The Hybrid's Hope novel Chapter 7

Hope

I feel my cheeks flame with embarrassment. It’s one thing to have your first time with someone. It’s quite another for your father to smell the sex on you.

Levi, however, is unperturbed.

He wraps his arm around me, pulling me against his body. “Hope and I are mates, just like I was hoping we would be.”

“That’s good,” he says, watching me. “Right?”

“Yes. Yes, it’s good. I just … you know how I feel about finding my mate. I’m not …”

“You’re not ready to complete your bond. I understand. I assume you used protection?” he asks.

Now Levi shifts uncomfortably.

“Uh, I kind of missed that part,” he says.

“Excuse me?” my father says. It’s very rare for my father to use his Beta tone, but I swear the temperature in the room just dropped significantly.

He looks at me. “Are you ready to have a child, Hope? Because I thought that was something that you were adamantly against.”

“We shifted all night to make sure nothing set,” I say, wanting to defend Levi.

“Sweetie, that’s not how it works,” my mother says walking out. “Lots of she wolves run patrols until they suddenly can’t shift.”

“Shit,” Levi murmurs.

“How about you and I call Sirona, Hope, and see what we can do to try and prevent a pregnancy after the fact,” she says, reaching out her hand to me. “And young Alpha, I expected more of you. Hope may not have thought the two of you would be mates, but you did. You should have been prepared,” she says, glaring at Levi.

“Yes, Beta. You’re absolutely right. Please don’t take my lapse in judgement as a complete inability to care for your daughter. I love her. I want her. And I want to do whatever it takes to make her happy and confident enough to accept me as her mate,” Levi says.

“Then next time, plan ahead. Don’t risk a pregnancy that my daughter doesn’t want or isn’t ready for,” she says sternly.

“I’m standing right here,” I say, feeling like Levi is taking the brunt of my parents’ anger.

“Your parents are right, Hope. I’m older. I should have known better and planned properly hoping that you and I would be mates.”

“You’re not leaving are you?” I ask him.

“Not if you want me here,” he says.

I look at my father who hasn’t stopped glaring at Levi.

“It’s my birthday, Dad. I want him here.”

“He can stay, but that doesn’t mean that he and I won’t be having words,” he says sternly.

“Come on, Hope. Your father and your mate need a chance to clear the air, and you and I need to figure out what we need to do to make sure you don’t end up with an unwanted pregnancy.”

“And Hope is hungry. Can you order food for her while you call Dr. Sirona?” Levi asks.

“I’ve already ordered breakfast to be delivered,” my father says.

I give Levi one last look, trying to impart how sorry I am that he’s about to get his ass handed to him, before my mother pulls me into their bedroom and closes the door.

“First, are you okay?” my mother asks, taking my hands.

“Yes. He was very gentle with me. I mean …” I blush, unable to hold her gaze. “It was the first time for both of us, so I imagine it will get better with time.”

“It does. Are you happy sweetheart?” she asks me, cupping my face.

“I am. I’m terrified too. I don’t know what I want. I love Levi. Qadira is totally and completely IN love with Levi and Malcolm, but you know how I feel about taking a mate, especially him.”

“How does he feel about it?” she asks me.

“He doesn’t care that I’m a hybrid,” I say shrugging and smiling softly. “He never has.”

“No, he never has. And he’s been in love with you for a very long time. But don’t let him push you into something you’re not ready for. Just because he’s older than you, just because he’s an Alpha, just because he loves you, you still need to go at YOUR pace, not his.” She pulls me into a hug. “How do you feel about him being your mate?”

“Honestly? It feels right, like there really isn’t anyone else in the world who would have been a better mate for me. He and I know each other so well, we’ve grown up as friends and over the last couple of years, especially since he turned eighteen, things have become more … intense.”

“Good. If you have any questions, any concerns, anything you want to talk to me about, I’m always here for you. Let’s call Sirona and see what we can do to make sure you don’t end up pregnant.”

She dials the number and puts the phone on speaker.

“Safe Haven pack hospital,” one of the nurses answers.

“Julie, this is Beta Amber. Is Dr. Sirona available?” my mother asks.

Sirona isn’t just our pack’s doctor, she’s also our Gamma female. She and my mother have always been very close.

“Just a moment, Beta,” Julie says.

“Sand is very abrasive,” my mother says, trying hard to hide her smile.

We stare at each other for a moment, then both of us burst into laughter.

She pulls me into a hug. “Oh, Hope, I love you so much. I know you still have things to figure out, but I’m so glad that you found your mate and it’s someone who loved you already. Go get showered, then let’s get this taken care of so we can enjoy the rest of the day on the beach.”

I nod and walk out of their bedroom to the smell of breakfast.

“Oh, Holy Mother Moon Goddess,” I moan as my stomach loudly protests my hunger.

“What did Dr. Sirona say,” Levi says, rushing over to me and taking my hands.

“There’s a morning after pill. Mom and I are going to go get it so I can take it now. Then Dr. Sirona will check me when we’re back to make sure I’m not pregnant and talk about contraceptive options.”

“Excellent, except for one thing. You stay, have breakfast with your family. I’ll go get the pill and some condoms for the rest of this weekend, then I’ll be back to join you.”

“Dad didn’t scare you off?” I ask.

“Your father was rightfully concerned about you. I promised him that I would never underestimate the power of the mate bond again, nor would I risk our bond by not planning ahead in the future.”

I reach up and cup his cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asks, his voice growing softer as he pulls my hips against his.

“For taking care of me.”

“I will always take care of you. And I promise I’ll do a much better job of it in the future than I did last night.”

“Last night was nice,” I say, biting my lip.

His eyes track to my lip and Malcolm growls. Then Levi grunts before kissing me quickly.

“Don’t open presents until I get back. I have one for you too,” he says.

“Levi …”

“It’s your birthday. Even before we were mates, we were best friends. I would never have ignored that.”

He kisses me again quickly, then grabs his keys and races out of the room.

I watch the door where he left. How can I want him so desperately, and still be so terrified to accept him as my mate?