Chapter 203: Welcome to The Family

Ivy’s POV

My hands went straight to my hips as I stared at the two men in front of me…my dad was looking like he was about to start a tag-team wrestling match right in the middle of the study.

I plastered on my brightest, most innocent smile and said sweetly, “Dad, Uncle Marcus! It’s so good to see you both here.”

They barely had time to return the smile before mine dropped into a glare sharp enough to slice through steel.

“But before either of you decide to start flexing your male dominance muscles,” I continued, my tone switching from sugar to fire, “what exactly is going on here?”

Leo was standing still, half hiding behind me, the mighty Alpha King who could bring entire packs to their knees… now clutching my arm like I was his personal shield.

So much for his earlier speech about handling everything.

Richard…my father, the man who once threatened to close a school down because I was bullied crossed his arms. His face looked carved from stone.

Marcus, meanwhile, was smirking like this was prime-time entertainment.

“Princess,” Marcus said, gesturing at Leo with a teasing grin, “your fiance here just confessed to…how do I put this nicely…‘touching’ you. And your father nearly combusted.”

I blinked. Once. Twice.

Oh Moon Goddess.

I turned to Leo, who was giving me this sheepish, “Please tell me I didn’t just make things worse” look.

“You what?” I hissed.

He raised both hands like a suspect surrendering to the cops. “Okay, wait…hear me out. He asked me…indirectly! What was I supposed to do? Lie?”

“Yes!” I snapped. “When it’s my father asking about our private life, you absolutely lie!”

Marcus burst out laughing so loud it echoed. “Oh, this is gold. Richard, I knew that he wasn’t lying when he said that. So he is honest to a fault? He’s a keeper!”

My dad’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “Honest to a fault, huh? I’ll show him a fault…six feet under!”

Leo winced. “Sir, with all due respect, threatening your daughter’s husband isn’t exactly bonding behavior.”

“Bonding behavior?” my dad barked, taking a step forward with that classic dad glare that could make grown warriors cry. “Boy, when I was your age, I was working in the mines all day long trying to build a future…not sniffing around someone’s daughter!”

Uncle Marcus snorted behind him, clearly enjoying the show.

Leo’s jaw flexed as he muttered under his breath, “Well, royalty was handed to me the moment I was born… it’s not exactly my fault there was no mine to work in.”

My dad’s brows shot up. “Oh, so now you’re too royal to sweat, huh? Let me guess…your royal hands can’t even lift a hammer, but they can surely find my daughter’s waist just fine?”

Uncle Marcus choked back a laugh, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, “He’s got you there.”

Leo stiffened, clearly fighting for composure, while I groaned inwardly. Great. My dad was officially in “scare the mate” mode, and we haven’t even started any conversation.

I stepped between them immediately. “Okay, time out! Dad, you’re scaring him. We talked about this over the phone, didn’t we?”

Marcus whistled low. “Scaring him? Ivy, sweetheart, this is the supposed Alpha King of the werewolf realm we’re talking about. He kills traitors and his enemies before breakfast.”

“Yes, but to be fair, those enemies deserved whatever they got. I don’t think I deserve any of this for just following my urges. She’s mine,” Leo muttered with a growl.

I turned to him sharply. “Leo, stop talking.”

He pressed his lips together. “Right. Shutting up.”

Dad folded his arms again, glaring. “You really think being a King gives you permission to touch my daughter?”

Leo opened his mouth…then immediately shut it when I gave him a death glare.

Marcus leaned casually against the wall, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Brother, come on, you’re acting like you didn’t have your first kiss at sixteen behind Mom’s greenhouse.”

Dad snapped his gaze to Marcus. “That was different!”

“Oh? How?” Marcus asked innocently.

“Because I didn’t have a wolf that growled mine in front of everyone, especially the girl’s father!”

“Technically,” Leo mumbled under his breath, “it was just a low growl.”

I whipped around so fast my hair nearly slapped him in the face. “Leo. I swear to the Goddess…”

Marcus snorted, covering his mouth to stifle laughter. “This is too good. Princess, you know I’ve always liked him. He’s got guts… and apparently no survival instinct whatsoever.”

