“Mom,” Talon murmured, hugging her back.
He stepped back and introduced us. “Mom, these are my mates, Dominic and Lucas.”
Lucas reached out first, offering his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Roads.”
“Please, call me Mira,” she said, and instead of shaking his hand, she pulled him into a quick hug. She then turned to me with an open smile and embraced me as well. “Welcome to the family. I’m so happy Talon found his mates.”
Her words appeared heartfelt and genuine. I glanced at Talon. He wore a surprised expression. I guess he wasn’t the only one taken aback by her warmth.
“Mom,” Talon said, regaining his composure. “I thought it was just going to be us tonight.”
Mira’s voice hardened. “Your father invited them without telling me.” She touched Talon’s arm. “It’s not just family he in—”
Her words were interrupted by a loud, boisterous greeting. “Tal, it’s good to see you.”
Talon tensed immediately, his demeanor closing off. The man who entered was robust, with broad shoulders, sea-blue eyes, and an air of unearned entitlement. He was dressed stylishly, but carried himself with a palpable arrogance.
“Mark,” Talon said, his voice a low growl.
At the name, Lucas’s body stiffened beside me, and a protective fury stirred within me. This was the man who had caused so much pain in my mate’s past.
Before anyone could address Mark, another voice cut through the tension. A tall man, an older version of Talon, entered the scene. “Talon, you’re here!” he exclaimed. “Now that you’ve arrived, we can eat. Come into the dining room and introduce us to your mates.” He then turned dismissively to Mira. “Bring the food.” Grasping Mark by the shoulder and guiding him out of the room.
Talon exhaled loudly, and Lucas stepped closer to him, whispering, “We can leave if you want.”
Talon’s mother, still nearby, seemed about to interject, but Talon shook his head. “Let’s just get this night over with.” Clasping Lucas’s hand as if drawing strength from it and leading the way out of the kitchen.
I lingered behind for a moment, noticing the tears shimmering in Mira’s eyes. “I told Seb they needed to leave, but my husband wouldn’t listen. The damn bastard,” she muttered bitterly.
She turned back to the stove, her shoulders tensed with frustration. Unsure what to say or how to comfort her, I hesitated before following the others.
As we entered the dining room, a large table set for a family gathering awaited us. The room quieted slightly as we approached; eyes shifted toward us with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Talon took a deep breath and began the introductions.
“This is Lucas, and this is Dominic,” Talon introduced us, his voice steady but tight. “My mates.”
He methodically introduced us to his family members—his father, Seb, who offered a terse nod; aunts and uncles with polite, if somewhat strained, smiles; and two younger cousins whose eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and intrigue. Talon, however, carefully skipped over a few individuals at the table, whose presence he seemed particularly keen to ignore, but they were seated next to Mark.
His father, Seb, however, picked up where Talon left off. “And let’s not forget our long-time friends, Graham and Vivian,” he said, indicating a couple who nodded in our direction with cautious smiles. “And of course, you remember Mark,” Seb continued, gesturing towards a man who gave a tight-lipped smile.
“Have a seat,” Seb gestured to the open chairs.
I internally breathed a sigh of relief that Mark was opposite the open seats and not beside us. I purposely took the seat directly across from the man; if he stepped out of line, I’d take care of him.
Mira entered the room carrying a large platter and setting it in front of her husband. It was a huge roast, and it glistened with gravy. My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled. I couldn’t wait to taste this dinner. It’d been a long time since I’d had a home-cooked meal—shit, had I ever had a home-cooked meal,I thought.I know I’ve seen meals like this on TV.
“So, you landed yourself a prey princess.”
Like nails on a chalkboard, Seb’s words jerked me from my thoughts. Gasps from Talon’s cousins and stifled chuckles filled the now-silent room.
“Watch how you speak about my mate,” Talon growled, his voice low but dangerous.
“Oh, relax, Tal. It’s just a little fun with the cutie,” Mark chimed in with a smirk, but his levity fell flat. “Perhaps we could—”
“Finish that sentence and die,” Talon responded, his tone grave.
It seemed Mark was going to start shit, I thought before I spoke, “So you finally admitted you’re gay. Are you going to admit that what you said all those years ago was a lie? The fact my mate didn’t assault you.”
The smirk instantly dropped from Mark’s face, and he shifted nervously as I continued to stare.
