I obviously wouldn't be joining her pack, but this was the wrong moment to tell her that.
"We planned a celebration at the villa," my mom gushed, pulling me in for a hug after Jonah. She and I had never been extremely close. I didn't plan on developing a stronger relationship withher, but as Callum had told me, immortality was a long time. I didn't want to distance myself from her completely.
So, I hugged her back, inhaling the familiar scent and trying to move past the hurt I had carried for so long.
The past was in the past.
We didn't need to be best friends who talked about everything to be family. I couldn't trust them to have my back, but maybe in another century or two, that would change.
"You're coming, right?" my dad asked me.
"That depends on whether or not my mate is invited."
Gwen replied, barely missing a beat. "Of course he is. He's family."
Iwas family, and I hadn't been invited to years' worth of parties and dinners.
"Where did he go?" my mom asked, scanning the crowd around me. "It seems like he rarely leaves your side."
Luckily, someone came up to the group, distracting my mom from her question and inspiring another round of hugs. Gwen led the rest of us toward the path that led to the villa after a few minutes.
I could already hear music playing from inside, and could smell the familiar scent of farm-fresh, grilled food.
God, I'd missed that.
Jonah and I were in the center of Gwen's group, at the very back of the crowd that was heading for the villa, but everyone around us was talking excitedly
"Where did she go?" he murmured, since our pack link was now gone.
"On another run. She had too much energy." I didn't think she'd mind the lie.
"Make sure she knows she's invited to this thing too."
My mom interrupted the conversation. "Jonah, tell us how you got started fighting," she commanded.
He launched into the story while we all walked together.
Callum slipped an arm around my waist as we neared the villa, his icy gaze sweeping over the people around us. They gave him significantly more space than they'd given me, but otherwise ignored him.
"How is she?"I asked him.
"Trying to work through it. We'll come up with a plan. If it comes down to it, abduction is always an option."
"If you abduct the Beta, there will be a war."
"We'll do whatever we have to for her fated mate, Kitten. Even a war, if that's what she wants. For now, no decisions have been made. I imagine she'll try to win him over the normal way first. They're friends."
"Is Liv coming?"Jonah asked us, as we reached the party.
"She's otherwise occupied, but she sends her congratulations," Callum said smoothly
"Liv?" Gwen asked, looking at all of us with confusion.
"The spring fae queen. They're friends," I said.
"I'm going to once again recommend that you start looking for someone else to replace Darke as your mate." Callum's voice was neutral, but there was a bit of a threat hanging behind the words.
"He can be friends with her and still mate with me," Gwen murmured, turning around and striding after Jonah.
