Page 45 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)

45

A s far as awkward family dinners go, this one takes the fucking cake.

I knew it was bound to be a disaster as soon as my mom mentioned that she and Luna Vienna were planning to host River’s parents here, but I also knew better than to try to talk them out of it. Which is why we’re all currently sitting around the dining room table in a tense show of unity and civility, picking at our food while the tension in the air thickens with each passing second.

River has been staring down at her plate for the last ten minutes, pushing her fork around and shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Seb and I are seated on either side of her, exchanging glances over the top of her head while Theo takes turns glaring at our fathers. The only ones who seem to be enjoying themselves are the moms– Brooke and Vienna have been chatting nonstop, and my mother hasn’t stopped smiling since we sat down. They’re all clearly on board with this merging of families, despite their mates’ obvious discomfort with the situation.

“Anyone need another beer?” Alpha Chase asks, pushing out his chair and rising to his feet.

Seb can’t raise his hand fast enough, Theo jerking a nod. The joint in my pocket is calling to me, but somehow I doubt I’ll be excused from the table to go outside and spark it up.

Should’ve done that before the meal.

Chase turns on a heel to head for the kitchen while my dad clears his throat, looking to Theo.

“So, what happened with your former Beta?” he asks in an attempt to spark conversation.

“Cory asked to remain in the pack, and I allowed it,” Theo replies curtly. “After years of dedicated service, it didn’t seem right to exile him for his son’s mistake.”

“Or his mate’s,” Brooke adds, a frown touching her lips. “Cory might not have known about Jake’s plans, but I’ll bet anything that Ellie did. What kind of mother destroys her child’s future to further her own agenda?”

“Jake was ambitious in his own right,” River mutters, glancing up from her plate. “He pulled enough of his own shit at training camp to prove that he wasn’t just acting as a puppet for his mom. He really thought he could beat me.”

“There will always be men out there who think having a dick somehow makes them superior,” Vienna snorts, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smirk as she turns to look at River. “Way to prove ‘em wrong, sweetheart.”

Riv grins, rolling her shoulders back with pride. As she should. She didn’t just beat Jake last night, she fucking demolished him, proving to every person there that she’s so much more than the sweet little Alpha’s daughter. She’s an absolute badass.

Tucking a hand underneath the table, I slide it over to grip her thigh, flexing my fingers as she darts me a side-eyed glance. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before anyone else steps up to challenge you,” I remark.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with Jake anymore,” she sighs, leaning into my touch. “Avery told me he’ll be on the next cut list at training camp. They only kept him around through the challenge because they didn’t want it to come back on me in a negative way.”

“Good riddance,” Seb scoffs. “Any chance they’ll give his mate the boot, too?”

“Speaking of, Quinn told me they showed up in Westfield last night!” Vienna exclaims, slapping a palm to her chest in outrage. “Can’t believe he had the audacity to turn up there and ask Iver to take him in after challenging his cousin.”

“Well, it makes sense, since that’s Chandler’s home pack,” I murmur as Chase returns from the kitchen with a couple of beers, passing one over to Theo.

“Hey, where’s mine?” Seb objects as his dad retakes his seat at the table.

“I’m not gonna support underage drinking, go get it your damn self,” Chase grumbles, raising his beer to his lips with a cocky smirk.

Seb sighs dramatically as he shoves up from his chair, stomping off in the direction of the kitchen while his dad rolls his eyes. Our fathers act as if they weren’t doing the same shit we are at this age, but we all know better. We’ve heard stories of the infamous parties they used to host right here in this packhouse.

“So, did they take him in?” my mom questions, her brows knitting together in concern.

Theo takes a swig of his beer, swallowing as he sets the bottle back down on the table. “They did, but Quinn said he’s being watched like a hawk,” he replies. “No chance he’ll ever hold any type of rank, and if he screws up, there won’t be any second chances.”

“Bet Chandler’s regretting her choice of mate now,” Riv snorts.

“They deserve each other,” Seb comments as he returns from the kitchen with three beer bottles in his grasp. He blatantly ignores his parents’ disapproving looks as he pops the cap off each and passes two of them to me and Riv, raising the third to his lips as he drops back into his chair.

The room lulls into silence and I reach for my beer just to busy myself, glancing around the table at the unlikely gathering. This is far from the first time our families have all been together, but it was always with the other Alpha and Beta families in the alliance. It’s never been just us .

“We really shouldn’t have been surprised about this,” Vienna sighs, gesturing to me, River, and Seb as she looks around at the other parents. “They were always together as kids, always stirring up trouble. And how many times did we go back and forth over the years about which of the boys we thought River would wind up mated to?”

Theo grunts discontentedly, taking another swig of his beer.

“Well, if we knew she could have both, it would’ve saved us all a lot of speculation,” Brooke says with a soft chuckle.

