Claim of the Wolf

Chapter Twenty-One: Iker's Family

Carmen looked around her home as she prepared for the arrival of her eldest son and his mate, she was nervous and wasn’t sure how this would play out when they arrived for dinner.

They had been far from welcoming to Faith when she was in hospital on her death bed and now they wanted to get to know their daughter-in-law; they needed to do this if they wanted José Luis to get his council position back.

Iker was their son and they were sure that there was some place for José Luis on the new council, Unai had been offered a position and Carmen was thrilled for him.

“They should be here soon,” Carmen mused as she checked on dinner, she wanted everything to be perfect especially since it was clear that Faith was here to stay.

Carmen had been appalled at the truth behind Faith’s life and her heart went out to the younger woman; she would have given up completely if it had been her.

“Are you sure about this?” José Luis asked as he looked at his wife, they hadn’t parted on good terms with Iker the last time that they had seen him; they’d basically disowned him when they had.

It was going to be an odd experience and Carmen was determined to worm her way back into her son’s life; she wasn’t going to miss his mating ceremony or any grandchildren no matter what was going on.

“It’ll be fine… don’t worry so much,” Carmen said dismissing her husband’s concerns, she was sure that everything would work out perfectly fine.

José Luis sighed as he shook his head, he knew what his wife was doing and he doubted that it would work; he would acknowledge Iker and any children that he had but Faith was never going to be good enough to marry into his family.

***

Iker smiled as he looked at his mate, she was wearing a blue crepe box top and black skinny jeans paired with blue two part pointed stiletto heels; she looked perfect and he was sure his parents would love her.

Iker didn’t truly trust his mother and he worried why she was really inviting them for dinner, it didn’t make any sense to him; Carmen was clearly up to something.

“Are you ready?” Iker asked as he turned to pick up Oliver, he was wearing a cream check print dungaree set paired with navy denim slip on canvas on his tiny feet.

Faith nodded her head, she crossed her arms wishing that she could have stayed at home; she didn’t want to meet his family and she knew they were up to something, they had demanded a separation between her and Iker when they found out that she was an untouchable and now they were playing nice.

“Just say the word and we’ll go straight home,” Iker said as he kissed Faith, he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable and he wanted to protect her from everyone.

Faith nodded her head as she smiled softly, she couldn’t believe that they were this happy and she felt on edge even with Damien and his family banished from the clan.

Iker held Oliver close as he led her to the front door, he knocked on the front door; he wasn’t going to let anything distract him from his small family.

Carmen smiled at the couple as she answered the front door to them, her eyes filled with emotion of Iker holding the three and a half month old.

“Hola,” Carmen said as she tried to keep herself calm, Oliver wasn’t her biological grandson and he never would be even if Iker had claimed him as his own; the little boy would always carry Garcia blood in his veins.

“Hola,” Iker said as he held Oliver closer to him, he could see something in his mother’s eyes and he could tell what she was thinking; she was never going to fully accept the little boy in his arms.

Faith shifted nervously as Carmen allowed the couple into her home, her brown eyes barely looking at Faith as she did so; she had a feeling that she was nothing more than a means to an end for them.

“José they are here,” Carmen said as she fussed over Iker, she had missed him and couldn’t resist after spending weeks parted from him over something so stupid.

José Luis grumbled from the living room and soon appeared, he forced a smile at his son and he took in the fact that Iker was holding the infant.

“She’s got you carrying it then,” José Luis said before he could stop himself, he wasn’t fond of the little boy and he never would be; he didn’t care how he had been fathered or about the woman that had carried him, Oliver would never be Iker’s son or apart of his family.

Faith flinched a little at the bitterness in José Luis’s voice, she had been expecting it and she wasn’t even surprised that he had reacted like this; she was the reason he’d lost his job and position in the clan.

“Who is ready for dinner?” Carmen asked as she looked at her husband, she didn’t want any fights this early in the evening; Iker was already growling at his father and they had only just got inside.

***

“So how are things coming along with the new council?” Carmen asked as she sipped on her red wine, the meal was so quiet and she needed to get people talking; she had a lot of work to do to get her husband his job back.

Iker looked up at his mother, he was curious about where she was going with this especially since José Luis had been dropped from the council.

“Things are going well,” Iker said carefully as he messed with his food a little, he had missed his mother’s cooking but Faith had certainly taken her place in the cooking department.

Carmen nodded her head as she peeked at José Luis, she was sure that there had to be room for him inside the new council; he had served most of his life on the last one.

“Well your padre is always here if you need any help,” Carmen said as she smiled, she wasn’t going to allow this opportunity to slip through her fingers; she ignored the look that Iker gave her as she turned back to her dinner.

It wasn’t going to be easy but she was determined to make sure that Iker wouldn’t turn his back on his family; he was their son and no one could change that.

“That won’t be happening,” Iker said as he shook his head, he didn’t want his father anywhere near the new council; it would be a step backwards instead of forwards.

Carmen blinked as she looked at her son surprised at his answer, even José Luis was shocked at Iker’s easy dismissal.

Faith sat silently as she felt the tension build in the room, she had a feeling that this wasn’t going to end too well; everything was slowly bubbling to the surface and nothing could change it.

“Well you never know…” Carmen said as she looked at her husband, she wasn’t going to give up and she was sure that Iker would come around; he would need his father’s help sooner or later.

Iker nodded as he rested a hand on Faith’s leg, he would never seek his father’s help and he was going to make the clan a better place; something that José Luis had never done when he was on the council.

Faith took his hand and gave it a squeeze, she was sure that he would do perfectly and his parents just needed to see that he could do this without them.

Iker was making the clan a better place and Faith was proud of him, she loved him more than anything else.