Chapter 204: The Family I Chose

Ivy’s POV

Dad cleared his throat, and I froze when I saw it…the slight shine in his eyes.

My father does not just tear up. Ever. Except whenever I’m hurt.

So seeing his eyes grow moist caught me completely off guard.

“I just want to make it clear that I have money,” he began, voice rough as he looked straight at Leo. “Ivy is my heir, my only child. So you’re not doing my family a favor by marrying my daughter…or her being your mate…or whatever your world decided to call it…so if you ever…”

He paused. His words cracked, and he looked away for a second like he needed to gather himself. My heart squeezed.

“Dad…” I whispered, already feeling my chest tighten. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

He swallowed hard and finished, voice breaking. “If you ever wake up one day and you don’t want my daughter anymore… Please return her to me. Or you can call…I’ll come pick her up myself. Just… don’t ever hurt her. I would rather you bring her back to me unharmed than ever lay a hand on her. Please.”

That was it…I broke. The tears came fast as I ran into his arms and hugged him like I did when I was a teenager. For all his jokes and strict rules and ridiculous speeches, this was who he was. My father. The man who found me in an alley years ago, alone and on the brink of death, and brought me home. The man who gave me his name, his love, his life. He chose me when no one else did.

“Dad…” I cried into his chest, and he held me tighter.

Uncle Marcus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around us too, making it a three-person squeeze.

Seeing uncle Marcus hold us like that made something in me smile. I remembered how he’d been the one who hated the idea of Dad taking me in, how he’d tried to sabotage our relationship at first…those sideways comments, the delayed visits, the small stunts meant to test my place in their lives. He’d always been loud about it, but he’d come around.

That crooked little smile on his face told me he’d always been on my side, even when he pretended otherwise.

I let out a shaky laugh because…goodness…this was my crazy family. Not by blood, but by choice. Stronger than anything.

Leo finally stepped closer, clearing his throat as he faced my dad. His voice was steady, but I could feel the emotion in it.

“Sir,” he began, “I may not be perfect. I come from a brutal world. A violent one. But I swear to you…I will love Ivy alone for the rest of my life. I will protect her with everything I am. And if there ever comes a day when I stop loving her…” He looked my father dead in the eyes. “Then I’ll walk off the highest cliff myself. Or drink poison. Whatever is faster. Because a life without her wouldn’t be worth living.”

Uncle Marcus slowly pulled out his phone. “Hold on…hold on…let me record that.”

Dad sniffed, wiping his face quickly like he was embarrassed anyone saw him emotional. “Record it,” he said, pointing at Leo without blinking. “And Marcus…find out the strongest poisons. We need options, just in case.”

Rosa groaned loudly. “Oh my God, Richard! For once, can you not be dramatic? This was a sweet moment.”

Dad huffed, trying to regain his growl, but the tension broke. “He started it,” he mumbled.

Marcus started chuckling, then Rosa’s eye-roll turned into a grin, and before I knew it the whole room dissolved into laughter…loud, messy, warm.

We were a strange, stubborn family. Blood or no blood, we fit together. We laughed until our sides hurt, and for a moment the room felt exactly like home.

The laughter finally began to die down, and everyone let out little breaths like we had all just released something heavy without saying it out loud.

Then Rosa…of course it had to be Rosa…clapped her hands sharply, shattering the little moment of peace we had managed to build. “Alright, the emotional family reunion is over,” she announced. “There are about two hundred or more people waiting in the hall for a coronation, and if we don’t move now, they’re going to start storming this room.”

Dad groaned immediately. “Do they really need us right now? Can’t they just… start without us?”

Rosa ignored him and grabbed his arm. “No, Richard, they cannot coronate your daughter without her family, you stubborn mule. Now move.”

He dug his heels in like a five-year-old. “Why am I always your victim? Why me? Marcus is right there…take him!”

Marcus lifted his hands in surrender. “I don’t get involved in domestic struggles.”

Rosa rolled her eyes, already dragging Dad toward the door while he continued whining like he wasn’t twice her size and capable of tossing her over his shoulder if he wanted. But he didn’t fight her. He never really did.

And that made my heart tingle. I’m sure they will end up together soon. They are perfect for each other.

Uncle Marcus tapped Leo’s shoulder as we trailed behind.

“Welcome to the family, son,” he said cheerfully. “You survived the initiation.”

Leo snorted. “Barely.”

Once they were out of sight, I let out a long, exhausted breath and sank onto the nearest couch. The truth finally settled in. I was about to start a new life. My own family… far away from the only one I’ve ever known.

The thought made my chest tighten for a moment. I hesitated…but only for a second.

It was with Leo. My mate. My future. And home didn’t have to disappear just because I was leaving. I could always come back whenever I missed Dad, Uncle Marcus, and Rosa. Always.

My heart still raced, but this time it wasn’t from panic. It was something steadier…something that felt like peace.

Leo sat beside me, eyes soft now, no trace of the earlier chaos.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” I said, smiling faintly. “That was… a lot.”

He chuckled, rubbing his neck. “Understatement of the year.”

Silence stretched, but it was the good kind…the one that felt like comfort after a storm.

Then I grinned. “You know, for someone who was supposed to make a good impression, you really outdid yourself.”

He smirked. “Well, at least now your dad knows I’m honest.”

I rolled my eyes. “And insane.”

He leaned closer, his voice dropping low. “You love it.”

I swatted his arm, laughing. “Don’t push it, wolf boy.”

He caught my hand before I could pull it away, his thumb brushing my skin gently. “For what it’s worth… I meant every word I said to them. About protecting you. About never letting you fall again. About loving you till there’s no breath left inside me.”

My throat tightened, but I smiled through it. “I know.”

Leo groaned, as though remembering something embarrassing. “I thought I’ve always known your family. Never knew they were this chaotic.”

I laughed, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Welcome to it, Alpha King.”

“Thank you, my Queen. And for the record…you look ravishing,” he murmured, voice low as he leaned in. His eyes dropped to my lips, and a dark smile tugged at his mouth. “You have no idea how hard I fought the urge not to bend you over in front of your family.”

“Leo…” I tried to laugh it off, but the sound caught in my throat when I saw the look in his eyes.

Heat. Hunger. Possession.

Oh, shit. Again? Now? Here?

But before he could take any step further, a sudden tap cut through the moment, and we both looked up. My father stood by the doorway, but something in his eyes made my stomach tighten…calm on the surface, but burning with unspoken urgency.

“Princess…” he said quietly, voice edged with something I couldn’t name. “There’s someone I would like you to meet.”

He stepped aside…and my world stopped.