Meet The Parents
Constantine thinks that it's time that he should meet my parents. I think so too. People at school already know that I'm with a lycan by now. News like that travels fast; it's better that my parents hear it from us, rather than from someone else.
I ask him to come back later so that I can break it to my parents first before they meet him. They'll be home pretty soon.
“Why can't I come in with you now? I'll be very good,” he promises. He constantly needs to be touching me, especially after I told him about Alpha Carrington's plan. It's like he needs to reassure himself that I'm his and nobody's taking me away from him.
“Really? You promise to behave?” I raise an eyebrow at him disbelievingly.
“I didn't say I'll behave. I said I'll be good...very good.” His lips curl up into a sexy, naughty smile. His silver gray eyes alight with mischief.
“That's what I'm afraid of,” I replied, suppressing a thousand butterflies about to break free in my tummy at the look on his gorgeous face. It's still hard for me to believe that this beautiful, powerful lycan is mine.
“Are you telling me that you didn't enjoy it, sunshine?” He nibbles my ear. I shriek out and laugh. That tickles. I peek out to see if any neighbors are looking at us in the car.
“Bad bad boy.” I admonish him, trying to sound stern. I totally ruin it by grinning at the end. “I'll see you in three hours. They'll be home and informed by then.” They usually have an employee, Mrs. Adams, or her daughter looking after the store in the evenings.
“30 minutes,” he announces, kissing the corner of my lips.
“What???”
“Okay, one hour,” he says with a charming grin, flashing his straight white teeth. Blinding me with his dazzling smile. I walk out in a daze. Did I agree to it? I must have, right? I don't remember though.
Gah! I suck! One smile and he get what he wants. I'm such a sucker for his gorgeous face. Time for my self-pep talk.
My mom and dad are surprisingly home when I get in. It's funny how I didn't even notice dad's car parked outside in my Constantine induced stupor.
They are both in the kitchen talking quietly with a pot of coffee between them. Serious expression on their faces. Oooppss. Maybe this is not a good time. I move my feet slowly and silently backward.
"Hi honey," says mom looking up, before I can retreat further. My super ninja skills fail me this time. I slowly trudged my way back into the kitchen, defeated by my mom.
Dad doesn't even raise his head. “We have things to discuss,” he states. His brows furrow with apprehension.
There are worry lines between mom's eyes.
I take my seat nervously and wait for them to go on.
“Honey, your Grandpa Quentin is coming over,” announces mom.
“Oh, that's great!” I exclaim, smiling in relief.
Phew! For a minute there I thought they were about to tell me that they had accidentally killed a cuddly bunny or threw out my fuzzy old slippers or something.
My Grandpa Quentin is tough, but he loves me and Autumn. He visited us twice, and we visited him and his pack a few times throughout the years.
“Isn't it?” I ask hesitantly, suddenly puzzled by their silence and the serious expression on their faces.
“Why didn't you tell us, sweetie?” asks dad suddenly.
“Uh...tell you what?” I hedge, reminding myself to tread carefully. There are a lot of things I haven't told my parents. I don't want to spill anything I don't need to...ninja skills.
“Why didn't you tell us that Logan was planning to keep you as...as..” Dad's face turns red. “Well...and make Gamma Brown's daughter his luna?”
What? I almost fell off my chair. How did they know?
“Your grandpa and uncle heard about this. That is outrageous, and you know how proud my family is,” says dad, shaking his head angrily.
How? How did he know?
“I think they have an inside informant around here.” Mom sighs, answering my unvoiced question.
My dad suddenly looks tired. “They have taken offense. To your Grandpa, that is not only rejecting his alpha lineage, but it's also an unforgivable insult to our family and his pack.
“I happen to agree with this. This is not only an insult to you but our family as well.”
Oh, no. This is such a mess! Grandpa Quentin always has a strong dislike of Alpha Carrington for placing my dad as an Omega in this pack—and now this.
“Your uncle Ashton has your mating arranged to Alpha Vyacheslav from the Red Convel pack,” adds mom. “Your grandpa and Alpha Vyacheslav are coming to take us with them tomorrow since Alpha Carrington refused to release us.”
Wait! What?
“No, no, no, no.” Constantine is going to flip!
“Honey? Are you okay? Breathe sweetheart,” says mom urgently as she stroke my back not very gently.
I think I'm hyperventilating. That's good, right? At least I'm not seeing red.
I hear a knock, and I go flying to the door.
“Constantine!”
I fling myself into his arms. His warm strong arms wrap around me tightly. His body shields me protectively, ready for any kind of threat.
“What's the matter, sweetheart?” he asks gently when he didn't sense any danger.
