Chapter 190

“Ella!” my dad calls again, pounding on the door. “What’s going on!?”

“It’s nothing, Dominic!” mom snaps back, turning to glare at the door that she’s got her back pressed against, like dad can see her expression through it. “We just need a minute! For girl stuff!”

There’s a long pause outside of the door and then dad groans. “Fine!” he calls, sounding exhausted, his voice fading as he clearly walks away. “I’ll go get the boys up – you handle this girl stuff. Get them up and dressed!”

“Dressed?” I ask, peering at the door like it has answers. “For what?”

“Ariel!” Mom gasps again, darting for me now that dad’s gone and grabbing for the neckline of my pajamas. “Where is it – where did he.”

But I just sigh, putting my hands on my hips and tilting my head back so that mom can see the evidence for herself. “He didn’t mark me, mom – god I’m going to get sick of saying that today.”

“He didn’t!?” she gasps, still looking like I’m hiding it from her or something. “Then what did he…”

But then she goes still, and takes a single step back, and bursts out laughing.

“What?” I sigh, shaking my head at her, kind of embarrassed and trying hard to hide it.

“So,” she says, grinning wickedly at me as she crosses her arms, becoming my mirror image. “Someone discovered the dark delights of scent marking, did they?”

“Mom!” I protest, dropping my hands, my cheeks blushing pink.

She laughs harder, grinning at me and I just scowl, waiting for her to finish. “No, I get it!” she says after a couple more moments of laughter. “You know, your dad used to scent mark me when –“

“Nope!” I shout, throwing my hands up in the air and turning away from her. As I turn I see Daphne sitting up in the bed, grinning, her arms looped casually around her knees. “Too much information, mom! I do not need to know the details of this!”

“It was before I knew I was a wolf!” she protests.

“Yah!” I say, turning to give her a little glare. “And when you were already pregnant with Rafe!”

“Yeah,” she says, tightening her arms around herself like she’s giving herself a little hug. “Ah, the good ole days. Anyway,” she sighs, shaking her head at me and glancing back towards the door. “Your dad’s going to flip about this, either way, little girl. You are trying his patience with this double mate stuff.”

“Is he going to be mad at me?” I ask, anxious again, following her gaze.

“Nah, I won’t let him,” mom says, flapping a hand in my direction. “Just, um…” she turns back to us, her face falling into more serious lines. “Actually, you two need to get up and get dressed. We have a meeting with the Atalaxians, and we want you all in on it.”

“Me too?” Daphne asks, surprised.

“You’re Academy staff, my dear,” mom says, turning to her seriously, making sure that she understands how welcome she is. “And our honored guest. It’s your choice, of course, but we’d appreciate it if you came along.”

“My honor,” Daphne says, starting to get out of bed.

Mom starts darts forward to give me a little kiss before darting towards the door. “I want to make sure Meatball is up – you’ll be okay?” She raises an eyebrow, her hand on the door.

“Well, what should we wear?” I ask, a little confused. “Am I…am I a Princess today? Or a Cadet?”

“Princess, unfortunately,” mom replies, tilting her head in apology. “But, something serious. Black?”

I nod, understanding, agreeing.

“And something with a neck tonight,” mom says quickly, gesturing towards her own and giving me a wicked smirk. “Basically…the opposite of what you wore last night. Though still Black.”

Daphne laughs as I shoo mom out, and then both of us move over to my wardrobe, trying to find something to wear.

Daphne’s dressed before me in a serious outfit of boots, tight pants, and a black blouse while I pull on some tights and a dark sweater dress. We’re still trying to figure out shoes when a quick knock comes at the door.

“Girl time over?” my dad’s voice calls, sounding half amused at himself and half exhausted.

I groan a little under my breath, turning swiftly to Daphne and pulling my high neckline down a bit. “Quick, can you scent mark me too?” I whisper. “Cover it up?”

She bursts out laughing and puts up a hand towards me. “No way, I am not getting my own scent involved in this.”

The knock comes again, more insistent this time.

“Come in, Dad,” I call, a sigh in my words.

