Softening

ADARA

“Sit!” my father ordered as he made his way around his desk.

My mother walked into the office with a concerned look on her face. “You mind telling me what is going on?”

I lowered my head as my father glared at me.

“Adara found her mate,” he grumbled.

“YOU DID?!” she screamed. “Who is it?! Where is he?”

My dad gave me a sideways look. “It’s the rogue down in containment.”

My mother sank into the chair beside me. “Oh . . . “

I shook my head. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry, it’s not like I chose this . . . “

My father glared at me. “You chose this the minute you found out and didn’t reject him.”

I stood up, my anger beginning to boil inside me. “Who are you to tell me who my mate can or can’t be? He was given as my mate for a reason.”

My mother pulled on my arm, making me return to my seat. “You are Alpha-born . . . You deserve more than a rogue as a mate.”

I shook my head. “He’s not a rogue. He’s just alone. There’s a difference.”

“Not much,” my father grumbled.

“So what would you have us do? Release him?” my mother asked.

I shrugged. “Why not? He hasn’t shown any signs of desire to harm our pack, even after being locked away for months and tortured.”

My father sat silently for a moment before looking up at me. “Are you sure about this?”

“I am,” I replied.

“I need to think about this . . . Go upstairs and let me think,” my father said quietly as he waved me off dismissively.

I heard them speaking as I left the room, deciding if I would be allowed to get to know my mate.

I sat in my room, realizing I hadn’t called my uncle and I was now very late for work.

“~Uncle Rick . . . ~ I threw out over the link.

“~There you are. I was about to send out a search party,”~ he replied sarcastically.

“~Sorry . . . It’s been a long morning,”~ I replied.

“~It’s alright, just get here when you get here,”~ he said kindly.

“~I don’t think I’ll be coming in today. Pretty sure I’m grounded,”~ I responded.

“~Uhh . . . You’re twenty-one. I’m pretty sure they can’t ground you anymore,”~ he said with a laugh. “~What’s going on?”

~

~“So, funny story... I found my mate.”~

~“WHAAAAAT?!”~ he yelled.

“~Yep. It’s the prisoner...”~ I huffed.

All I got was silence on Rick’s end.

~“Rick?”~

~“I’m sorry... I was laughing too hard,”~ he said with a winded chuckle.

“~It’s not funny! My dad is freaking out!”~

~“Girl, you can have the whole week off.”~ Rick laughed.

I rolled my eyes. “~Gee, thanks.”~

I cut the link and laid down on my bed, wondering how things were going to change.

***

An hour later my door opened slowly and my parents entered.

“Adara?” my mom called out.

I sat up in bed. “Yep?”

They walked to the bed, sitting on either side of me.

“So... We talked about it. If this is what you want, then we won’t stand against it.”

I looked at them sideways. “Really?”

My dad winced. “Really, really.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Well, let’s go get him out of holding, then.”

I jumped out of bed, a little confused as to why I was so excited. I still sort of hated the guy, and yet I was looking forward to getting to know him. Something about his dark mysteriousness was intriguing.

I walked down to the cells with my father and Liam opened the door to the cell.

“Well, you’re not being killed,” I said with a smirk.

“Today...” my father muttered under his breath.

Ryder looked up at me with surprise before standing from the bed. “What’s going on?”

“You’re moving upstairs where I can keep an eye on you,” my father grumbled.

“I’m... what?” Ryder asked with confusion.

“You’re moving upstairs,” I said before turning away. “You coming? Or do you like the cell now?”

Ryder quickly stepped out of the cell and up the stairs.

“By the way, Dad... this is Ryder. Ryder, this is my dad, Mason.” The two men gave each other a silent nod before continuing down the hallway.

As we reached the stairs, Ryder stared at the front door, and I could tell he was trying to decide if he was going to run or not.

“Ryder,” I said softly. He turned to me, the struggle in his mind showing in his eyes. “Come on,” I said, showing him upstairs.

We walked down the hallway to a spare room next to the Alpha apartment where my family lived. “This is your room,” I said as I opened the door.

He walked in and let out a long breath. “Fancy . . .”

I shrugged. “It’s not a palace, but it’s home.”

“I’ve been living in a one-room cabin for ten years,” he said quietly. “This is nice.”

I smiled. “Well, lunch is in a half hour. Come down after you settle in a bit.” I left the room and made my way to my own.

A little over half an hour later, I was sitting in the dining room when I caught his scent.

The smell of redwood permeated my senses, and I turned around to find him. I didn’t see him until he sat beside me with a plate of food. I turned around to look at him with shock.

Sitting beside me was a completely different person. Gone was his beard and long hair; in its place was a shaved face and short, dark hair. I stared in awe—he was ridiculously handsome.

His dark hair seemed to accentuate his bright blue eyes. His face, with all the hair gone, was actually visible now, and I could see a small dimple on his left cheek.

His jaw was chiseled and hard, and I found myself staring. He met my eyes and gave me a small smile.

“Adara?”

I was snapped out of my thoughts and looked forward as Austin sat down across from me. “Who is this?” he asked, looking at Ryder curiously.

“He’s . . . He’s my mate.”