Chapter 17: The Family Meeting - Callista's POV

Heat flooded my cheeks at his words. “That’s…not what I meant and you know it.”

“Do I?” His smirk widened as he pulled out his phone. “Fine, give me your phone.”

I dug it out and handed it over, watching as he typed his number in and sent himself a text message. When he gave it back, I saw he’d saved himself as “Your Mate” with a wolf emoji.

“Really? That’s how you’re going to label yourself in my phone?” I asked, fighting a smile despite my stomach churning.

“What? Why not? It’s accurate, and it’s not like I’ll ever not be.” He pocketed his phone just as the first bell rang. “Come on, we’re going to be late for history and our group project.”

The day crawled by in a haze of stares and whispered conversations. Riven sat next to me in every class. Our proximity satisfied the mate bond, even though we maintained a small distance to keep our teachers happy. We didn’t hold hands or touch beyond the occasional brush of shoulders while walking down the hallway. We didn’t even talk unless necessary.

This separation felt wrong, but also safer, like we were both holding our breath until tonight.

At lunch, Marcus made a point to glare at us from across the cafeteria. His ruined face was a testament to Riven’s protective rage. His pack members kept shooting dark looks our way, clearly plotting revenge.

“They’re going to be a very large problem at the ceremony,” I whispered to Riven.

“They can try if they want to.” His voice was flat and dangerous in a way that made my wolf both nervous and satisfied. “I can handle it and remind him why he lost last night.”

When the final bell rang for the day, relief washed over me. One day down. We just had to survive the meeting with our family tonight, our meeting in the woods, and then it would be the ceremony.

Sabine appeared beside me at my locker, her gaze distant. She looked exhausted. “Are you ready?”

“I guess so.” With my bag in hand, we headed toward the exit.

We were barely outside when Riven appeared at my side, falling into step with us as if it were completely natural.

Sabine stopped walking, her gaze turning toward him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Walking you all home,” Riven said simply, adjusting his bag.

“Why? Shouldn’t you be heading home?” I asked, even as the mate bond hummed in contentment.

“Because my parents will meet me at your place.” He glanced at me, something unreadable crossing his features. “The family meeting at your house.”

My stomach dropped. “They’re coming to my house? Right now?”

“Yes, they should be there by the time we arrive.” He studied my face. “You didn’t know?”

“No,” I said through gritted teeth. “Dad said we’d meet tomorrow, but I didn’t ask where.”

Sabine snorted. "Classic Dad. Probably didn't want you stress-cleaning your room or overthinking it."

We walked in silence the entire way there. Riven stayed on my left while Sabine stayed protectively to my right. Students still stared at us as we passed, but I was too focused on what was waiting for me at home to care anymore.

“What are your parents like?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.

Riven thought it over. “My father is a bit intense. He’s very protective of our pack's reputation and will ask direct questions about us and the bond. He’ll want to know how it happened, when it manifested, and whether we’re sure it’s real.”

I nodded. “And your mother?”

“She’ll watch you closely,” he said bluntly. “She’ll try to determine if you’re worthy of being her son’s mate. I know she’s traditional in some ways and believes in strong bloodlines and power abilities. You being a seer will impress her, but she’ll want to make sure you’re not just politically advantageous. She wants me happy.”

"So she'll think we're faking it for politics?" My anxiety ratcheted up another notch.

"She might suspect it initially." His hand found mine briefly, squeezing. "But the marks will prove otherwise. Moon marks can't be faked."

“And what do I say about how the bond formed?” I asked carefully. “I told Dad it happened at school when we met after I was assigned to be your…ambassador.”

His eyes met mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "Enough to satisfy them without revealing everything. We met at the border meeting last week. The bond started then, manifested fully when you said.”

That would work. We wouldn’t deviate from what I had said.

“And what had you told your parents?”

“The same thing,” he said, his voice low.

When we reached my house, we found not one but two unfamiliar vehicles parked in the driveway. One was a sleek black SUV that screamed wealth and power. Then there was a Mercedes sedan that looked like it cost more than my college fund.

“Oh no,” Sabine breathed. “They brought backup.”

“No, that’s my parents and my Beta,” Riven said. “Well, he will be once I take over. It’s standard protocol for formal pack meetings.”

“Your…Beta?” I asked, my brows furrowing.

“Yes,” he said simply. “He’s several years older than us and already taking over for his father.” Riven’s hand found mine again, his thumb tracing circles on the back of it. “It’ll be okay; just be yourself. Answer honestly where you can and if things get uncomfortable, I’ll handle it.”

I wanted to believe him and wanted to trust that this meeting would go smoothly, but as we climbed the front steps, I could already hear voices inside.

My father’s voice was first, authoritative as ever. There was an unfamiliar male voice that carried a similar feel, which must be Riven’s father. Then there was my mother’s careful responses. All the words were muddled, so I had no idea what they were discussing.

“Are you ready?” Riven asked softly.

No, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for a formal interrogation disguised as a family meeting or for tonight’s revelations at the border. But I nodded anyway.

“Let’s do this.”

Sabine squeezed my shoulder once before heading upstairs, giving us space. Smart girl.

I wish I could go with her.

Riven and I stepped into the living room together, still hand in hand. His parents and Beta stood with my parents in what looked like a carefully arranged standoff. My mother and father were on one side of the room while they were on the other.

The man who could only be Riven’s father was tall and broad-shouldered, with the same dark hair as his son, but streaked with silver at the temples. His eyes were red-gold like Riven’s. They fixed on me with an intensity that made me want to leave. Power radiated off him in waves that spoke of decades of experience as an Alpha.

Beside him was a woman who was strikingly beautiful. Her dark hair was pulled into an elegant twist. She had high cheekbones and those same unsettling eyes.

Did all of them have red-gold eyes?

She wore a tailored pantsuit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe, and she studied me as if I were a specimen under a microscope. The third person, a younger man who must be the Beta, stood slightly behind them, his expression neutral but watchful. He had blond hair and didn’t possess the same red-gold eyes. His were just a dark brown.

“Callista,” my father said, his voice careful. “This is Alpha Nightshade and his mate, Luna Nightshade. Their Beta is Korey.”

"Alpha. Luna. Beta." I inclined my head respectfully, grateful that my voice didn't shake. "Thank you for coming."

“The honor is ours,” Alpha Nightshade said, though his tone sounded more like this was an obligation. His gaze shifted to where my hand was still joined with Riven’s. “I see the bond is as my son described.”

“It is,” Riven said firmly.

“Sit, please,” my mother gestured toward the couches. “We have much to discuss.”

The next few minutes were a careful dance of pack politics. Everyone took their seats. His parents sat in one while my parents sat on the other. Riven and I were on the loveseat between them. It felt too small and exposed.

Then Alpha Nightshade let out a huff.

"Let's address why we're here," he said bluntly. "My son has claimed to be mated to your daughter, which is two years before either of them is of age. And they have Moon marks that shouldn't be there and a bond that defies every natural law we understand." His eyes bored into mine. "I'd like to hear, in your own words, Miss Monroe, how this came to be."

All eyes turned to me.