Chapter 226

The next day, Asher and I met my parents at the agreed upon restaurant off-campus. They were already present, seated on one side of a four-person table near the window.

Asher held my hand as we walked across the restaurant to join them. I sat opposite my mom, and he sat opposite my dad. They both glared at us as we took our seats.

“Mom. Dad.”

“Cynthia,” the both replied. Then they looked at Asher.

“This is Asher.” I gestured to him. “My mate.”

“So he said.” Dad narrowed his eyes.

The waitress came by our table to get our drink order. Since we weren’t sure if we’d be staying long, Asher and I both ordered water. The waitress nodded and left.

“Since you wanted to meet us,” Mom said, “I was hoping that you had decided to see reason.”

“I’ve always seen reason,” I replied. “I simply wanted to say some things to you.”

Mom hmphed. “I have no intention of listening to –”

Dad placed his hand on her shoulder, silencing her. Eyes on me, he said, “We will hear you out, if you will then hear us out.”

I couldn’t imagine they would have anything to say that I would want to hear, but if it was the only way to get them to listen to me, so be it.

When I agreed, we all sat quietly.

The waitress returned to the table with the waters. We decided to order some food. My parents both ordered soups and salads. Asher and I ordered an appetizer to split. The waitress wrote down our selection on her notepad, then gathered the menus and left the table.

Dad was still glaring at Asher. “So you are her mate. But not the father?”

“No,” Asher said. “Not biologically.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Asher maintained a patient, cool persona. “I mean that though the child is not of my blood, I will take care of Cyn and her baby for the rest of my life.”

My heart thundered, listening to him say such things. I could never get over how fortunate I was to have Asher in my life.

“You think you know how to take care of a baby?” Mom asked him, voice harsh.

“Cynthia and I are dedicated. We will learn,” Asher said. “The child will have a good life.”

Mom hummed in disbelief.

Dad grunted. “We can certainly appreciate the word of an alpha, however… you are very young. Are you sure you have given this enough thought? You don’t need to tie yourself down to such an anchor as my daughter. She will hold you back.”

My shoulders dropped and I sunk into myself a little.

Under the table, Asher reached for my hand, plucking it from my thigh to lace our fingers together.

“I have never been more certain about anything in my life,” he said. “As I said before, Cynthia is my mate. I would never leave her behind. Besides, in many ways, she often outshines even me.”

“That’s not true,” I whispered, but when he looked at me, I could see in his sincerity in the deep blue depths of his eyes.

“Pretty words,” Mom said. “But they exactly nothing. Your alpha is not the one who has shamed our family name, Cynthia. If he was the biological father of your child, then we need not worry as much as we do.”

Dad nodded. “Unfortunately, it is your irresponsibility that has shamed us. Now you have become dependent on this alpha, and will surely drag his good name down into the mud with us as well.”

“That’s not true,” I said again, louder.

“You made your own choices, Cynthia,” Mom said. “You’ve brought shame to us all.”

I shook my head.

I knew now, that this was my chance to speak my mind. It might have been my only chance.

“I made mistakes. That’s undeniable,” I said. “But I have not cowered from them. I have faced them head on, and am working hard to correct the course of my life. I may not have been able to compete in the athletics exam, but I have studied hard for the transfer exam, and I will pass.”

Asher squeezed my hand, offering support.

“I will never give up on my dreams. I will make something of myself, and I will do it on my own. I will not hold Asher back, but carry myself forward to walk at his side. And my baby is going to have a great life full of love and happiness.”

I blinked back the tears.

“They will never know what it’s like to grow up despised by their parents.” I glanced at Asher and he nodded at me. “We’re going to do right by this child.”

“You and me,” Asher said, an agreement.

I smiled at him.

My mother snorted. “This is ridiculous. This is what you wanted us to know? Cynthia, we already knew that you were so naïve, it bordered on imbecilic. You don’t have to prove it to us with such unrealistic ideals.”

“They aren’t unrealistic,” I said.

“You have no idea how difficult it is to raise a child. Or children. You think you can do better than us? Wait until you have a daughter that grows up to be a whore –”

Asher stood up so fast, his chair fell backwards behind him. He still held my hand with one of his, but they were both on top of the table now.

“Do not talk about her that way,” Asher said, a growl in his voice.

“The truth hurts, does it?” Mom scowled up at him. “You’d think you would be used to it by now. It can’t be a secret to you, if you truly mated with her and this isn’t a trick.”

Confusion pulled my brow together. “This isn’t a trick!”

“My daughter is a horrible slut who doesn’t care how many lives she ruins,” Mom said.

I thought I had prepared myself for the insults I had known she would fling at me, but each word still stung. Was there any way to prepare against a mother’s hatred toward her child?

Asher’s growl added teeth. “I suggest you leave now. Get out of here with your tail between your legs before I do something that might make my mate sad. I certainly wouldn’t regret it, but her sadness is all that holds me back.”

Mom stood. “Fine. Good riddance, then.”

She walked around the table, just as the waitress was arriving with our plates of food. Mom didn’t see her and plowed into her. The food toppled. Dishes clattered across the floor.

“Watch where you are going!” Mom shouted, then stormed out the front door with lettuce in her hair.

Dad rubbed his forehead. “We came here today, hoping to help you see reason, Cynthia. But if this is what you have decided…”

“It is.” I swallowed hard. I knew a goodbye was coming, and that it would be the forever kind.

He nodded. “I wish you a good life, Cynthia. I truly do. But you can understand why it would be best if we never speak again.”

“I do,” I said, breathless.

This was the closure I needed, right here.

Dad didn’t say anything else, but he looked me over once. He nodded at Asher as he walked passed. He stepped over the broken dishes and wasted food, not stopping until he had escaped out the front door.

Asher sat down again.

Everything hurt, but I needed this. The pain now had a chance at healing, instead of lingering on and on with each unpleasant interaction.

I could close this chapter of my life now and put my past behind me where it belonged.

Now I could focus on my future instead.

I placed a hand over my growing stomach and met eyes with Asher.

My mate.

My family.