Riley’s growl is audible in the suddenly quiet bar. “Without asking?”
Bas looks down at the table. “Yeah. There’s no excuse. Which is what I said to Ver. I offered right away, of course, and she rightly told me to go to hell.”
Riley looks between us as if he doesn’t know which question to ask next.
“She went back to college, and it damn near killed me. That’s when I knew…”
A new look of understanding dawns on Riley. “That night at The Den?”
Bas nods. “She’d messaged to tell me she was going on a date because, like an idiot, I made her promise she would.”
Riley laughs and shakes his head. “OK, so I’m liking how you made him suffer, Ver.”
I wave off Riley’s comment with a brush of my hand. “It wasn’t like that. I only rejected Bas because I thought he’d offered out of pity. Because I couldn’t stand being mated to him if he didn’tfeel the way I felt—feel.” My neck and cheeks heat, and I dart a glance at Bas to see him looking at me with a strange, soft expression that gives me a little more courage.
Riley sounds uncomfortable. “At the risk of having to throw up in my mouth, can you just confirm for me exactly how you feel now so I don’t have to do something stupid and fight him again?”
I hold Bastien’s gaze across the table and my heart jumps into my throat as I speak my next words. “I’m in love with him. Always have been.”
Riley shakes his head. He’s quiet for a while. We all are.
Finally, my brother leans back in his chair and looks at us both. “I should have seen this coming.” He points at Bas. “The number of times I caught you looking at her funny or asking about her. It all makes so much sense now.”
“Wait, what?” I look between them, but neither one meets my eye.
It’s Bastien’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I’m not even sure I was aware of it myself.”
Riley rolls his eyes. “And so you’re mated. I suppose this means I have to forgive you.”
“Yes,” I say at the same time as Bas says, “Please.”
Riley sighs. “I’ll forgive you as long as I never have to hear this sort of sappy lovey dovey stuff out of the two of you again. Do we have a deal?”
We laugh.
I kick Riley under the table. “You have no such promise from me. I can’t wait until we get married and you have to be the best man.”
He points both thumbs over his shoulders toward the bar. “Geez. I need a drink. My baby sister mated and married? I’m getting the first round if I get to be there when you tell Mom.”
“Oh god. I’m surprised she didn’t notice already. I’m going to need that drink, aren’t I?”
My shit of a brother only laughs.
Mom’s eyes literally light up with glee when I break the news. She pushes herself out of her chair and insists on hugging Bas to officially welcome him to the family. Then she sits back down, folds her hands in her lap, and asks, “So when am I getting grandbabies?”
Bas flushes bright red.
I roll my eyes. “Mom, I’m still finishing college. You’ll have to wait a few years.”
She laughs; cackles would be a better word for it. “Tell that to your ovaries next time you go into heat. I was right, wasn’t I?”
I squirm. “Yeah. You were right. But now that I know, I’m on heat suppressants, so there won’t be any heats for a while.”
“Ugh, can we skip the gross details?” Riley makes a face.
Dad elbows him. “Time for you to think about finding your own mate, son.”
“Man, did I say I wanted to be here for this? I think I meant I want to be as far away as possible.” He actually gets up, looking like he’s about to walk out.
