Chapter Sixteen
Holly smoothed down her dress and checked her hair and makeup in the mirror. They were about to leave for the party at Muccino’s, and she wanted to make sure she looked perfect. Her dress was sparkly gold all over, went down to mid-thigh, and left one shoulder and arm bare, while the other was covered to her wrist. She’d bought it on a whim yesterday while she and Sharice did some retail therapy during a break from renovations. As soon as she stepped out of the dressing room, Sharice all but forced her to buy it so she could wear it to the party.
“You look stunning.”
She turned around. Standing in the bedroom doorway, Dante looked devastatingly handsome in his dark suit and tie. It was obviously made just for him, as the lines on the suit enhanced his broad shoulders and muscular frame. “You’re not looking bad yourself.”
His eyes locked onto her as he stalked toward her. He slipped a hand around her and pulled her to him, so close she could feel the heat of his body. “How about we skip the party and stay here? I can give you a kiss at midnight right in bed.”
“I think Hannah would be disappointed.”
He nuzzled her neck. “We can pawn her off on Selena and Quinn again; I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“Dante …” she warned.
He gave a mock sigh. “A guy can try, right?”
“C’mon,” she said. “Hannah’s waiting.”
He gave her one last kiss, and then they went downstairs. Hannah was already in the living room, obviously eager to leave. She was wearing a pretty pink and black sparkly dress and matching shoes, plus Holly had braided her hair and tied it up with a pink ribbon
“Who’s this lovely girl in my living room and what have you done to Hannah?” Dante said.
Hannah’s face lit up in a smile.
“You look beautiful, sweetie,” Holly said. “We should get going; everyone’s probably on their way there.”
Traffic was light, as most people were probably at home or inside bars, celebrating the last night of the year. Dante pulled into the back of Muccino’s, and they walked through the front door. The festivities was already in full swing.
“It’s really nice of you to have this party for everyone,” she said as they entered. “Our staff especially can use the extra cheer.”
“You can thank my brother and his masochistic tendencies,” he said, nodding over at Enzo. He was standing by the bar, flirting with Sharice, who seemed to be doing her best to keep her distance.
She shook her head. “She likes him a lot. I’m sure. She’s just been hurt too many times.” She really hoped that Sharice would give Enzo a chance. Despite the initial impression he made on her (and that prank he played), Holly came to like him. Enzo proved himself to be a patient and kind man. He would always have a kind word to say to Hannah, and joked and played with her until she smiled. Yes, Enzo was definitely one of the good ones.
“Holly! Dante!” Frankie greeted as she approached them.
“Hey, sis,” Dante said, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek. “Everyone here?”
“Yeah, almost everyone. Nick, Cady, Killian, Luna, Selena, Quinn, Meredith, and of course, all the kids.” Frankie pulled Holly into a hug and whispered in her ear, “Sorry, Evie and Connor are still in West Virginia. His brother’s baby came a little earlier than expected, so they wanted to stay longer. Mom and baby are doing well, in case you were wondering.”
“That’s all right, no worries.” Holly was hoping that Hannah could finally meet Evie, but Frankie had warned her they weren’t sure when she was coming back. “Maybe next time.”
“Say, Hannah,” Frankie said. “All the kids are over there, at their own table. They have a chocolate fountain. Wanna go sit with them?”
Hannah nodded and took Frankie’s hand.
“We’ll just be here, sweetie,” Holly called. Hannah flashed her a smile and waved to her as she disappeared into the crowd of people.
“Chef McHottie, you’re here!” A cheerful voice greeted. Holly turned around and saw a beautiful, tall woman with long blond hair and expressive light brown eyes. In her arms, she held a small, pink bundle. The baby was small, probably only a few months old, Holly guessed.
“Meredith,” Dante greeted. “I’d like you to meet Holly Taylor.”
“Hello, Holly,” she said in an excited voice. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“Uhm, nice to meet you too, Meredith,” she replied warmly.
“Meredith is Quinn and Killian’s sister,” Dante explained.
“And very frequent diner at Muccino’s,” she added. “Oh, and this is my daughter, Astrid.”
