#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,”

I say, my voice low and just

surprise,” Victor concedes, narrowing his

down at his half-eaten breakfast. “If daddy marries this stupid Luna,” Victor opens his mouth at this, but I shake my

mirroring his brother’s devastated expression.

desolate. “And now we’re gonna lose him. And they’ll probably have a GIRL!” He wails the last word, and both boys collapse again into

up, starting to clear plates. There’s no use talking to the boys while they’re like this – it’s best to wait until they get

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

I put the

cry when you’re an Alpha?”

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

They have a responsibility, and they have

“Crying is

to

“that’s enough! Time to go home! Up

quietly, overwrought and ready to let me take the lead. Victor stands up. “Evelyn, you

“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 normal for a minute so they can process all of this

stares at me a moment and then breaks my gaze, nodding. “Thank you,” I whisper, and move out of the kitchen to

grateful for that as I slip into my office, seeking my own sanctuary. I click on my

free? That new client just called – he would like to move up tomorrows’ first call until today. Are you

heave a big sigh and think

around. Tell him

the old-fashioned rotary phone hooked up to the system of boxes and wires. The green light is

right? I can feel myself getting closer with Victor, with the boys. Hell, this morning I woke up in his

Now or never. I pick

“Hello?”

voice is disguised again, but even through it I would know it was him, now. He’s

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

little bit of a crisis,” he says. I can hear him moving around, like he is cooking or working

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