Page 343 of Love Bites

“Coco,” I said as I broke the kiss, resting my forehead against hers. “I need you to know—”

“Dad?”

My kid had the worst fucking timing in the world.

“Good morning, Nico.” I tore myself away from Coco, turning to face the man I was only beginning to know and the woman he was soon to marry. “Good morning to you as well, Fiona. Ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight?”

But Nico wasn’t looking at me. His eyes had locked on Coco, the surprise on his face turning my blood cold.

“Nico—”

“Wait… Coco, you’re dating my dad?”

My wolf responded to his tone, to the volume with which he spoke to our mate. To the way she trembled against my side. My growl rumbled through the hall, but Nico ignored me. The ignorance of a wolf shifter raised only in the human world.

“She’s dating my dad,” he said to Fiona, shaking his head. “I mean, man…talk about sloppy seconds.”

There was no holding back. I grabbed Nico by the collar and rushed forward, slamming his back against the wall when I reached it. My growl turned to a snarl, and my teeth lengthened. Son or not, he had no right to embarrass my girl that way. Not happening. “You are talking about my mate, son. I would choose my words carefully if I were you.”

A door opened down the hall, and I looked up just in time to see Coco disappear into the stairwell. Running. From me. Just as I’d feared she would at some point. Fuck.

“Magnus, please put him down,” Fiona said, sounding bored and tired. She’d grown up with shifters—she knew better than to make any sort of comments about another’s mate. She also didn’t deserve to have my son’s past sexual history thrown in her face.

“You have not earned the mate the fates have given you, and I seriously doubt you ever will,” I said, a growl rolling through my voice. “And you certainly have not earned the attention of mine.”

I set him back on his feet as he stuttered and coughed.

“Jesus, Dad. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Fiona’s eye-roll might as well have been my own. “You only say that when you get caught being a jackass. You owe your father and Coco an apology.” She gave me a small smile. “Congratulations on finding your mate. She seems like a really nice girl.”

I grunted, still staring at my son. The man I didn’t know well enough yet. The one I’d found out was part of me by accident. The one I was only starting to build a relationship with.

The man who likely knew more about my mate than I did. “Tell me everything about Coco and your relationship. Now.”

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