“Do you think they’ll harm us? The werewolves?”

“Mom, knock it off. Not the werewolves, the Nazi bastards who came to the door with this stuff.”

“No. I was in the yard when they came by. They chatted. I offered them some tea and coffeecake but they had to go. I saw them at the grocery store and one of them near the gas station on 175th. They haven’t been back here though. What did she do to bring this on her head?”

He stood. “I can’t deal with this any longer. The pod people have made my mom into a Nazi and I don’t know what else to say. Wait, yes I do. Mom, you’re out of line and ugly. This is not you and I want you to think on the stuff you’ve said tonight. Jillian, go and help Mom pack a bag. I want you two to go stay above the restaurant. It’s a lot safer than here and it’s just a few blocks from the police station and I’m going to have them just keep a close eye on you. Jillian, your building is very safe but Mom is going to give a description to the police sketch artist so we can get some flyers out to keep these idiots away from anywhere you are. I’ll call now and have him meet you at the station tomorrow morning. These people are killers and they’re using you to harm Tegan and me because she’s mine.”

“This can’t be. They’re such nice boys.”

“They stole something that could kill millions of people. Humans and werewolves alike. They’re the animals, Mom. Now go. I’ll catch a ride with Jillian and escort everyone home and I need to call my people as well.”

When Ben walked in the door, Tegan had mostly dealt with her anger and sadness over the way she’d been treated by his mother. She’d listened to Layla be comforting and Nina threatening to kick ass. Megan brought over Dove bars and things had improved. It was just a bump in the road. To be expected.

Right.

But his face told her things had not improved. Instead he tossed down some of the vilest hate literature she’d ever seen and announced his mother had it in her kitchen.

“Wow. Um, so I’m guessing she’s not keen to have me in the family and stuff, huh?

Did she bleach out the glasses and flip that I’d shared spit with you?”

The look on his face made her sick.

“That was supposed to be a joke. Fer f**k’s sake, why didn’t you tell me your mother was like one of those white supremacist people? God, you set me up, Ben.”

“She’s not. Fuck, I don’t know what to say. The woman in that kitchen tonight is like a total stranger to me. I was raised by people who took us to freaking protest marches the whole time I grew up. My mom read me books about Sojourner Truth and Mother Jones.

If they’d been a bit older they would have been flower children. This is not her.” He shook the papers. “And I wouldn’t do that to you. How can you think that?”

“I’m sorry. Although why I’m apologizing when your mom is a brownshirt I don’t know. But I don’t think you’d deliberately sabotage me. Anyway, it’s not like my family has been all welcoming until recently.” She sighed and kissed his cheek.

“This stuff is sick. I want to kick the shit out of these ass**les. It’s got to be connected with Pellini.”

“Ben, maybe. I assume you mean they know about me and you and tried to mess it up with your parents. But this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this stuff. I’ve had my car egged, my tires slashed, I’ve had things thrown at me. Tracy was jumped when she was in third grade by junior high kids. We’ve lived with this stuff our whole lives. It could just be run of the mill racists.”

“It’s too much of a coincidence, gorgeous. And if I knew who those people were who hurt you, I’d kick their asses right now. It makes me so mad to think you’ve suffered because you were born different.”

He was so passionate and scary in her defense, she had to smile. “Aww, you’d thump someone in my honor?”

“Don’t try to make me laugh. This is serious stuff. I’ve had my parents move to a safer place and my mom is going to talk to the sketch artist tomorrow for a composite.

My gut tells me this is about Pellini.”

“Okay. I’m glad they’re safe. I’m guessing they RSVP’d to the wedding as a no?”

“My sister wants to cater the reception. I told her one of your sisters would call her so she could help plan. My dad is on my side. He’s wary, this is all totally new to him.

My mom? I don’t know. I considered grinding up some Xanax or something in her tea tonight. She’s not right. I don’t understand. But we are okay. Period. You and me, Tegan, we are just fine.”

“Yeah. Drama though, huh? I bet you thought you’d end up with some quiet, sweet woman who had a normal family and didn’t turn furry at will. I’m sorry this is so crazy.

It’s been hard for you, the suddenness of the bond and then all this. It doesn’t seem like anyone I know can have an easy go of it right off.”

He kissed her with a chuckle. “Tegan, I’m a kinky guy. I’ve never expected what anyone could call normal. I thought if I buried it, I could just live with it. But it came back and the first time I saw you at the club, I was hooked. You got under my skin because we were a match. Even before the Claiming or bond or whatever you want to call it. I never dreamed I’d be with a woman like you, no. But the truth of it is, you’re better than anything I could have imagined. I’m going to keep at my mom because she deserves to know you, but I don’t expect you to take any shit or to be around her until I’ve resolved things.”