MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

13. VALERIA: HISTORY LESSONS

They stared at me silently. Maybe I should've insisted on changing clothes before meeting them. But neither David nor Devon was dressed either. My hand tightened in his. His father looked at me as if he wanted to kill me, and his mother, her face was completely blank, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes as she watched us. Her eyes darted from David to me, and then to Devon.

"Let me get this clear," his father muttered. "Both of you are planning on mating this . . . girl?"

"Yes."

David moved closer until our sides were pressed together. "It's obvious that you aren't happy with our decision. You—"

"She's human!" he yelled.

The sudden loudness of his voice made me jump. So Devon's parents were like the members of my pack. They saw me as weak. It hurt. I should've been used to it by now, but it still hurt. It hurt, even more, coming from someone who was going to be my future father-in-law. I tried to tug my hands free from theirs, but they held on.

"Val is a half-breed. She has more Lycan blood in her than human."

"Half-breed. Have you forgotten what we suffered by the hands of her kind?" He pointed a finger at me. "She's one of them, not one of us. If I was still the leader I wouldn't have allowed her to step foot on this land! I would've snapped her—"

A loud growl cut off his sentence. Devon moved fast and grabbed his father by his neck and pushed him against the wall hard enough to make plaster crack. His lips parted inches from his father's face to flash sharp fangs. My eyes widened when I saw hair sprouting along his arms and back.

"Devon, please," Meredith begged, grabbing hold of his arm. "Let him go."

"He threatened my mate. Our mate!" he growled. "You think I'm going to let him walk away after that? I should punish him for disrespecting and threatening her."

"He didn't mean it, son," she said softly. "We're happy that you finally found someone. She just isn't—"

"Get out!" Devon roared as he stepped back from his father. "I don't want you inside my house again without an invitation."

"Son—"

He growled. His mother glanced at me and David as she grabbed hold of Jackson's hand. I took a step back when he glared at me as he passed. He really hates you. If looks could kill I'd be six feet underground. Questions flashed through my mind. What did he mean about my kind? I glanced at Devon. He was breathing harshly. His back was turned towards us with his fists clenched at his side. Slipping my hand out of David's, I walked towards him. I hesitated, and then placed my hand against his back. He tensed, and a low growl rumbled from his chest—it was a warning—one that I completely ignored.

I moved my hand higher and then lower to the top of the towel. With a small tug, it fell to the floor. I moved to step around him but Devon turned away from me. My shoulders sagged when he picked up the towel and wrapped it around his waist again.

"Make sure she eats something," he ordered David before walking out of the room.

He rejected me. Tears filled my eyes. I knew it wouldn't last. Nothing ever does. An arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me against a solid chest. His chin rested on the top of my head.

"Don't look so sad, doll. Devon is angry."

"He walked away. I wanted to comfort him but it feels like he rejected me."

"He knows that and that's why he walked away. You don't know much about us, Val, but in time you will learn. We're aggressive by nature, doll. It's mating season which means our aggression levels are higher than normal." He pulled back slightly to glance down at me. "You agreed to be our mate and the urge to claim you is strong. The fact that you're also being affected by it isn't helping at all. If you had continued to touch Devon, he would've taken you, regardless of anything else."