Accept Me

9: "Hi"

~Tristan~

As I walk through the doors, I feel an immediate shift in the air and smile as pack members greet me with smiles. I place a finger to my lips, letting them know through the link that my parents don't know yet. They smile back at me, some of them patting my shoulder or back as they pass by me and out of the house.

I'm not sure if they truly don't know or if they're pretending to ignore my presence, but my parents don't reach out through our link or meet me in entryway. Maybe I was away for too long and our link weakened, I think that's a thing. I grip the strap of my bag tightly in my hand, my fingers clenching tightly and growing numb.

As I get closer to the office, I inhale deeply, my brows furrowing at the unknown scent that sends shivers down my spine. I nearly follow the trail away from the office, frowning when I realize it before shaking it off and turn back to the office. I stand in front of the door and I can hear soft voices coming from inside. I take a deep breath and grip the door handle, twisting it and opening the door with a flourish.

I step in and close the door behind me without moving my eyes away from my shocked parents, nearly laughing at the look on their faces. I let my bag drop and stride towards my frozen parents, leaning down until I'm at their eye level.

"Boo."

Ma gasps and rushes out of her chair, stumbling over herself as she wraps her arms around me, tears streaming down her face and wetting my shirt. I chuckle as I wrap my arms around her, keeping her steady on her feet as she sobs. Pa stands up slowly, shaking his head in disbelief as he joins the hug, his eyes misty but the tears don't drop.

"Why are you back so soon? What happened? Is everything okay? Did you find your mate?"

"I missed you guys. Nothing happened, everything's okay. No I didn't find my mate." I tell her as her cries die down. She pulls back with furrowed brows right before she smacks my chest harshly. "Ouch! What was that for?" I whine, rubbing the spot she hit.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home. I was so worried when you didn't text or call me." She scowls at me now that the shock of my return has partly washed away.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you Ma." I tell her with a laugh, patting the top of her head gently.

Her scowl deepens as she pushes my hand away, moving back to Pa's side and snuggling into his chest.

"What if we weren't here?" Pa asks curiously.

"Nah, I made sure you were."

"What do you mean?"

"You think I did this alone?" I ask with a chuckle.

"Dylan." Ma said confidently.

"Yeah. It was my idea to get him to talk to you and keep you here, told him to do whatever it takes." I say with a nod and proud smile.

"How long have you been planning this, Tristan?"

"A few days." I tell her with a shrug.

"And how long have you and Dylan been talking?" She asks with a weird smile on her face.

"A few days." I repeat, this time with narrowed eyes.

"Mm." She hums as she glances at Pa, and I know she's telling him something through their link.

I roll my eyes and head to the couch on the side and let myself fall onto it, making that scent spread around me, settling onto my skin. Goosebumps raise on my skin, giving me shivers as I inhale deeply. I glance around me in confusion as the scent imprints itself into my brain and takes hold.