Broken

.17.

"My name is Rhex DharSon. I am your daughter's soulmate." He held out his hand and my mum blinked several times before smiling so wide I thought her face would crack before she waved his hand away.

"You are part of the family now. No need for such formality. Come here." She took one step towards him before wrapping him in a hug. I forced my face to stay neutral but the smile forced itself onto my mouth anyway. Rhex looked confused, not just confused but a little bit afraid of my small, human mother. She let him go and I tried not to laugh at the relief he had on his face. "My name is Eliza, you will meet my husband, Louis, shortly. Please come into our home." She gave him a brilliant smile and I couldn't help myself and I started laughing. Rhex looked like he was being lead to his death.

"Liv, are you okay?" My mum's voice was sharp with concern and I waved her off, stifling my giggles.

"It's just this funny thing I just remembered." I blinked innocently at Rhex who looked completely unamused with my giggles.

My mum walked by me and Rhex wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me to his side. "You will be with me. Every Source-forsaken step of the way." His words were whispered between gritted teeth and I fought back a chuckle.

"I did promise." I linked my arm through his, ignoring how he stiffened at the action as we walked inside of the house. He was so tense it almost made me feel guilty for laughing at him. He was scared to meet my parents. I didn't blame him. He was being introduced to a completely different culture and he didn't have a clue on what to do with it. "I'm sorry for laughing at you. Just relax. You are going to make my parents nervous if you look like that." I grimaced as I looked at him.

"I can literally feel how uncomfortable you are right now. Just relax, okay?" I met his gaze and watched as his face softened slightly, the feeling in the air shifted slightly but he was still tense. I watched as my mum disappeared into the kitchen.

"Liv." My father's voice was soft and I smiled at him before letting Rhex go. I walked over to my dad and kissed him on the cheek before hugging him tightly. "My little potato." The name made me fight between wanting to cry or laugh.

"Dad, you haven't called me that in years." I looked at him with a smile. I had missed them both so much.

"I was getting a little nostalgic. Sue me." He kissed my forehead and I held him tighter. I had no idea what he meant, another one of his strange phrases but it made me love him even more.

"I love you." I couldn't help it but say it and he kissed my forehead again.

"I love you more." He let me go and looked Rhex up and down. There was a tense moment and I watched as Rhex stiffened once more. "You Orrians really are like roided out jocks. I mean seriously." To my surprise my dad gave a bark of laughter before his face was once again serious.

"You need to be in order to protect my little girl. I know how half the Council is. I know what it is like up there. You protect her from them, you understand me?" His voice was low and he seemed almost pained as he looked at me. I glanced at Rhex in turn whose face was almost severe. He held out his hand towards me and I quickly took the translator from him before handing it to my dad.

He didn't look confused as he took it and put it in his ear. "I am perfectly aware that there are those among my people who wish to kill Liv. It is a fact I am reminded of daily." Rhex's gaze met mine and there was a coldness in it that surprised me and almost scared me a bit. "If I hear word of her being hurt in anyway while I am gone, I will return and find the person who did it before removing their head from their body and delivering it to the Council."

He grasped my hand, holding it tightly. "Tear apart what the Source has wrought, to death you must be brought." Hearing Nadila say the words and then hearing Rhex say them were two completely different things. Nadila's version wasn't nearly as terrifying as Rhex's. I resisted the urge to shiver at the coldness in his voice. "I will not allow any harm to come to my mate. The thought is inconceivable." His voice had turned almost soft and I gave him a small smile before stepping closer to him.