Page 124 of Perfectly Naïve
“That’s good, sweetheart.” Quincy, my other dad, smiles, even though it’s tinged with something that looks a lot like regret. Regret that I’m mated or regret that he had no idea? It’s hard to tell with them.
My mother scoffs. “And who is this pack, hmm? There’s no way you met someone up to our standards on your own.”
“Mom.” Henry’s voice is harsh, the slightest hint of an alpha bark coming out as he steps closer to me and wraps a protective arm around my shoulder. “What is your problem?”
“Me? My problem is that I’ve spent thousands of dollars and years of work to mold Olivia into an omega worthy of a prestigious pack. And when we’re finally making progress, she goes out and mates herself to god only knows who?” She turns to me. “Are you so ungrateful that you’d tie yourself to some pack just to spite me?”
Hurt and indignation swirl inside of me, amalgamating into something hot and sharp. “I would never make such an important decision simply to spite you, and the fact that you think I would means you don’t know me at all.” I’m sotiredof all of this. Tired of caring what she thinks, tired of making myself small as she berates me for being who I am. I’m just... Tired.
Verity steps out from behind Aiden and crosses the room to stand beside me. When she takes my hand in a show of support, I almost cry. With my brother on one side and my sister-in-law on the other, and the bond tethering me to my pack, I feel more accepted than I ever have. I have a pack that loves me, a brother who always has my back, and a sister and brothers-in-law who will stand beside me.
“Marnie.” My dad’s tone is a warning she doesn’t heed.
“No, Darren. This is unacceptable. Henry mated well. He’s done everything we’ve ever asked of him. But our daughter? Instead of stepping into society the way we expected, she spent our money on years of schooling, then swanned off to London. She’s almost thirty, and she’s never had a real relationship. She has rebuffed my efforts to set her up with an acceptable pack, and now she shows up here with mate marks around her neck as if it were nothing? She can’t possibly have tied herself to a pack we’d approve of.”
“It doesn’t matter to me if you approve of my mates,” I say with a steadier voice than I thought I could muster. “They’re good men. The best. And they love me for who I am, awkwardquirks and all. They’re kind and caring, responsible, and they make me incredibly happy.” A tickling sensation ripples through the bond, as if they can hear my words and feel the same.
My mother’s lips twist cruelly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t say anything about their ability to provide for you.”
Rage twists inside me, hot and fierce. “I don’t need them to provide for me. I have a job, Mother. A good one. One that lets me make a difference. But even if I didn’t, ofcoursethey would provide for me. Maybe it wouldn’t meet your standards, but it would more than exceed mine.” How dare she insult my pack? She doesn’t know them. And her idea ofprovidingis buying the best of everything, flaunting your wealth so you can feel superior to the people around you. She wouldn’t even consider that what a pack should provide above all is love and acceptance, because never once has she truly provided that for me.
“Well, I certainly hope your job is a good one, Olivia, because as of this moment, you are disinherited.” My mother lifts her chin, looking haughtily down her nose at me.
I wish I could say that her rejection doesn’t affect me, but it stings. How can it not? The bond pulses, and I imagine the pack is sending me reassuring thoughts. Something to bolster me.
“Mom!” Henry’s grip on my shoulder tightens. “You can’t disinherit Liv for mating a pack you didn’t choose. That’s ridiculous.”
“I can, and I did,” she says.
“Marnie, I think you’re overreacting,” my dad Eric says. His tone is placating, but his expression is harder than I’ve ever seen it.
My whole life, he’s indulged my mother’s whims, placatedher with gentleness, and left me to her devices. How many times have I wished he’d stick up for me? How many times have I silently asked for him to intervene and he hasn’t?
In the end, I don’t expect this time to be any different. He’ll capitulate to her just like he always does.
“Am I?” My mother turns to me. “Who, exactly, is this pack you’ve mated, Olivia?”
As I open my mouth to answer, the front door is thrown open so forcefully it bangs into the wall, and everyone falls silent, their attention swinging to the door and the four large men filling the entrance. My men. My heart swells, relief filling me, even as our bond pulses with worry, anger, and regret. I try to swallow the sob that works its way up my throat and choke on it, a raspy sound breaking free.
“About time,” Henry mutters.
“Vixen, are you okay?” Hayes and the rest of my mates cross the room in a few long strides, and then I’m pulled from Henry and Verity and lifted into my alpha’s arms as the rest of my men surround us.
Inhaling their scents, I sag against them, tears pooling in my eyes. “I am now.”
“What is the meaning of this?” my mother shouts.
She glares at Sawyer and the rest of my pack. She was never a fan of Sawyer. In her mind, he wasn’t good enough to be Henry’s best friend, but she’d indulged Henry when it became clear that, despite being best friends, Henry and Sawyer wouldn’t end up forming a pack. Not that she had much of a choice, when he was our nanny’s son.
When I wiggle in his hold, Sawyer sets me down on my feet, but he doesn’t completely let me go. He moves to my back and wraps his arms protectively around my middle as the rest of my men form a semicircle around me. They each touch me, offering comfort and support with gentle brushesof their fingers as our bond feels like a mental caress. I breathe them in and steel my spine.
“Mom, Dads, these are my mates, Pack Flynn. Sawyer, you know. This is Wilder, Hayes, and Liam. Guys, this is my mom, Marnie, and my dads, Darren and Eric.”
My dads take in the protective stances of my mates, the way each of them touch me, and the way I relax in their presence. And then they both smile.
“Sawyer, it’s good to see you again, son,” Darren says. “And it’s very nice to meet the rest of our daughter’s mates.” He extends his hand, as does Eric, and I watch as my dads introduce themselves to my mates.
My mother, however, is not smiling.
