by R. E. Butler
“Well, it might have been helpful if I’d told him about the dream.” She stood and stretched, her shirt rising to give him a tantalizing view of her stomach. He was tempted to bury his face in her stomach, pull her close and never let her go, but if he did that, they’d never get back to her home for the all-important meet the parent. He didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her dad.
He rose to his feet, and she opened a portal. When they’d cleared the portal, she closed it behind them. He looked over his shoulder where the opening had been and there was no evidence of anything there. He turned around and realized they weren’t at her cottage but instead, in front of a stone mansion. Wide marble steps gleamed in the sunlight, leading to ornately carved double doors. There were giant columns on either side of the door, which were twined with lustrous green ivy.
“Is this your dad’s place?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I should have warned you. I’m not sure how long dad will want to talk, but I thought it would be better if we started here and then went to pack.”
Before he could answer, the front door swung open, and a large male stood in the opening. His wings were snow white and tipped with copper, his arms were folded across a massive chest, and his eyes were such a bright green color they appeared to be glowing.
Ren was no slouch in the muscles department. He’d worked hard to hone his body for strength and power. But this male…he was an entirely different animal.
Or fae. As it were.
“Hi, Dad,” Kismet said, taking Ren’s hand and leading him up the grand marble staircase.
“You usually portal into the house,” he said.
“Well, I didn’t want to pop in unannounced with another person.” They stopped at the top of the stone porch, just feet from the large male. “Dad, this is my truemate, Ren Corbin. Ren, this is my father, E’lahn Thorburn.”
The male’s rigid posture didn’t change a bit. It didn’t even look like he was breathing.
“I see,” E’lahn said.
Kismet looked at Ren and he wondered what she was thinking. Was her dad’s behavior normal? Was he always stoic?
Ren cleared his throat and extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir.”
E’lahn stared at Ren for what felt like forever. Then so slowly, it looked like he hardly moved at all, the male unfolded his arms and shook Ren’s hand. “Welcome to my home, Ren. Come inside, I believe we have much to discuss.”
Chapter 6
Kismet’s heart pounded as she followed her dad into his home, holding tightly to Ren’s hand. Her dad had opened the front door with his wings out, like an avenging angel, and she could have kicked herself for not explaining to Ren where they were going. Or calling her dad in advance.
Suddenly, the weeks of silence with the secret longing for the wolf in her dream seemed like a super bad idea.
But, hindsight being what it was and all, they were stuck with her choices in this moment, no matter how much she wished she could rewind back about ten minutes and call her dad on the phone first before showing up.
“Sorry,” she whispered to Ren.
He glanced at her and winked, a smile quirking one corner of her mouth. She felt better instantly. At least he wasn’t mad.
Her dad led them down the long hall, past the parlor and kitchen, to his office. The large room had dark, hardwood floors that gleamed with polish, dark green walls, and a set of French doors that overlooked a garden she’d personally stocked with pretty flowers just for his amusement. The desk was a mahogany monstrosity big enough that she could sit under it as a kid while he handled military affairs.
He gestured to a green leather couch, and she and Ren sat while he took up in a chair next to the couch. He pulled his wings into his back, the long-sleeved, silk shirt he wore had hidden slits to allow the wings to come and go as needed.
“A few weeks ago,” he said, “you mentioned wolves. You went to see Rich, and helped an alpha pair and a berserker, as I recall. I take it something else has come up, and I say that not only because I’m brilliant and you introduced this male as your truemate, but because you’ve got a mating mark on your neck and you smell like a wolf.”
She blinked a few times in surprise and stifled the urge to sniff herself.
Did she really smell like a wolf?
Inhaling deeply, she let out the breath and gave Ren’s hand an extra squeeze. “The first time I met the alphas, I had a dream about a wolf. I felt connected to him even though I had no idea who he was. When I took the berserker ceremony book to the alphas, I asked about him and they told me it was Ren.”
Her dad’s brows rose. “You didn’t go to him right away.”
She shook her head. “I…don’t know why I didn’t.”
He hummed. “And the night of the ball?”
“Key was hemming and hawing about Jerhal and her father wanting her to marry one of the soldiers, and she said she’d talk to Jerhal if I would go to Wilde Creek. I realized when I got there, that I’d been foolish to wait, but I can’t take that back.”
Her dad said nothing for a long moment and then he said, “Go make us some tea. I’d like a few moments with your mate.”
“Of course. I’ll be back,” she said, smiling at Ren.
She left the office and hurried to the kitchen to put a kettle on. She would have given anything to be a fly on the wall in that office. What would her dad say?
* * *
Ren watched Kismet leave, trying not to make it obvious that he was staring at her cute butt. He turned his attention to his mate’s father.
E’lahn folded his hands. “This is highly unusual.”
“Which part? That I’m a wolf or that she dreamed of me?”
