“Sol is wearing my mark. My mating bite.” Rhys danced his fingers over the crook of my shoulder where the bruise with the impression of his teeth still lingered. “I won’t show you where mine is.” He wouldn’t because he had none. But my parents didn’t need to know that. Rhys’s confident and cocky Alpha demeanor was so real, it made me stiffen. For a second, I feared he was only pretending when he was with me, but his delicate touch assured me the scary mask was only something he wore for his own protection. This time, it was for both of us.
“Yes, we are mated now.” If we both lied with conviction, we’d get rid of them faster.
Father ignored me, still looking at Rhys. “And who are you to claim our son without discussing it with us first?” He sneered.
“Rhys Garcia, General of the Southern HEA Division. I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to claim an omega in any district of this country,” he said in a strict tone that bordered on emotionlessness. My parents’ eyes bulged, and they seemed to grow smaller in their seats. “We’ve already registered our mating online.”
I tried to keep my expression natural, keeping the shock to myself. Every citizen had access to those records. My parents could call our bluff in a few clicks.
“And live in poverty?” My mother gestured around us. “You may have a high rank, but clearly you fail to hold on to money.”
Rhys’s house was huge and modern, but a far cry from the white marble and gold that my parents preferred. I’d already lived in a castle. Rhys’s house felt like home. Apparently, I believed our lie now too.
“Show some respect, Father. Rhys can take care of me better than you ever have or anyone you’d choose for me.” I thrust my chin up, daring them to utter Dryden’s name in Rhys’s presence.
“You left without arrangements, like a common whore. You bring shame to our family name.” Mother said, twisting the string of pearls on her long neck.
“I’ll be changing it to Rhys’s last name, anyway.”
“We will make sure you’ll face consequences for stealing our—” Father swallowed with disdain. “Our son.”
“I claimed an omega during the night of the hunt and mated with him. That’s not against the law.”
“But he belongs to us. He is ours to sell.” Mother’s voice broke. I’d bet my left nut she was calculating how she wouldn’t be able to afford new jewelry and that wing they’d wanted to build by selling me to Dryden.
“He isn’t anymore.” Rhys wrapped a possessive hand around my waist. I’d be all kinds of angry if anyone other than him did that to me.
“He defied us, ran away and betrayed the family!” Father’s hands shook. Was being glad when seeing my parents in distress made me a bad person?
Rhys narrowed his eyes. “Be careful what you say about my mate. I am his family now.”
Mother pursed her lips, finally looking at me. “I guess we raised you well to seduce an Alpha then.” Of course she’d turned that into her success story.
“Sol can still visit you if he chooses.”
“To do what?” Father asked, already standing up. “We’re done here.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t mar your house with my presence ever again.” I crossed my arms, not liking that I was shaking too. “Goodbye.”
Mother followed Father without another word.
I stood frozen, watching them leave. Rhys closed the door behind them with a gentle click and was back by my side in record speed, his muscled legs eating the distance.
My knees buckled, and I collapsed into Rhys’s arms. Of course he was there to catch me, which made it even worse. I believed everything he’d said to them, and my heart couldn’t tell the lie from reality anymore. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I sniffled.
“Are you okay? That was intense.” He stroked my hair with one hand while holding me up by the waist with the other.
“What the hell, Rhys?” I poked his chest with a finger.
“Sol, I’m sorry. I won’t make you do any of those things I mentioned. I just wanted them off your back. You don’t have to follow through. Hey, look at me.”
I did. His handsome face blurred through my teary vision. “Did you mean it? What you said to them?”
“Every word. But I didn’t say that to put pressure on you. I had to improvise and say any plausible thing to keep them away from you.”
“They can find out about our mating not being registered.” I smacked his chest, and he covered my hand with his over his heart. Damn him.
“By the time they do, you’ll be somewhere far. Unless…” He offered me a tentative smile. “Unless you changed your mind and would stay with me for real.”
