His Tiger Mate

Chapter 6

The welcoming ceremony was quick and easy, and the dinner and bonfire has started immediately afterwards. Cole is now walking around with me to meet the pack formally since I will become the second Alpha/Luna when Cole takes over the pack in a month.

We stop at a couple of people, and I inhale deeply to memorize their scents, and the color immediately drains from my body when I realize they are Lion shifters.

"What is the matter, Larkin?" Cole worriedly asks immediately with a deep frown, and the other two people stare at me in what seems to be confusion.

"They, they are Lion shifters," I quietly whisper in terror as I stare at them in fear as I lightly tremble.

"Yes they are, little tiger," Cole confirms with a frown still in place. "They are Boyd and Kyler Moore, and they are mates. They are wonderful people."

"Hello Alpha Larkin," the one who Cole introduced as Boyd greets with Kyler murmuring the greeting, too.

I whimper again as I hide myself behind Cole's bulky body, flushing myself with him as much as I can.

"Larkin, what is the matter?" Cole worriedly asks as my body starts to violently shake as I clutch the shirt at the dimples of his back tight enough to whiten my knuckles.

"The rest of our previous pack was demolished by a Lion pack, " daddy's voice replies from behind me.

Whimpering again as I turn to launch myself into daddy's muscular body, and he easily catches me against him tightly. Burring my face into the scenting glad in daddy's neck, I let his scent calm me down slightly.

"Oh my, I totally forgot about that," Cole murmurs with sounds guilty. "Boyd and Kyler are the only two Lion shifters in the pac. They came to us three years ago when their pack kicked them out for being mates."

"Larkin, I am to tell you the same thing that I will be telling the rest of our family," daddy softly says gaining my full attention. "They are not the Lions who attacked, and murdered our old pack, so we are going to be respectful to them."

Silently nodding against his neck, I timidly walk back over to Cole, who instantly brings me into his side with a gentle squeeze. I give Boyd and Kyler a weak, timid smile along with a quiet greeting.

"We are sorry about your pack," Kyler whispers with teary eyes.

"Thank you," I murmur as Cole lightly squeezes  me left with a soft kiss on the top of my head as Boyd cuddles Kyler into his side, too.

"Let's meet a few more people, and then we can eat, okay?" Cole gently asks, and I just nod before he leads me off.

"Are you okay, Larkin?" my mate worriedly asks as we slowly make our way toward an older couple. "I am so sorry I forgot."

"Yeah, I am okay, I promise," I try to assure him, and myself as I place my hand over his that is on my hip. "You don't need to be sorry as it isn't your fault."

Cole hums as we stop a few feet in front of the older couple, who Cole introduces as his grandparents, his dad's parents - Cameron and Alison.

"Hello sir and ma'am," I nervously greet them in a shaky voice, and a wavering smile.

"Please call us by our first names," Alison warmly replies. "Your name is lovely."

"Thank you, Ms Alison," I murmur with flaming red cheeks as I cannot bring myself to strictly call them by just their first names.

She frowns at me, but thankfully she lets this go. They ask me several questions before Cole politely extracts us from them in order to feed my grumbling tummy.

"Are you sure that is all you want?" Cole gently asks after we fill our plates.

Looking down at my plate in confusion before glancing up at him in question; "Yeah. If  I am still hungry, I will grab more."

Cole nods seemingly satisfied with my answer as we move to sit down at a table with my family, a few other pack members including Boyd and Kyler.

"Larkin, when are you moving in with Cole?" Laria asks from my left side, shocking me.

Biting the inside of my left cheek as I quickly glance to my right to Cole with a questionable look in hopes he will answer my question.

"I figured we would be discussing this subject tomorrow," Cole answers for me and Laria.

Looking back at my sister, I see a light sheen of tears in her eyes causing me to pout at her; "Laria, please don't cry."

"I don't want you to move out, and forget about us," she thickly whispers as she rapidly blinks away the tears.

"I would never forget about you or the family," I try to assure my little sister. "Eventually all of us will be moving out from papi and daddy's house when we find our mates."

"I know this, but I thought we would have more time with you," she sniffles as she wipes away tears from her cheeks.

She leans into my side as we silently eat while everyone else continues to chat. Cole places his warm palm onto my thigh closest to him, and I give him a weak smile in appreciation at his silent gesture.

When the celebration ceremony and dinner ends several hours later, I ride home with my family after I give Cole a long hug goodbye and a kiss on the cheek. Cole affectionately returns the gesture, and he promises to see me tomorrow, late morning, and that he will text me a little later tonight.

I am sad to leave him, but I am excited to text with him tonight, and see him again in the morning. I wonder what our future holds for us, and if we will have our own biological children that I will birth, adopt orphaned pack children, or both? Will the birthed children look like me or Cole?