My eyes met those of the mother and father I’d loved. The ones who had told me that if I threw my life away for my baby, I wasn’t their daughter anymore.
The words they’d said then still burned, yet my eyes watered when I saw them.
There was a long moment of silence, before my mom flung her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. Still holding on to the door with one hand, I hugged her back as fiercely as she hugged me.
Though those words they’d used still hurt, I still loved my parents so damn much.
My dad’s arms wrapped around the both of us, and I felt my mom’s tears on my shoulder.
A shadow fell over us, and I knew it was Elliot. He wouldn’t interrupt, but his protectiveness had probably pushed him to be nearby.
When they finally released me, my mom was wiping tears off her face, and my dad’s eyes were a bit watery too.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked them, stepping back a bit and wiping at my own cheeks. My back met Elliot’s chest, and when I felt his hand lightly on my lower back, I pulled it to rest on my hip. I knew it wasn’t just-friend like, but I needed the support.
My parents’ eyes fell to Elliot, before flicking back to me.
“We miss you,” my mom said simply. “We shouldn’t have said what we did, and we want you to come home.”
My heart might as well have dropped into my stomach.
They were apologizing.
“Who is this?” my dad asked, his voice a bit hard as he stared at Elliot. “Not the, uh, mate you turned down?”
I knew my dad well enough to know that he’d pummel Elliot if he thought he was SD, despite the years since I’d seen my parents.
“No, John died.”
Saying that I’d killed him to protect my baby and myself didn’t seem necessary, or wise.
“This is Elliot. He’s my…” I bit my lip, glancing up at him before looking back at my parents. He remained quiet, letting me retain control of the situation. “Fiancé,” I finally said. “And my wolf’s mate.” The words felt sort of untrue, but I didn’t think Elliot would mind. And calling him my “wolf’s” mate would help the situation make a bit more sense to my parents.
Elliot squeezed my hip lightly, and the damned touch triggered the climax hormones I’d been trying so hard to pretend didn’t exist.
“She turned down John, because he was a bastard. And picked Elliot herself,” I added quickly.
“Engaged?” My mom’s eyes flicked to my ring finger.
“The ring’s being resized right now,” Elliot said smoothly. Gratitude fluttered in my chest for the way he’d gone along with my lie.
“Can we come in?” my dad asked, gesturing to the house.
Elliot didn’t move. He was leaving it up to me, which sent another wave of gratitude rolling through me.
“You can,” I said, and Elliot stepped back to make room. I stepped with him, and his fingers remained on my hip, resting calmly. My gaze followed my parents into Elliot’s house—our house.