Twenty Two

As we pull up to Lucius'parents' house, my stomach churns violently. I feel like I might pass out or throw up at any moment. The car stops, and I grip the seatbelt, knuckles white. Lucius gives me a reassuring smile, but it does little to calm my nerves.

"It's gonna be fine, Marley. Don't be nervous," Lucius says softly, reaching over to squeeze my hand.

"I can't help it, Luci," I murmur, my voice trembling.

I'm terrified his parents will hate me for what happened this summer, for the things I said to my friends about our relationship, for breaking Lucius" heart while he broke mine.

We step out of the taxi, and I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Lucius leads me up the steps, and before we can even knock, the door swings open. His mom stands there, a petite woman with a beaming smile, barely reaching Lucius' chest.

"My little boy! I've missed you. Are you sure college is for you?" she exclaims, wrapping her arms around him.

I hold in a giggle at the sight; Lucius towers over her, his muscular frame almost comically larger than hers. He is, in fact, not her little boy.

She turns to me, her eyes sparkling. "You must be Marley. The elusive but certainly gorgeous mate. I'm Claire. You can call me Mom, though. Eeek!" She does a little clap and happy dance. "I'm so excited you're here and I finally get to meet you."

She is certainly a very vibrant personality and while I can tell it's embarrassing to Luci, it's putting me at ease. His mom is unequivocally herself and she loves her son.

"Mom," Lucius groans, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Can you try to tone it down?"

"Sorry," she says, rolling her eyes. "Come in."

We follow her inside and head to the living room, where Lucius' dad stands by a bookshelf with a beer in hand.

"Marley, this is Titan. Titan, this is our son's girl. His mate."

"Nice to meet you, young lady. You've made my boy very happy," Titan rumbles.

He is massive, a full centaur, and I can't help but wonder how his mom manages. His dad has a rugged, yet warm presence, with a deep, rumbling voice that fills the room.

"Titi! Be gentle, you forget how big you are. You'll scare her," Claire scolds.

"Sugarrrr," Titan growls. "What have I told you about calling me Titi in front of guests? It's not a manly centaur name."

"Oh, please." She rolls her eyes while shaking her head. "You look scary enough. But not to me. I'll put you right in your place, mister. Now, leave me be. I've got to get to know our future daughter."

She smiles and her brows dance as she looks at me.

"Infuriating sexy as hell woman," Titan grumbles under his breath and I giggle.

Claire just smiles and motions for me to sit on the couch next to her. "Sit down, please. Let's talk."

"Son, let's start the grill and cook the steaks. Your mother is going to do her own grilling and believe me, you don't want to be in here for that," his dad says, giving me a sympathetic look.

Lucius hesitates, glancing at me and then at his dad. "Thanks, Dad, but I don't want to leave Marley alone."

"Oh, go, you overprotective brute." His mom swats his thigh. "I'm not going to hurt or scare her. I have girl things to talk to her about." She wags her eyebrows at me, and Lucius groans again.

"Mom."

"Go on." She smiles and winks at him.

"I'll be okay, babe. Go help your dad. Make mine medium would ya?" I smile at him.

Lucius reluctantly follows his dad outside, leaving me with his mom.

She turns to me with a kind smile. "So, Marley, tell me about your sex life with my son."

Is she for real? This is what she wants to talk about. She"s not shy, and there"s no "this is my son, so I don"t wanna know" to be seen. She's diving right in.

"Don't be shy. I don't need to know every sordid detail, but I do want to help you if I can. I've been there. Well, mine is a full centaur, so between you and me, you're getting off easy." She laughs a deep belly laugh.

I can feel my face heat up, and I stammer, "Um, it's…good. But…"

"But?" she prompts, leaning in slightly.

I take a deep breath. "Will it ever fit?"

She bursts into laughter, a warm, comforting sound. "Oh, honey, it will. It takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be blissed out of your mind. Is he taking care of you? That's the most important part of getting it in there. You need to be relaxed and have a real good time. Ya know?"

"Yeah." I look away, not wanting to tell her he's good at making me cum. "That part is fine. So it's just practice then? I was a virgin before."

"Yup. Just practice. It's fun though, right? And has he talked to you about solidifying your mate bond?"

