I've never been afraid to meet parents. Granted, I had never met the parents of someone I was interested in, of someone I wanted to grow a future with, and never quite under these circumstances.

Parents had always loved me growing up. I was always the pup that came from a good family - the Beta family. I was the good influence, the one that had been the tattle tail that parents had appreciated and my friends had despised. I had been the one with the good head on my shoulders, the parents everyone wanted their children to be friends with.

However, knowing all of those things would never settle the nerves that formed in the pit of my stomach.

Grayson's parents wanted to meet me. They wanted to see who the Moon Goddess had promised their son to, and they were about to be disappointed.

Yeah, with that attitude, I can't imagine they'd like you very much. Kita muttered and I rolled my eyes - mentally.

That would be the correct definition.

I huffed a sigh, the sleepiness from the car turning into fear.

"I'm sorry," Grayson whispered into my ear as he guided me through the garage door into a very, very large kitchen. I'd have to come back and admire it when I wasn't freaking the fuck out.

His hand hovered over the center of my back, not quite touching me. Every muscle was taut, and his jaw clenched so hard I was a little worried he would break his teeth.

I wasn't sure what to make of his reaction. Did he not want them to meet me? Did he know that this wouldn't work?

I hesitated a step when I heard the voices coming from the next room. Grayson's hand brushed against my back and I tensed, his body turning into me, head lowering to be closer to my ear.

"I wanted you to be more settled, more comfortable before meeting them," he whispered, allowing that fleeting insecurity to disappear. "They never seem to listen though. I'm really sorry."

I wanted to reassure him that it was okay, that I wasn't upset with him, but the only thing I could focus on was that I could disappoint them, disappoint Grayson. For the first time since arriving, I wanted to run. It was taking everything in me to not turn for the door, to not go cower in a corner.

I didn't want to do this. There were a lot of things I could handle. I knew I had endured more than the average human or wolf could, but I couldn't handle rejection. If they didn't want me, what would I do? Where would I go? I had no family, no pack, and I refused to go back to Silver Crescent.

"Sweetheart." Grayson stopped us, stepping in front of me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "Kristin, you're shaking. Hey, it's okay." Words kept falling from Grayson's mouth as he took another step towards me, his boots knocking against my tennis shoes.

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, his arms slowly slipped around my shoulders as he pulled me close. My face connected with his chest, his chin resting on top of my head, and I froze, only for a moment before I caved. With a sigh, I rested my forehead between his pecs, inhaling deeply.

All the nerves dissipated and I counted his heartbeats, noting how it got faster. His palms moved over my shoulder blades, resting between them as he rubbed soothing circles.

"I really am sorry. This isn't how I wanted you to meet them." His fingers massaged at the muscle connecting my neck and shoulder. "They are the best people I know, they just suck at boundaries." He had made his voice light, playful as he kept soothing me.

My body burrowed deeper into his hold of its own accord, that same feeling of safety curling its way around me that I had felt in this office, and I don't think I could have removed myself if I tried. My body, my wolf, wouldn't let me - the bond between us was as electrifying as it was terrifying.

How had I thought I could avoid him? It had barely been an entire day since leaving the hospital and I had already found myself wrapped up in him twice.

I felt his lips graze the top of my head, so lightly I barely felt it.

Fuck, I was in so much trouble.

"Grayson!"

I was wrong when I thought nothing could pull me from him. The sound of a woman's voice yelling from the other room had me nearly crashing into the counter behind me.

Grayson sighed, giving me another apologetic look before holding out his hand, palm up, waiting patiently, and I eyed it longer than I should have considering I knew what his lips felt like against my temple. Timidly, I placed my hand in his; his larger one swallowing mine as soon as his fingers closed around it.

When he turned, leading us through the entryway, I was ashamed to admit that I hid behind him, standing on my tiptoes to peak over his shoulder once we came to a stop. His hand gripped mine as soon as I heard a gasp, and then, Grayson was stepping aside.

The woman before me was gorgeous and tall, and an exact replica of Gabrielle. Or maybe it was the other way around. Golden brown eyes took me in as a large smile crossed her face and only then did I see the features Grayson had taken from her.

"Oh my," the woman gasped, a trembling hand going to her lips. She skimmed me from head to toe, eyes filling with tears.

Kita chose to ignore me.

"I was beginning to think she didn't exist."

My head snapped to the right at the sound of another voice, a deeper one, a raspier one, and I found a man leaning against the wall beside a bar cart, holding a glass of amber liquid. Holy fucking mackeral. Instantly, I knew where Grayson had gotten everything other than his smile. The man before me was an epitome of intimidation and power with his towering height, dark features, and steel gray eyes.

"Of course you would," Grayson said from behind me, and when his father took a step forward, I took a step back, nearly coming in contact with Grayson's chest. I felt a comforting hand land on my shoulder.

"Kristin, this is my mother, Alison, and my father, Anthony. Mom. Dad. This is my mate, Kristin Knight."

