CHAPTER NINETEEN
Deena and her family arrived back at the farm a short while later, and Evie was swept up in the activity of unloading a month’s worth of groceries and supplies with everyone else. Deena’s mother, Melanie, and her Aunt Gladys were in charge and directed them all like soldiers in a tight-knit unit. Within an hour, everything was in its place, and work had begun in earnest.
The ladies were not only cooking dinner for that night, but also preparing the kitchen for some of the things they’d need to cook in advance for the wedding feast. All sorts of baking was going to start that night and continue on for the next couple of days. Although Evie was a good cook, she’d never done much baking. Even so, she was drafted to help Deena’s female relatives, each of whom had been assigned a set of tasks.
Evie didn’t mind. In fact, she found she enjoyed working as part of this well-oiled machine. They were a lively bunch with happy attitudes and amusing stories to entertain while they all worked in harmony. Evie felt as if she’d gotten to know Deena’s family much better by the time they all turned in that night and was fast on her way to making lasting friendships with them all.
She tumbled into bed that night with Ray, feeling both happy about the interaction with Deena’s family and apprehensive about what might happen tomorrow with her own. Josh had told them over dinner that he’d heard back from his grandmother and that he was going to pick her and his grandfather up from the airport tomorrow morning. That announcement had set off a round of questions for Josh, which he’d answered happily while Evie had sat there, almost shaking at the prospect of seeing her parents again after all this time.
Her inner wolf was both happy and wary. It wanted to see its Pack mates again—especially the Alpha, her sire—but it was afraid of rejection. She’d been rejected before by them. Or, at least, she’d thought they’d rejected her all this time. It might take a while before she truly believed their claims, but she was willing to hear them out, for Josh’s sake.
Her son seemed so happy at the prospect of completing their little family unit. He tried to hide it, but his mating had changed him. He was no longer the noble lone wolf he’d always tried to be. Then again, except for when his magic emerged and he went off on his own searching for answers, he’d always had Evie. Even if they hadn’t lived in the same house since he became an adult, she’d always been nearby. Just a phone call away. She’d been his Pack.
But now that he had Deena and was beginning to experience what it was like to be surrounded by her family, Evie understood why he was asking questions about his own relatives. She just hoped they didn’t disappoint him. Evie didn’t want to see Josh hurt.
Which was the whole reason she’d stayed away from her family after Ray had disappeared. Oh, she’d thought about crawling back home with her tail tucked between her legs, but she’d never done it. No, her wolf was stronger than that. She might not have been born an Alpha female, but she’d had strength none of them suspected. Not even herself. Until it had come time to rely on it.
She’d raised her son all on her own, and he’d turned out to be a good and honest man. For that, she had absolutely no regrets and would make no apologies.
Ray made love to her gently that night, being as tender as he ever had been with her. Sure enough, his care was exactly what she needed to help her get at least some sleep. Her thoughts had been in a jumble since Josh had broached the subject of his grandparents. The thought that she might be seeing them again for the first time in twenty years the very next morning would overwhelm her if she let it.
Luckily, Ray was there to distract her in the most delightful ways.
She was lying on her side, looking out the window at the silvery stars hanging low in the frosty night air. Ray was spooned around her protectively, and her breath was just returning to normal after one of the mind-shattering orgasms Ray seemed to specialize in. Her thoughts circled back to the coming confrontation.
“Do you think it’s really possible that they were looking for me all this time?” Evie asked, not for the first time.
“Yes, I think it’s possible. If they were being influenced by a magical outsider, it’s more than possible, in fact. It’s probable. From just the few details Josh got from your mother, this has every appearance of someone meddling in our affairs for their own evil purposes.”
He kept his voice low because the house was still around them, and he probably didn’t want to disturb anyone, but there was a decided edge to his tone. He was as angry as she was at the thought that someone could have deliberately interfered with Evie’s relationship with her family.
“I don’t know what I’m going to say to them,” she admitted.
“Start with hello and see how it goes from there,” he counseled, squeezing her close, his warm body reassuring to both her human side and her inner wolf. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right at your side. I’ll never leave you again, Evie. You have my word.”
It was her turn to soothe him. She turned in his arms and placed gentle kisses all over his face and jaw. “We got through it, Ray. We made it past all the difficulties, and we’re together again. Let’s not worry about what tomorrow may bring. Just make love to me now and let’s focus on each other.”
She felt his smile against her lips. “I can definitely do that, my love. In fact, I’m sorry I didn’t think of it sooner myself.”
She giggled softly and rolled with him as he changed their positions so that he was on top, already joining with her body. She was still wet from their earlier joining, and her body accepted him at once. As if he belonged within her. And he did. He was in her heart. And in her soul. He was her other half. Her mate.
