80 - Ryker


    I have never paced so much in my entire life. It''s not that I''m anxious or worried— actually, I don''t even think I''m nervous. Still, the restlessness is undeniable. Kennedy has been willingly spending time with me outside of training sessions and pack business, and it''s something new. She''s showing a genuine interest in the pack, just like a Luna should. For the first time, this rtionship feels real. I want her. Not just in the physical sense, which has always been true, but now she means something deeper to me. She''s important.


    "Ryker, sit down. You''re making me itchy," my mother scolds, ncing up from the stack of books she''s been engrossed in. We''re sitting in the cozy dining nook of the house she and my father chose when they moved out of the packhouse. It''s just a few minutes away, nestled quietly in the woods—private, peaceful.


    "I can''t. I have no clue what I''m doing, and I can''t afford to mess up anymore. What do I do?" I ask, my pacing growing more frantic.


    I give her a quick rundown of everything Kennedy and I have shared since she arrived. Of course, my mom already knows most of it from Kennedy''s perspective, and naturally, she sides with my mate. She proceeds to remind me of all the ways I''m being an idiot, in that uniquely maternal way only a mother can.


    "Well, she didn''t t-out reject you when you mentioned kids yesterday, so I''m still hopeful," she says with a teasing giggle. "Maybe I''ll get grandkids one day after all. I was worried for a bit there."


    "Mom!" I groan.


    "What? No male wolf holds onto his virginity like you have. For a while, I thought maybe you were gay, and we''d have to find a surrogate," she teases.


    “Mom,” I grumble, rubbing my face with my hands. Of course she knows everything. This woman is impossible.


    "Either way would have been fine with me, but I like Kennedy. She''s good for you. You''ve had it too easy for too long, with everyone kissing your ass. That girl will keep your ego in check."


    "That she does, exceptionally well. But I have no idea what I''m doing. I''ve never dated before. What if I screw up and piss her off again?"


    "Oh, baby, that''s guaranteed to happen at some point. No need to worry about it before it even happens. Now sit down. Are they on their way?"


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence," I mutter. "Be said he''d let me know when they wereing, but I haven''t heard from him."


    "Did you think to check with her? You can mindlink her now, and she has one of those newfangled phones," my mom replies with a sly grin. Great. Now she''s mocking me. But she''s not wrong.


    I pull out my phone, fingers hovering over the screen as I start a message to


    Kennedy. I type a few lines, then delete them, unsure how to break the ice. My mom


    chuckles at my awkwardness, and suddenly I know exactly what to say.


    Me: Please save me...


    Kennedy: What could you possibly need saving from?


    Me: My mother...


    Kennedy: :)


    Kennedy: d to see you know how to use your phone.


    Me: Hurry... she''s in a plotting mood.


    Kennedy: Isn''t she always plotting something?


    Me: Fair... but do you want her plotting grandkids?


    Kennedy: Touché! Be says we''ll be there in five.


    Just as she finishes, I hear the SUV crunching down the cleared path, right on time.


    I rush outside to meet them, my mother''sughter trailing behind me. At least Kennedyes straight to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I love how natural it feels.


    "I honestly thought you might run to hug my mom first,” I whisper in her ear.


    "I almost did, just to see how you''d react," sheughs softly.


    I pull back to look into her eyes. "So sassy."


    Her amusement shifts instantly into something hotter, more intense.


    "What are you going to do about it?" she challenges.


    I growl low in response, but we''re interrupted by my mother reminding us we''re not


    alone.