“About me.”
“Why would I not be happy? You were always a daughter to me, and now the fates have made it so. But you two had no reason to keep this a secret.”
When my father rose to his feet, his chair fell over. He stood taller than everyone in the room. “Come with me,” he said tersely, grabbing Lakota by the arm and hauling him into the back room.
My mother was crying, still seated in her chair. I’d rarely seen her cry, and it scared me.
I bent down and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, burying my face in her red hair. “Please don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It just happened so fast.”
She turned in her seat. “Do you love him?”
The pack ceased their chatter. Couldn’t they see my answer by the look in my eyes or the blush on my cheeks?
Before I could answer, Lakota strode back into the room, my father behind him. “I have a confession to make,” he boomed. “You want to know the real reason Melody and I are mated?”
Oh my God. My life is over.
Lakota stopped at the end of the table by Lorenzo. “By chance, we ran into each other in Oklahoma while I was working a case. Mel was there for a business meeting. The reason I chose to have a mating ceremony with Melody is because… I love her. If you doubt my conviction, then we’ll do it again for all the packs to witness. This female has my heart—has my wolf’s heart. You can judge us for making an impulsive decision, but that won’t change how we feel about each other. I won’t have talk that paints us in a bad light in this town. I’ll do whatever it takes to make amends with her family,” he said, looking toward Austin. “But I don’t owe anyone an explanation for loving the woman. My love doesn’t come with apologies.”
My father stood behind him, the baleful look from moments ago replaced with a look of satisfaction. Maybe he understood what it was like to be caught up in something you had no control over and be on the receiving end of so much criticism. Whatever Lakota had said to him had smoothed things over, but my brothers still looked ready to kick someone’s ass.
“So what’s your plan?” Lorenzo asked. “To quit your job to work a cash register?”
“You can balk about my decisions all you want, but my first duty is to protect my mate. I know some of the Breed around here might give Hope and Mel trouble because they’re two single women on a prime piece of real estate. If anyone so much as gives them a dirty look, I’ll bury them deep in the mountains. My presence will extinguish any assumption that it’s open season to harass or drive them out. Once I make sure there’s no threat to their business, I’ll focus on what comes next. Bounty work has paid me well, so I’m not exactly hurting for money.”
Austin cracked his knuckles. “What about a pack? You can’t just get mated and stay rogue. Without a pack to protect the business or my niece, you’ll have a target on your back.”
Lakota’s eyes met mine. “My pack is standing right there. Any decisions we make, we make together. Right now, we’ve got a new business to focus on. No worries, people. We’re going to head over to the Council and make our union legal so there’s no doubt that we’re together. Another mating ceremony is unnecessary, but a peace party would give me a chance to make a few connections and make sure everyone in the territory knows that Mel is mine. I was hoping you might help us celebrate, Austin. Nobody throws a peace party like the Weston pack.”
“True that,” Denver agreed before shoving a handful of fries into his mouth. He wiped his salty fingers on his T-shirt and noticed Austin giving him a cross look for undoubtedly trying to lighten the mood. “What did I say?”
I took a deep breath. “You’re my family. And family doesn’t keep secrets. We include each other in our lives. I know this is sudden, but I chose to be with Lakota. If you love me, you won’t try to make me regret that choice. I never will.” I looked around the table at each and every one of them. “Being mated always terrified me because of the changes and sacrifices that go with