Alison stepped forward, only inches from me as her bright smile seemed to grow. "Kristin, it's so nice to finally meet you. I can't believe our son has been keeping you hidden." Her hand rested on my forearm and I stared at it, the room seeming to spin a little. I tried giving her my best smile.

"It really is nice to meet you, Kristin," Grayson's father replied, voice somehow gentle yet firm.

"Oh, you're so beautiful," Alison gushed, her hand on my arm tightening just a little, and it made me flinch. Without warning, I took another forceful step backward into Grayson, my back clashing with his front. I blinked rapidly, taking in his mother's face that now showed no trace of a smile, but instead heavy concern.

"Okay." Grayson's voice sounded different, deeper than normal, almost seeming to echo off the walls. It had his parents and sister instantly taking a step back. I felt Grayson's other hand on my opposite shoulder before he leaned down. "It's okay," he soothed, his thumb darting out to trace the curve of my throat.

He pulled back when I relaxed into his chest, keeping my gaze on the floor. I suddenly felt like I could cry. I blinked quickly, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat as I focused on Grayson's heartbeat thumping against my back.

"Guys, she's exhausted," Grayson said carefully, and I closed my eyes in frustration. This wasn't how I wanted this to go. "This wasn't a good time."

Shit, shit, shit. I really was good for nothing.

"I'm really sorry," I piped in, voice cracking as I looked back up at the parents of my mate, and I was surprised to still find concern on both their faces.

His mother was the first to respond, moving as if she were about to take a step towards me but decided against it and went with a soft smile. "It's okay, darling. We shouldn't have come without checking with Grayson first. You go up and get your rest."

Her words, her tone, reminded me so much of my own mother in that moment that my lip began to tremble.

Don't fucking cry. Hold your shit together.

All I had done since arriving was cry. Sooner or later Grayson would come to his senses that he couldn't run a pack with a Luna that can't keep her emotions in check. Aiden was right about me.

Kita's words were my next inhale but they still didn't give me enough strength to step away from Grayson. So much for keeping myself at a distance - I was already clinging to him.

Shit, shit, shit.

Grayson's hands cupped my upper arm, sliding down before trailing back up and all the tension evaporated. My eyes fluttered and suddenly, I was so incredibly sleepy. Everything ached; my body, my heart, my soul and all I wanted was to disappear.

As if he could read my mind, Grayson's hands dropped, lingering for only a second before he took a step around me, facing me in the process.

"Why don't you go on up, yeah? I'll bring your things up in a bit."

Guilt churned in my stomach so violently that I felt the need to throw up. This wasn't how this was supposed to go for him. Grayson should have been able to introduce his mate to his parents as soon as he knew about her. He deserved a mate who accepted his family with open arms, entertained Gabi's shopping, and stepped into the role of Luna for his pack effortlessly.

Instead, he got a fucked up mate with more mental scars than physical ones.

I needed to get to my room before I absolutely lost it.

Grayson's palm cupped my jaw, sliding up and over my cheek.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for." He was so gentle. "We can try again tomorrow, okay? If you are ready."

I wasn't sure I ever would be ready to become more involved in Grayson's life than I already was. I was supposed to get stronger and leave. Yet, somehow, in the matter of days, I felt more of a connection here than I ever had in Silver Crescent - another thing that made me feel guilty.

But instead, I nodded, peeking over Grayson's shoulder at his parents once more to find them watching us with a mixture of, what looked like, awe and worry. When I caught eyes with Alison, she gave me a beaming smile with a tiny wave. And with the last bit of energy I had left, I returned it with an apologetic smile before exiting the room to try and find my way upstairs.

"Gab, will you," I trailed with a tilt of my head in Kristin's direction. She still wasn't very familiar with the layout of the pack house, and between the look in her eyes and having to take the stairs with her ribs, I wanted someone with her.

Gabi didn't waste a second, giving me a nod and high tailing it after Kristin, leaving me alone with my parents.

My mother had the decency to look the tiniest bit sheepish. My father on the other hand gave me a blank expression that rivaled mine. A look that gave nothing away, one that he had made me perfect from a young age - I didn't appreciate it in the slightest.

He stared me down, sipping the whiskey from its tumblr and I felt Acel stir. The man before me may be my father, the former Alpha, but I felt the challenge in his gaze, the same as Acel did. Acel, however, wasn't as forgiving as I was. Before Kristin, I believed that had been our greatest strength and greatest weakness.

"Is there something you want to say?" I tilted my chin up.

My father sighed and placed his now empty glass on the bar cart. "No, son. I'm just surprised," he paused, seeming to debate his next words. "She wasn't what I was expecting."

I straightened, taking a single step towards him with a raised brow.

"Grayson, it isn't anything bad." His gaze lingered where Kristin had exited the den. "She looked terrified. Ready to run. Fragile. I just figured that she would be...I don't know, son. You are the most powerful Alpha in the region. I just thought you would have someone that reigned in the same realm as you."

