Page 61 of Our Deceptive Heat

I stop the car and turn to Ryn.

“This is my home.” I clear my throat, suddenly nervous. “That’s my mother, Denise, and Tyr’s aunt Ariel is inside. Mako’s sister Selene might be here, too. They will not hurt you, so you can stop panicking.”

Fuck, why did I say it like that?

But Ryn is still white knuckling the hem of the jumper, her body rigid in the seat beside me. She’s still freaking out, so I grab her jaw, turn her face towards mine, and kiss her hard, in full view of my mother.

This is a statement. This is a demand.See me and my feelings, you are mine.And the message to my mother is clear; she is mine, nothing has changed.

Auryn makes a moaning protest, but it gets lost within moments, and then all I can smell is that delicious coconut.

I pull away and stare at her, loving that dazed look in her eyes.

“But,” she whispers, “you left.”

I turn away, looking at my mother, who has her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. “Yeah, and I have a good reason for that, but we have to go see my mother or she will come to us. We can talk about it later. Come on.”

I get out of the car and jog over to my mum and hug her, leaving Auryn behind. Is it a bit cowardly of me? Yes. But I don’t have the words or time to fix anything right now.

“So, I can see that’s the beta,” my mother teases and waves at Ryn, who is hanging back by the car.

Ryn’s eyes widen, and she shoots me a look I can’t decipher.

I clear my throat. “Omega now.”

My mother’s eyes cut back to me, blazing with questions and caution.

“And does she-?”

“No, and we need to keep it that way,” I say sharply.

“Lying to the omega you’re in love with isn’t a good start, son of mine.”

“I know, Mum, but it would put her in a worse position. Trust me, if she knew, things would get worse for her.”

My mother’s expression softens as I knew it would. She’s a sucker for an underdog.

She steps past me and wraps Ryn up in a hug.

“Oh, my gawd, you are simply darling. You poor thing, come inside. I have some clothes ready for you! Envy called me, hysterical, needing to stash you, and I can’t say no to my baby, especially when he’s that irate. But I am so glad he did! I’ve been looking forward to this moment for four years.”

Ryn cuts those blue-green eyes my way. “You were worried?”

“Of course, I was worried. I’m always worried about you, Auryn.”

Her mouth parts, and even though she smells like my pack, I find I’m not upset or jealous. It smells right…almost, I just need her covered in my scent.

Aunt Ariel steps out, holding the door open. “Come on kids, I’ve got breakfast on, and we’d love to tell you all the embarrassing stories.” She aims that last part directly at Ryn. Aunt Ariel has Tyr’s disarming smile, and she wields it like a general going to war.

I wince. I forgot this part of bringing people home to meet our families.

I wander in, trailing the group. The familiar scents of home bombard me. The same old woven rug with a million memories of my life greets me upon my entry, and the delicious aroma of an old favourite breakfast recalls a thousand breakfasts before. How many times have we eaten this breakfast, the pack gathering while our mamas chat?

It’s basically tradition now.

I see a tablet set up and see Digs’ mother peering through the screen, and I burst into laughter.

“Hey, Mama D.”

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