^ Victor & Isabel Grey

"She said, 'I love you no matter what. I just want you to be happy and always be who you are'. She wrapped her arms around me, said, 'Don't try to be what you're not. Cause I love you no matter what'. She loves me no matter what."
~Calum Scott, 'No Matter What

~~~

*Landon's POV*

With Ryland's hand clasped firmly around mine, I take a deep breath and lead us into the restaurant.

The scent of my family makes it easy for me to locate their table. I tell the hostess who we're meeting with and head over to the table. My mom is the first to notice us, glancing up and smiling at me. Her emerald eyes fall down to our hands before moving back up to Ryland's face, obvious confusion yet joy etched in her expression.

Within the past two years, my mom has tried to convince me to start dating again. She said there are plenty of wolves without mates, or even humans or witches that I could try dating. I'd always been adamant that I didn't want to date, so I'm willing to bet this comes as a shock to her.

Not nearly as big of a shock, though, when she finds out we're actually mates.

"Landon," my mother greets in her usual warm tone, one that instantly relaxes me. This makes everyone else at the table look up at us, and I feel Ryland's nerves rolling off of him. I squeeze his hand, reminding him that he's okay.

Lia smiles widely when she looks at our clasped hands, while Xander gives me a small grin and Enzo offers an approving nod. His wife, Lilian, is at his side with their two daughters. Opal and Amethyst squeal when they see me, jumping out of their seats and racing over before Lilian can grab them.

Laughing, I stoop down so they can wrap their little arms around my neck. The 3-year-old twins hug me tightly, giggling like crazy. I pull back, smiling as I admire my beautiful nieces.

Both having inherited their mother's black hair and tan complexion, the main differentiating features are their eyes. Whereas Opal has her mother's light brown eyes, Amethyst has Enzo's blue eyes; the same ones my father passed down to me and my siblings.

"Opal, Amy," I smile, ruffling their hair. "How are my favorite girls?"

"Where's your girlfriend?" Opal asks, peering around a very amused Ryland. "Auntie Lia says you were bringing someone."

"Why would you think I was bringing a girl? You two are the only girls I need."

"Thanks a lot!" Lia calls out from the table, making me snicker.

"Come on, go sit with your mom," I say, lightly pushing their backs until they're scrambling over to their seats. Standing up, I reclaim Ryland's soft hand before leading him to the table.

"Hi, Ry," Xander says softly, making my mom blink in surprise that Xander already knows who our guest is.

"Hey, Xander," Ryland grins, and I can feel him starting to relax a bit. I smile gratefully at Xander before pulling the chair out for Ryland. We take our places between Lia and Xander, with Ryland next to the latter since they're already comfortable around each other.

"Ryland, I'd like you to meet my family," I gesture to the smiling yet curious faces surrounding us. "These are my parents, Victor and Isabel. Mom, dad, this is Ryland Ambrose."

"Hi, it's great to finally meet you," Ryland beams, reaching across the table to shake my parents' hands.

"I-It's nice to meet you too," my mom smiles quizzically yet politely. My dad says nothing, but he gives me a secret smile that says he's happy I'm introducing someone to them.

"This is my older brother, Enzo, and his wife, Lilian. Opal and Amy are their daughters," I point to Enzo, who's wearing yet another tight-fitting shirt to show off his hard-earned muscles. Lilian has her black hair delicately pulled up, braids running along the sides of her head.

"I've heard a lot about you," Enzo states, shaking Ryland's hand firmly.

"Uh oh," Ryland nervously chuckles. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"It's nice to meet you, Ryland," Lilian smiles sweetly, contrasting her husband's attempt to intimidate my mate. "Don't mind him. He tends to be on the overprotective side."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ryland responds, earning a small look of surprise from Enzo. "I'm happy Landon has a family that's protective of him. I wouldn't want it any other way."

The corners of Enzo's lips twitch up as his eyes sparkle with approval. Warm joy fills my chest, and I throw a quick wink at Ryland.

"This is my twin sister, Lia," I jab my thumb at the blonde on my left.

"Twin is a stretch," Lia refutes with a smirk. "We shared a womb, but I inherited the good looks."

I roll my eyes at that. "You certainly inherited dad's bloated ego."

"Hey!" My dad finally speaks up. "Who says I have a bloated ego?"

"Dad, you used to brag about how popular you were within the pack when you were a teenager," Lia points out. "Ryland, you should've heard him. I swear, he's told us the same story a thousand times, about how the girls in the pack would cry when they found out they weren't his mate."

