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That we are meant to be with. Made to be with, Khoth said.

Her eyes brightened. “Like wolves?”

“Yeah, yeah, a little bit like that, but… more.” Jace let out an uncomfortable laugh and ducked his head.

So much more, Jace thought.

Her eyes widened as she looked between him and Khoth. “You and Khoth…”

“We’re mates, Mom. Like you and Dad, but more. Like he has automatic tattoos and we can now read each other’s minds…” He stopped as he saw her mouth opening and closing without any words coming out. “Mom? Mom, are you okay? Please be okay!”

His mother snapped out of her shock and squeezed his hand. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m more than fine! It’s all I could have hoped for you. More. I know you’d given up on finding anyone and to think…”

“I know, right?” He looked back at Khoth who was beaming, but softly and shyly and sweetly.

Your mother approves of me. I did not expect such a thing when mating is not part of your parents’ experience, Khoth said.

“Did you know right away? How did it happen? What does it mean?” Questions rattled out of her.

Jace smiled at Khoth. “There was a connection from when we first met.”

“Yes.” Khoth nodded his head.

“As to what it means, to say we’re married really doesn’t quite cover it. But we are and then some,” Jace explained.

“Do your parents know, Khoth?” His mother asked.

“Not yet. This…” Khoth turned to him to explain, because he wasn’t sure how much Jace wanted her to know. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell his parents.

Mother will be… interesting, Khoth said.

Yeah, well, we’ll figure this out.

“It literally just happened, Mom,” Jace said. “Like a few hours ago.”

She blinked rapidly. “It just happened. It just happened.”

“But don’t worry!” Jace was waving off any concerns she had–that he and Khoth had already gone through–about this being forced or unwanted. “This is exactly what we both wanted. But there’s like this stuff that physically happens.”

More wide eyes from her, but she was nodding along, accepting this remarkably well. “I can tell that you are happy, Jace. There’s uncertainty in you. It is almost like how it was when you were changed by the Osiris. Meant to be. Part of who you are. I’m still a little stunned, but not in a bad way. Just…”

“I did just tell you that you aren’t human either, Mom. And wait until that sinks in,” he laughed.

She put a hand to her forehead. “Oh, my goodness! Not human. Mating. Your father and I… does your father know?”

Her head shot up and she looked both concerned and hopeful.

“No, you’re the first. We were sort of just glowing about it before you brought the food,” he confessed.

She let out a wild laugh. “What you must have thought to find your mother at the door!”

“It was a surprise. But a happy one,” he assured her. “I want to tell Dad, but it feels wrong doing it over the comm.”

“Yes, but he’ll want to know. When will you see him in person?” she asked.

“Not for a while.” Jace grimaced. “There’s so much to do. I have to meet with the Council. I have to find Gehenna. We have to deal with the database. Not to mention the Khul and–”

“Telling your father this good news is just as important as those things. If not more so.” Khoth’s thumb ran along the top of his hand. It is important to you.