I love them, but this is my mate. Fate makes that decision and we can’t change that. I am lucky to have found him.
"Then you can return to campus and never show your face here again! We will no longer recognize you as our own! We will disown you, and you will have no support! No funding and no family!" She fires back, clenching her fists at her side. I can see her wolf surfacing through her eyes.
“Why! Why would you say such a thing! You know how rare it is mom! Why are you being like this!” I yell fighting my tears and maintain control of my wolf. She is trying to burst to the surface to fight for our love. I can’t let that happen though because this is my mother. I love her and I don’t want to fight her, even if she disagrees with my decision.
“It is our tradition to do things the way we do! You know that! It was this way with your grandparents and your great grandparents. It has been this way for generations. You will comply!”
I watch as she assumes victory and moves back toward her chair. My father is still standing across the room watching the exchange. He is no longer speaking but looks defeated as well. I on the other hand will not comply.
“No, mom, I will not leave him. This may be new for me, but he is my mate. He is my other half and we are meant to be together. Why can’t you understand that? I don’t want to lose you both over this. Can’t you see reason on this?” I plead but place pressure on the fact that I will not change my mind.
She sighs and I can see the pain in her eyes. “If that is your decision, then so be it! You are no longer mine!”
I can't control the tears that spring to my eyes as I stare at her, hoping she will take it back. This can’t be it! Does she really mean it?
Stunned I continue to stare at her as she yells, “Leave!”
I run from the room and out of the house toward my car. Tears are streaming down my face and I am filled with pain and sadness. I am shocked, broken, and defeated as I reach for my door handle. Getting a grip on it, I pull it open and slide into my seat. I am an emotional mess as I dig my phone out to send Alex a quick message. I struggle to open my messaging app because of the tears.
Me: Hey, I am heading back to the dorm. I will talk to you tomorrow.
I throw my phone into the passenger seat, not waiting for a response. I am too distraught to care and need to get my tears under control to drive. Struggling, I keep them at bay long enough to reach the parking lot of my dorm.
Sitting in the parking lot, I bring my knees up to my chest and stare out of the front windshield. I seem to zone out from the exhaustion caused by the evening's events. My mental state is questionable. I am brought back to reality by a tapping on my window. Turning my head, I see a snowy owl sitting on my mirror.
"Let me in." I hear Alex say in his telepathic voice. I roll the window down and watch as he hops across the ledge to my arm and walks up to my shoulder. He nuzzles me, and the feel of his soft feathers relaxes me.
I help him move to the passenger seat and watch as he turns back to his usual self. He reaches over and pulls me across to his lap. This causes my tears to begin again.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I bury my face in his chest and shake my head. He doesn't push me to speak and just lets me cry. I am torn about what happened and I know he can feel my pain. I need to explain what has happened between us, but I don't know how to start at this point.
"Everything is going to be okay. Just let it out." He says, rubbing small circles on my back.
After several minutes, my tears begin to slow, and I pull away slightly to see him. I stare into his eyes, preparing to do a lot of explaining. He is patient, and I am thankful for that. I need to suck it up, though, and tell him everything because I have nothing now.
"The dinner with my parents went terrible as you can see," I say in a slight whisper.
"I noticed. What happened?" He asks, pulling me in close to his chest again. His arms are warm as they encircle me, and I feel him place his chin on top of my head.
"Ugh, well, I guess you could say a lot, but then again not a lot. I probably need to back up and explain some things, though."
"Okay, I am all ears."
"Well, if you haven't noticed, but I am sure you have, we are connected deeper than we were. It is not just from the sex we had but it is also from a bond. I claimed you as my mate, and I am sorry I didn't discuss it with you before it happened. It just kind of happened, I didn't have much control of my wolf at the time it did. All the emotions, passion, magic, and all just overwhelmed me. I hope you aren't mad, and again I am super sorry for not telling you. I was freaked out about it because it isn't much of a normal occurrence in my world. Please don't be mad." I ramble and stop as he holds up a hand.
"First off, I am not mad. Do I wish that you had told me? Yes, but I am completely okay with it. I felt connected to you in an odd unexplainable way after meeting you for the first time. Second, I ran into Calen and he explained it to me today. He and Addy are mates as well. Third, what does this have to do with dinner?" Alex says, lowering his hands back down to his lap after counting off his points with his fingers. I love how he always uses his hands to speak, especially when trying to prove a point. He literally cannot function in a conversation without his hands. It is hilarious.
I sigh loudly, making myself focus on the topic at hand and not his hands. "My parents, as I told you before, are very traditional in the sense that they want things to follow norms for our world. Our world being the shifter's version of the world where we only mate and procreate within our species. The sad thing is, that our numbers have slowly started dwindling over the years because of this and fated mates are being found outside of our species. Take us for example. Anyway, my parents smelled that I had mated with someone because the bond tends to change our chemistry, therefore, changing our scent. It doesn't completely alter it but enough to put off a different smell."
"That change made my mom freak out because it wasn't with who she wanted me to be with and because you are a mage. She screamed and yelled at me quite a bit and told me that if I didn't leave you that she would disown me."
"Wow, she said that?" Alex interrupts my rant to ask.
"Yes, because with a completed mating bond, there is no way to break it. I am not saying I want that to happen either. We would both be miserable without the other because it is as if we were created to be each other's half to a whole."
I watch as Alex contemplates over everything for a few minutes. I feel a lot better and less like I want to cry now that I have told him everything.
"So, I guess meeting your parents is off the table now?" He asks with a slight grin.
I roll my eyes, "that is a definite yes, unfortunately. It also means I have no support whatsoever from them. I am going to have to make a plan to get a job and figure out some stuff for school."
"I think I can help you with some of that. I hope this isn't too early, but since we are mates now, would you want to move in with me? It would save you money of dorm fees," Alex shrugs.
"Well, I should be okay until the end of the semester because everything is paid up, but I don't know about next semester. Are you sure
you want me to do that? How do your roomies feel about that?"
"Well, considering my roomies all live with their significant other, that should be fine. Calen also mentioned he and Addy may be doing the same thing so it could be good for both of you. You wouldn't have to worry about a roommate, and you both would have a stable place."
I sigh, "yeah, that's true, but I don't want to impose on everyone. Can you ask them anyway just to be on the safe side?"
He smiles, "consider it done. Now what are you thinking on jobs? Do you have any ideas about what you want to do?"
I drop my head and rub my eyes. "I am not sure about that. I have only ever worked in the bakery, so I don't have a lot of experience. It is somewhat similar to waiting tables though so maybe I can get a job doing that? If I make enough tips, I should be okay. I will have to drop down on the number of classes I take, though, so I can work to pay for everything."
"Waiting tables isn't too bad. That's where I started before being bumped up to the manager. I can see if my boss is interested in hiring someone if you would like?" He says, shifting his weight in the seat. I guess his leg went to sleep or something.
"No, don't do that. I don't want to impose on you and your job. This is something I am going to need to do on my own. I can go out and look tomorrow to see what is available. Thankfully my car is all mine, so I don't have to worry about them coming to get it. I will have to get a new phone. They have been paying for mine."
"We can get that taken care of tomorrow. I can add you to my plan. I get a discount because my cousin works for the company." Alex says. "Now how about you run up to your room and grab some clothes. I want you to come stay with me. I think it will help you sleep better, and I know it will help me. I slept like crap last night being away from you."
I laugh and continue doing so as I move back over to my seat. "Okay, let me go up. I will have to explain everything to Addy if she is there, so don't freak out if it takes me a hot minute to come back down." I say with a smirk.
Breaking Traditions: The Shifter And The Mage Page 8