Chapter 115: Thirty-seven.

"I guess it's time to meet your folks, then?" Calum asked nervously, after Colt eventually managed to dig out an old hoodie of Mark's for him, from the back of her closet.

It was a grey one her Mom bought him for one of his birthdays, and she really hoped she had forgotten about it, since Colt herself had pilfered it long ago. She had expertly played dumb on the few occasions Isla had asked Mark where it was. Not that she was going to tell Calum this, he would likely shift and run home if he knew.

"Come on, it will be fine," she said, pulling an obviously reluctant Calum out the bedroom door, "Besides, if we wait any longer, my Mom will just barge in and drag us down by the scruff of the neck," Colt only half joked, laughing when she heard Calum's audible gulp, before he paused them at the top of the stairs. "Wait, are you afraid of my Mom?" She found herself asking him.

Calum half snorted, "No," he hesitated slightly, "But, she is Isla Campbell. Do you know how much of a legend she has become around here? Especially to my clan, for thwarting two of our rivals ambitions. When they heard she got married in the states, they toasted her health. That's never been done for a Campbell!" Calum half whispered, half shouted.

"Well, aren't you sweet. A Macgregor I take it?" Came Isla's condescending voice from the bottom of the stairs. "But please, be a Dear, and bring our daughter down, so we can say hello. It's been a very long morning."

Calum's eyes bulged, as Colt began to laugh, "Coming, Mom," she called out, before proceeding gleefully down the stairs.

By the time Calum had composed himself, and made it down behind her, Colt had finished hugging her Mom, and had now been completely engulfed in the arms of her father. While her brother was no where in sight, and Isla was stood with her hands on her hips, scrutinizing Calum with a piercing gaze, and eyes that were spectacularly similar to Colt's.

"Hmmmm," Isla hummed, "My son's hoodie looks like a good fit on you," she almost growled out, side-eyeing Colt at the same time.

"Ooopsie?" Colt offered up to her Mom, feeling confidence in the safety of her Dad's embrace.

Calum blanched in embarrassment, before Kalvin released Colt and gave out a chuckle.

"Really, Beautiful, I believe it's my prerogative as her father to give him a hard time," Kalvin joked, with a smile.

"First Lupus though, Kal, and now a Macgregor, I mean really, what was fate thinking," Isla sighed out, with a flap of her hands, "At least he's not a MacDonald, I suppose."

"Mom!" Colt objected, "Stop it right now! He doesn't deserve that comparison and you know it!" She defended him, pointing her finger at her Mom. "Or would you rather fate tied me to a Bruce, like Granny wanted?"

Isla flinched at Colt's remark, but recovered so quickly, Calum thought he had imagined it, as no one else seemed to react.

"I'm sorry, Calum," Isla spoke softly, with a sly smile, "I was only testing Colt, to see what she would do," she explained to him, looking about the warm room appraisingly.

"What she would do?" Calum asked, as Lewis came into the room from the kitchen, carrying a plate with half a roast chicken.

"She wanted to know two things," Lewis spoke around a mouthful of food, "Whether Colt would defend you, and if she would remain in control as she did." He said, spraying chicken back on his plate as he did so, and earning a light smack from his Mom in the process.

"For my sanity, please, Lewis, you are almost eighteen years old. Stop bloody talking, while you have food in your mouth!" Isla scolded him, angrily.

Lewis gulped the mouthful down, "Sorry, Mama." He stated solemnly, with a baleful expression directed towards Isla.

Calum mouthed the word "Mama" questioningly to Colt, who only shook her head and shrugged, before rolling her eyes at Lewis, who had plopped himself on the couch contentedly, like the scavenger he was.

"The house looks amazing, Sweetheart." Isla spoke to Colt, with awe, "I remember what it used to look like years ago. You have done a fabulous job."

"Thanks, Mom." Colt smiled, going in for another hug, and deeply inhaling her Mom's comforting scent, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," Isla stated, squeezing her tight.

"Wait," Calum spoke up confused, "How do you remember? You're a Campbell, and this is Macgregor land?"

"Do you really think, you are the first wildcat to hunt off territory?" Isla asked incredulously, followed by a light laugh.

Calum raised an eyebrow at the woman he considered his future mother in law, "Oh, I like you," he laughed out, opening his arms automatically as Colt returned to his side, and slotted herself against him.

Kalvin noticed the interaction with interest, but said nothing about it, deciding to flex his fatherly muscle another way.

