The silence felt oppressive in its heaviness. My parents stared at me. Their familiar faces seemed to have blurred into those of two strangers. I recognized the surge of adrenaline in my body, felt the flutter in my wrists and thud in my ears. The last few months had acclimated me to fear well. I never expected to be afraid of my parents, though. Now I sat there, waiting for their judgment.
"That is impossible," my father said at last. His fists were balled on the table. His once slender figure now had hints of leanness to it. He was a different man.
"It's not," I said. "It's not common, but it's possible. There's a lot about the world that you don't know about."
"You have that backward, honey." His eyes narrowed. "Your mother and I have been rooted in reality here. We have seen horrible things done by men and beasts. Don't tell me you're suddenly so much wiser than us."
"I'm not wiser, but I have seen things too. That beast king who issued an order to stop the violence? He's my mate. He gifted me with a wolf's spirit."
My mother stood up and paced away. "You're talking nonsense, child. Stop it!"
"You're going to panic her," my father warned me. "Stop this talk."
"Or what?" I dared. "You'll shoot me?"
Their eyes fell on me. I looked between them, terrified by these people I loved still. But I still felt strong. I knew I would do what I had to. Before I thought about that, I would do my best to open their eyes.
"I will show you," I told them. "I won't hurt you. I won't let anyone try to hurt you again."
"Absolutely not—" my father began.
"Yes," my mother interrupted him. "Show me. I don't believe you."
Her words stung. Why would I lie? I was their daughter. I was still me.
"Nicole, this is a bad idea."
"No, I want her to show me. She's lying. They took our daughter and they brainwashed her. I don't believe it."
"I'll show you then," I cut in. I stood up from the table and my father did too. We were all on our feet now. "Please, give me a little space."
He went to her side and they held onto each other. I reminded myself where I had seen the guns and where he possibly might have been hiding others. While I didn't want to believe my parents would shoot me, I wasn't going to be naive. This was a strange new world for us all.
I breathed deeply and released that grip on my spirit that I had come to so naturally hold onto. My wolf spirit rushed to the forefront. The force of her intrusion forced me to my knees and then, in a blink, I was sitting on my hind legs. My tail fanned out along the floor and it wagged nervously.
My parents gaped.
"Fuckin' hell," my father swore.
On the other end, my mother shook her head. She covered her mouth with her hands.
I whined and wagged my tail more forcefully. It knocked into one of the chairs, which caused it to tip over. The sound of its crash was loud and I jumped. Between the sudden motion and the noise, it must have startled them. My father lunged for the table. I reeled backward with a cry. He snatched a pistol out from where it had been taped to the underside of the table. Cocking it, he aimed it at me.
My wolf whimpered. I tried desperately to reign in my control. If I could shift back, maybe he would stop this. My wolf’s instincts suggested otherwise. My human shell was more vulnerable. If he fired, we would be safer in this form.
Either way, he didn't fire. A beastly bellow sounded from outside. My fear and uncertainty shredded in the presence of pure authority. I shivered. The front door suddenly flew off its hinges. My father pivoted around to aim the gun at the intruder, and I pounced. I'd never risk him shooting my mate. Immortal or otherwise. I knocked my father to the floor and he incidentally pulled the trigger as we fell to the floor. The bullet's clap hurt my ears, but the little hollow torpedo missed all flesh and blood. It did make a nice hole in the wall.
Basileus stormed into view on all fours so he could fit. My mother fell back into the wall with a startled gasp. Those flaming inferno eyes flashed around the room. When they finally came to me, I felt my heart soar. Forgetting the situation, I leaped off my father and bounded over to my mate. He rubbed my head with his before indelicately pushing me behind him. His eyes bounced between my parents. He growled when my father moved to sit up.
"Are you okay, my love?" he asked.
I crooned to him.
He glanced back at me. "Shift back. I need your human now."
Without hesitation, my body broke apart for him. It reassembled in my soft skin and long hair. I touched his broad back of thick, coal-black fur.
"Oh, forgive me," my mother whispered, tears in her eyes. "Forgive me, forgive me."
"What for?" I asked her.
She shook her head with a sob. "For not seeing my daughter."
"I'm still here, Mom. It's me."
"I know. I know that now. I see you."
My fear melted away. I took a step toward them, but Basileus snagged my waist and reeled me back into him. He huffed my scent from my neck. His wet nose tickled and I laughed a little, shuddering. My pleasure center squeezed needfully.
"I don't trust them," he grumbled to me.
"Let me trust them then." I touched where his claws gently embraced my bare body.
He reluctantly let his shredder fall away. I walked over to my parents and offered my mother a hand first. She accepted. I pulled her to her feet. She hugged me immediately.
"My daughter, my valiant girl." She kissed my ear. "Of course she runs with the wolves."
I smiled, perceiving that as a compliment. Her eyes turned up more happily now.
"I'm so fortunate that you're alive," she added. "I have been so blinded by fear and paranoia. I missed you."
"I missed you too, Mom. I'm perfectly okay."
Turning to my other parent, I noticed he had risen and now seemed unsure of his next move. The gun had slid across the floor. I stretched my arm out to him. He regarded it mistrustfully.
"It's her, you fool," my mother scolded him. "She wasn't lying. Look at the beast!"
Basileus flashed his teeth in warning until I gave him a look. I curled my outstretched fingers at my father. He finally sighed and walked into me. Tears gathered in my eyes. We embraced. I clung to him, to this familiar body now armored with more muscle than ever.
"Let me go find some clothes for you," he said, pulling away. His gaze lingered on Basileus.
I remembered my nudity then and blushed, covering my lady bits. My mother nodded towards the big, fuzzy guy.
"Your mate?" she asked.
"My love," I told her. "He's my soulmate."
Her lips trembled. "I have so much to learn about you, Anna. Does he shift too? Can we talk with him?"
I nodded. Leaving her, I went to my Lycan King and took his face into my hands.
"Never do that to me again," I told him. "Or I'll kick your ass."
He grumbled under his breath but his eyes warmed with repentance. I kissed his nose.
"I need to have Matt back for now. But I fully expect you to come out later. I haven't even started with your punishment."
He kicked my face and nodded. "As you wish, my flower."
As his great body shuddered, my father returned to the room with a stack of clothes. He dropped them. I laughed and went to pick the clothes up. A voice cleared behind me.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart. I'm Matthew. It's lovely to finally meet you."
I turned back around. Matt smirked and I beamed. My mother laughed and, slowly, my father joined. Sighing, my thoughts all came to a head.
Finally.