Holly moved closer to peek at the baby in Meredith’s arms. Astrid was awake, her eyes wide and curious as she looked up. “She’s beautiful, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Dante, I think Matt and Rafe are looking for you.” She shifted Astrid to one arm and linked her free arm with Holly’s. “Why don’t you go and see what they want, and I’ll keep your gorgeous Holly company? I promise I’ll give her back.”
“Of course,” Dante said with a nod. “I’ll see you in a bit, sweetheart. I’ll find you before midnight for that kiss.” He kissed her cheek and left them.
“So, Holly,” Meredith began. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Meredith had heard about her? “Really?”
“Yeah, from Selena and Quinn.”
“Oh, good things I hope?”
Meredith chuckled. “Definitely. I—” She wrinkled her nose. “Ooopsie poopsie. I think someone needs a diaper change. Hey, would you mind giving me a hand? Normally, my husband would help me, but he’s visiting his mom. He did promise to pop in before midnight at least.”
“No problem,” Holly said. “But I’ve never changed a diaper before.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do the dirty part,” Meredith said. “Besides, you should start learning anyway.”
Holly gave a nervous laugh. “Sure.”
Meredith led her to the changing room in the back of the restaurant, which was well-stocked with diapers, wipes, and everything they needed. She laid Astrid on the changing table and reached for a container of wipes. “You know,” Meredith began. “I’m really glad Dante found you. He’s the last single Lycan of our bunch.”
“Oh …” She wasn’t sure what to say. “It’s not … I mean …” She and Dante never really talked about what they were, but she figured they would at some point. She didn’t want to bring it up because she didn’t want it to turn into one of those clichés where the woman sits the man down and asks “to talk.” Still, it was a thought that had buried itself into her head. Things were going so great and she didn’t want to ruin it.
“Really,” Meredith sighed. “You’d think it wouldn’t have taken him this long to find his True Mate.”
“His … what?” What was Meredith talking about?
“You know, his True Mate.” Meredith frowned. “He has told you, right?”
Now she was really confused. “Told me what?”
“About True Mates. Lycans have one person they’re supposed to be with. Kinda like soul mates,” she explained. “They become mates for life, stay together forever, and have lots of beautiful Lycan babies.”
Holly’s heart dropped and a pit began to form in her stomach.
“I … ewww, Astrid!” Meredith exclaimed when she opened Astrid’s diaper. “Are your brothers sneaking you beans when I’m not feeding you? Gross!” She gagged and reached for a napkin to cover her nose.
“I-I-I should … excuse me, I have to …”
“Go ahead,” Meredith said, waving her away. “Sorry about the smell.”
Holly pivoted and staggered out of the bathroom without a word. She braced herself against the wall as she felt her knees nearly buckle under her. True Mate. Of course. Wolves mated for life, right? So it probably made sense that Lycans did, too. And that meant Dante was someday going to find another one of his kind who would be his mate. He’d marry her and have beautiful Lycan babies. After all, Dante had explained to her that only two Lycans could have Lycan babies, which is why his half-siblings were human.
She let out a bitter laugh. Meredith must have thought she was a Lycan and therefore Dante’s mate. Dante, though, knew she was human and could never be his mate. And everyone else … Frankie, Nonna Gianna, Enzo … why did they treat her like one of them? They knew she wasn’t Lycan. Maybe they just felt sorry for her and Hannah. Well, it was cruel to make Holly and Hannah feel wanted and part of the family when they knew Dante was eventually going to find his real soulmate. Maybe she had misjudged all of them.
A tightness began to creep into her chest, squeezing her lungs and making it difficult to breathe. I have to get out of here.
She walked into the dining room, keeping her shoulders slumped and her head down, hoping no one would notice her. But where to go? She needed somewhere she could think and figure out how to make a graceful exit. If she’d been alone, it would have been easy to slip out and leave. But Hannah was here, probably having fun with friends.
The kitchen. Dante had spent the whole day cooking so everyone could go to the party. As she suspected, it was dark and empty. She closed the door behind her and slammed her palms on the counter. She’d been a fool to trust Dante Muccino.