"So, hows the fishing been since you returned? Have you had the chance to get out on your boat much? It's a cygnus, right?" He asked, taking Calum by surprise.

"You're interested in fishing boats?" Calum asked, about to extend an invitation to Kalvin to join him on a trip, feeling a relief at some common ground with Colt's father.

"No." He responded flatly, making Lewis scoff, and Colt roll her eyes, at what they thought were his ridiculously obvious tactics.

"Dad..." Colt stated warningly.

"But, you know the make of mine?" Calum asked warily.

"I do, and your pontoon bay number, how much your yearly harbour dues are, which needs paid in three weeks time too, by the way. Also, that you piss off the other fishermen by leaving your pots on the pontoons. You use a dilapidated van for fishing, but other than that ride a Yamaha XVS1100 Dragster motorcycle to get around - she is not going on the back of it." He segwayed, pointing at Colt. "You skipped school, a lot as a youngster, then went off to travel, much to your Uncle Colin's, I believe his name is, annoyance. And you have a previous fiancée named Amy Mackay, who took her own life." Kalvin stated casually, "Tell me, how did you allow that to happen?"

Calum couldn't help it, the mention of Amy's name, and Kalvin's casual unsaid accusation, he hissed, loudly. His temper escalated quickly, and he was ready to throw more than a punch. In all honesty, he was ready to throw Kalvin out the bloody window, consequences be damned.

Colt, feeling him tense, was in front of him in a flash, "He is goading you, deliberately." She tried to explain, filled with irritation at her father's behaviour.

"I don't give a shit!" Calum ground out, as his canines began to lengthen." He has no clue what Amy went through! There are fucking limits and you just crossed one!" Calum seethed at Kalvin, wanting passed Colt, but refusing to move her in case is claws came out and pierced her skin.

"Princess, just move out of his way." Kalvin stated calmly, "Let's see what he's made of?" Kalvin challenged Calum further.

"Dad, enough!" Colt hissed out at her father, taking him by shock.

"Kalvin, don't," Isla stated, coming to stand beside Colt, "You crossed a line there, Kal," she stated regretfully.

The strained look on Isla's face was like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown over his bravado, and suddenly Kalvin was confused. It was clearly killing Isla to oppose him, but something was seriously off. He began questioning the mistake he had apparently made.

"What's going on Isla?" Kalvin asked, need ing to understand.

Isla put a calming hand on Calum's shoulder, and turned to face him, "He doesn't know. I never told him all of it when I left."

"All of what?" Kalvin asked, becoming agitated, "Isla, what's going on?"

Isla sighed, "Amy will have taken her life as a way to avoid her marriage. Unlike me, that was her only escape, Kal." Isla explained carefully, "Arranged marriages between wildcat shifters, well, they are so engrained in our culture. The bride has no choice. Colt only escaped because she is a Merrier. But, even then my parents still tried to sell her. They do not care about consent, Kal."

"I wouldn't have forced anything on Amy," Calum hissed, "She never told me how she felt, if she had..."

Isla looked at Calum's pained expression with sympathy, "If she had, you wouldn't have married her, and her family would have chosen another. She would have still been trapped, Calum. It isn't your fault. For many wildcat women, it's the only escape from the pressure."

He grunted out an acknowledgement, as Kalvin's eyes widened in realistaion. Colt raised her arms around Calum's neck, pulling him closer towards herself. Her scent calmed him, and Isla's explanation robbed some of the guilt he had always carried. His hands automatically came around Colt's waist and pulled her flush against him, proprietary be damned, he needed her, and his quiet purring seemed to echo momentarily in the room.

"Isla," Kalvin stated shocked, "That's why you needed to see your parents first, isn't it? To put them in their place, you said."

Isla nodded, and Colt turned her head towards her Mom.

"Yes, as crude as it is, the easiest way to protect Colt, was to remind my mother that she is not hers to sell. If anyone's she would be ours, not that we would, obviously." Isla explained, "Letting her know we are here now, will force her to back off."

"You went to see, Granny?" Colt asked.

Isla nodded, as Lewis piped up, "She was fucking awesome, Colt, you should have seen the old bag's face!" He laughed.

"Language!" Isla chided, her youngest.

"I wish I had! So will Iona," Colt laughed, finally sensing Calum's breathing had settled, as she turned around, keeping her back flush against him and lifting his arms up and around her waist before he could drop them, "Dad? I think you owe my mate an apology." Colt spoke, addressing her father.