"No," I admit, "He told me I'm his mate, but I don't know much about mate marks, other than what I learned in school and from my doctor/vet program."

Her expression softens. "It's a huge step. He'll have to bite you. It's going to hurt like hell, but he'll do it during sex so the pain will quickly be replaced by pleasure. It marks you as his, and everyone you meet, monster-wise, will know you're taken."

"Why do you think he hasn't said anything about it?" I ask, my heart aching at the thought of Lucius being hesitant to fully bond with me.

She sighs. "Well, he was made fun of and never really fit in anywhere, neither with monsters nor humans, because he's a hybrid. Until he got older and met the boys and Sawyer, he was always dejected."

My heart sinks. "Now I understand why he was so hurt by my words and my friends' comments. Thank you for telling me."

She pulls me into a hug, and I feel a bit of the tension melt away. "Of course, dear. You two have a special bond, and it's important to understand each other."

I know I don't owe her anything but I'm feeling compelled to tell her I'm sorry for hurting her son's feelings. She's been so kind and well, she obviously wants this to work out for her son.

"I'm sorry I hurt him, you know. My friends are…or were not used to monsters and they kept giving me shit. I told them it was a summer fling just to pacify them, but it wasn't true. From the first time we kissed, I knew your son wasn't just a summer fling for me. I'm sorry he overheard it and I'm even more sorry I said it."

"Marley." She takes my hand in hers and holds it. "You owe me nothing. Being human and mated to a monster is not easy. It will get easier, but sometimes it will get harder. But you have each other always, don't forget that. You have me too now."

"Thank you," I whisper.

"Enough serious talk. Let's get dessert ready." She stands up and grabs my hand pulling me up.

I follow her into the kitchen, feeling a bit lighter. We chat about lighter topics as we prepare a delicious spread of desserts. Despite my earlier anxiety, Lucius" mom makes me feel at home, and for the first time today, I start to believe everything might actually be okay.

Lucius and his dad return, bringing with them the mouth-watering smell of steaks, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. We all gather around the dining table, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and I find myself laughing and talking more easily than I expected.

Lucius sits beside me, his hand finding mine under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. "See? Told you it'd be fine," he whispers, his eyes twinkling with relief.

I smile back, grateful for his support. "Yeah, you were right."

As we dig into the meal, Lucius' mom tells us stories from his childhood, making him blush and laugh in equal measure. His dad chimes in with his own tales, and I see the deep love and pride they have for their son. It's clear how much they care for him and, by extension, for me.

After dinner, we move to the living room again, this time with coffee and dessert. Lucius' mom brings out a photo album, and we spend the next hour looking through old pictures, some of which make Lucius groan and others that make him laugh. The whole experience is heartwarming and gives me a deeper insight into the wonderful family he comes from.

As the evening winds down, Lucius' mom pulls me aside. "Marley, I'm really glad you're here. Lucius is lucky to have you, and so are we. Don't ever doubt that."

Tears prick at my eyes, and I nod, too choked up to speak. She hugs me tightly before letting me go.

Today has been more than I could have hoped for, and I'm overwhelmed by the kindness and acceptance Lucius' family has shown me.

Lucius wraps an arm around my shoulders as we head up to his old room. It's small but comfortable, with a large bed covered in a quilt and a window overlooking the garden. I set my bag down, and we both start to change into our pajamas.

"See? Not so bad, right?" Lucius teases gently, pulling off his T-shirt.

I smile, feeling a bit sheepish. "Yeah, you were right. It's been wonderful."

He steps closer, cupping my face in his hands. "I'm glad. It means a lot to me that you're here."

I lean into his touch, closing my eyes for a moment. "It means a lot to me, too."

We finish getting ready for bed, and I slide under the covers, feeling a mixture of contentment and nervous excitement. Lucius joins me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Luci," I say, snuggling into his chest. "I needed this more than I realized."

He kisses the top of my head. "I'm glad you came. They love you, Marley. And so do I."

My heart swells with emotion, and I tilt my head up to kiss him gently.

As we lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, I feel the weight that had been pressing on my chest all day lift. This visit has been a turning point, and I'm grateful for every moment of it. Lucius' parents have welcomed me into their family with open arms, and now, more than ever, I feel like I truly belong.