“Uncle Marcus!” I groaned, rubbing my temples. “You’re not helping.”

“Oh, but I am,” he said cheerfully. “See, I’m distracting your father before he pretends he’s a werewolf and tries to shift so he can chase Leo out the window.”

Leo leaned closer to me, whispering, “He can’t actually do that. He’s human, right?”

I sighed. “What are you even talking about? However, he once chased down a thief and tackled him to the ground before the police arrived. What do you think?”

Leo’s face drained of color. “Great. So death by disapproving father-in-law. Noted.”

“Hold on, princess…what are those on your neck? Bite marks?? He fucking bit you?!” My father howled, and I rubbed my temple in frustration.

Oh boy.

“Dad…this is normal…it’s our way of claiming our mates. And besides, I bit him too!” I replied defensively.

Before my dad could launch into another strict-dad lecture and explosion, Rosa walked in. She stopped mid-step, looked at all of us, then sighed like she’d walked into a daycare full of overgrown toddlers.

I didn’t wait for her to take another step…I ran straight into her arms, burying my head against her chest as she held me tight.

When she finally pulled back, her hands skimmed over me, checking every inch as if to make sure I was really standing there, whole and unharmed. Only when she was satisfied did she turn to face the men in the room.

“You all kept us waiting, what’s going on here?” she demanded, throwing her hands in the air.

Marcus grinned. “Richard is trying to kill the King. Again.”

“Richard!” she scolded, smacking his arm. “We talked about this! You promised not to attack your daughter’s husband! How many times do I have to remind you?”

Dad looked utterly betrayed. “Rosa, he bit my daughter!”

“Good! Maybe now she won’t be single forever!” she said without missing a beat.

“Hold on… Dad…” I said, a mischievous smile tugging on my lips.

“What?”

“Are you guys now a thing?” I asked, fiddling with my fingers.

The look on my dad’s face was priceless…like someone had just told him a secret he’s trying to hide.

Marcus burst into laughter so hard he had to hold onto the counter. “I think your father and Rosa are working through some…things.”

“Marcus…” my father said but Uncle Marcus was laughing genuinely, having the time of his life.

Leo looked both relieved and calm at the new distraction. “Thank you, Madam Rosa. I don’t think I can say that enough. Thank you for all you did for my mate.”

“Call me Rosa,” she said with a wink. “And please don’t let him scare you. He barks louder than he bites.”

Leo blinked. “He tried to bite me earlier.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” Rosa said dismissively. “He once bit the security guard.”

Marcus choked on laughter. Dad muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “No one is ever on my side.”

I sighed again, hands on my hips. “Can everyone just stop embarrassing me for one minute? Please?”

Leo wrapped an arm around my shoulder, smirking. “It’s kind of adorable seeing you this flustered.”

I elbowed him lightly. “You’re not helping either.”

He grinned wider. “Still worth it.”

Rosa smiled fondly. “You two are so cute. Reminds me of that love story, what is it called… Roberto and Julieta? Romeo and Juliet?”

Dad face-palmed himself. “Rosa…don’t you dare start putting fictional ideas in their head…”

“Let me finish, Richard!” Rosa scolded, smacking his arm.

Leo leaned down to whisper to me again. “Your family is chaos.”

I smiled up at him. “And now they’re yours.”

He groaned softly, but his lips curved in a smile anyway. “Lucky me.”

Marcus cleared his throat dramatically. “Well, as fun as this is, I think we should all agree on one thing. If Leo ever breaks Ivy’s heart or if she ever gets hurt under his watch, we’re teaming up and burying him somewhere scenic.”

“Uncle Marcus!” I snapped, but my dad nodded seriously.

“Agreed,” he said firmly.

Leo looked between them, utterly unimpressed. “You both do realize I can hear you, right?”

Marcus smirked. “Good. Just making sure the message got through.”

Rosa clapped her hands suddenly. “Enough fighting! Let’s go join the party!”

Dad turned to face Leo and me, his brows still drawn in that dangerous papa bear expression…the same one that used to send half the guys who tried to ask me out in high school running for their lives.

“I just want to make one thing clear,” he said, voice low and steady.

Something in his tone made my spine straighten.