Page 21 of Shadow Wolf
Liam promised he would keep Alex out of trouble. My mother on the other hand, if she was still breathing when I returned and didn’t cause Alex any harm, then everything would be worth this trip with Clare.
I hadn’t given my word to the Reapers on whether I was in or out. I did the last run to the frat on Saturday, collecting my commission to pay for the airfare to Washington. Clare had offered to pay for it, and said her parents gave her enough for the two of us, but I couldn't do that and meet her parents for the first time. I wanted them to know I would be able to take care of Clare. That I could pay my way. It was going to be a dent in my savings, but I would find a way to replace it when I got back. By finding a job that was legal.
Flying wassomething I had always wanted to experience, but after that flight I was not a fan. It wasn’t the fear of dying, it takes a bit to kill me, but my panther just couldn’t deal with the altitude and pressure, and I spent most of the flight gripped tightly to the chair. Clare thought I was scared of flying. I had to play along with it so my panther didn’t burst through and scare her and all the others on the plane.
Pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to hide that from social media, and I would have ousted the whole shifter community.
“Oh, there they are.” Clare pointed out to a black BMW parked in a waiting bay outside the airport. Of course her parents drove a BMW. From the way she spoke about them on the plane, they weren’t aching for money.
I didn’t think through the whole meeting the parent’s thing when I jumped at the chance to come here with her. For the first time, I was worried about what they would see. How they would judge me. The kid with tattoos dating their perfect, sweet daughter.
A tall woman with a short brown bob appeared from the car and called out.
“Clare!” Her arms stretched wide as Clare ran towards her mother.
I watched as they embraced almost awkwardly. I took our luggage over to where her father had now emerged from the car. I could tell that was where she had got her dark hair from. He glanced at me, his eyes roaming to my throat tat. I wore a hoodie so he couldn’t see any others. His lip turned down a moment. I tried to sense his emotions, but he was like a vault. Had them locked up tight. He looked over to his daughter and plastered a warm smile on his face in greeting. Even that held no emotion. He was going to be hard to read.
“Come over, Frankie, meet my parents,” Clare called for me, waving her hand. I dropped our luggage. I had a duffle bag with a few changes of clothes but she had taken a large suitcase with her. I walked over to her mother who was now very focused on my throat tat. Her emotions were easy to read. She wasn't happy to see me, that was for sure. It made my skin prickle with how much disdain she already had for me, and my panther didn’t like it. When I reached out to shake her hand, fear rolled off her in waves. Great start to meeting the parents.
“Hello, Mrs. Briggs, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Clare has told me all about you.”
It was a line I had seen in movies and was surprised when her mother’s lip turned up slightly as she took my outstretched hand. She shook it, but before releasing it, turned it slightly and glanced down. My right hand had a black rose, one of the many tats I had designed on my body.
“You weren’t what I was expecting when Clare asked to invite you.”
Clare’s emotions flared—anger and guilt. But she was more embarrassed by what her mother said than anything. I didn't want her to feel that way because of her mother’s behavior. It wasn't Clare, that wasn't who she was. She wasn't embarrassed by me so she shouldn't feel that way when her mother was rude. I was used to rude, judgemental people. But I don't think Clare had ever experienced it firsthand like this before.
“Mom. He’s my boyfriend.” Clare was visibly upset by what her mother had said to me. Her father wasn’t any better.
“What do your folks think about you drawing all over your body like that?”
I didn’t often spend time with people who would comment on my ink in that way, but I had been asked questions like that before.
“They understand that it is an expression of my art and don’t judge me for it.”
I watched him grit his teeth before opening the trunk. He seated himself back into the driver’s seat, leaving me to put the bags in and close it. Clare took my hand and I could see her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think they would be that rude.”
I brushed my thumb over her cheek when one fell free. I could tell she didn’t want to cry in front of her parents, but this was breaking me. How couldn’t they see their words were hurting Clare, not me.
“Don’t worry about it, Clare. I’m not. I’m here for you. Not them. Nothing they can say will change the way I feel for you, sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead before opening the car door for her to get in.
The ride to her childhood home was silent. No one spoke, and that was better than one of them upsetting Clare further as her mother’s emotions were screaming out how much she disapproved of me. Her father, his emotions broke through a little. Me not being “good enough for his daughter” was the strongest one. My panther wanted to shift and show him how good I was for her. But I held him back. That wouldn’t solve anything. He was just very protective of Clare and didn't want her parents hurting her.
I could understand how hard it was for her to ask them to quit college. After meeting them both briefly, they were the type of people who wouldn’t accept no as an answer, or less than what they wanted. This was going to be a long week. Hopefully we could get away from them and enjoy ourselves without their judgmental comments. They weren’t going to hurt me with their negativity. They would only hurt Clare.
And that I wouldn’t accept.
Chapter14
Clare
My parents’ reaction to Frankie disgusted me. I was mortified; I wished that I never came home. I was surprised at my father and mother coming to pick us up. Maybe so they could both see Frankie and decide he wasn't good enough for their family.
My father spent most of his time away in the city for work, staying at the apartment he had there. My mother preferred living out here in Port Willow. All they did was work. Why did I even want to be back here when I couldn’t stand them? Why did I want to celebrate their anniversary? I was surprised that they were still together. I never saw my parents kiss or show an ounce of love to each other. It was as if they married each other for the same reason they had me. For the looks of the perfect spouse and child. The white picket fence and happy family. It was all a lie.
I felt Frankie stiffen as we drove through the gates to my childhood home. I should have told him. My parents might care about my quitting college and wasting their money on my tuition, but they wouldn’t go broke in this lifetime over it. My father was an investment banker, and Mom worked with stocks. They were “well off” as they used to say when kids at school asked if I was rich. There were no private schools close by, so I attended the same public school as all the other kids who lived in Port Willow.