"You're right, Princess," Kalvin sighed, reaching for Isla who walked over to his side, "I'm sorry, Calum, what I said about Amy was uncalled for, and I was wrong."

Calum just nodded, his eyes still blazing with annoyance at the whole experience.

"She still isn't getting on your bike though," Kalvin added, making Colt laugh out loud.

"Dad, I'm almost twenty-six." Colt pointed out.

"I don't care, Princess." Kalvin stated unyielding, "You're not doing it."

Isla laughed at her husband's ridiculousness, while Colt leant into Calum with a smug grin that said exactly what she was thinking, 'I will ride his damn bike if I want to, and there isn't a thing you can do about it.'

Lewis decided to break the tense stand off at this moment, and in the most awkward way possible, "After what I saw upstairs, it ain't his motorbike, she wants to ride," he muttered with a gag.

Kalvin paled, while Colt reddened and Calum looked at the floor awkwardly. Isla smirked at their discomfort, before Colt's redness turned to an overdue bout of sibling fury.

"Shut up, Lewis, or you will be sleeping in the byre! I hope you don't mind the leaking roof, or the rats!" Colt sniped at him.

"Wait, we are staying here? I thought we were getting a hotel!" Lewis complained petulantly.

"We were, till Felix called this morning. He is moving to the caravan outside. Freeing up the spare room. So, tonight we will stay at the hotel as he asked for time to clean it, bless him," Isla cooed over the lion, making Kalvin and her children roll their eyes, "Then tomorrow, we will be here, as a family."

Lewis let out a frustrated groan.

"By the way, Lewis," Colt began smugly, "I cooked that chicken over a week ago, I've been using it as bait for the rat traps," Colt stated at her little brother.

"What?" he suddenly stopped chewing his latest mouthful, "A week?" He asked, pushing the plate onto the coffee table, and running upstairs while gagging.

"Next time, ask you scavenger!" She called out laughing.

Colt turned to see her Mom looking annoyed at the prospect of Lewis having food poisoning, and her Dad hiding a smirk, as they listened to Lewis wretch in the bathroom.

"What?" Colt feigned innocence, "I only cooked it last night," she shrugged, sensing her Mom's worry, and forcing her Dad to bellow out a laugh, with Calum.

Suddenly Lewis appeared running down the stairs, "You bitch!" He called out, attempting to lunge at his sister.

Calum however seen it coming, and waited till the last moment to lift Colt away, and stick his foot out into Lewis' legs, causing the youngster to stumble and fall ungracefully with a splat on the ground.

Colt and Kalvin laughed at his expense, while Isla tsked loudly at Calum and bent to help her son up.

"Call her that again, and it won't be your own momentum that puts on the floor," Calum stated calmly, but the aggression and intent laced in his voice were clear.

"Mr. Macgregor, kindly refrain from threatening my son." Isla hissed out, her protective instincts over her youngest, switching to high gear.

"Keep him, from insulting and attacking my mate then." Calum hissed openly at Lewis.

Kalvin turned to Isla with a sigh, "Calm down, Beautiful. The boy has no manners, and is constantly getting into trouble. He could use being taken down a peg or two. Stop over mothering him."

The glare he got in return could have turned him to stone, and forced him to gulp audibly at the ferocity of his wife's stare.

"All y'all are being silly anyway." Colt began, settling into her Southern roots again, now her Dad and brother's accents surrounded her, "I could take Lewis before, when I couldn't shift. He ain't much of a threat, in either form," Colt laughed out.

"Yeah? That's only because, Dad, made us hold back on his, Princess." Lewis sneered out Kalvin's pet name for his sister.

"Jealous much?" Colt asked with a knowing smirk, determined to wind her brother up further. "Besides, I bet you couldn't land a blow on a sloth with the flu. Face it, you're just a pampered little Mama's boy!"

"Enough you two," Isla warned them both, while they were still clearly sizing one another up, light growls grumbling from both their chests.

"Calum, can I speak to you outside," Kalvin asked among the bickering, and headed out of the front door, without waiting for a response.

Calum nodded his head curiously, then placing a small kiss on top of Colt's head, he hesitantly made his way out after her father, sensing this was important, despite his nervousness about leaving Colt with her feral younger sibling.

Author's Note: What more could Kalvin have to say, I wonder? (only kidding I know, and once the next chapter is edited andd proof read, so will you...)