The next morning, Evie woke alone, but she wasn’t worried. Ray had gotten into the habit of sneaking out of bed as the first rays of dawn started to lighten the sky. By the time the sun rose, he and Josh were already out in the barnyard, drilling as quietly as they could while Deena greeted her animals and got the farm ready for the morning.
Even with the extra guests in the house, it seemed they were sticking to the same routine. When Evie got up at around eight o’clock, the rest of Deena’s family was just starting to get going for the day. Deena’s mom and aunt were in the kitchen, making breakfast. Their husbands were helping. Evie offered her assistance but was firmly refused and fussed over, which was an uncommon enough event in her life to make her almost forget about her parents’ arrival for a while.
But when Ray came in with Deena and joined her at the table with the other two couples, sans Josh, Evie realized their son must have already left for the airport. It wasn’t a quick trip, so she had an hour or two before he’d be back with her parents.
They’d discussed it last night, and Evie was happy to let Josh meet them first. They had no history with him, so perhaps they could form some kind of bond without her influence. And putting off the uncomfortable encounter as long as possible might be cowardly, but right now, that strategy suited Evie just fine.
Ray sat beside her with a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon. Evie had already finished her own breakfast, but she was enjoying a cup of coffee with everyone as they sat around and talked about the upcoming wedding. Melanie and Gladys had big plans for cooking and cleaning, even though Evie knew Deena and Josh had already spent a lot of time cleaning the house and moving things around in preparation for their guests. This was an industrious group of people, and they didn’t just sit around waiting for things to happen, it seemed.
They were doers. Evie liked that about them. They all seemed to have very positive attitudes and were eager to accept Josh into the family. As far as Evie was concerned, that was the golden ticket. If they loved and accepted Josh, then she would love and accept them. The fact that they were all pretty decent people made it all that much easier.
While Ray was eating and the conversation flowed around them, Evie sipped coffee. She’d almost settled her nerves when her superior werewolf hearing told her someone was driving up the gravel driveway. Josh. And her parents? No. She wasn’t ready!
Ray put a hand out and grasped hers, catching her attention. “It’ll be all right, no matter what,” he whispered, reassuring her.
Deena had stood even before Evie heard the telltale sounds. Of course. She’d felt the vehicle pass over her wards on the property. Evie hadn’t really known about such things before the whole incident in North Dakota, but she realized how handy it must be to have early warning about visitors. Deena had known of their arrival even before Evie, which wasn’t something Evie was used to. Usually, her shifter senses put her one step ahead of everyone else.
“They’re here,” Deena told everyone before leaving the kitchen and heading for the front door. She was going to greet them, as was only proper. It was her house, after all.
Evie felt a knot of dread form in her stomach. There was also a little ray of hope trying to break through, but it was having a hard time getting past all the hurt and sadness and fear.
“We’ll all stay here for now,” Melanie told her in a gentle voice. “You probably need some time together first to square things. I hope you don’t mind, but Deena told us a little bit about what happened.”
“I don’t mind,” Evie told the other woman, glad she wouldn’t have to explain the dynamics of what was about to happen. “Thanks for understanding.”
Evie took a deep breath and pushed back from the table. She stood with Ray beside her. He was in this with her, which was a tremendous help. She grabbed onto his hand as they walked out of the kitchen and headed for whatever reaction her family might have.
She knew one thing. If they still objected to Ray, then she didn’t need them in her life. If, however, they were willing to accept her mate, then she’d give them a chance. She wanted to hear the explanations from them directly. She knew what they’d told Josh over the phone, but she needed to hear it in person, from them, to judge for herself whether or not it was true.
Ray’s presence at her side was reassuring as they crossed the house toward the front door. As she passed the window, Evie could just make out a small group of people standing in the drive, next to a couple of suitcases. Josh and Deena stood with their backs to the house, partially blocking the view of the newcomers, but Evie thought she caught a glimpse of her mother’s hair—now just a little gray around the temples. Her breath caught as she paused at the door. Could she really do this?
The choice was taken out of her hands when Ray opened the door, and everyone turned to look at her. Josh and Deena were smiling encouragingly, and then, Evie saw her mother and father for the first time in so very, very long…
Time stopped. Everyone stood still for a moment as Evie and her parents just looked at each other.
Then, Evie noticed the tears on her mother’s face, and she started moving again. Step by step, she walked closer to where her mother and father waited. She passed Josh, reaching out to touch his arm as she went, then stood face to face with her mother.
“Hi, Mom,” Evie found herself saying.
