6. Peter

6

PETER

P eter leaned against the wall of the international arrivals area, sipping a large iced caffè mocha through a straw, and mentally rehearsing all the things he wanted to tell his mother about Marina. He needed his mother to understand why he was so completely, irrevocably in love with her, but how could he explain that she was his soul mate?

His mother wouldn't accept that explanation. To her, the very idea that a human with no godly heritage could be his destined mate was laughable.

He could tell her about Kaia's research into the secret of immortality and tell her that there was a chance she would find a way to turn Marina immortal while she was still young enough to undergo the transition, but that wouldn't change his mother's attitude either .

She'd already made up her mind that Marina was an opportunist who had ensnared him with great sex.

Well, there was some truth to that. The sex was incredible, but that was just one small part of why he loved Marina. How could he make his mother understand that Marina made him happy? That coming home to her was the highlight of his day and that his heart felt lighter the moment he pulled her into his arms?

Marina wasn't an opportunist who wanted him just because he was an immortal Guardian with a large bank account and a hefty investment portfolio. She just wanted him, Peter, and she proved it each time he walked through the door with an expression that was pure joy.

He'd never made anyone as happy as he made Marina.

The arrivals board showed his mother's flight had landed twenty minutes ago, but she still needed to go through immigration and then collect her suitcases. He'd wanted to get her an American passport so she could skip the line, but she'd refused, saying that it wasn't worth the trouble.

Almost an hour later, she finally appeared, pushing a cart loaded with two massive suitcases, a carry-on, and a duffle bag.

Peter tossed his empty cup into the trash bin and rushed to embrace her, wrapping her in a bear hug that had her laughing.

"So, you missed me after all." She pushed out of his arms.

"Of course. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together on the cruise." He kept the accusation out of his voice as he took control of the cart and started pushing it toward the exit.

She'd been busy hanging out with all her American cousins, but if he said that, she would accuse him of spending all his time with Marina.

Peter really didn't want to play the blame game with his mother.

He also needed to remember not to address her as Mother in public because she looked younger than him.

His mother threaded her arm through his. "We are going to spend as much time together as you can spare. Congratulations again on the promotion."

"Thank you." He looked at the mountain of luggage piled on the cart. "That's a lot of stuff for one week."

"Actually, darling, I've decided to stay a little longer, or much longer, depending on how I like it in the village."

Peter nearly lost his grip on the cart. "What?"

"Well, with your new position as head of the Avengers division and everything else going on..." she patted his arm, "I think you need my support. What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't rise to the occasion, right?"

He was speechless.

Marina was going to flip. She was nervous enough about having his mother stay with them for a week. Now, she'd never have a moment's peace, especially if his mother expected to stay in their house.

He loved his mother, but he could only tolerate being with her in small doses. He had been very glad to have an ocean separating them.

"You've said time and again that you have no intention of leaving Scotland and even refused to get an American passport. What's made you change your mind?"

His mother turned to him, reaching up to cup his cheek in a gesture that had comforted him countless times in his youth, but he was a man now, and it felt condescending rather than loving.

"You will need me once this blows up in your face. I'm here for you."

Her words felt like a slap.

Rage surged through Peter so quickly that his vision blurred red, and his hands tightened on the cart handle until the metal groaned in protest. He forced himself to remain silent, though, waiting for the anger to subside before he said something he couldn't take back .

The walk to his car passed in tense silence. He opened the passenger door for her, then loaded her luggage into the trunk, and by the time he settled into the driver's seat, the rage had receded just enough for him to be able to speak calmly.

"Explain to me why you think this is going to 'blow up in my face.'"

His mother sighed as if he were being deliberately obtuse. "You know I only want what's best for you. But Marina is human. Her lifespan is a blink of an eye to us." She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. "And if you have children, they'll be born human too. Can you imagine how devastating it will be to watch them grow old and die?"

"There are solutions?—"

"Theoretical solutions," she cut in. "Possibilities and maybes. But the reality is that you're setting yourself up for heartbreak. That's why I decided to move here and strengthen our relationship. When the time comes, you'll need someone to lean on. I don't want you to have to deal with the pain alone."

Peter's hands clenched on the steering wheel. She wasn't wrong, and he could understand where she was coming from, but she shouldn't have dumped all that on his head the day before his wedding.

Then again, his mother had never been good at thinking things through and realizing the impact of her words .

"You could have waited a few days before dumping ice on my head."

She shrugged. "Hiding from reality is not going to do you any favors, and wishing for miracles will just bring you disappointment. You must have angered the Fates for them to saddle you with a human." She said 'human' like it was a slur. "You're blinded by love right now, but?—"

"Stop." Peter's voice cracked like a whip. "Just...stop."

"Peter—"

"No." He turned to face her fully. "You don't get to belittle my feelings, and you don't get to reduce my relationship with Marina to some temporary infatuation. And you absolutely don't get to plan for its eventual demise before we've even gotten married."

His mother's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm your mother. It's my job to protect you from making mistakes that will cause you pain."

So that had been her plan. It was a last-ditch attempt to make him reconsider the marriage.

"Marina is not a mistake." The words came out as almost a growl. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. She makes me happy, and she makes me better and stronger. Do you think it's a coincidence that I got such an incredible promotion just as I was about to marry her? That's her influence on me. Her support makes me a better man. "

"It's a mother's worst nightmare," his mother said quietly. "Watching her child walk willingly into heartbreak."

"No." Peter shook his head. "You see what you want to see. You see a human girl who isn't good enough for your immortal son. You see an ending before we've even had our beginning."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" He started the car, needing something to do with his hands. "Tell me honestly—if Marina were immortal, would you have welcomed her with open arms? Or would you still have reservations about her?"

His mother's silence was answer enough.

"That's what I thought." He pulled out of the parking space with more force than necessary. "Well, I have news for you, Mom. Marina is who she is, and I love her exactly as she is. If you can't accept that, at least try to be happy for us..."

"Then what?" she challenged.

Peter took a deep breath. "Then maybe moving to the village isn't the best idea. In Scotland, you won't have to suffer seeing us together, being happy and all that."

His mother was stubborn—it was where he had gotten it from—and once she got an idea in her head she rarely let it go, but he couldn't let her intimidate Marina, which she obviously planned to do. He wouldn't let her poison their relationship.

How the hell was he going to break the news to Marina that his mother was moving in and had no intentions of leaving?

He couldn't allow it to happen. If his mother wanted to live in the village, she would have to do that in a house of her own, and he would make sure that it was far away from theirs.