-----------Rose's POV-------------

"Yeah I know dad, I know! We're like three minutes away, tell mom okay? Bye. What? Oh yeah, I love you too."

I blinked a few times and looked at the leather of the escalade, recalling the events from the previous night I looked to Michaelangelo who was sipping on a coffee.

He looked tired.

"Good morning princess." He spoke.

"We're almost home, my dad just called. I'm just going to apologize for my mother's behavior in advance."

"What do you mean?"

I asked.

"Well...she can be pretty "hands on", if you know what I mean."

I didn't know what he meant, but I nodded anyway.

"This is it."

He smiled as he rolled down the windows, the fresh scent of pine needles invading my nostrils.

The house we came up to was glorious in all it's mystery. The roof was as black as tar and the trimming for the windows were all different colors. The house itself was narrow and the door was shaped like a triangle, the knob resting in the middle.

Just then a small woman rushed from the house as Michaelangelo cut the engine.

He hopped out of his seat and opened my door for me.

"Brace yourself."

He mumbled as the woman came closer.

"My son! Oh thank the gods you've returned, and you've brought your gorgeous mate. I'm truly so happy for the both of you. Come now, your father will be wanting words with you."

She nodded towards us, leading us inside.

"Son, you go on upstairs and speak to your father. Rose and I will start on some dinner, if you'd like to help of course."

Michaelangelo's mother placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me towards the kitchen door.

Hands on was definitely an appropriate description.

"No I don't mind at all."

I smiled, looking over my shoulder at Michaelangelo who was now heading up the stairs.

—-Michaelangelo's POV---

I lifted my hand to knock on my father's door when it flew open.

I stood eye to eye with my father for what felt like an eternity.

"Son."

He nodded, taking my forehead and pressing it to his.

"Congratulations."

He smiled as he pulled me into the room, gesturing to me to close the door.

"Thank you, mom said you wanted to talk to me about something."

I responded.

"We need to talk about Rose, she needs to know the truth-"

I cut him off before he could finish.

"I know what I have to do, I don't need you to hold my hand."

I snapped.

"Then be a man and get on with it. You're wasting time."

I nodded at him and turned for the door, I couldn't waste anymore time.

••

"Smells great mom, I can't wait to eat."

I smiled at my mother and my mate as they set the table.

"You've landed yourself a diamond son, a woman who loves to cook and wants children! Congratulations my love."

I shook my head as Rose smiled sheepishly.

"Mom, give my mate a moment to breathe. I'm sure Rose is just agreeing with you to make you feel better. Dad is coming down, he just has another thing to do."

I teased as mom took her seat, setting down the mashed potatoes.

"Well even if she is, I wouldn't dream of pressuring the two of you. That's fine, we'll go ahead and fix him a plate before he comes down."

We waited another five minutes before he came down, rolling his cuffs up and apologizing to my mother.

"You must be Rose, it's wonderful to meet you."

He spoke, placing his arm around her shoulders.

"It's nice to meet you as well, thank you so much for having me."

She replied.

It had now been about an hour into dinner and Rose has thoroughly impressed my father into submission. Suddenly my mother's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Sweetheart...I think we should give these two some privacy, give them some time to get to know each other."

She smiled at the both of us as my father shrugged and picked up his plate, exiting the dining room.

Mom followed shortly and left us to ourselves.

••

"So..."

I started, it was a rather awkward moment between the two of us.

Rose kept looking at her plate and moving her food around.

"So..."

She echoed.

"Is something wrong?"

I questioned.

"I just don't understand why you haven't marked me yet."

She sighed, her eyes not reaching mine.

"Rose I want to be mated as much as you do trust me, but there's a lot going on that you need to know about. When the time is right I promise you I'll tell you, but for now we should wait until the mating ceremony."

I reached for her hand above the table but she pulled away from me, grabbing her plate and glass and clearing her throat.

"I need to wash my plate."

I sighed, grabbing my plate as well.

"Rose."

I followed her into the kitchen.

"It's fine if you don't want to mark me, but not doing it because there's a lot we need to talk about doesn't seem like a genuine answer. Maybe it's just me, but plenty of mates mark each other hours after they fine one another. If you don't want to..."

Her voice trailed off in my mind, she talked so much and I could tell she was passionate about it but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Rose please," I interrupted, "I want to mark you and let everyone know you're mine but I can't just dive into this without you knowing-"

She interrupted me.

"It's okay, it really is. I just need to get out of here for a bit."

I rolled my eyes and caught her arm, she was frustrating me.

"You want a mark? Fine." I growled, feeling my wolf step forward at the taunts of submission. I wanted her, but he wanted her more.

I stepped forward and grabbed her face, tilting her head sideways before I felt my canine's extract and I grazed over the soft flesh of her neck.

I felt her struggle but I couldn't stop myself as my teeth sunk into her neck and I felt an overwhelming sense of power surge through my veins, the feeling that I could do anything, that I was unstoppable.

When I licked my wound clean I stepped back from Rose.

Her face mimicked shock and sadness.

"Rose...I-"

She stopped me.

"What did you do to me?"

She asked as I looked down at my hands and saw that they were a bright red color, a purple aura wrapped around each finger.

"What's happening to me?"

All of a sudden she fell to the ground, her neck gushing blood as my mark became more prominent on her neck.

What was happening?