The moment was surreal. She hadn’t ever imagined talking to her mother again. At least not in this lifetime. She’d thought she’d been written off. Shunned. Forgotten.
If she’d been a good little loyal Pack wolf, she probably should have greeted the Alpha male first, but this was her family. Things were a little different within the family unit. Sure, her father had been the one to forbid her relationship with Ray, but the part that had hurt the most was her mother’s silence.
Evie was used to her father—the big Alpha male of the entire Pack—making decrees she didn’t always agree with, but her mother’s betrayal had been the worst part. Of course, they were denying it all, claiming they were under the influence of some kind of evil magic.
Easy enough to say. Hard to prove, this late in the game. Ever since Josh had told her about the supposed mage, Evie had been turning the story over in her mind. Frankly, she was on the fence. Torn between wanting to believe that her family had never really abandoned her and wanting to carry the grudge that had built up in her mind and heart over the many years when she’d needed them and they hadn’t been there.
“Oh, Evie…” Her mother broke into tears, crying hard now.
Evie’s first impulse was to comfort, but there were too many questions between them still. She held back, turning, instead, to look at her father. The Alpha wolf.
“I’m sorry, munchkin,” he said in a soft voice, filled with regret.
The childhood nickname was like a gut punch. And the apology was unprecedented. Never had Evie heard Alpha Mahigan apologize to anyone for anything. That he was doing so now meant something significant.
“Hi, Dad.” It was all she could think of to say at the moment. Evie’s mind was in chaos. Was this the homecoming she’d hoped for? She still wasn’t sure.
“Evie, I want you to know, we searched for you,” her father said in that strong voice she remembered so well. “We’ve been searching for you the last twenty years. Josh, here, has told us a bit about where you’ve been and what happened between you and your mate, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you thought you weren’t welcome back home. You were always welcome. You are always welcome. I still consider you part of the Pack, and if you want it, your place has been kept open for you.”
“My place? As what? I was a submissive female when I left. I knew that always disappointed you, but I was what I was. I couldn’t change that unless I changed on a fundamental level.” She shrugged. It might be painful to discuss these matters, but it was very necessary that they understand she was no longer the girl that they had known. “And I did change. These years on my own with Josh…they changed me.”
“Maybe so,” her father admitted. “But you’ll always be my daughter. That’s your place in the Pack. If you want it.”
Evie was stunned, but also wary. “I might have to get back to you on that,” she told him, surprised to see sadness and a bit of disappointment in his eyes. “Ray is back now,” she declared, taking Ray’s hand as he came to stand at her side. “He’s my mate, and nothing will ever change that.”
The Alpha nodded. “I understand.” Her father reached out to shake Ray’s right hand in a respectful manner.
Well, that was new. Her dad had never been willing to give Ray the time of day all those years ago. In fact, he’d forbidden Ray to come anywhere near Pack territory. Evie had had to sneak out to see him the few times they’d dated before Ray had asked her to be his wife.
Evie had known from the first time she saw Ray in town that he was something special to her. She’d gone against her family—against her Alpha—to see Ray because her inner wolf knew her mate when she saw him. It had taken only a few dates for Ray to propose, and then, Evie had tried to get approval from her father, but he’d gone into a rage.
She’d run away that night and never looked back. She and Ray had left the territory and struck out on their own. They’d spent a glorious few months together as newlyweds. They’d fixed up the cabin in the middle of North Dakota, far from her Canadian homeland, and made a home for themselves.
Then, Ray had disappeared. And then, Evie realized she was pregnant. A lot had happened in a short space of time all those years ago, culminating in Evie being left on her own with the baby to raise all by herself.
“Evie, honey…” Her mother had gotten control over her emotions somewhat. “Can you forgive me? I should’ve said something. I should’ve done more. I had no idea you would run away like that. I doubted your fey mate’s sincerity, and I’m so sorry.” Tears punctuated each of her mother’s words.
Evie didn’t know what to think. Those empty years where the only joy in her life had been her son weighed heavily.
“You forgave me,” Ray reminded her, whispering near her ear.
And he was right. She’d forgiven him almost immediately. She hadn’t been suspicious of his tale of imprisonment in the fey realm. She’d given him the benefit of the doubt.
She should probably do the same for her parents. Plus, there was Josh to consider. And now, Deena. They would want to know Evie’s family and had every right to learn more about the Pack Evie had grown up in.
All at once, the tension in her spine eased, and she walked into her mother’s arms.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she told her mother, as she’d earlier told Ray.
It wasn’t healthy to keep grudges. She was through with all that. This moment marked a new beginning for her and her family. All of them. Ray, Josh, her parents, Deena and her family. They were all starting over as of now.