Roman
Roman sat there on Everleigh’s hotel bed in silence. He didn't really know how to react.
He felt like he had whiplash from the last twenty-four hours.
First, he'd told his pack members that he was in love with a bear shifter. Then he had a pretty bad argument with one of his brothers, who also happened to be his mate's brother. And then he'd felt the absolutely stricken panic of his mate.
He’d rushed to find her, only to realize that she had left town. When he finally caught up with her she thought he was going to try to take their daughter away. Then they both passed out in the hotel room from sheer emotional exhaustion.
In the middle of the night, she woke him up after having a nightmare. She had slept in his arms with her head on his chest. And the kicker was that she said she didn't want him to leave the pack. She was willing to move to Anchorage to be with him.
He had not anticipated any of that, and he was not prepared for any of it.
Now that’s an understatement. He was lucky that Everleigh had taken him back and that she was going to let him continue seeing Eliza. Everything else was just icing on the cake.
Eliza hopped on his legs. "Mommy said you're my dad. Is that right? Are you my dad?"
Everleigh's mouth dropped open, then she covered it with her hand. "Oh my God. In all the confusion, I forgot I told her."
"Is it true?" Eliza asked. She looked between them.
"Yes. It's absolutely true," Roman said. "You're my daughter, and I love you."
Eliza grinned even bigger than she had about the room service. "Yeah!" she yelled, and she flung herself at the center of his chest.
Everleigh scooted over, just barely dodging her enthusiastic daughter. He picked Eliza up, hugging her fiercely.
"Mommy said you could come to my father daughter dance and my kindergarten graduation. Is that true too?"
He kissed the top of her head. "Yes. That's absolutely true." He had no idea how to be a dad, but he figured Eliza would show him. He would just follow her lead.
"Am I going to school today, Mommy?"
"No. You’re not going. Would you like to go back to the park?"
"Yes!" Eliza hopped off Roman and ran to the wall, where she flipped upside down and did a handstand, banging into the wall with her legs. "Now! Let’s go!"
He hoped he and Everleigh would get the chance to talk again but if they didn't, then he would settle for getting to watch his daughter play. Or playing with her on the playground equipment.
* * *
He’d gottento spend a little bit of time with his mate and his daughter. Then he’d very reluctantly gotten back on yet another plane and flown back to Anchorage.
Now it was time to tell his pack the truth about what was going on.
And he really fucking dreaded it. Not because he didn’t want to stand up for what he believed in – he did. It was because he didn’t want to watch the shifters he cared about act like assholes. He wanted to believe he would have their support. But there was no guarantee. None at all.
He had them all gather in a clearing by the lake, a place they all used for community meetings. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and the leaves were swaying in a gentle breeze. The land was calm. But Roman’s stomach was a coiled mess.
Just as he had so many times before, he stood in front of them. "I have something to tell you all. Some of you may like it and approve, and some of you may not like it. Some of you may even object to the extent that you want to leave the pack."
Some of the members were staring at him with open curiosity. Some looked wary and now some looked scared. But he definitely had everyone's attention.
There was no reason for him to be nervous. If the pack objected to having their Alpha mate with a bear shifter, then he would leave the pack. He'd already been planning to do that anyway. So nothing would really change. He just had to keep that in mind. He already had the most important thing – his mate and his daughter.
He just had to say the words. He took a long, slow breath and bit the bullet. "My mate is a bear shifter." There. He’d said it. The pack looked at him, silently. No one said a word. No one got up and left.
"We have not had a formal meeting ceremony, but we will. As long as we’re a part of this pack, I expect everyone to accept her."