When Ronan said it was going to take them a while to get home, he wasn’t kidding. They spent three days on the road, switching between back roads and highways, staying in different hotels, and traveling through different states before finally returning to the compound.
During that time, she learned she wasn’t pregnant and was surprised by the amount of disappointment she felt over it. She was far from ready to be a mom, but she yearned for the day when she held hers and Declan’s child in her arms.
By the end of their journey, she was more exhausted than when trapped in the tree. She was also eager to get out of the SUV and see her parents. They were waiting outside when the vehicles pulled up in front of the gothic mansion the Alliance called home. It wasn’t the prettiest place in the world, but Willow loved the peaks, turrets, and gargoyles positioned around the building.
Her mother enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug as soon as she exited the SUV. “You’re here,” she breathed.
Uncaring of the fact they handled her like a baby in front of the members of the Alliance, Willow hugged her back. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Her mom’s sob nearly broke her heart as her dad stepped forward to embrace them both. It took a few minutes, but her mom finally released her and stepped back to wipe the tears away from her violet-blue eyes. Her father’s green eyes twinkled as he rested his hand on Willow’s shoulder.
Unsure how to handle this family dynamic, Declan hung back with Willow’s sisters, Nathan, and Brian. Of course, he knew about this large family of purebred vampires, and he’d met more than a few of their children, but he didn’t know how to interact with them. For nearly six hundred years, his family had consisted of a group of warriors who preferred killing to hugging.
“You’ll get used to it,” Brian said to him.
Declan frowned as he glanced at him. “What?”
Brian chuckled. “You have the same deer in the headlights look I’m sure was on my face the first time I met them. And believe me, your mate took full advantage of using that opportunity to torture me. At least you have the advantage of not having all the siblings, their mates, and their children here too. You’ll get used to it, and one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re part of the family and have no idea how it happened, but you’ll be glad it did.”
Brian clapped him on the shoulder. “So, welcome to the family.”
“Thanks,” Declan muttered as he studied Willow with her parents. She looked a lot like her mom with her blonde hair and slender build, but her mother’s eyes were more violet-blue than Willow’s pure violet color. She had her father’s height and the same smile.
When they finished hugging again, Willow turned and beamed as she extended her hand to him. Love and happiness radiated from her and her family, but now that love was focused on him; he basked in its warmth as he took her hand.
“Declan, this is my mom, Sera, and my dad, Liam. Mom, Dad, this is my mate, Declan,” Willow introduced.
He felt and saw their surprise in their raised eyebrows and parted mouths before they smiled at him. “It’s nice to meet you,” Liam said and extended his hand.
Declan clasped it, and once he released Liam’s hand, Sera embraced him. The woman exuded warmth, but unsure what to do, he stood with his arms at his sides for too long before giving her an awkward hug back and patting her back. Abby shushed Brian and pushed him past when he started laughing loudly. Willow scowled after him.
“Just think of all those times you drove me nuts because I didn’t know how to react,” Brian said as he grinned at Willow, who gave him the finger. “Right back at you, Sis!” He blew her a kiss before Abby succeeded in pushing him inside.
When her mom released Declan, Willow looped her arm through his. She hated that she was going to have to apologize to Brian for all her teasing over the years, but seeing Declan in Brian’s position, it wasn’t so funny.
Damn it, she hated being wrong. But there would be time for apologies later. Now, she wanted to shower, catch up with her parents, and hopefully make it so Declan didn’t consider bolting out of the room every time he saw her family. Before they went inside, she returned to the vehicle to retrieve the sword and walked inside with them.
***
Willow’s parents, Abby, and Brian spent the night, and then Nathan blindfolded them and took them off the grounds. When he stopped to let them take over their vehicle, Saxon picked him up and brought him back to the compound.
Tomorrow, Declan and Willow would meet up with Brian and Abby to resume the search for Lucien. But Abby and Brian wanted to return home to gather some more of their things before leaving again. They intended to meet up with Killean in Maine to formulate a plan before splitting up to search different areas.
Declan was a little more relaxed around her parents by the time they left, but that also might have been his relief over their exit. Still, she knew he’d eventually grow to love them and her massive family.
While she waited for Saber, Logan, and Asher to finish the mission Ronan sent them on, Willow moved her things from her room and into Declan’s. She’d never shared a space with a man before, but after growing up with all her siblings, she knew how to deal with another vampire’s stuff.
Fortunately, Declan was neat, had plenty of room for her things, and a large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom they would one day get to enjoy together. After sharing a room with her sister Cassidy when they were younger, Willow had never planned on sharing a room again. But living with Declan would have a lot of perks.
However, they had a lot to take care of before those perks could start.