Page 74 of Clashing With The Grumpy Wolf

"Please, sit," my mother continues, gesturing to the living room seating area as if this were her home and not mine.

We move to the couch, sitting side by side while my mother takes the armchair opposite. She perches on the edge, back perfectly straight, hands folded in her lap. Meredith Wolfsbane is the picture of control and authority, like I’ve seen her for my entire life.

"Adrian," she begins, her voice measured, "you have responsibilities to this pack that cannot be set aside for personal indulgences. Your father and I have been patient with your… reluctance to fully embrace your future role, but that patience has limits."

I feel a muscle tick in my jaw as I clench my teeth. Julia's fingers find mine, squeezing gently.

"The alpha's mate is a position of honor and responsibility," my mother continues, her gaze shifting to Julia. "It requires someone who understands our ways, our traditions, our nature. Someone who can bear strong cubs to continue the Wolfsbane line."

Her meaning is clear in the pointed way she looks at Julia's very human form.

"Mother," I say, my voice low with warning.

She continues as if I haven't spoken. "For generations, the Wolfsbane alpha has taken a mate from one of the respected werewolf families. It strengthens our pack bonds, preserves our bloodlines, maintains the balance of power."

Julia's pulse quickens beside me, but her voice remains steady when she speaks.

"I understand your concern, Mrs. Wolfsbane. This must be quite a shock."

My mother's gaze sharpens. "Frankly, Ms. Schroeder, I had hoped this was simply another of Adrian's rebellions against tradition. Apassing infatuation that would run its course before any lasting damage could be done."

"This isn't an infatuation," I interject, heat rising in my voice. "Julia is my mate. My wolf has chosen her, and I've accepted that choice fully and completely."

"Wolves can be misled by strong physical attraction," my mother counters, her tone cooling further. "It doesn't necessarily indicate a true mating."

"Enough." I stand, unable to contain my frustration any longer. "I respect you, I respect the pack, but this isn't negotiable. If it comes down to choosing between the pack and Julia, I choose her. I'll always choose her."

The room falls silent. The weight of my declaration hangs in the air between us. To threaten to leave the pack is unprecedented for an alpha heir. I can see the shock on my mother's face, quickly masked by a return to icy control.

Julia stands beside me, her hand still in mine.

"Mrs. Wolfsbane," she says, her voice trembling slightly but growing stronger with each word. "I don't want to come between Adrian and his family or his pack. I know I'm human. I know I don't understand all your ways yet. But I'm willing to learn."

She reaches up with her free hand and pulls the collar of my shirt aside, fully exposing the mating mark on her neck.

"I know what this means. Adrian explained everything before I accepted it."

My mother's eyes widen at the sight of the mark, so clearly visible and fully healed, evidence of a completed,accepted bond.

"I don't want to take him from his people," Julia continues, her voice steady now. "I love him. I want us to be happy together, and he can't have that without you and the pack. So I'm asking you to give me a chance to prove myself worthy of being in your family, even if I wasn't what you expected for your son."

The raw honesty in her words seems to catch my mother off guard. For a long moment, she simply stares at Julia, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she rises from her seat and approaches us.

I tense, unsure what to expect, my wolf rising close to the surface in preparation to defend my mate if necessary. But my mother's movement is deliberate, measured, as she steps closer to Julia.

She reaches out one hand, hesitating just a moment before gently touching the mating mark on Julia's neck. Her eyes close briefly, then, to my complete astonishment, my mother's expression softens. She pulls Julia into an embrace, her arms wrapping around my mate's slender frame. Over Julia's shoulder, I can see tears glistening in my mother's eyes.

"My stubborn son," she whispers, her voice so low I barely catch the words. "Of course you would find your true mate in the most unlikely place."

She pulls back, her hands still resting on Julia's shoulders, and whispers something into Julia's ear that even my enhanced hearing can't quite catch. Whatever it is, it makes Julia's eyes widen, then fill with tears of her own.

My mother steps back, composing herself with visible effort.

"I should go," she says, her voice almost back to its usual controlled tone. "Jeremy is waiting."

I blink in surprise. "Father is here?"

She nods once. "In the car."