"It's the truth!" Dad defends, crossing his arms. "Telling the truth doesn't mean I have a bloated ego."

Mom giggles, lightly touching dad's arm. "Sweetheart, they're not wrong. While there were one or two girls that admitted to being jealous of me, I certainly don't remember any tears."

"Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen," dad grumbles as he slumps in his seat. Mom coos, brushing his dark hair back with her manicured nails.

"And of course, you've already met Xander," I nod in the direction of my younger brother. Ryland smiles briefly at Xander before glancing over at me; the nerves starting to rise in my stomach reflected in his honey eyes. We both know what's next, now that the introductions are over.

"So, um, Ryland," my mom jumps in. "Clearly, by your scent, you're a wolf," she lowers her voice slightly, aware of the other patrons in the restaurant. "What pack are you with?"

"The Crescent Sun Pack," he answers with ease.

"Oh! Xander, isn't that the pack you've been visiting lately?"

Ryland nods and answers on his behalf. "Xander is friends with my younger brother, Kai."

"How sweet!" My mom's smile widens with excitement. "I'm so glad Xander's found a friend. How old is your brother?"

"He turned eighteen a few months ago."

"Has he found his mate yet?"

"Not yet," Ryland tells her. "But he's not in a hurry. When it happens, it happens."

"And how about you?" Mom inquires, tilting her head to the side. "Have you found your mate?"

Ryland and I exchange glances and I clear my throat, preparing to take over the conversation.

"Actually, that's what we wanted to tell you," I begin nervously, glancing between my parents. Ryland places his hand over mine under the table, giving me a comforting squeeze. Taking a deep breath, I continue on. "Ryland is my mate."

A silence falls over the table as everyone looks towards the shocked expressions on my parents' faces.

My mom clears her throat. "Er... you two marked each other already?" I quickly shake my head, which only confuses her further. "Then how are you mates?"

I understand her confusion. Wolves can mark each other, even if they're not mated by the Moon. It's known as chosen mates. Wolves who have spent their whole lives searching for their mates will sometimes form a relationship with another unmarked wolf, and choose to mate with them if they feel like they will never meet their destined mates. Having another mate gifted to you by the Moon is unheard of, so I'm not surprised that my mom thinks Ryland is a chosen mate, rather than my destined mate.

"The Moon made us mates," I attempt to explain. "We both lost our mate bonds at the same time, so—"

"Landon," my dad interrupts, his face stern. "Perhaps we should talk when your... boyfriend isn't here."

That manages to shock me, and I stiffen. "We can talk with Ryland here. This involves him too."

"Landon—"

"Maybe I should go," Ryland leans over and whispers. I widen my eyes, and he offers me a sad smile. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea. You should talk to them."

He pushes his chair back, but I grip his arm to stop him before looking to my dad.

"Ryland stays," I say firmly, leaving no room for argument. My parents exchange a glance before my dad sighs.

"Very well," my dad grunts, folding his arms over his broad chest. "Son, I know losing Easton was difficult for you. I can't imagine what I would do if I lost your mother. And if you've met someone that makes you happy, of course I'll be happy for you."

"Then what's the problem?" I demand, narrowing my eyes. Ryland squirms when my grip on his arm tightens, and I immediately let go before lacing our fingers together. Warmth spreads up my arm as his thumb brushes over my knuckles, momentarily relaxing me.

My dad appears uncomfortable now, as if he's not sure how to say what's on his mind. "Landon... I understand wanting to be with someone again, and missing having a mate, but... don't you think it's disrespectful to Easton's memory by saying he wasn't your mate?"

Anger flares in me, and my eyes flash. "I never said Easton wasn't my mate," I spit between clenched teeth. "If you gave me a fucking chance to explain, you'd understand what I'm trying to tell you."

My dad opens his mouth to refute, but is stopped when my mom places a hand on his arm. "Darling, perhaps we should hear Landon out first."

I nod at my mom and draw in a shaky breath to calm myself. "Ryland and I both had previous mates, given to us by the Moon," I begin again. Ryland gives me a small smile as he encourages me to continue. "At the same time I lost Easton... Ryland was rejected by his mate."

My mom gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh dear," she murmurs, emerald eyes growing sad.

"The Elder of Ryland's pack explained this to us, but it seems the Moon miraculously mated us together since our mate bonds were broken at the same time."

My parents stare at us with dumbstruck expressions, left completely speechless.

