Mated To My Boyfriend's Dad

Chapter 121: _ Come To My House

Mates were supposed to be the ultimate soul connection, the other half of your being. How could Lupe’s own have been so terrible? Even Gamma Rhett, considering all the circumstances surrounding our mating, he was so passionate and sweet still.

Didn’t the bond create a pull for Drach and Lupe too? Or could it have been that only soulmates could have such a unique pull?

What the hell was I saying?

That I and Gamma Rhett were soulmates?! Soulmates my butt!

"He... he claimed I wasn’t his type," Lupe continued, her voice dripping with every syllable. "He said he couldn’t believe the Moon Goddess chose him for me. But because of the pack rule and he’s not a member of our pack, so he has a girlfriend in his pack. But because he’s here and has to follow the rule..."

"The rule that Mates have to stay together?" I finished for her, understanding settling in my gut.

That rule, though. That rule. It was ruining so many things, to be frank.

Lupe nodded with a bitter smile twisting her lips. "Yeah, that one. So, he basically accepted me out of obligation, not love. We just met two months ago, Isleen. Two months!"

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, anger, and sympathy warring within me. "What a jerk! Honestly, who needs him if he doesn’t even want to try? Rules or not, a true mate would see your worth."

Lupe let out a humorless laugh. "Rules are rules, Isleen. You know that as well as anyone."

I sighed heavily. She was right. The pack’s traditions were deeply ingrained, especially the Mate bond. I had no idea why the Moon Goddess was doing that to us. However, when I saw her and she seemed so angelic, I got lost.

How could such an angelic being be so inconsiderate? Wait. What made me so sure it was she I saw?

"So," Lupe continued, oblivious that I was already slipping into my own thoughts, "where do I go from here? My house might be burnt to the ground, and I can’t exactly stay with someone who despises me."

A wave of helplessness washed over me. Here I was, mourning the loss of my own home, yet Lupe had lost not only her home but also the promise of a loving relationship and her mother at the same time.

At least, I had my son, Kylo, Cullen, Lupe, and even Gamma Rhett. Lupe had practically lost all.

"We’ll figure something out, Lupe," I vowed, though I didn’t know how. "We will."

The sound of Liam’s sniffles pulled me back to the present. Wiping away the tears that streamed down my face, I knelt before him.

Oh, my son had been listening to our conversation and couldn’t help but break down in tears.

"Hey, champ," I said, forcing a smile. "It’s okay to cry. It’s a sad day for all of us, but we’ll get through this, okay?"

Liam nodded but his bottom lip was trembling. He wiped his own eyes with the back of his hand, copying my earlier action. A lump formed in my throat. It shouldn’t be him comforting me; I should be the strong one for him.

Looking around, I noticed the rest of the group had stopped a short distance away, their expressions grim as they surveyed the remains of my apartment building. Kylo stood with his arms crossed and a furrow etched in his brow.

Cullen, who was uncharacteristically quiet, stared at the charred structure with a vacant look.

"Looks like we all need a place to crash," Cullen finally said.

I, Lupe, and Liam also stopped in our tracks. I knew I had been told about how much the apartment building had burned to the ground, but seeing it myself was an eyesore.

Most of the other residents were outside too. Not just those of my apartment building but from all the burnt houses in the street. Dawn was drawing near, but the noises were growing louder.

Lamentations, curses, and words of hope were nonstop in the air. Fairies, Elves, and wolves all stood with sadness as our blankets. We had all lost a lot.

A lot.

"I– I can’t believe it..." Lupe’s shaky voice from beside me drew my attention. "My house... It– it survived! Oh, thank goodness!"

With joy, I turned my gaze to her house. However, the smile that her exclamation had brought to my face died straight away.

Scoffing, "You call that ’survive’?" Cullen countered her.

The sight that greeted me defied definition. It wasn’t the charred skeleton of a house, nor was it completely untouched. It was a bizarre, lopsided monument to the battle’s fury. The roof had indeed caved in on one side, leaving a gaping maw that exposed the blackened rafters within. Yet, the other half remained stubbornly intact, the windows boarded shut but the walls still standing defiant.

"Survived might be a strong word," Kylo muttered, citing Cullen’s sentiment.

Lupe’s initial burst of joy deflated and was replaced by a grimace. "Well, it’s still standing, isn’t it? At least it’s a roof over my head for now."

Lupe’s house, while heavily damaged, was salvageable. After a few days of work on it, the house should be back intact. At least, luck smiled on Lupe’s face in this aspect.

"True, that." Kylo nodded in agreement.

Still, Lupe would need where to stay for a week or so. We, however, needed a new place. We needed a place to crash for more than ’a week or so’.

A hand touched my knee, and I turned to see Liam staring up at me with tear-filled eyes. "Mommy, where are we going to stay?" he asked and my heart sank.

Yeah, where would we stay? I was failing my boy. I didn’t like any bit of this.

"My house. You will all come to stay in my house for now. If it’s still standing, that is," Kylo announced to my utter bewilderment before I could think of what to say to Liam.

His house?! As in, Gamma Rhett’s house?!