“No.”
“Oh, that’s right. Liam mentioned you didn’t have the happiest childhood.” She puts her arm around my shoulders. “What makes a mother happier than anything else is when their child is happy. And I’ve literally never seen Liam happier.”
My face warms. “That’s nice to hear.”
“It’s the truth. I liked Kara, but I can admit, she stressed Liam out a lot.” She sighs. “What someone needs in a daughter-in-law and what they need in a spouse are two very different things.” She pats my cheek. “My boy is happy, and so, I’m happy.”
I’m so relieved, I feel a little weak in the knees. Liam’s mom was the one I worried the most about. Well, her and Caleb. But Viv seems sincerely happy for us, so I’m going to trust that sheishappy.
Marco appears behind her and extends his hand. His grip is firm, his brown eyes steady. “Jude, welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, sir.” I wince at his frown. “I mean Marco.”
He laughs. “That’s better. I knew you’d get it eventually.”
Later, Caleb finds us. I’ve been quietly dreading this moment even though Liam assured me the alpha already gave his blessing. His steel-gray eyes settle on me with a calm intensity that makes my wolf want to both submit and prove itself.
“Enjoying the bonfire?” he asks.
“It’s great as usual,” Liam says.
“The food is amazing.” My smile feels stiff and I have trouble holding his gaze. “I, uh… appreciate you giving us your blessing, sir. I know this whole thing kind of came out of the blue.”
He shrugs. “So what? I like it better that Liam is with another wolf. Less complications all around.”
I nod, uncertain of how to respond. I don’t mind that he’s blunt though. It’s easier to know where you stand with people when they don’t hold back.
“People say nice things about you, Jude. You’ve made a good impression.” His lips quirk. “Well, maybe not with Kara.”
Surprised he’s joking about that, I give an uneasy glance at Liam.
Liam’s smile is sheepish. “Caleb, that’s not nice. I really hurt her.”
Caleb stops smiling, although his eyes still twinkle. “Sorry. You know I’m always biased toward my pack settling down with other wolves. But I liked Kara, so I’ll stop making tasteless jokes.”
Evan walks up at that moment. “But tasteless jokes are your specialty, sir.”
Caleb glances over at Evan, smiling. “He knows me well.” His glance holds fondness for his enforcer, but surprisingly, there’s also concern. “Did you drink some water like I told you?”
“Yes, sir.” Evan stops in front of me, hands in his jean pockets. He’s very attractive. Blond, muscular, and about ten years younger than Caleb. “Caleb trusts the pack and, overall, the pack seems to approve of you.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” I respond, holding his gaze. Now that he’s closer, I see his eyes are dilated and I smell booze on his breath. It’s not overpowering, but I suspect he’s a little tipsy.
He wrinkles his brow. “I’m reserving my opinion.”
“Uh… okay.” I frown.
Evan leans closer, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. “You can never be too careful trusting people.”
I nod. “I don’t disagree.”
He points a finger in my face. “Caleb is really the only person in the entire world that Icompletelytrust.” He sighs. “I’d happily die for him.”
Caleb gives an uneasy laugh and steps forward, putting his arm around Evan’s shoulders. “Sorry, he’s had a few. Come on, kid, let’s get you to bed.”
“If only,” Evan says under his breath, stumbling slightly as Caleb leads him away.
We watch them go and Liam says, “What was that about?”
