Page 34 of Wrong Number, Right Unicorn

Ahhh, he’d picked up on that. I sighed because I should have told him this before we mated, though introducing him to my unicorn was the biggie, and we’d been there and done that.

“I’m going to stop off along the way.” I could have driven straight through, but it seemed like the time was right for a face-to-face.

Errol’s brow crinkled, and I kissed the wrinkly lines. “And do what?”

“I have family who live deep in the woods.”

Not just any family; my folks. But we lived very different shifter lifestyles. They kept their beasts safe by keeping away from people, but their unicorns were free to wander the woods. I was a city-dweller, and until the day I’d revealed my beast to my mate, my unicorn had never been outside the orchard fence.

Our different perspective on how to live with a so-called mythical beast had caused friction in the past, and our communication had dwindled to phone calls on holidays and birthdays.

Errol pulled away and his eyes searched mine. “I thought you didn’t have any family. Isn’t that what you told me?”

Had I said that? Pretty sure I’d kept it vague. But whatever… I hadn’t been honest with my mate because I was avoiding any conflict with my parents. I’d chickened out, and now I needed to alpha up.

I sat Errol down and summarized what had happened between me and my parents. Before I was born, my parents were planning on traveling the world and doing volunteer work. After I arrived, they handed me over to my grandfather, saying they’d be gone a while. A while turned into years, with them popping in occasionally and telling Gramps what a great job he was doing.

Until, I was close to my first shift, and my folks came back. But the day I met my unicorn was when a wolf lunged for me as we were in the woods near the house. My parents chased the wolf, but that experience terrified me and I retreated to my grandfather’s.

I explained to Errol that I hoped to repair some of the damage and open up communication.

“Seeing you with Grams and how you care for her made me realize life is short and we should keep our loved ones close.”

“I’m coming.”

I pursed my lips, trying not to laugh, but my mate caught on to what was in my head and he slapped my arm.

“Not here, not now, and not in my pants. Keep your mind on your folks and how you hid them from me.”

“Yes, sir.”

I apologized for being an ass, and Errol asked if there were any other secrets he should know about.

“Nope, that’s it.”

I was overwhelmed with guilt, while I should have confided in him when we first met, he was worried about Grams, and once her meds were administered properly, it never seemed like theright time. That was a poor excuse, and I had to be mindful that my mate was my partner in life and was deserving of my trust.

Errol had taken so much time off his job as a freelance personal trainer over the months Grams wasn’t herself—which was why he didn’t have the five hundred for her bail—I worried he wouldn’t be able to pay his bills if he came with me.

But we were mates, and I offered to make up any shortfall.

“It’s okay. I’ve been working a crazy schedule, covering for two colleagues, so I’m sure they’ll take my clients for a week.”

My beast was also excited because he’d get to frolic with my parents’ beasts.

I do enjoy frolicking.

Two days later and the car was packed, we had food for the trip, and Grams’s neighbor was primed to check in on her twice a day.

“This is exciting.” Errol was already foraging in the snack basket and we hadn’t reached the city outskirts.

My folks were vegetarian, and I’d arranged to be there for lunch. They had a huge garden, something I was envious of, even though I had space at my place to grow vegetables.

“Will they be weirded out that I’m human?” My mate gasped and put a hand to his chest. “You have told them about me, haven’t you?”

I deserved that, having not confessed about my family.

“This is like a fairy tale.” Errol pressed his face to the window as I drove along the winding track lined with trees to my parents’ home.

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