“It doesn’t matter to me that you’re a shifter. What’s unusual is that you’re mated, and I never knew you existed. My family doesn’t cavort around in secret like this.”
“It wasn’t my intention or request to keep things quiet. We haven’t known each other long.”
“Yet here she is, marked and mated, with nary a call to me.”
He stifled the growl in his chest. “I’m not going to apologize for following my instincts and making her mine. It’s the way of my people.”
“It is certainly not the way of mine.”
This time Ren let his wolf go and didn’t try to hide the disapproving growl. “Kismet is mine. Nothing is more important to me than her happiness and safety. I don’t really care if you like me or not, because she likes me, and she’s my whole world now. I guess if you don’t like it, that’s on you. I may not be a fae, but I’m a warrior in my own right and I’ll be damned if you’re going to look down on me because we followed our hearts when we met.”
E’lahn’s nostrils flared, his eyes flickering bright green. Then he started to chuckle. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Ren frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I wondered what sort of male you were, but I can see quite clearly you’re exactly what my daughter needs.”
“I thought you didn’t approve.”
He shrugged. “Kismet is her own person. When she was growing up, I’d hoped she would choose a military male like myself, someone strong and protective. It didn’t occur to me she might find a mate outside of our kind. Clearly, you’re exactly the right mate for her. There are high-ranked military males who wouldn’t have the balls to say half of what you just did to me.”
“So that was a test?”
“Of sorts. Kismet brought you here to meet me, so you’re important to her. You’re mated, so that makes us family. You’ll marry her?”
“Of course.”
“It would be prudent for you to ask me for permission for at least one thing related to my only daughter.”
“I will.”
Ren could hear Kismet hurrying toward them. She entered the room with a tray, and he jumped up to take it from her. He set it down on the coffee table and sat next to her on the couch.
“Everything okay?�
�� she asked, her gaze darting back and forth between them.
“You bet,” Ren said. “No worries, sweetheart.”
She gave him a half smile. “I wasn’t worried.”
“Liar,” he murmured.
E’lahn laughed. “He’s got your number, daughter of mine.”
* * *
“All right, let’s not have you two ganging up on me,” she said.
“Promise,” Ren said.
She fixed tea for the three of them, and said, “So?”
“Where are you planning to live?” her dad asked.
Of course, that would be the first thing he asked.
“We’re still working out the logistics,” she said. She took a sip of tea and then put the cup down. “We’ll need to figure it out, but I’m expecting to need to be with the wolves because of the pack.”
Her father settled back in the chair, the delicate porcelain cup looking even more breakable in his large hand. “What are you in the pack?” he asked.
“Beta.”
“Ah, second. Do you have illusions of taking over some day?”
“No. I’m content to be the beta.”
“What do you do to support yourself?”
“I’m a mechanic, and I own an autobody shop in Wilde Creek.”
“Your family?”
“They moved back to my father’s pack a few years ago to be closer to his parents who are getting up in years.”
“Ren and I decided that I’d stay in Wilde Creek with him for a week, and then we’d come here for a week.”
Her father nodded. “That sounds like a plan.”
While they finished their tea, Ren talked to her father about what it was like to be a shifter. Afterward, her father showed Ren the den where he kept his military-related items. The walls were covered with tapestries of famous fae battles throughout history, and there were glass cases of antique weapons and shelves full of history books. Ren gave a low whistle at a sword in a case. It was highly polished, with engraved markings on the blade.
Her father lifted the lid and removed it, handing it to Ren. “It’s made from a special metal called sarlerium, which is like titanium. It’s coated with diamond dust and will never lose its razor-sharp edge.”
“It’s really light. It hardly feels like I’m holding anything.”
“Did you ever train with swords?” her father asked.
“No. I learned to fight with my hands as a youngster, and in my shift once I was old enough to change forms. We don’t use weapons in pack fights, although this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Males learn how to wield a sword when they’re young,” Kismet said, watching as Ren gingerly handed the weapon back to her father, who put it away.
“Not females?” Ren asked.
“There aren’t females in the military,” she said.
“Females aren’t ranked in our pack,” Ren said. “It would be unheard of for a female to be a protector or to take a high-ranked position.”
“Do the females care?” Kismet asked.
“If they didn’t like it they could go start their own pack I guess,” he said.
“That would be cool. An all-female ranked pack, with the males at home taking care of the babies and cleaning the houses.”
Her father snorted. “I’m certain females from both our realms would make excellent leaders, but I don’t know that males would go along with that other business.”
“Probably not,” she said.
They said goodbye to her father, promising to return in a week. They walked to her home instead of taking a portal; she wanted to have the time to talk.
“What did you think?” she asked.
“It’s easy to see how much he cares for you.”
“He didn’t scare you off, right?”
“Of course not, Kismet. You are well and truly stuck with me for the rest of our lives. I’m glad he approves of our mating.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“You,” he said. “And how I’m going to take very good care of you.”
