Page 26 of Adored By the Wolf

That statement alone lowered the tension in the room, enough so that Luc and Brandon loosened their grip on me, and I jumped out of my seat and raced toward the door.

But that was when the door opened and the girls came walking in. I skidded to a stop and looked for Millie. Mom made eye contact with me, and I felt instantly calm, not enough to make me back down, but enough to make me conscious that I shouldn’t charge through the group like a crazy pup until I found my mate.

I could feel her, hiding among them, scared and confused. Everything inside me was itching to go and comfort her, but Mom wouldn’t get out of my space until I started backing up to the dinner table.

At this time, Dad entered the room and all of us sat down at the table before he could reprimand us.

“Where’s Bruno?” Dad asked.

“He left,” Luc said. “Said something about not being here when Jacob was all wound up.”

“He’s just jealous,” I said under my breath, but Luc heard me and gave me a stare. I looked away from him, and that’s when I finally saw Millie appear from behind Mom.

She was more beautiful than I remembered. She was wearing some color this time, a deep royal blue, and it made her black hair and pale skin glow. “Millie, come sit next to me,” I called to her, pulling out the chair next to mine to illustrate I had saved it for her.

I noticed Dad and Mom were both starting to reach for her to keep her from coming over, but Millie knew her place was right next to mine.

“Hi, Jacob,” she said, coming to stand beside me.

The sound of her voice almost undid me. I had dreamed of her voice since the day we met—reliving the words she’d said to me in the gallery on a constant loop and reading into every movement her body had made. The thought that she had flirted with Bruno almost made me burst. I wanted to ask her what she was playing at, but knowing my family was here watching every move we made stopped me from saying anything.

“It’s good to see you again,” I said.

“You too. Thank you for the flowers; you remembered they were my favorite.”

I beamed, and my wolf purred. A sense of pride washed over me, and I clenched the back of her seat a bit tighter to keep my resolve. “I’m glad you liked them.”

Miti had mentioned to me while I was leaving her house that Millie was coming to visit Jill and Becca tonight. I’d barely had time to run to Ray’s and have the flowers delivered, but I was so glad I had; Millie’s response was worth it.

A cough sounded from behind me, and I could feel everyone’s suppressed laughter. Mom and Dad’s look at each other had not escaped my notice either. I hated that I couldn’t court Millie privately, but with Bruno in the mix, I had to do everything I could to win her over, even if that meant showing my adoration in front of my family.

I pulled out her seat, and Millie sat down. I sat down next to her, my wolf preening; it was so happy to have her right by my side.

“Millie,” Mom said as everyone else took a seat at the dinner table, “how are you liking your room?”

“I love it. The view is amazing.”

“Isn’t it the best?” Jill said. “That was one of my favorite things about staying there. Though,” she added, turning to look at Luc, “the view from our new home is not so shabby either.”

My wolf purred at the affection between them, agreeing that that’s how it should be. Fated mates were meant to find each other and create a life together. I was filled with pride that mine was sitting right next to me, even if it was Becca who had invited her to come and visit.

Fisting my fork, I reminded myself I couldn’t touch her. That would just be weird and could really scare her.

“Here you go, Millie,” Mom said, passing her a bowl of green beans. “These are Jacob’s favorite, cooked with lots of shallots.”

“Oh, they’re my favorite too. It’s one of the only things I know how to cook myself.”

The front door opened and in rushed Bubbie. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said, a large pot of our favorite food in hand.

Mom immediately stood up to help. “Mom, why didn’t you ask one of the boys to come and help you? That must weigh a ton.”

“I’m perfectly capable of doing this by myself. I’m not that old in—”

“We got it!” Mom said with a glance at Millie.

Luckily, Millie was too enthralled by Bubbie to say anything else. “Is that what I think it is?” she asked.

“It is. I made something special for your visit, Millie,” Bubbie said, thumping the pot onto the table. “A big pot of soup with chuck roast, daikon, and carrots. It’s one of my family’s delicacies that’s been passed down for generations. I thought you might know of it.”