“They are mypack, Mother.” I gestured to my alphas. “This is Spencer, Chase, and as I said, this is Bear.”
My mother’s horrified gaze flitted between all three men, no doubt taking in their size and somewhat rough exteriors. But she didn’t know them. She was judging them all by their appearance alone, which was ridiculous. The pack was more than capable of caring for me, and most importantly, they actuallylikedme and had gotten to know me.
“And what, precisely, do you do?” she asked tersely.
“No,hi, no,hello, no,good to meet you?” I countered.
Chase didn’t bat an eye at her rudeness, shoving it off with thatcharming grin of his. “We run a private security firm,” he said, stepping forward and offering his hand.
She gingerly shook it, barely touching him. “While it’s…lovelyto meet you”—she took her hand back, trying to disguise how unhappy she was—“I think it’s best that Flora comeshomefor a while.”
“If you want your daughter to visit home, we will happily accompany her,” Spencer cut in smoothly. “As long as it doesn’t impact her classes. Those are of the utmost importance to Flora, as I’msureyou know. We don’t want her to fall behind.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling. Sometimes, I really loved how much of a dick Spencer could be.
Clearing my throat, I regarded her again. “Mother, I love you dearly, but if you keep looking at my pack mate like that, one I ambondedto, we’re going to have a problem. Yes, Bear has a scar on his face. No, I don’t give a shit. He is more handsome than thepretty boyyou brought to try to lure me back home with. I don’t want to leave. I am quite happy where I am, and I need you to understand that,for once.”
“Flora, you don’t have to—” Bear started.
I looked over my shoulder at him. “No one speaks poorly about my alpha. I love you, and I won’t deal with anyone—even members of my own family—treating you badly.” I turned back to face my mother. “Understood?”
“You can separate from them for a few days to come home and see your fathers,” Harry appealed, stepping forward.
“Flora is a member ofourpack, and she said she’s staying here,” Spencer spoke calmly as he stepped up to Harry, sizing him up. Spencer was easily a foot taller and loomed over the stuffy alpha.
Harry took one look at Spencer and quickly realized he had no chance. He stepped away and cleared his throat. “Well… fine, then.”
“I’ll call you and give you my new address,” I informed my mother, moving toward my alphas. “But for now, I think it’s best if you leave.”
Mom’s brows shot up as she gaped. “Wait—you don’t want to at least get dinner with me? Flora, don’t be ridiculous.”
“You insulted my pack mate. No, I don’t want to go to dinner with you right now. How would you feel if someone said something like that about one of my dads?”
The room was utterly silent as my mother failed to understand where I was coming from. I turned around, reaching for Bear’s hand as I started toward the door. He was quick to take it, and I looped my arm around his, proudly walking out of the building with him, as I called back, “Tell my dads I said hi.”
Chapter 40
Flora
“Iheard someone could use a little sugar!” a sweet voice called out from the hallway.
I was lying in my nest, attempting to study, but it was more like moping. My mother’s visit had put me in a mood. And I’d been unable to get it off my mind, replaying the conversation over and over again instead of comprehending what I was reading. And Bear had been so kind to buy all my textbooks. It felt terrible that I was just lying around and not using them to study.
As I looked up, Mable appeared in my doorway, holding a box of what looked like baked goods.
“What have you got there?” I questioned, poking my head out of my nest, curious and hungry, despite my foul mood.
An easy smile spread across her face. “I had one of my alphas go out to this fancy bakery that makes chocolate croissants that areto die for. Can I join you?” she asked.
“Fuck, yes,” I groaned, closing my textbook and tossing it aside, though careful not to mess up the pages of the brand-new edition Bear had bought me. I was supposed to have hadsome greasy fried food at the diner, but my mother’s visit had distracted us.
Another reason she was currently on my shit list.
“This is amazing. I need this after my mother’s impromptu appearance.”
Mable winced as she clambered into my nest, box of goodies in hand. “Eesh, that makes it sound like you and your mother are not on the best of terms. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong. I love my mother,” I started, staring off into the distance, “but she has a veryspecificidea of how she wants me to live my life. She’s the kind of omega who thinks that all other omegas should be bonded and having babies as soon as they turn eighteen, that there really isn’t a point in us pursuing higher education.”
