I smiled. " Yeah, Cloud, you can. Listen…" I glanced at the ground and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I still wasn't good at this sort of thing, but I had to try. "I'm sorry about… what happened before."
He tilted his head, his feathery hair flopping to the side. "Oh, you mean that stupid fight we had?"
"Yeah."
Cloud smiled warmly and put his talons on my shoulder. "You know I don't care about that. We were just being dumb."
I shook my head. "No, I was the one being dumb. Dumber than you, at least."
Cloud chuckled. There was a tinge of smugness on his face. "Well, I'm glad to hear you say it."
"Are we still okay?" I asked hesitantly.
He rolled his eyes and groaned before hugging me. "Do you even have to ask? Geez, you really are dumb."
I blushed. This whole being open with my feelings thing was novel and weird, but it also felt good to finally be honest. I was done bottling everything up. I was ready to stop pushing everyone away and finally let them in, if they wanted to be.
And if I was being honest, then…
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"Sure."
How could I say this without sounding awkward?
"Are you… jealous that I found my fated mate before you?" I asked.
Cloud made a face and scratched his head. "I mean, a little bit?" he admitted. "It doesn't mean I'm not happy for you. Didn't you feel the same way before you met Castor?"
"That's true, I did," I murmured. "That's why I know it must be hard for you."
He shrugged good-naturedly. "I'll be fine. Hell, if it can happen to you and Ashe and Farley, the grumpiest people I know, then I'm sure I'll get my turn," he said with a grin.
"Yeah," I said honestly. "I'm sure you will."
Cloud patted me on the back. "Come on. Our dads are dying to meet Castor."
* * *
By the timethe whole pack met Castor, gushed over him, barraged us with a million questions, and finally let us go, it was well into the evening.
"Oh my Gods," I said with a groan. "Those people never miss a chance to fawn over a new family member."
While my shoulders sagged with exhaustion, Castor looked invigorated. If you looked at us side by side, you’d think he was half my age and not the other way around.
His eyes sparkled. "That's just the way family should be! You know, River, I know there are no other beaver shifters in your family besides me, but the pack certainly does have beaver shifter energy. We’re all about family!"
I didn't know how he could sound so upbeat and energetic after the long trip home plus meeting a thousand new people. But I loved him even more for it. As exhausting as my family could be sometimes, I would've been mortified if my fated mate didn't like them.
As we walked along the water towards Castor's home, I was struck with a thought.
"I just realized something," I murmured.
"What's that?" Castor asked.
I looked over to the water. The surface reflected my face and the pale glow of the crescent moon in the sky. My own face looked different to me now, brighter and less haggard than before. I guess I never realized how much baggage I'd been carrying until Castor helped lift the load off me.
"Jim never met my family," I admitted. "Even though we dated for a while, I never thought to introduce them."
