I woke to a cold and empty bed beside me when I reached for him the next morning. Flying from the bed I stopped only long enough to pull on some sleeping pants before racing down the stairs. I paused there at the end long enough to hear his deep chuckle and I felt a profound sense of relief flood through me. For a moment when I had woken up I had been terrified that it had all been one long dream. I wasn’t sure how I would have reacted at that point. I was far more than grateful for that to not have been the case.
I frowned then realizing that he had been laughing. It wasn’t that I had never heard him laugh I had just never heard it outside of his apartment. Striding into the kitchen that had quickly become our gathering place I found my mother and father sitting at the table across from him as mother animatedly told him a story of my childhood. Groaning I threw myself into the chair beside him.
“Come on mom he has been here a day, don’t be telling him all of these stories!” I protested and they all chuckled at me now as my mother shrugged.
“It will all come out eventually baby. Are you hungry?”
“No I’m ok. Thanks mom.” I answered before turning to Aidan. “Good morning baby.” I murmured as I dragged him into a brief kiss that had his face turning a bright red as he hid from my parent gaze. “Are you hungry?”
“No.” he said before motioning to my mother. “She already made me breakfast.”
Surprise coursed through me as I turned to look at my parent, both of whom were watching us with knowing smiles and odd looks in their eyes. “Thanks mom.”
“Not a problem baby. Although from what I hear it should be him cooking me breakfast from the way he cooks.” She said teasingly and Aidan looked up to her.
“I’d be more than happy to cook for you if you’d like me to.”
“Oh no, thank you baby. We already ate this morning.” She declined sweetly as she shook her head and I felt my world fall into place around me at her words. If my mother accepted him into this family then everyone else would have no choice but to fall in line as well. No one went against my mother, not only for fear of my father but fear of my mother herself. She was flat out vicious when she wanted to be and she didn’t hesitate to protect those she loved.
“Lunch then maybe?”
“I was only kidding Aidan you don’t have to cook for us. None of us expect that.”
“I would love to.” He said with a shrug. “It’s what I do and I would like to repay your for letting me stay in your home.”
My mother regarded him for a long moment before turning to my father and I knew they were having their own wordless conversation as she seemed to get his permission for something. After my father brief barely noticeable nod she turned her attention back to Aidan. “You are always welcome in this home Aidan. As long as you refrain from ever hurting Zariah again, you are welcome.”
Aidan tensed as color flushed his cheeks once more and he tore his eyes back to the wooden table sitting in front of us. I knew the warning hurt him as he relieved the effects of his choices but I also knew that my mom needed to say it. Reaching out I wrapped my arm around him and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. “Yes ma’am.” He murmured.
“Call me mom please. After all I did help raise you for years and after tomorrow you will be family.”
“Tomorrow?” Aidan and I questioned at the same time as we both jerked our attention back to her.
“Vic called while you were still sleeping. He has set the meeting for tomorrow evening close to sunset.” My father replied for her.
“Good.” I said nodding but Aidan only tensed even more beside me as he remained silent. I didn’t say anything to him because I knew that it would be pointless seeing as we already had this discussion he was just going to have to trust me like he said.
The sound of multiple little footsteps racing down the stairs drew all of our attention as I turned to find the twins racing into the kitchen giggling furiously, whether at themselves or something they had just done I wasn’t sure.
“Good morning little ones.” My mother said as they jumped into their seats beside her.
“Morning mommy.” They chirped together before both of their eyes flickered over to Aidan and I. It had always amazed me that much like Sabian and Annalee; the twins were so identical, except for their eyes. Mari had taken eyes like mine and my mothers, that swirling blue-green while Arik’s was the deep jade color of my father, Sabian and Annalee. Like them as well they had taken the dark coloring of our father.
“Who is that?” Mari whispered to her twin who shrugged and looked to mom and dad.
“Who that?” he asked just as quietly as Mari had and I chuckled shaking my head as I turned to Aidan who had a gentle smile as well as he gazed at the twins.
“That is your brother’s mate. Aidan. He is going to be staying here, so be polite and say hello.”
“ ‘ello.” They called in that creepy unison all twins seemed to have.
“Hello, what are your names?”
“Arik.”
“Mari.”
“Such pretty names.” Aidan said quietly as he looked to my mother who simply shrugged.
“She has a thing for unusual names.” My father teased.
“I’ve noticed.” Aidan agreed and they fell into a comfortable conversation around me as I zoned out into my own world as I watch him interact with my family. It was an amazing sight to see and one I had no expected to happen so soon, but I was more relieved than I would ever be able to express to any of them. My world was finally falling into place around me. I could have my family, I could have my mate, I could have my pack, because after tomorrow Aidan would no longer be an outcast. If I had anything to do with it he would be treated with the respect he deserved at having a mate of my strength.
“Babe, you okay?” Aidan asked gently drawing me out of my thoughts as he cuddle close and squeezed my thigh affectionately.
“Yupp, of course I am.” I said giving him a gentle smile.
“So what are you two going to do today?” My mother asked.
“I haven’t really thought about it.” I said with a shrug as I looked back to Aidan. “What do you want to do?”
“Well I’d like to find my stuff, and I imagine I need to start looking for another place to move into as well as a new job.”
“All of your stuff is in a storage place no too far from your old apartment and Vic had all of your accounts locked so no one could access them until he gave to go ahead.”
“That was kind of him. I’m glad to know I still have anything left to my name.”
“Vic would never take what was yours Aidan, and you don’t have to look for another job. You know you are always more than welcome to your job at the restaurant. It hasn’t been the same without you.”
“Oh, well thank you I would appreciate that.”
“It won’t be the same this time around baby.” I murmured as I pressed my lips to his shoulder gently. I knew he was hesitant to take that job because even as much as he had loved it, David had made his life miserable there and he knew as well as I did he could anywhere and get that same job without the shit he had to put up with. Pushing myself to my feet I looked to my parents. “Well thank you for the breakfast offer and everything, but we are going to head out and get Aidan’s errands taken care of.” I said pulling him up with me.
They all murmured their goodbyes and we were back up the stairs into the bedroom to dress and find him some better fitting clothes hopefully.
“Where did you want to go look for a place baby?” I asked as I dug around my closet hoping to find something old that didn’t fit anymore.
“Well, I would kind of like to look for someplace a little closer to here.”
“Yeah?” I asked in surprise as I turned to catch his eyes and he nodded watching my cautiously as if debating on what he wanted to say next. “How come?”
“Well… I’d really like it if after all of this is over… You would move in me.” He murmured quietly. I could honestly admit I was surprised to hear him say this because in all the time we had been together we had never once talked about anything like this.
“Is that really what you want?”
“Of course it is Zariah.”
“I’d love to baby. That sounds like a great idea.” I said as I moved to gather him into my arms and he settled against me in a comfortable silence.