Acel bristled, and I wasn't so sure that I didn't feel just as much fury as my wolf did in that moment. Out of all the things that I expected my father to say, that hadn't been one of them. He had always been on my side. Anthony Black had been a phenomenal Alpha, but he had never put the position over my mother or our family.

The fact that he had judged Kristin so quickly based on looks and an interaction that I knew she hadn't been ready for hurt more than I expected it to.

"Tony," my mother chastised before I could take another step towards my father. She slapped his chest lightly, and he looked down at her, face softening. "What in the hell has gotten into you? Whether she was born into a position of power or not doesn't change the fact that she is our son's mate."

Then my mother looked at me, eyes filling with adoration.

"She's perfect, Gray."

If I hadn't been so focused on my father at that moment, I would've wrapped my mother in the tightest hug in the world. However, my father ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair that had begun graying years before it should have.

"My wording was off. Forgive me," he said, gaze finding mine and never wavering. "It isn't that I think she is incapable. She would make a wonderful Luna. I'm worried that she isn't going to want it. Has she accepted you, Gray?"

His question replaced whatever anger had been burning with a fear that I still wasn't used to feeling.

"If she wants you, if you accepts you," my father began. "I'll love her like my own daughter. You know that. I'm hurt you thought anything different."

I felt like I was spinning. Closing my eyes, I pushed my hand through my own hair, a habit I had clearly picked up from the man in front of me.

"I don't know, Dad." I replied truthfully. "But, she's been through hell the past two years. She was beaten, bruised, and on her death bed when I found her. Of course she is scared. It's barely been four fucking days since I found her. So, right now, getting her to accept me as her mate and my Luna is the last thing on my mind."

"I want to do right by her, and I'm trusting that giving her time and space right now is the right thing to do. She needs time, and she needs someone to be there for her while expecting nothing in return. She's my mate, so regardless if she accepts me or not, I'm going to be what she needs me to be."

For the first time since I had been a teenager, I felt vulnerable in front of the people that raised me. I felt frayed, torn to pieces, and all I could focus on was making sure everything I did was for her. So that she felt safe, felt loved and wanted. But in the midst of that, I wasn't sure I wasn't losing my fucking mind.

My mother wrapped her arms around me, and right before I buried my face in her neck, I caught a glimpse of pride washing over my dad's face. I felt my mother kiss the side of my head just as I felt my father's hand come down on my shoulder.

"I'm proud of you," my father whispered into my ear. "Not only are you gonna be an amazing mate, but she's gonna make an exceptional Luna."

I lifted my head, feeling defeated as I looked at him. I became Alpha at twenty-one, and now, at twenty-five, I felt more lost than I did then. Never once had I asked for guidance, and never once had I doubted myself or my pack. But now, it felt like everything was spriling. Nothing was in my control, and instead, I was completely in hers.

It was fucking terrifying to the Alpha. To spend years practicing confidence, building a pack where no one questioned me because they trusted my judgment, and then having someone barely over five-foot-four come and create such unsteady ground with each breath.

But at least she is breathing.

"I can't lose her," I whispered. "She was barely breathing when I found her. I didn't know her and losing her would've," my voice cracked, effectively cutting me off, and my mother held me tighter. My father stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my head. Suddenly, I felt four years old again.

"Unfortunately, son, that fear will never go away," my father croaked, and I watched his eyes shift to my mother. "You'll just learn to adapt to it." Then he smirked. "You didn't think you'd go through the rest of your life fearlessly, did you?"

I didn't have it in me to laugh.

"What if she doesn't accept me," I asked on a sigh, pulling back, staring down at my mother and father. My mother was shorter than my father, but the moment I hit seventeen, I passed my father and I knew it bothered him slightly.

"She will," my mother said. She sounded so confident. "Her seeking comfort and safety from you just moments ago was a bigger sign than anything you'll ever need. I don't know what she has been through, but she trusts you already whether she realizes it or not. Just give her time."

I nodded slowly. Today had been a huge day for us. She had sought me out, opened up to me, allowed me to hold her twice. Maybe I was being too greedy. I couldn't ask for everything so quickly. I just had to focus on what she was giving me and be patient.

"Yeah." I nodded. "You're right."

"Of course I am."

That made me smile.

"We are sorry for stopping by uninvited," my father sighed, and I raised a brow. Apologizing had never been his strong point. "We should've listened to Gabi when she said Kristin wasn't ready."

I looked back towards the living area on my own sigh and shrugged. "Don't worry about it." I turned back to my parents, giving them the best smile I could muster. "I should probably go up and check on her."

My mother smiled while my father gave me a reassuring nod. With a smile wave, I turned on my heel, desperate to find Kristin when my mother spoke.

"Although, Gray." I paused. "Thanksgiving is at the end of the week," she trailed off, and something told me I probably wouldn't like her suggestion. "The pack is asking questions. I think it's time to start preparing her to meet them."

"Whether you introduce her as Luna or not."