Dad comes in swiftly, and by his deep breath when he comes into the room I know that mom prepped him and let him know that the only reaction he’s allowed to have is to be cool, calm, and collected.

And by the tension in his shoulders, I can tell that he’s working very, very hard to embody that.

“Come here, Ariel,” he murmurs, standing by the door and beckoning with one hand, the other resting on his hip.

I send one last desperate glance at Daphne before walking to stand in front of my father.

When I stand about a foot in front of him he takes a deep breath in through his nose and reaches out to brush my hair back over my shoulder. “Well, baby trouble,” he murmurs. “You smell…different.”

The amount of deliberate understatement in that last word makes me fight back a groan.

I bite my lip, tucking my hands behind my back. “Is it bad?” I whisper.

“No, baby,” he sighs, shaking his head at me and giving me a small smile, stroking his broad hand over my hair. “It’s not bad, not at all. Just…not as easy for a dad. Which is something Rafe and Mark might understand one day, but fortunately for you, you never will.”

I can’t help it then – I pitch forward that last foot between us and wrap my arms around my dad’s waist, crushing myself against his chest. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, meaning it desperately. “I don’t want to make you…sad.”

“I’m not sad, sweetie,” he murmurs, his arms wrapping around me and hugging me close. “I’m just…adjusting. You’re my little girl, and now someone else has a claim on you, and that’s…an adjustment. Two someone else’s, at that.”

“Well, it’s not like you have to give me up,” I murmur, shutting my eyes, wanting always – always to be his little girl.

“Oh, they’d have to kill me before I did that,” he whispers, and I grin, looking up into his face, nodding.

His face shifts, though, into more serious lines as he glances over at Daphne, giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement and greeting.

“What is it?” I ask, pulling back a little and standing on my own two feet. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure yet,” dad says, turning back to me and starting to unbutton one of the cuffs on his wrist. He looks at me seriously. “But the Atalaxians have called a surprise meeting and…I don’t think it’s good. I want us all there.”

To my surprise, then, he reaches out his arm and wipes his wrist against my neck and then down over my hair, just as Jesse did every morning and after every shower at the academy. Almost a knee jerk reaction, I hold my own wrists up and he marks those too.

“What’s this for?” I ask, confused.

“Camouflage,” dad murmurs, re-buttoning his cuff. “It won’t completely cover Jackson’s scent – I don’t think anything could do that right now,” he gives me a little raised eyebrow which lets me know precisely how he feels about that, “but it should be enough to confuse the Atalaxians from across the room. Have Jesse and Rafe do it too, when you see them. And your uncle Roger, if you can catch him.”

“Why?” I ask, completely willing to do as he says but not fully understanding.

“Because we want you smelling like a Sinclair. The Atalaxians don’t need to know about your double-mate situation, and with Luca in the room too they’ll notice that you smell like another man. I mean, I doubt they’ll be sniffing, but…in case they are. It should be enough to confuse their noses.”

“Oh,” I say, looking down at my wrists and wondering why Rafe and Jesse didn’t think of that this morning. Then I look up at my dad out of the corner of my eye. “Luca…is going to be there?”

“Everyone’s going to be there,” dad replies, nodding to me seriously. But then his mouth quirks up at the corner. “Or what, did you think Luca would be too tired after his morning dash through the palace, shouting for you?”

I groan, pressing my eyes shut and turning my head away from my father, suddenly terribly embarrassed. I mean, it’s not that I did anything wrong, but he is my mate –

“No,” dad snaps, and it’s surprise enough that I open my eyes and look back up at him. He shakes his head, dead serious as he slips his hands into his pockets. “His embarrassment is not for you to bear, Ariel. He’s a big boy – he can take his own shame in hand.”

I nod briskly, letting my dad know that I hear him, that I understand.

“But Ariel,” my dad says, moving lightening fast and grabbing me by the chin – gentle, but serious, seizing my attention. “There is one thing I do want to say to you right now.”

My eyes go wide with fear because…

Oh my god, am I in trouble?