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“Everything going okay with you, son?” he inquired as he turned off the bedroom light and carried the tablet out into the hall.
“Yeah, but I’ve got some unexpected news,” Lucas said. “Is Mom around? I’d like to tell both of you at the same time.”
Dad looked worried. “Is it good news or bad news?” he asked warily.
“Oh, it’s good news,” Lucas assured him. “Just kind of shitty timing.”
His dad nodded. “Your mother is downstairs, watching TV.”
A short while later, Mom and Dad sat side by side on their living room couch, expectant looks on their faces as Dad held the tablet.
“So, what’s the big news, Lucas?” Mom asked, smiling. “Did you catch your bad guys? Are you coming home earlier than you expected?”
Lucas shook his head. “Mom, Dad, you’re not going to believe this, but I just mated someone. One of the local wolf shifters here. Her name is Malia, she’s a really wonderful young woman, and she’s in law enforcement, too.”
His parents gaped at him. After a shocked silence, they looked at each other with the silent communication of long-mated couples.
Then Dad turned his gaze back to the tablet. “Son, if that’s a joke, it’s not a very funny one.”
“I’m not joking,” Lucas assured him. “Itwasunexpected, though. I went on a date with her, and, well, you could say that my cat and her wolf conspired to make it more than just a date.” He sighed.
“You’re undercover and you decided to date a local cop? And now you’re mated to her? In the middle of a job?” Dad asked incredulously. Then he shook his head.
Lucas winced. As a retired park ranger, Dad was very familiar with law enforcement operations against poachers and other types of criminals operating on public lands.
“Yeah, I’m really fucked right now,” Lucas agreed.
“Lucas!” Mom said sternly. “Language!”
“Sorry, Mom, but honestly, I’m in shock and I need some advice. Like, when should I tell my girls that they have a stepmother that they’ve never even met?”
“As soon as possible,” Mom said firmly. “They’ll adjust. And a mate isforever.” She hesitated, then asked in an anxious tone, “Does Malia know about Taylor and Savannah? Does she like children?”
Lucas nodded. “Yes, to both questions. We’ve already discussed having more kids in the future.”
Mom relaxed visibly. “Well, that’s a relief. But, really, Lucas…you’ve known this Maliahowlong, exactly?”
“We met on Sunday,” he confessed. “My cat took a liking to her right away. And from what she tells me, her wolf felt the same way.”
“Oh! I’ve heard of things like that happening, but never to anyone I know personally.” Mom’s eyes widened. “You must be fated mates!”
“That old fairy tale?” Lucas scoffed.
Not a lie. Truth,protested his cat.She was meant to be ours.
“…but my cat agrees with you,” he added. “Sheesh.”
Fated mates, really?He’d heard stories about them all his life, but had dismissed them as some kind of romantic fiction spun by shifters madly in love.
But much as he hated to admit it, it was the only explanation for his current situation.
“So, you’re not happy about this?” Dad asked. “You feel like she trapped you in some way?”
“No! This wasn’t Malia’s fault at all!” Lucas protested instantly. “She was as taken by surprise as I was.” He sighed. “And considering my current cover identity, she’s worried about how her family and wolf pack are going to react to discoveringI’mher mate.”
He hated that he might be causing her discomfort and stirring up conflict between his mate and her pack, but he was kind of stuck at this point.
I’ll make it all up to her—and them—later, he promised himself.