"It's true," Xander pipes in softly. "You might not believe that it's true, but... it is. I've spent time with the two of them, and I don't doubt they're mates. The way they look at each other... it's more intense than how regular boyfriend would look at each other."

A blush rises to my cheeks, and I look over at Ryland to see that he's as red in the face as I am. I give him a soft smile, which makes Ryland automatically break out into a grin that causes my smile to widen.

"How is this possible?" My dad questions. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Ryland shrugs. "Looks like the Moon has a few tricks up her sleeves that we're not aware of."

"And you confirmed this with an Elder?" My dad eyes us warily, still unsure.

I nod my head. "Of course. Dad, you know me. I wouldn't lie about something like this. This is real. Ryland is my mate."

My mom releases a breath and glances at my dad before smiling at me and Ryland. "Well then. If that's settled, then there's only one thing left to say," she says as she turns her attention fully to my mate. "Welcome to the family, Ryland."

A wide smile of relief breaks out across Ryland's face, his eyes shimmering happily. "Thank you, Mrs. Grey."

"Oh, please! Call me Isabel," mom insists with a giggle.

"Isabel," Ryland repeats with a nod. I squeeze his hand, a smile of my own mirroring his.

My siblings take that as their cue to dive into the conversation, bombarding Ryland with question after question. Rather than seeming overwhelmed, Ryland grins at each of them, answering every question with ease. My dad excuses himself to go to the restroom, slipping away while everyone is chatting. I frown, standing up to follow after him.

"Dad, wait," I call out once we're alone in the restroom. I peek at the stalls, confirming that no one is here. "Can we talk about Ryland?"

"Landon..." my dad sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "I don't want you to think I'm not happy for you. I am. I'm glad you've found someone you can be happy with, especially after seeing how torn up you've been for the past five years."

"Then what is it?"

"When I think about the possibility of something having two mates... it doesn't sit right with me," he admits. "If your mother died, I couldn't even begin to imagine being mated to someone else. I would feel... unfaithful."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Believe me, I know what you mean," I say, making my dad raise a brow in surprise. "Dad, do you really think I didn't have qualms with having a new mate? My knee-jerk reaction was to consider rejecting Ryland. He begged me not to, and I'm so glad I listened to him. After losing Easton, I didn't think I would ever find happiness again. I miss him every day, and I will never stop loving him. But... does that mean I can't be happy with someone else? The Moon gave me a second chance to build a life with my mate. I don't want to waste it."

My dad shakes his head, his blue eyes growing watery. "Of course you deserve to be happy. I'm sorry for pushing my doubts onto you. If this is the will of the Moon, I have no right to question it. It might take me a while to adjust to your new mate, but I'll get there. Your happiness is important to me, son. More than you realize. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you, no matter what." He pauses, eyes softening. "Are you happy?"

"I am," I answer without hesitation, because I don't even need to ponder that. "Ryland... he makes me happy."

My dad finally smiles, breathing a sigh of relief as he pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around him, breathing in his familiar scent that always makes my body relax. No matter how stressed I am, the scent of my loving parents always helps me calm down.

When the hug breaks, my dad discretely wipes his eyes. "Alright, we should get back before your mother orders the waiters to search for us."

I laugh, knowing that's precisely something she would do. We head out of the bathroom, but I pause at the corner.

Opal and Amy are gathered around Ryland, tugging his arms and giggling loudly. Ryland smiles sweetly at them, his honey eyes twinkling as he talks to them animatedly. Seeing them makes my heart swell like a balloon, and Leo rolls over happily.

Ryland must have sensed me watching him, because he turns in his in my direction, smiling widening when he sees me. My heart pounds in my chest, warmth spreading through my veins.

I'm really falling for him, aren't I?

~~~

Destined mates = mates the Moon put together
Chosen mates = non-destined wolves that mark each other, becoming mates

I hope you guys understood where Victor (Landon's dad) was coming from. It's hard for wolves to imagine being with anyone else besides their mate, so he needs time to warm up to the idea of Ryland. Initially, Victor thought Landon was saying Ryland was his true mate, and Easton wasn't, and it upset him. But now that he knows Landon has two destined mates, he'll warm up to Ryland

Thoughts??

See you next time!
-Gumbie