“I think that wild wolf of hers needed two mates to ground her,” Seb drawls, sipping from his beer bottle.

Vienna nudges River’s mom with an elbow. “Maybe you were supposed to have two mates, Brooke,” she teases.

Theo chokes on his beer, punching a fist against his chest to catch his breath and shaking his head adamantly. “No fuckin’ chance,” he coughs, glaring at Vienna.

“Do multiple personalities count?” Chase jokes.

“Watch it, Walker,” Theo growls, pointing a finger at him. “I can still kick your ass.”

Chase makes a scoffing sound in his throat. “Bring it on, Jacobsen.”

Why the fuck do they sound so much like Seb and Riv right now?

Ugh, I need to scrub that comparison from my memory.

“ Or we could all just get along for the sake of the kids,” my mom sing-songs, ever the eternal optimist. Love her for it.

“Christmases are gonna be a real treat,” River muses.

Theo groans and scrubs a hand over his face, as if the thought of sharing holidays never even occurred to him. “Is it too late to break the bond?” he mutters.

“We don’t talk about broken bonds in this house,” my dad mumbles, his lips curving in a smile as he shares a long look with my mom.

Yeah, we’re all aware of their epic love story, broken bond and all.

“You’re stuck with us, Theo,” Vienna declares smugly, waggling her brows at him. “Better get used to it.”

“Oh, he’ll come around,” Brooke laughs. “He always does, don’t you, babe?” she asks, turning to him and batting her lashes.

He grunts and takes another sip of his beer, which seems like his answer to just about everything tonight.

Despite his prickly demeanor, I know for a fact that he’s more accepting of River’s bonds than he’s letting on. That chat I had with him in his garage yesterday wasn’t all threats of death and dismemberment. He said it was good to see his daughter so happy, and that he knew we had some part in making that happen. He also made me promise that we’d take good care of his daughter, and I swore to him that he’d never need to doubt Seb and I when it comes to River’s happiness. Just as much as she’s ours , we’re hers .

As if he knows what I’m thinking, he flickers me a glance, the corner of his mouth lifting imperceptibly before he hides it with his beer bottle.

Me and Riv’s old man will be buddies in no time.

Seb’s got more work to do, but I’m sure he’ll get in with Theo eventually. The two of them are more alike than they even realize. It’s easy for me to recognize, since I know Seb better than anyone. Which is why I also know that while he acts like he doesn’t care, he’s dying for River’s father’s approval and will stop at nothing to gain it.

“Have you kids given any thought to how you’ll handle your packs when Seb and River take Alpha rank?” my mom asks, glancing between us curiously.

“We haven’t decided anything, but we’re open to suggestions,” I reply with a shrug. “Like I told Beau, our bond is outside the norm, so our pack dynamics will probably have to be, too.”

“Too bad Goldenleaf is in between our territories so you can’t just merge,” my dad puts in, swiping a hand over his chin.

“We’ve got time to figure it out,” Seb grumbles. “For now, I think we all just wanna finish training camp and settle into this bond. Enjoy life for a while before responsibility comes knocking.”

River nods enthusiastically. “I’m definitely on board with that.”

“Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but squad leadership is responsibility,” Theo points out, giving River one of those stern father looks.

“A lot less than leading a pack,” she quips, grinning at him.

He smiles back at her, tipping his head. “Fair point.”

The fact that Riv and her dad are getting along just goes to show that something good came out of Jake’s challenge. There’s a newfound respect between them, and I know how much that means to River.

“Bet you kids can’t wait to get out of the barracks,” Vienna remarks, chuckling to herself as she no doubt recalls her own experience at training camp. “I definitely don’t miss those days.”

The three of us exchange glances, and I already know Seb’s going to blurt something out before he even opens his mouth. I’m not quick enough to stop him, though, and I cringe as he says, “Actually, we just got our own dorm room.”

Theo jerks his head in Seb’s direction, narrowing his eyes. “You and Ace?”

Well shit, here it goes.

“The three of us,” River clarifies, jumping in before Seb can respond and her father skewers him for it. “We’re mates , Dad. Don’t act like you and Mom didn’t move in together after you sealed your bond.”

He glares back at her, the muscle in his jaw feathering as he bites back his response. Surprisingly, he doesn’t jump up or flip the table– two very realistic possibilities when it comes to Alpha Theo– and instead dips his head in a nod, turning back to Chase and lifting his now empty beer bottle. “Got another one of these?”

Alpha Chase barks a laugh, nodding. “Yeah, man,” he replies, swiping up his own empty bottle as he pushes up from the table again. “Just let me know when I should break out the whiskey.”

“Better just grab it now,” my dad sighs, rolling his neck on his shoulders. “Something tells me we’ll probably need it.”