“Uncle Kane!” Charlotte leaped off Desmond’s lap and barreled toward me.
I picked her up and gave her a big hug. That’s when Will took her place on Desmond’s knee.
Moving my niece to my hip, I smiled at Desmond. “So, I guess everyone has met my boyfriend.”
“We have.” Cam winked at me. “He arrived the same time we did and helped us bring everything in. Had his own sack of presents, too, and now the kids think he’s the best.”
“Well, I think he is as well.” My cheeks warmed from saying that in front of my entire family, but his smooth integration into my parents’ home further cemented how fated our meeting seemed to be.
“Hi.” I curled into Desmond’s side when the kids were finally occupied opening presents.
“Merry Christmas.” He kissed the side of my face. “I have a present for you, but I think it’s better if you open it on your own.”
I gasped, keeping quiet to avoid the attention of anyone else. “Is it a naughty present?” I didn’t think we’d reached that point in our relationship yet, but we were already moving faster than I’d ever expected.
“No.” He rested his palm on my hip. “Not naughty. More of an inside joke between the two of us. At least, I hope we can joke about it now.”
I stared at him, wondering what it could be. Charlotte loved her glow-in-the-dark rock painting kit, and Will had already torn open the package of his shape-building magnets before Scott stopped him. Somehow, Desmond had known exactly what to get everyone.
Suddenly, we were inundated with hugs after the kids got to thanking everyone for their presents. Then it was time to eat. No chance to further contemplate what my gift might be.
Usually, I would have sat at the kids table with my niece and nephew, but my sister and Louisa took that honor. Instead, Desmond had been positioned between me and my father, and across the table from my brother. To me, it felt like some kind of inquisition. Had they all been faking their approval of him?
After my dad brought the roasted sweet potatoes with pears and onions to the table, we began to pass the dish around. The lentil stew with carrots and vegetables was next. There was no meat in our entire dinner. Yet, Desmond never scoffed once. He ate everything that was passed around, never seeming hesitant about any of the food. I found that strange considering he came from a family of predators, but it only cemented my feelings for him.
For dessert, I helped my dad bring the croissants to the table and he brought my favorite, sugarplums. They were a delicious combination of walnuts, prunes, apricots, and dates, mixed with seeds and spices. If I’d have known he made those, I would have hidden the container in my room so no one else could eat them.Coffee and tea were served, and conversation moved from food to more personal topics.
“So, Desmond, your father is a well-known con man. You anything like him?”
“Father, that’s rude.” I knew my father would have questions for Desmond, but I hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.
Desmond rested his palm on my lap, under the table. “It’s okay.”
My father shrugged. “I’m just looking out for you. I wouldn’t be doing my job as alpha of this family if I didn’t.”
I looked to my brother and dad for support, but both simply sat back in their chairs, waiting for my boyfriend to answer.
“I understand, Mr. Northrop.” Desmond gently squeezed my thigh, and I rubbed my hand across his. “I’ll be completely honest with you. I’ve never met Conn Adan, had never seen his face until he was all over the news. I didn’t know he was the guy who got my mom pregnant until my grandfather reached out to her after Conn was serving time. I think I look more like my mom, but I’m a wolf shifter like Conn. And it feels like I have to prove every day that I am nothing like him.”
There was a long silence before my father folded his hands together and touched his pointer fingers to his lips. “Well, thank you for being honest. Will you tell us what kind of shifter your mother was?”
Desmond turned his hand over and interlaced his fingers with mine. “She was a reindeer shifter. The same as Kane and some of you.”
That explained a lot about Desmond’s mannerisms and food acceptance. After my father questioned him even more, delving into his mother’s side of the family, we all learned that Desmond’s great-grandmother was a good friend of my dad’s great-aunt. A connection that seemed to make my family accept him without any further investigation. No more mention ofhis father, which I was still bothered by. Taking everything in stride and answering with complete honesty, Desmond got the approval of everyone in my family. Which meant they expected he was a likely candidate to be my mate. I didn’t know if I was ready for that.
Chapter Twelve
Desmond
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten such a hearty meal. Sure, I enjoyed a good steak every now and again, but the wolf shifters I’d gotten to know in my family seemed to forget the rest of the meal, focusing all the flavor on the meat. It was nice to savor other types of food again. Sitting with Kane and his family made it extra special. Almost like being with the part of my family that wasn’t around anymore.
I’d expected Kane’s father to question me about Conn. Everyone did once they found out we were related. My answers seemed to relieve their worry, and it appeared they might even approve of me. I hoped so considering how attached I’d grown to Kane. We hadn’t been together for even a month, and I’d already met his parents. Heck, I spent Christmas, one of the biggest holidays of the year, with them. If that didn’t show them how bad I had it for their son, I didn’t know what would. He wasn’t a fling. Not when my wolf craved spending any and all time with him. As much as I yearned to be more intimate with him, I refused to push him further than he was ready for. I would wait for him to ask. To initiate. To take. I didn’t want to lose him by forcing him to cater to my needs.
“We’re heading out now.” Kane’s brother, Cam, gathered all their bags at the door. “Thank you all for everything.”
Will came flying at me, wrapping his arms around my waist and his legs around my shins. “Thank you for the present. I hope you stay with Uncle Kane, become his mate one day.”
I patted his head and smiled. “That’s all up to your uncle, but I hope to see you again.”
