Page 126 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

For the next hour, both my parents fuss around my mate, proving once more how lucky I was to be born into such a loving family. They immediately welcomed my mate to their home, and Mom already organized a few folders for gardening classes and the like. There is also a flier about an ikebana class in one of the folders; Ryllis seems to be drawn to that in particular. She quickly warms up to my mom and tells her she always loved cooking and baking, so Mom promises to give her a few cooking books she can experiment with.

“Rosalee and I were talking yesterday,” Dad says when we all sit at the table. “You know we have that little cottage next to ours. Harmony used to live in it before she moved into the beta's suite in the pack house.”

Mom nods with a smile. “If you two want to have it, we’ll happily give it to you. We built it for our children, anyway. But we understand if you want to move to your own place entirely and not live next to us.”

I know Ryllis longs for a family more than anything else, and while I’d love to be completely on my own with her, I want to adapt at her pace. The cottage is a perfect middle ground. It’s not in my parents’ house, but it’s nearby, and Ryllis would never feel alone.

I would mindlink her to see how she feels about it, but I haven’t marked her yet, and she hasn’t been officially made a pack member yet. So I can’t. Finn is so lucky that all it takes for him as a royal lycan to mind link his mate is for him to accept her.

“I think it would be nice to stay in the cottage next to yours for a while before we consider what to do next,” I say. “What do you think, Ryllis?”

Her eyes have gone wide at my words. Now she smiles. “I’d love that.”

Mom and Dad exchange a happy gaze and smile at us. I link them both.Thanks, Mom, Dad.

Don’t mention it,Dad says surprisingly earnestly.You’re my son, and I’m proud of you. You’re a fine young man, Steve.

I agree.Mom smiles.We are thrilled you found your mate. I know you’ll be kind and loving to her, and eventually, she’ll leave her trauma behind. She is such a gentle and loving soul.

I feel happy they both like her and are so welcoming toward her. I can feel tears brimming in my eyes. Before I can embarrass myself further by crying, my oldest sister, Harmony, approaches us.

“Here she comes!” Mom waves at her.

“That’s Harmony,” I tell Ryllis. “Annie’s and my sister. She is also Alpha Celine’s beta.”

Harmony smiles at all of us. She hugs me tightly first before taking Ryllis into her arms too. “I’m Steve’s oldest sister,” she says before winking at me. “I can’t believe he found his mate before I did.”

Ryllis looks a bit shy around Harmony. I’ve noticed it’s a pattern for her when she is in front of high-ranking pack members. “Nice to meet you,” she says, shifting around a bit. “I’m Amaryllis.”

“It’s great to have you here,” Harmony says sincerely. “After Annie left, I felt a bit lonely. It’s good to have another little sister around.”

Ryllis instantly beams at her words, making Lynx chuckle inside my mind.Cutie has a family complex, it seems. It’s sweet, though. She likes our family.

I hold Ryllis’ hand while we chat with Harmony and my parents. Mom eventually brings us some cake, and Ryllis goes to help and talk with her. She seems to trust my mother instantly and is drawn to her kindness. When they return, Celine joins us with her mate and our lune, Marius. Our pack is not comparable to other packs. We have a female alpha and a male luna, but both are fantastic in what they do, and our pack is fully flourishing now. It’s stronger than it ever was.

“Alpha,” I nod at Celine politely.

“It’s good to see you, Alpha Celine.” Mom smiles. “You came right in time for coffee.”

“It helps to have my beta as a spy here.” Celine chuckles and squeezes Harmony’s shoulder. She instantly turns to look at Ryllis. “It’s nice to finally have you here, Amaryllis. Whenever you need something, feel free to contact me or Harmony. Also, let me officially introduce you to my mate and this pack’s lune.” She and Marius exchange a short, loving gaze before she smiles at Ryllis. “This is Marius. He is one of Alpha Elden’s sons.”

Marius looks at Ryllis a bit cautiously before he smiles gently. “I’m pleased to meet you, Amaryllis. If you need something, I can reassure you that my door is always open.”

Ryllis nods in awe, apparently still trying to grasp the fact that we have a male luna. “Thank you, Lune Marius.”

Marius looks like he wants to say more, but then smiles at my mate before greeting the rest of us.

“Hey, man.” He smacks my shoulder and sits down next to Celine, pulling her into his arms. “Brian,” he says politely before grinning at Harmony. “Dragon.”

“Ignore him,” Harmony says lazily. “He is just prissy that I kicked his ass during training today.”

“I just let you win for once,” Marius retorts.

Celine smacks his legs and rolls her eyes. She looks amused, though.

“How did the meeting go last week?” Mom asks Marius curiously.

“Very well. Thank you for the contacts you provided, Rosalee,” Marius says. “We have a female therapist now, which helps a lot.”

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