“There you are,” a masculine voice said. “I thought I saw you sneaking in here.”
Holly froze. Dante. She tried to open her mouth to speak but nothing came out. A hand landed on her waist and snaked around her.
“Were you hoping I’d find you here? I’m pretty sure fooling around here would be a health code violation, but I think it might be worth it,” he whispered in her ear.
Bile rose in her throat, as she thought of all the times they had made love and he knew he would be falling in love with someone else eventually. She grabbed his hands and pushed him away. “Stay away from me,” she said in the coldest voice she could muster.
“Holly?” Dante blinked at her. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” she repeated. “True Mates. That’s what’s wrong.”
Dante’s face shifted from confused to somber. He reached out a hand to her. “Holly, I meant to tell you—”
She swatted him away. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare! You knew all this time!”
“I didn’t, I swear!”
“Don’t lie to me. Meredith told me about True Mates and how you’re going to find your soulmate and be with her forever! So, what was I? A stopover on the way? A little distraction to pass the time?” The anger inside her was burning bright. “Did you ever stop and think what this would do to Hannah now that she’s attached to you and your family? You’re all cruel and mean to put her through this. If all you wanted was to get laid, you didn’t have to put on this show, not for my sake!”
“Wait a Goddamn minute!” Dante cussed and grabbed her wrist. He was too fast this time and pulled her to him. “What the hell are you talking about? Meredith told you we’re not True Mates?”
“Ha! I figured it out myself. And to think I had to stand there, humiliated, while she thought I was a Lycan.”
“Meredith thought you were a Lycan?” Dante’s brows furrowed. “You thought … that you had to be …” He let out a laugh.
“This is not funny!” She struggled against him, trying to yank herself away.
“Holly … sweetheart … please …” He let go of her wrist, and she staggered back. “Please, will you listen to me? This is just a misunderstanding. First off, True Mates don’t both have to be Lycans.”
“They don’t?”
He shook his head. “No. Look at Quinn and Selena. Or Killian and Luna. Even Meredith’s mate isn’t a Lycan.”
Confusion made her head buzz. “I don’t understand. You said only two Lycans can have Lycan children. Enzo, Matt, and Rafe aren’t Lycans.”
“Yes, but the exception is True Mates.” He let out a sigh. “See, here’s the thing. True Mate pairings always produce a Lycan child. Even if one isn’t a Lycan.”
Dante could be lying to calm her down. She wasn’t a Lycan and wouldn’t know anyway. She searched his eyes. She wanted to believe he was telling the truth.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you, but I didn’t want to scare you. Finding out about Lycans was hard enough. But this? I was afraid you’d run in the other direction.”
“I just don’t … why did Meredith think I’m your True Mate?”
He stepped closer and touched her arm. “Because you could be. There are signs, but … we just can’t be sure.”
“We can’t?” she echoed.
“It’s not an exact science. There’s no test that tells you if it’s true. Well, there is one way …”
“And?”
“You might not like it.”
Her heart drummed in her chest. “Tell me.”
“Well … the first time True Mates have sex without any physical contraception, they’ll conceive. No exceptions. Even if you were on birth control.”
“What?”
“Yes, that’s part of it. And knowing that, I wasn’t going to possibly get you pregnant against your will, which is why I was always careful to use protection.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I couldn’t do that knowing how important your career is to you. No matter how much I want to see you pregnant with our kid.”
Her mind was reeling, and the thoughts swirled inside like a tornado. “But … what if we did try … and it turns out I’m not?”
“Then I don’t give a shit about True Mates. Holly, my True Mate could walk in the door this very moment and I’d chose you over her. Over and over again, I’d choose you.”
“But … why? You could have Lycan children with your True Mate.”
“Why?” He laughed. “Because I love you, Holly, that’s why. So, the question is will you try with me? And damn all the consequences? We’ll just choose to be with each other and tell fate to screw itself?"
Dante’s words hit her square in the chest. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a sob. “I—"
A scream pierced the air, and they both turned their heads toward the dining room. A dreaded feeling began to form in Holly’s stomach. “Hannah.”