Ashe beamed. He gently pushed me forward, like he was excited to show me off. "Bear, let me introduce you to my parents."
My heart raced. The only experience I had with parents was my own, and that wasn't a pleasant memory.
But this felt different. As the alpha and omega smiled at me, my anxiety vanished. I felt safe under their warm gazes.
"It's good to meet you, Bear. I'm Morgan, Ashe's omega father," the buck shifter said in a calm, cool voice. He was a tall omega, around the same height as his alpha mate.
"Likewise." The wolf alpha nodded. His voice was gruff but not unkind. "Name's Dax. I'm gonna take a wild guess from your name that you're a bear shifter?"
"Correct," I replied.
I noticed the ease with which Ashe's family reacted to my signing. None of them made any comment about the fact that I didn't speak. It was relieving and refreshing. I felt warm inside. They must have all learned for Starry's sake. It made me emotional that an entire family would go to such an effort for one person.
"They're just like us, eh?" Morgan said to Dax with a smile. "A big, scary apex predator and a deer."
Dax snorted. "Yeah, and I bet just like us, Ashe could kick Bear's ass."
Ashe crossed his arms. "Dad, youjustmet my fated mate. Can you not brag about me kicking his ass? Thank you."
I huffed in amusement. Even now, Ashe was standing up for me.
"Hey, by the way, what was that loud rumbling sound earlier?" Zak asked.
Starry perked up, nodding and signing rapidly. "That's right! We heard it all the way from the cabin. That's why we came to find you. We were worried something happened."
Ashe and I exchanged a glance. He flashed his family a sheepish grin. "Well, about that. It's kind of a long story..."
* * *
After such a tiring day,it was a long but uneventful walk back to Ashe's home. On the way, we stopped by the hollow to grab my healing herbs, and I said goodbye to the place that had been my home for so long. But I had a mate and a family now. It was time to leave loneliness behind and move on towards a better future.
By the time we reached the log cabin Ashe called home, we were both exhausted. But before he could shut the door to our room, a brash feminine voice called out to him.
"Ashe!"
A young woman with long, messy hair stood outside his room. She smelled like wolf.
"Hey, Lupa," Ashe said.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment. I sensed there was a thread of awkward tension between them. But it disappeared as Lupa attacked Ashe with a hug, which he reciprocated fiercely.
"I'm sorry I was a dick to you," Lupa mumbled. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."
Ashe nodded. "I know. It's okay. I'm sorry I was a brat, too."
After the air cleared, Lupa grinned. "Who’s the big guy?"
Ashe comically tried to push her away. "I think you can take a wild guess. Now if you'll excuse us..."
Lupa let out a raucous laugh and slapped me on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family, dude."
I grinned. I liked her already.
"Good to be here," I replied, meaning every word of it.
When Ashe finally shut the door and we were alone together, he let out a big sigh and collapsed on his bed.
"Gods, this was the longest day of my life," he mumbled. When he noticed I was still standing in the middle of the room, he patted the bed. "Come here."
