“Why don’t you all eat, and then you can go to your room? I cooked your favorite meal for dinner,” Winnie told him, reaching out and patting him on his head. “Lasagna with garlic bread.”
“That sounds fantastic.” Damien’s eyes lit up, and his lips tugged into a boyish smile. “Thanks, Mom.”
Damien’s entire being relaxed as soon as we had stepped into the house. Which made sense, since it was his home. I’d never had anything like this, so seeing him happy to be here made my chest swell with a longing I’d tried to push away for most of my life.
Damien’s gray eyes jerked to mine, and he frowned. He sensed my emotion through the bond. I shot him a reassuring smile, but he ran his tongue over his lip piercings with a look that told me he wasn’t buying it.
Rhett took note of it and brushed his shoulder against mine softly. “You okay?”
My breath hitched a little as I nodded and moved my feet to follow Winnie as she led us down the hall and turned right.
We walked under a rock archway and into a massive room filled with a zesty scent. A rectangular marble table with ten plush chairs tucked around it sat in the center. The lasagna and bread were set in the middle of the table with plates piled up next to it.
I’d never had lasagna before, but Alice had told me about it. I loved cheese, so I was pretty sure I’d like it. My mouth watered from the scent alone.
His parents took their seats next to each other on one side while Damien pulled out a chair opposite of them, sitting me in between himself and Rhett.
“So, tell us about yourself.” Winnie started slicing into the lasagna and placing portions of it on plates to serve us.
“There’s not much to tell.” My voice came out as a little squeak, and I cleared my throat. “I’m from Briesia, and the climate is a lot colder than here. I’m having a bit of trouble getting used to the heat.”
Rome chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the Demon Capital for you. Whether it’s urban or rural, it’s hot as Hell.”
I forced a chuckle at his dad-joke as Damien nudged my arm. “Why don’t you tell them what you did when you lived in the village?”
“Oh, um, I was actually an herbalist, and I worked with my guardian. She taught me all she knew, and I expanded that knowledge by reading every book about it I could get my hands on.”
“That’s impressive,” Winnie said as she handed me a full plate. The layers of red, white, and yellow were even, and the scent that rolled off it was mouthwatering.
I took it from her and placed it in front of me, next to the silverware. “Thank you.”
“What do you make out of herbs?”
“Lots of things. Salves, tinctures, stuff like that. One of my other mates and I made a potion recently. I was making an anti-stress tincture for Damien and the others with Kian. He’s a necromancer, and he actually helped me make it into a potion to be more effective.”
Winnie’s eyebrows rose as she finished handing everyone a plate and getting her own. “That’s amazing. If you don’t mind me asking, how many mates do you have?”
A zap of unease shot down my spine, but I squared my shoulders and met her gaze. “I have seven. They are all incredible. I’ve only bonded with three of them so far, though.”
Rome and Winnie stared at each other before smiles spread over their lips. “We would love to meet them all, considering they’re now part of our family.”
Warmth flooded me. I hadn’t expected that to be their response. Back in the Arctic Wolf Village, there was one correct way of mating, and that was one mate per wolf. It wasn’t a secret that the pack didn’t like my mother and father’s matebond. Even though my father did only have one mate, my mother. I wasn’t sure if that was just because he hadn’t met his other mates or maybe the Fates decided he only needed her. Either way, the pack was not shy about talking about their opinions loudly, so I would overhear it.
“Do you miss living in Briesia? What are your parents like?” Rome asked, stuffing a bite of lasagna in his mouth.
My stomach dropped. “Oh, my parents… they were—”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Rhett interrupted.
Damien placed his hand on my thigh and started moving his thumb in circular motions for support.
“No, it’s okay. My parents were really amazing people. They loved me so much. My dad would always tell me he’d die for me, but he never realized how true those words would be. Both of them sacrificed themselves for me.”
Winnie’s sharp intake of breath made me glance at her. Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head, staring down at the white cheese and red sauce with chunks of meat in it on my plate. Did this taste as good as it smelled? “I like talking about my parents. I don’t get to talk about them much. My first few years of life with them were incredible. The only other time I felt so at home was after I moved to Fate Hollow Academy and met all of my mates. Thorn, one of my other mates, was my only lifeline at that village.” I paused to take a breath. “I’m thankful for Alice, my guardian. She actually took care of me when no one else would. She’s the only family I have left, but… I caused her pain. Maybe that’s why she’s ignoring me…” I rambled off, and Damien’s grip on my thigh tightened.
His fingers bit into my flesh as he let out a low growl. “Don’t say that.”
