“Dad's here,” I say quietly.
“Thank fuck,” Parker says, tossing down his napkin. “You need to be out of here. There's a wolf in the kitchen and he's been staring at you since we got here.”
“He was staring at you because you were staring at him,” I chirp and let him help me out of the booth when he stands up.
“I'll pay at the counter,” Drew says. “You take her outside.”
I sigh. “We can go outside together. I'm not facing my father without you.”
His brows raise. “Face him?”
I smile. “He's sooooo mad at you. He's been mad at you foryears. And I just let you claim me without permission or any type of ceremony.”
Parker combs his hands through his hair, smoothing it behind his ears. “Great.”
I hook my arm around his. “Don't get me started on how upset he is with you. Everyone in my pack is going to have so much to say about this. I hope you're ready to rebuild some bridges.”
“Are they going to be pissed at you, too?”
“Nope,” I say. “I did everything I was supposed to. You'll have to prove your worth, though.” I laugh. “It's going to be a good time.”
“You laugh at your mate's future misery?” Drew tuts. “That's terrible, Genie.”
I laugh again. “Hey. It's not my fault my mate is a card carrying, jacket wearing jerk. It'll be okay, Drew. Don't worry. Everyone will forgive you because I did.”
He stops in the middle of the diner with everyone staring at us and turns to face me. “You do?”
I was trying to be funny and stop him from worrying, but I feel the truth of the words. I made the choice to forgive him and accept him. I chose. It was my decision. Everything else will fall into place. “Yes. Head first. All in. All at once.”
“I don't deserve you.”
I give him a soft smile. “Nope. But you will.”
*
There is a brief and awkward silent argument beside the car about who will sit in the front seat with my dad and who will sit in the back with me. In the end, I roll my eyes at both of them and push Parker into the back seat before climbing in after him and dragging Drew in after me. It feels exactly like it did when I was a kid and my dad would pick me up me and my friends.
Before he puts the car into gear to get back on the road, I lean over the seat and wrap my arms around him. “Thank you for coming to get us.”
He pats my arm and turns his head to kiss my cheek. “Anytime, baby.”
I sit back between Drew and Parker and watch my father's eyes meet each of theirs in turn. “Boys.”
“Alpha Barrett,” Drew greets. “Thank you for coming for us.”
Parker doesn't say anything, but nods at my dad's reflection.
“That's what we do,” Dad says, nodding back at Parker. “We take care of our kids. And Genie will always be my daughter. Remember that, Drew.”
“Dad,” I huff. “Come on.”
“What?” he asks in exaggerated innocence. “You can't begrudge me a little paternal threat, Eugenia. After everything that's happened, I'm entitled to one or two, don't you think?”
“Maybe, but don't, okay? Please? This is already hard.”
Drew puts his warm hand on my thigh and squeezes gently. “No, I deserve the threats. I have a lot to make up for.”
“Good to know you understand that,” Dad says, pulling out onto the highway. “The pack is already buzzing, by the way. I've been overwhelmed with phone calls. They want to know when we'll have an official joining. I'll try to keep everyone at bay once we get back, but there's only so much I can do. People want to know if you're going to run again, Cross.”
