Page 7 of Cherished By Her Guardian

He helped her set the table and then tucked into the big meal. She hadn’t only made his favorite meal of chicken and dumplings but had also made an apple pie topped with streusel and fresh churned vanilla ice cream.

As he ate his third piece of pie and ice cream, he said, “Okay, I’m suspicious.”

“About what?” she asked with a chuckle as she scooped more ice cream onto the warm pie on his plate.

“You’re setting me up for something. Do you need help around the house, Dad? This reminds me of the time that you wanted me to reshingle the roof and made barbeque ribs and potato salad, plus strawberry shortcake to bribe me.”

His parents exchanged a quiet look, then his mom said, “It’s just that the year is almost over, Declan.”

“Yeah, and?” He finished the last bite of pie and ice cream and set his fork down on the plate.

“Alpha Phoenix has offered to bring some females in from his brother’s pack. Unmated females,” his dad said.

“You asked him to bring females here for me to meet?” he asked, wariness rising inside him.

“Not just you,” his mom said. “There are other unmated males in the pack, and Alpha Phoenix mentioned that it was something he could do. Perhaps after Christmas, when you and your cousins are home for a few days.”

“Just because your arranged mating worked out and you two fell in love doesn’t mean it happens that way for everyone. I know I’m nearly thirty, but that’s not all that old in the whole scheme of life, especially if the reason I’m still unmated is because I’m waiting for mymate.”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking a mate you find attractive and starting a family,” his dad said. “Or asking for an arranged mating from Alpha Phoenix. He’d choose an amazing female for you.”

“Mom, couldn’t you go work at a daycare if you want to be around babies so badly?” he asked, feeling a little exasperated.

“I want grandbabies to spoil, Declan,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So that’s a no on the arranged mating?”

“Don’t you want me to find my mate, the one female who is really meant to be mine?”

“Sure, if it doesn’t take too long,” his dad said.

Declan took the phone from his pocket and texted he was ready for a pickup at the same location the portal had opened in the woods. He received a quick reply from Alder:We’ll be there in ten minutes.

He responded that he was on his way.

Pushing back in the chair, he picked up his plate and fork and said, “I don’t care if I have to wait until I’m fifty to meet my mate. Whenever it happens is when the timing is right. I’m not going to rush into something with a random female just because you two think I’m getting old. Be happy I want to have a great mating and be with the right female. It takes as long as it takes.”

His dad let out a little grunt. “I told you he wouldn’t go for it.”

“Yeah, you called it,” his mom said. She stood and came around to the sink, where he was rinsing off the plate and fork. Putting her arm around him, she said, “Honey, I understand. But if you change your mind, Alpha Phoenix said he’d be happy to help you find a mate.”

“I’ll take my chances on fate,” he said.

Truly, he didn’t want to have an arranged mating or choose a female from a group just because she was a wolf and available. It was done more frequently in his parents’ generation, but there were still wolves who didn’t want to wait for their truemate, and even those who didn’t believe truemates existed.

He did, though.

“Thanks for dinner and dessert, even if you did have an agenda,” he said, kissing her cheek.

“I just want you to be happy,” his mom said. “We both do.”

“I am, I promise,” he said. He’d be happier when he found his mate, though. The sooner, the better.

After saying goodbye to his parents and promising to see them after Christmas had passed, he grabbed his coat and headed outside. By the time he reached the clearing in the woods, the portal was open, and the elves were waiting for him.

“How was dinner?” Alder asked.

“Good,” he said, explaining the reason behind the invitation.

“Moms and grandkids,” Royce said. “My mom is after me to get mated too. I told her I was going to wait until I found the right female, and she’d just have to get a cat to keep herself occupied.”

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