She came up next to me and took the plates from me, loading the dishwasher, “I guess I have to, I saw my best friend turn into a wolf,” She shook her head.
“How do you feel?” I asked her lowering my voice, I heard Caspien strike up a conversation behind us and thankfully he started to usher them into the other room.
“Maybe we wash hands, you guys are cute, but the sticky thing, not sold on,” Holden said and I saw Cali almost laugh.
Once they were actually gone she leaned back on the sink, all pretenses of helping clean gone.
“I feel good. I know it sounds cheap, taking the easy way out but having some deity choose the perfect guy for me, honestly,” She shrugged, her hazel eyes met mine, “It makes it easy!” “I know, but I mean, it’s what I’m used to.”
“Do you guys not date?”
I shrugged, “Depends; some people find their mates later, some of them as soon as they get their wolf at eighteen.”
“Okay, we’re going to park the whole get the wolf at eighteen thing for now and circle back later,” She eyed me, “You just found yours?”
“I’ll explain later,” I really didn’t want to get into all of it now, I wanted to share with her everything and I was glad I finally could, but we didn’t have the time.
“Hmm,” She turned back to grab some plates, thankfully letting it go for now.
We started loading the dishwasher in silence, and I waited for her to speak, not wanting to pressure her on anything at the moment, I knew that even if she accepted it, this would still be a lot.
“I don’t know; it’s nice to not have to wade through all the a.ss fucks to find one that is almost mediocre.” She put down the plate she was holding, looking far away, “I used to not mind so much, the people I was with, who they were or what they did, did to me. What I thought I wanted.” Her voice came out shaky.
“But, that was when it was just me, and it isn’t anymore. I can’t put myself on the line like that. I couldn’t risk anything happening to me, Loreli would have no one.” Her eyes misted over, and she snapped them shut, “It’s not about me anymore,” She looked at me, “If something happened to Loreli because of me, I mean,” She shook her head vigorously, scrubbing a plate we missed.
“It’s not about me,” She repeated firmer, “I can take care of myself. I could when I had nothing to lose, but now,” She gripped the side of the sink, “I have everything to lose.”
I swallowed, I understood, maybe not her past, but I understood how everything shifted because of them.
“Lorelei’s dad?” I left the question open, we never talked about it, and she never offered anything. I guess I didn’t mention much about Nolan to her.
Cali bit her lip and shook her head, “Doesn’t know she exists, it’s for the better. Part of the reason I dipped during high school and finished my GED later. I wanted people to think I ran away; I didn’t want him to know.”
I nodded, taking that in.
“But do you want this? It’s pretty permanent. I know he would take it at your pace, Caspien would make sure he would,” I added. I would, too, but I didn’t think it seemed as intense.
“I think I want this, Willa.” She looked at me, almost pleading, “I want someone that had been waiting for me, someone that won’t leave. And I mean the things he can do with his finger,” She looked at me with a raised eyebrow I hit her shoulder lightly. “Seriously, Cali. This is a lot. I’m easing into it, and I’m from this world. I just want to make sure you’re happy. But I will say that Holden would make an incredible partner and an even better father. But, I have to say that I don’t know him too well.” “Sure, get those disclaimers in now, in case he kills me and hides me in twelve dumpsters around the city. Clear your conscious” She raised an eyebrow but gave me a shadow of a smile.
“Twelve is very specific,”
She rolled her eyes, “This is what you dream of, right? The perfect prince that sees you once and knows your his. Love at first sight bullshit.”
“You make it sound so romantic,” I leaned closer to her, “But it does make it easier, there’s a beacon to your perfect person. It goes deeper than attraction, way deeper. They were made for you,” I thought of Caspien last night a smile crossed my face. Goddess, the way that he looked at me. I wore his mark, and I touched the place where he marked me.
I was his officially, he was mine. We belonged to each other. I didn’t have time to process it yet. Thinking about it was surreal.
“And you guys are now, like, married?
“Yes,” The word slipped out, but it was true. I looked at her without anything but what I felt marring my features.
“Good,” She smiled a bit, studying me, “Good,” She nodded, turning back to the sink.
“I’m honestly happy that you’re mated to Holden, if you choose this, we can, you know, hang out forever,” I bumped her hip with mine, and she smiled.
“That would be the best part,” She smirked, “Also, getting like a surprise soulmate you don’t even have to date first.”
“That too,” I amended.
We went back to cleaning up, focusing on it this time before I heard my phone ring, but it sounded far away. I looked around, realizing I didn’t know where I put it last night.
“Here,” Caspien came into the kitchen, “It was on the dining room table,” He raised an eyebrow as if he had to remind me of last night.
“Thanks,” I grabbed it, and saw my mom was calling. I picked up. I needed to fill her in on a lot of things.
“Hi honey, how are you?” My mom’s voice immediately put me at ease.
“Good, really good,” I played with a strand of my hair as I walked around the kitchen.
“That’s great to hear; we were just checking, you know.”
“Why? Did you hear something?” I asked, there was no way they could have known I was mated again, could they? I internally kicked myself for not telling them sooner. I should have told them sooner. “Nolan came by,” I stopped pacing; what did he want?
“Why?”
“We’re not sure. He came in and just sat there, really. I think he wanted us to say something but of course, we didn’t give anything away. I think that we just showed up here unannounced made him worried.” “Oh,” I chewed my lip, “When did this happen?”
“This morning. He stopped by a few days ago, but we weren’t home. The neighbors told us,”
“I think I know what that was about,” I explained the letter I sent him and how he renounced paternity.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had to do that,”
“I didn’t either, but it’s over and done with so we don’t have to worry.”
“Then why would he come? He seemed nervous; maybe he was worried you had something up your sleeve.”
I laughed once, “He might, but that is ridiculous. He, well, you know what happened, it’s not his place to worry now.” I sighed, “He’s just being paranoid, and I find it absolutely ridiculous that he would think I would want anything to do with him or try to sabotage Goddess knows what.” I paced faster and knew I was sounding annoyed. Cali looked up at me.
“I know, honey, we know that. We just wanted to check in to see.”
“I know, thanks; I just, he doesn’t even matter; if he asks, you can tell him that.” I was pissed actually, the fact that he was worried about me crawling back or trying to take my revenge now, the f*****g nerve.
“Okay,” She didn’t sound sure.
“I actually found my second chance,” I wanted to change the subject.
The line was silent, and I felt Cali’s stare; I had a lot to fill her in on.
“What? A chosen mate or.”
“A second chance, mate, Mom, a real one.” I sighed.
I was a s**t daughter, we talked daily but I wanted to make sure that it was real before sharing it; I was worried it was too good to be true and I saw how much my rejection affected them; I couldn’t get their hopes up. I did plan to tell them, though, before we marked each other. Again, I wasn’t planning on that either, it just seemed right, and I didn’t want to spend another moment not officially belonging to him.
“When?”
“Honestly, right after you left, I’ve been taking it slow because, you know,” I shrugged,” Emmett is involved this time.”
She let out a long breath, “Well, if this is what you want and he treats you right, then we are happy for you. I’m just worried that”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.