He didn’t say any more, and she thought they’d talked about more than just that, but she didn’t pry. If he wanted her to know, he’d tell her.
They reached her home and he followed her into her bedroom where she grabbed a bag and packed. It was almost like going on vacation, except she would be learning about her mate and his people. She wanted to fit in with the pack, and although she wasn’t sure how to do that, she trusted Ren to help her get to know everyone and figure out her place.
An hour later, she opened a portal inside his home.
“Welcome home, sweetheart,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said.
He lifted her bag and said, “I think unpacking can wait a little bit.”
“Oh?” she asked.
He hummed. “We’ve got time before we need to meet the alphas for dinner. I was thinking we could make good use of it.”
His eyes flashed amber and he growled softly, which made her whole body warm. “You have the very best ideas, Ren.”
“Only when it comes to you.”
Chapter 7
Before leaving for Acksel and Brynn’s home, Ren called his parents with a video phone app so he could introduce them to Kismet.
“Hi,” he said.
“What’s up, Son?” his dad Sonny, asked.
“I have some great news.”
“Do tell,” Marian said.
“I found my truemate on the full moon.”
“You did?” Sonny said, his brows high. “Where?”
“In the woods,” Ren said. He motioned for Kismet to join him and she sat next to him and waved.
“Hi,” Kismet said.
“Mom, Dad, this is my truemate, Kismet Thorburn. Sweetheart, these are my parents, Marian and Sonny Corbin. Kismet is a fae.”
Neither parent said anything for long enough he wondered if their internet had frozen the screen. Then they both cheered, talking over each other as they congratulated them and said hi to his mate.
“I didn’t know fae came into our realm often,” Marian said.
“I was helping out the alphas and I had a dream about a wolf, and it turned out to be Ren. I waited for him in the woods on the full moon.”
“That’s very romantic,” Marian said. “I think you two are adorable together. When can you come visit?”
“We’re spending a week here and a week in her realm, so maybe after that?”
“I can portal to your home whenever. I just need a good map so I know where I’m going,” Kismet said.
“I thought you might fly here,” Sonny said with a smile.
“I could, but I can’t carry Ren. And I’m actually not sure how far away Montana is, so it might be too far for me by myself anyway.”
“The portal is awesome,” Ren said. “It looks like something right out of a sci-fi show.”
“Well, we can’t wait to see it,” Marian said. “Welcome to the family, Kismet. You’re lovely, and we’re so happy for you both.”
“Thank you,” Kismet said.
“Take care guys,” Sonny said.
“You too,” Ren said.
They waved and he ended the call. Kismet sat back against the couch with a sigh.
“That wasn’t too bad, right?” he asked.
“It was great. Your parents are sweet.”
“I think they were wondering if I would ever find a mate.”
“Parents worry about that. It’s in their DNA.”
He cleared his throat. “Do you want to have kids?”
Her brows rose so fast she had to blink. “Right now?”
“No,” he said with a laugh, “I mean, eventually would you like to have kids?”
“Absolutely. You?”
“Yes. I was just wondering if our kids would be wolves or fairies.”
“I suppose it depends, we might have a mixture of both.”
“Could they become both? Like a fairy that can change into a w
olf?”
“I actually don’t know if that’s a real thing or not. I guess anything is possible, but it seems like our kids would take after one side or another, not both.”
He clapped his hands. “Ready to go?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to getting to know the alphas better.”
Although she could have used a portal to take them right to the alphas’ home, Ren wanted to drive and show her some more of the town.
“Tell me about Acksel and Brynn.”
“Acksel was alpha before he and Brynn were mated. I’ve known him forever. We grew up together, although we weren’t friends until after high school.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Life’s like that sometimes. Our paths crossed as we fought our way up through the ranks, and he was just destined to be an alpha. I never had any doubt he would be great at it, and he is. We became friends eventually, and now I’m his right-hand man.”
“Is Brynn from Wilde Creek?”
“Yep. Up until they mated, the rules in the pack were that anyone who mated outside our kind had to leave the pack.”
“What on earth for?”
“The pack used to be wolf-only. I think it’s standard for shifters, although there are groups that are still their-kind-only and others that never had restrictions. It just depends on the group. Acksel wanted to mate Brynn but didn’t want to give up the pack. They had a one-nighter and she became pregnant. He changed the laws so that pack members could mate whoever they wanted without leaving.”
She was quiet for a moment before she spoke. “So, if we’d met before he changed the laws, you would have had to choose either me or the pack?”
He glanced at her. “Sweetheart, there’s no choice to make. I would one hundred percent choose you every single time.”
“I’d choose you, too.”
“Fae don’t care about who mates who, right?”
“Yes and no. If I was on the council or in politics, there might be a dust up about a non-fae mate, but I’m not so it doesn’t matter, and I’d pick you every time, too.”