Nessa opened her mouth to answer but barely managed to utter a small squeak of discomfort before the front door burstopen, several people stepping into the entryway of Hunny’s cabin.
She caught sight of Murphy, standing out among the rest. As his eyes met hers, a small smile playing on his lips, some of her tension eased, and the tight grip on her throat loosened, allowing her to take a steadying breath.
A small woman pushed him aside a second later, stepping into the house and moving toward the table Ness and Hunny occupied at a quick pace. Nessa recognized her immediately, and her anxiety spiked right back up.
Tabitha pushed into her space, standing so close it was impossible to miss the slight wrinkles on her face or the flecks of brown in her green eyes. The older woman stared down at Nessa intently, as if she were judging every nuance of her features.
Did she find her lacking? Did she know about her and Murphy dating and disapprove?
“Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you again, dear!” Tabitha exclaimed, throwing her arms around Nessa in a … well, a bear hug. She tugged her up from her seat, swaying aggressively back and forth.
Shocked, Nessa didn’t know what else to do, so she awkwardly hugged her back, staring at Murphy in bewilderment over his mother’s shoulder.
Chapter 21
Murphy locked eyes with his mate from across the room, and it felt like he could breathe again. Like he’d been hit by a thousand volts of electricity and finally came back to life after their brief separation.
The sheer panic on Nessa’s face as Tabitha squeezed her into a tight hug, though, was as comical as it was endearing. Tabitha had always been an integral part of her family’s life, and he knew she’d be excited as soon as she’d caught Nessa’s scent on him, but he hadn’t expected her to rush past and barge into Tank’s home like a crazed woman.
Now she was all but mauling his human, albeit affectionately.
Jasper snickered from somewhere behind him, clearly enjoying the scene as much as Murphy was, though it was likely for completely different reasons.
There was just something about Murphy’s mother embracing Nessa, of the happiness radiating from her as she greeted his mate, that felt right. It felt as though out of all the successes in his life, this was the moment that mattered the most. Not his ascension to Alpha. Not the enemies he’d defeated over the years, or the prosperity he’d brought to his clan.
Butthis.
Nessa.
Murphy believed that sentiment wholeheartedly.
Nessa sent him a pleading look, silently begging him to intervene. And as cute and endearing as the moment was, he felt a warm flush at the thought that she looked to him for help. Not wanting to waste another moment, he pushed fully into the cabin, reaching his mate in a few long strides.
“You’re going to pop my mate like a balloon if you squeeze her any harder,” Murphy joked, plucking Nessa from Tabitha’s hold and tucking her under his arm.
Nessa relaxed into him, her body all but molding against his side as she gave his mom a polite, though strained, smile. Murphy frowned, hoping she was alright. He knew of her aversion to being touched by males, but if it extended to females as well, he hadn’t realized.
Filled with the urge to protect her, he pulled Nessa more firmly to him. The lines around the corners of her mouth disappeared, and she took a deep breath, sending him a grateful look from the corner of her eye.
Tabitha smiled at Nessa once more before pinning Murphy with a hard stare. “Mate? So Nessa knows of your connection? Does that mean you’ve officially marked her?”
She looked around at the other people in the room, propping her hands on her hips in a pose she often used to lecture her children when they were younger. “Was I the last to find outagainthat one of my sons became mated?”
Tank groaned from the doorway. “Not this shit again,” he grumbled in exasperation. “And you weren’t the last to know about me and Hunny!”
“Hush.” Tabitha scowled over Murphy’s shoulder before pinning the Alpha with another glare. “Answer me, Murphy Sinclair.”
Murphy winced, feeling a small bite of shame. Was this how Tank felt when she’d scolded him about mating Hunny? In Murphy’s defense, he was a private male by nature, and had spent little of his time this week away from Nessa. Besides that, they’d only become official last night—hardly any time at all to inform anyone.
Tabitha tapped her foot impatiently on the wood floor, right as he opened his mouth to answer her.
“We’re just dating,” Nessa blurted out, tensing against him. “There’s been, uh—no marking.”
Murphy’s frown deepened. Although it was true, hearing Nessa refer to their relationship as ‘just’ anything put him on edge. He didn’t like it.
“We’re taking it slow,” he agreed, palming Nessa’s hip possessively. “But it’s very serious.”
“Oh!” Tabitha clapped her hands together happily, glee transforming her stern expression into something much softer. “Thank heaven. I was worried you’d never take your head out of your ass and claim her. Welcome to the family, Nessa!”