I cling my arms tighter around his neck, breathing in his scent. It calms me down. I'm his, and he's mine. Nobody can take me away from him, right? Or him away from me?
He let me hold on to him like that while his hand moving up and down my back soothingly.
When I'm calmed enough, I realize where we are. I pull back to look at my parents who are standing very still behind me, staring at us both, looking shocked.
“Hello,” says Constantine, who seems to be the first to recover.
“You're...you're a lycan,” stammers my mom, still in shock.
“Why yes I am, ma'am,” answers Constantine smiling innocently. I could've kicked his shin. I can see how amused he is through those beautiful silver-gray eyes of his.
“Mom, dad, this is Constantine. Costa, this is my mom, Lavinia and my dad Aaron Fairchild.”
“Good to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild,” says Constantine, extending his hand to my parents, while his other hand is still resting on my lower back.
My dad finally recovers enough to shake his hand. “Would you have a seat, Constantine?” he says with an awkward gesture.
I'm not sure if my parents ever talked to a lycan before, let alone have one in their home.
My parents take their seat on a sofa. Constantine pulls me next to him on a loveseat when I'm about to sit on a chair next to it. He automatically twines our fingers together and places them on his lap.
My parents observe us both with curious eyes. My dad clears his throat. “So...” he says, awkwardly. “What's going on?” he finally asks.
I know he doesn't want to be rude to a lycan, but he's very curious as well.
“Well, Mr. Fairchild. Genesis is my erasthai. She's my mate,” states Constantine.
It takes a while for my parents to recover from the shock after Constantine's announcement.
My mom puts her hand on her chest. Then she puts up her hand over her forehead and declares, “You know what, honey? I'm glad we only have two daughters.”
“Yeah,” says dad. “We should be thankful that we have at least two years to recover from this before Autumn turns eighteen.”
The both of them look at each other, then they promptly burst out laughing. Did I tell you that my parents have the most bizarre sense of humor? I'm glad I didn't take after them in that department. I'm glad I'm the normal one in this family.
My face must have turned bright red as I look up at Constantine who stares at my parents as if they'd grown multiple extra heads. Then he looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I smile up at him sheepishly.
“Well, then, I think we have things to discuss,” says dad. “I don't know much about lycans and about what being mated to one means, but I know about erasthai. I'm not standing in the way of erasthai. Personally, I'm glad. Genesis has been through a lot. I hope you'll treat her right and make her happy.”
“Don't worry, Mr. Fairchild, she's my everything. I'll treasure her and protect her with my life,” promises Constantine.
My dad seems to be satisfied with that. Mom has tears in her eyes.
I'm glad we have my parents' blessings. My parents mean the world to me. They've been through a lot these last couple of weeks because of me.
Dad nods his head. “Seeing that you're together, there are things that you should know about.”
Remembering Constantine's reaction to the news about Alpha Carrington's plan earlier, I take both of his hands in mine and turn to look at him. “Remember what I told you about Alpha Carrington's plan for tomorrow night?”
His expression turns grim.
“Don't get mad okay?” I grip his hands firmly in mine
“Things just got a little bit more complicated,” announces my dad.
Surprisingly Constantine doesn't lose his temper like he did before when my dad informed him of the latest mess. His hands tighten around mine when dad told him about the Alpha of Red Convel Pack coming to claim me.
His silver-gray eyes look thoughtful after that like he's contemplating something.
***
After that talk with my parents, Constantine took me out for some ice-cream, then we came back to his massive house again.
“So, I heard that you like my Corvette Stingray,” says Caspian, looking mischievous. “You know, I can be persuaded to part with it...at a price.”
We're now sitting in their living room with the rest of the lycans. Caspian is sitting lazily on one of the plush cozy chairs with his long legs resting on the coffee table.
“You name the price, I'll pay for it,” says Constantine.
“No, you don't have to buy the car for me, Costa,” I object from my sitting position on his lap.
“No, I don't want your money,” states Caspian. “I want my payment from Genesis.”
“From me? You pick a wrong person, buddy. I don't have the money to pay for it. I'm dirt poor,” I announce proudly.
Serena giggled from where she's lying on the sofa with her head on Lazarus's lap.
“No, I don't want your money, I want a kiss—”
“No!” growls Constantine, tightening his arms around me.
“—On my cheek,” finishes Caspian.
“No!” he growls again. “I'll pay for it, just name the price. She's not kissing you anywhere.”
Caspian is having too much fun annoying Constantine. This time Caspian gets hit on the head by a flying magazine thrown by Serena.
I like spending time with them, even with Caspian. He's a harmless flirt who likes to banter about everything. He's such a kid.