#Chapter 17 – His Mate

“So when will you get married?” Ian asks, digging into the huge pile of pancakes that Ian’s private chef places in front of him. The chef smiles at the boys, thrilled to be cooking something besides rare steak and salad.

I fall silent, looking between the boys, suspicious. Victor, less prepared, blushes.

“We,” he says, gesturing between the two of us, “are not going to be married. In fact, there’s someone very special I want you to meet – my mate. Her name is Amelia. I’m going to marry her.”

Alvin’s fork clatters to his plate of eggs and his eyes fill with tears, his little lip starting to tremble.

“No, no,” Victor says, and I can see his heart in his eyes, devastated to have made his son cry. “It’s a good thing – it’s all very good –“

“Silly rabbits,” I say, smiling warmly at my boys and trying to get them to laugh. “No one ever said daddy and I were going to be married – and it will be so fun to have an Amelia in your life! She is a Luna,” I say, trying to make the word sound exotic and special.

“What is a Luna,” Ian asks, his pancakes abandoned.

“Well, every wolf has a mate,” Victor explains, slowly and carefully. “But, not every wolf is lucky enough to meet them. If an Alpha finds his mate, she’s very special, so they call her his Luna, the moon to which he turns. They fall in love and are destined to get married.”

The boys stare at him, unimpressed. “You two have your own mates,” Victor says, trying to sweeten the deal, “and if you’re lucky enough, one day you will find…your own…Lunas…” He gives up.

Alvin’s eyes well further with tears. “Why isn’t mama your Luna, she should be your mate.”

Victor huffs a laugh, awkward, and looks to me for help. I casually pick at my own eggs, letting him handle this one.

“You don’t get to choose-“

“But you and mama had BABIES! You are MARRIED!” Ian shouts, not caring that his logic is not sound.

“No, you don’t have to be married to have babies, though it is preferable,” at this, he shoots me a bit of a dirty look. I shrug. Marriage didn’t work out so great for me, why should I back him up on that?

“You are bad! You have abandoned our mother!” Ian begins to cry then, and Alvin matches him, finally letting his tears flow.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Victor mumbles, amazed at the irony of the accusation. “Now, boys,” he says sternly, but they ignore him. “BOYS.” He booms out, using his alpha tone. Remembering yesterday in the pool, the boys gather themselves.

“You boys are not being fair here,” Victor says. “I did not know you were born – you were an accident,”

gift,” I say, my voice low and just a tiny bit threatening on

concedes, narrowing his

down at his half-eaten breakfast. “If daddy marries this stupid Luna,” Victor opens

will probably have a baby,” Alvin finishes Ian’s thought seamlessly, mirroring his brother’s

finally got our dad,” Ian says, desolate. “And now we’re gonna lose him. And they’ll probably have a GIRL!” He

they’re like this – it’s best to

at the table. “Stop crying boys,” he bangs his fist on the table, forcefully but with no real

I put

you’re an Alpha?”

clangs. Victor looks at me and reads my meaning on my face, in every line of my body: don’t teach my boys that

a responsibility, and they have to keep themselves together so that

cry,” I interject. “Crying is totally normal, and

audacity to roll his

I say, falsely cheerful, “that’s enough! Time

boys do as I say, quietly, overwrought and ready to let me take the lead. Victor stands up.

be as kind as I can. “But it’s been a lot for them. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I put a reassuring hand on his arm, “You were great. Just…let them go to their home, let them return to

you,” I

has changed. I’m grateful for that as I slip

would like to

heave a big sigh and think for a

Tell him to call

to the system of boxes and wires. The green light is still on. I’m fairly certain it will still

with the boys. Hell, this morning

phone rings. Well. Now

“Hello?”

know it was him, now. He’s

“We were scheduled for a call tomorrow. Is there a reason why you bumped it up?” I lean back in my chair,

around, like he is cooking or working something as he talks. So Alpha, needing

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