None of it had been fun. The second Allie had the chance to flee she did, starting early in college and never looking back. Though her parents had paid her tuition and all expenses, she worked every minute she wasn’t in class. The money she earned, she saved … every penny of it … knowing she’d need it after college.
“See you all on Monday,” Allie said as the school day ended.
The last bell rang, announcing the end of Allie’s day. Dread pooled in her stomach at the thought of seeing her parents. She had been over-the-moon happy ever since she had met Marc. Their relationship was one that she would describe as a whirlwind romance that had felt right in every way that mattered. There wasn’t a single thing she would have done differently when it came to meeting and mating him.
So, what the hell was up with the dread that had started in her stomach and quickly spread to every limb of her body? The answer was as clear as the nose on her face. Allie was worried about her mother's reaction to her new mate. She knew the type of man her parents had expected her to marry. Marc did not fit into that ‘top-of-his-class Harvard or Yale graduate’ that her mother thought was best.
It was time to put on her big girl panties and face the music. No matter how much fuss her mom kicked up, Allie had to stand strong. It was her life to live, not her mother’s. Marc was her fated mate. Her mother had to see reason and accept it for what it was.
* * *
Allie tried notto sigh as her mother droned on and on about how proud she was of her cousin Caroline. She’d had a successfully arranged mating, and now the pair were getting married.
Yawn. Her beast thought, seriously unimpressed by the bullshit spewing from Maria’s mouth.
“Allie, dear, have you thought any more about Clinton?” her mother asked.
“Clinton who?” Allie asked, setting her fork on her plate, knowing it would never be okay to keep eating while her mother talked directly to her.
Maria set her silverware down, crossed her hands over her lap, and squinted at Allie. It was a look she had seen many times and knew quite well. It was a look telling her that her mother was not amused and absolutely not fucking around. “Clinton Hollingsworth.”
“Oh. Him. Mom, I’m really not interested in Clinton.” Allie tried to sound neutral and completely unbiased, hoping her mother would drop the subject.
No such luck.
“Do you think you’re too good for a man or mate like Clinton?” Her mother pressed on.
Allie knew her mother wasn’t going to let it go. She sighed and tried to calm her nerves. Her fingers danced over the charmed necklace she wore around her neck. She’d had it spelled years ago to block her scent from all shifters. It had come in handy many times, and she knew it would get her in her parent’s door without a single question. They knew she wore it to the human school she worked at to block her scent. That’s why she was so surprised that Marc had scented her in the woods. But she firmly believed that being fated mates was the reason he could surpass the magic.
“Not at all, Mom. It’s just that I met my mate already,” she said. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. She didn’t dare meet the heavy stare of her mother or father.
“What’s this?” her father set his silverware on his plate. She could feel the anger rolling off of him even though he sat on the opposite end of the ten-foot table.
Allie sucked in another deep breath and decided to throw it out there for her parent to deal with. She gently unhooked her charmed necklace and slid it into her pocket.
“I said I’ve already met my mate.” This time her voice was filled with pride. Gone was the worry about what they would think. She couldn’t change how her parents acted, only how she reacted to them. She wasn’t their little girl anymore. She’d been on her own as an adult for years.
“You let some random beast claim you?” her mother shouted.
“Mom, calm down. It’s not like that. He isn’t just some random beast I bumped into on the street. He’s my mate, and yes, we’ve completed the mating ritual.” Allie picked up her fork and took another bite of her dinner. If it was one thing she missed about living at home, it was Matthew’s cooking. Matthew was the chef who had been with her family for as long as she could remember. The man was mad talented when it came to anything in the kitchen.
Allie spared a glance at her father and tried not to laugh. He looked as if he were readying to blow his top. Images of the old cartoons she used to watch flashed through her mind, and a small giggle escaped her mouth.
“You think this is funny? Are you ashamed to bring your new mate to meet your family? Are you ashamed of him?” her father asked.
“What! No! I’m not. He’s a great man. He’s kind and loving, and hardworking. I’m not embarrassed by him at all. I just wanted to tell you first that I’d found my mate, and you need to be nice to him.” Allie shrugged.
“What do you mean by that?” her mom growled.
Another deep breath. “That you have a tendency to negatively overreact when things don’t go as you hoped or planned.” It wasn’t a lie or an exaggeration. Allie had seen her mom flip her shit on way too many occasions. None of those occasions had ever been what she would call fun. Not in any way, shape, or form.
“I’ll let that comment slide for now. Who is this man you’ve mated?” her mom asked.
“His name is Marcus Romero. Marc for short.” Allie took another bite of her food. She felt her mom and dad’s eyes on her and chose to ignore both of them.
“And?” her mother asked when she realized Allie wasn’t about to offer up any more information without being prompted to do so.
“And what? You asked for his name. I gave it to you.” Allie bit her tongue, refusing to rise to her mother’s bait. She would not get dragged into a huge blowout that would lead to her going low … to no … contact with them for the remainder of her natural life. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted a normal, healthy relationship with the people who had given her life.