Page 115 of Brutal Reign
Dad folds his arms across his chest, shaking his head in adamant refusal. “Impossible.”
“It’s true,” I insist, sitting up straighter. “I know it sounds crazy, but I felt both bonds snap in that night. Fate bonded me tobothof them, Dad. They’re both my mates.”
“You’re too young for a mate,” he replies curtly.
“Actually,” Mom cuts in, “she’s not much younger than I was when we…”
“Brooke, don’t even go there,” Dad growls, whipping his glare in her direction.
“Then don’t be a hypocrite!” she exclaims, slapping a hand against the cushion beside her. “Sit your ass down and listen to what your daughter has to say. She needs our support right now, not you yelling at her.”
My parents stare at one another for a long moment, some silent conversation passing between them. Then Dad flops back down on the couch next to her with a heavy sigh, stabbing his fingers through his hair as his hazel eyes meet mine again.
“I mean, that was pretty much it,” I mumble.
Mom beams me a supportive smile, while Dad just stares at me, his shoulders bunched with tension and his wolf shimmering in his irises.
“Then my answer’s no,” he growls.
“What?” I scoff, brow furrowing as I flinch back in disbelief.
“No, you can’t mate with them,” he deadpans.
“That’s not for you to decide!” I shout, throwing up my hands.
Ace clears his throat, shifting his weight on the couch beside me and straightening his posture. “Sir, with all due respect, we care about River, and we…”
“You care so much about my daughter that you ditched her three years ago?” Dad interrupts, narrowing his eyes on Ace menacingly.
“That was a mistake,” Seb puts in.
Dad’s threatening gaze snaps over to Seb. “Damn right it was a mistake,” he snarls.
“I think we can all agree that this is unexpected, but I, for one, trust fate,” Mom declares loudly, turning to my dad and giving him a hard look. “If I didn’t, then we wouldn’t even be here right now having this conversation.”
I’ve gotta hand it to her, she’s come through with some solid points to help make my dad see reason. Their own mating wasn’t smooth sailing, but nobody can argue with the fact that they’re perfect for one another.
Dad heaves a resigned sigh, dropping his face into his hands. “This is fate punishing me for all the bullshit I got into when I was young, isn’t it?” he mumbles behind his palms.
Mom rolls her eyes, shifting closer to him and reaching for his hand, pulling it from his face. “Fated mates aren’t a punishment,” she sighs as she twines her fingers with his. “They’re agift. They should be celebrated.”
“Well sorry if I’m not popping the champagne just yet,” he mutters.
I exhale slowly, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. “Dad, I’m not a little kid anymore,” I say softly. “I’m a grown woman, and the future leader of this pack. I didn’t ask for this, and I don’t need you to like it, but I really need your support. Everything I’ve been dealing with lately is hard enough, I don’t wanna be at odds with you, too…” my voice breaks as I trail off, shaking my head.
Seb and Ace immediately scooch closer, one rubbing my back soothingly while the other grabs for my hand. My father watches the whole interaction with a frown, but his eyes soften when my own lift to meet them, some semblance of understanding surfacing in their hazel depths.
“You always have my support, River,” he rasps. “No matter what. But you’ll always be my little girl, and I’ll always want to protect you.”
“But you can’t protect me from everything,” I reply, swallowing thickly. “Jake’s challenge only proves that. There are things I can only do on my own, and I need you to trust me to make my own decisions. I need you to trust that I can protect myself.”
“And she’s got us now, too,” Seb interjects, lifting his chin. “It hasn’t been easy to back off and let River handle her own shit, but we’re always behind her. And once everyone knows we’re mated, I bet they’ll think twice about fucking with her.”
“Too bad we weren’t bonded before Jake declared his challenge,” I grumble.
“Well, we are now, and you’re gonna win,” Ace states confidently, taking my hand in his. He sweeps his thumb over the back of my palm, his ocean eyes wide with sincerity. “I know you’re nervous about how strong your wolf is, but maybe that’s why fate gave you two bonds instead of one. Maybe with bothof us there lending our support and calming her down, you’ll be able to control her, especially if we bind our wolves together by sealing our bonds.”
“Over my dead body,” Dad scoffs, glaring at Ace. “I know what sealing the bond entails.”