One of Runts

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Azrael

        I tense up slightly as the two wolves walk closer to us. It's easy to tell that they're Ever's parents. The woman looks almost exactly like her daughter save for her brown hair and different eyes. It's easy to tell that Ever's inherited her father's black hair along with his pale skin and some facial features like his nose and eyes.

        Both of them, however, are taller than Ever as they're not runts. Ever's mother ignores me and walks towards her daughter, arms open wide for a hug. Ever opens up her arms for a hug and I worry that she'll drop the items in her hands.

        Her father grabs the waters and silverware out of her hands and places them next to his and his mate's dish. The woman wraps Ever in a tight hug, pulling back as she scents the air around her. Her eyes swiftly snap to mine and I ignore the urge to shrink from her piercing gaze.

        While I may not physically have a reason to be intimidated by the she-wolf, the sheer fact that she's Ever's mother has me worried. Her gaze shifts from me to Ever's sheepish expression, easily connecting the dots.

        It's easy to tell that both wolves are shocked by our mating by the looks on their faces. Even Ever's father, whose face has been nearly stoic since we arrived, looks shocked. I let a charming smile lift on my lips, hoping it will deter them from my very dominant aura.

        Her mother smiles softly at me with kind eyes, though her father's eyes harden. I see Ever glance at me out of the corner of her eye with a somewhat worried look. Uh oh... "Lykaon!" Ever's mother says sharply to her mate, frowning at him. "Let the boy through so he can place down their plate."

        Ever's father, Lykaon, seems to freeze at his mate's sharp words. He immediately steps back and makes space for me to walk to the table. I place our large plate a little ways away and stand tall as I turn to Ever's parents.

        I square my shoulders and my feet rest below them. I keep my back straight and puff our my chest slightly, keeping my arms at my side. Despite my stiff posture, I keep my face warm.

        I smile softly at them and allow Ever to take the reigns on this one. "Mother, father," she says softly. "Meet my mate. Azrael Sentry." She grabs my hand and stands beside me just as stiff.

        I can tell that the two wolves before me easily recognize my last name by the subtle widening of their eyes. Their eyes shift to somewhere off to our left. I follow their gazes in curiosity and see a she-wolf walking towards us, a very shocked expression on her face.

        She has long brown hair and hazel eyes. She's taller than Ever but shorter than me. Must be around five-foot-eight or five-foot-ten. By the small groan Ever has, and by her scent, I can tell that this is her bathroom mate.

        And by her look, I can tell she most likely heard most, maybe even all, of our conversation. Especially my name. Ever groans slightly as her friend comes closer to us, looking at me apologetically.

        I wrap an arm around her and maneuver her so that her back is facing my chest, leaning towards her ear. "It's fine, doll," I whisper in her ear, the term my father used to call my mother slipping off my tongue. I see her cheeks turn pink and I can tell that she doesn't mind the old term.

        "Azrael Sentry is your mate!" the girl screeches in a high-pitched voice. Heads turn our way and Ever leans into my chest, her pale face becoming pink. I have a feeling that she's never felt this way before.

        "Lower your voice!" Ever hisses. The girl looks sheepish at this and shoos the looks away. I lead Ever and her very shocked parents to the table. The girl joins us, grabbing her plate from a nearby table.

        I sit awkwardly between Ever and her friend who's looking at me incredulously. Ever's mother, whose name I have yet to learn, sits next to Ever with Lykaon next to her. Hopefully, the company will lead to Ever's father not questioning me too much, I think with a grimace.

        All of us sit quietly and begin to eat out food. "So, when did you meet?" Ever's mother asks us two. I smile down at Ever as the event pops into my mind, remembering how much fun we had.

        "It was during our journey to the castle," Ever starts, looking at her mother with a small smile. "He approached me on the first day, actually." She looks up at me and I sheepishly duck my head.

        "She had interested me as she was running farther from the group than everyone else did. At first, I just wanted to watch her, see what she was doing. I thought I quiet," I chuckle slightly, remembering how I nearly tripped over my own feet when she talked to me.

        "But you weren't!" Ever teases me, making my ears heat up. "I spoke to him through wolf bond and he nearly tripped." I duck my head, Ever's mother and friend giggle slightly. Her father still has this calculating gaze on his face, though it's softer.

        "We ran together, well more like raced," I tell them brightly. "She won." I look at Ever with warmth in my eyes, a soft smile on my face. My tone turns soft. "I respected her for that. You see, I'm one of the fastest wolves in my pack. And when she beat me at my own game, I realized that I would never be rid of her."

        Ever looks at me with large eyes and I smile down at her, wrapping my fingers around hers. I lean my head down and press my lips to her head in a sweet kiss.

       "That's when I decided I had to call her mine."