Chapter 21.|No More Hiding|

j.u.s.t.i.n.’.s....p.o.v.

I guess I could see where Harp had a hard time understanding a part of the Toby story. I needed her to know I wasn’t lying, but she was right. A clear mind always helps.

It just wasn’t something I was very fond of when I found out that it translated to staying away from me as well. Seth hated it more than I did, constantly whining complaints about how we screwed up and needed to grovel at her feet for forgiveness.

So, I wound up going to the coffee shop to get some relief from my thoughts before I had to face my father on kicking Toby and whoever his accomplice was out of the pack.

I sat down with my dark coffee when I heard my name. I looked in that direction and saw Harp, who was currently venting her feelings to Carmela. When she saw I was watching, she got up and abruptly left, trailed by a loyal friend.

I took another sip as I tried to keep the hurt from overwhelming me.

She still needed more time, and no matter how much I hated it, I couldn’t force her to do anything.

When I returned home, I found my father grilling Jeremy in the meeting room.

“And can you please explain to me why I found Toby passed out downstairs in a pool of his own blood?” I knew he was exaggerating, but I couldn’t let this go on any longer.

“Dad, please leave Jeremy alone, he didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, then why is that pack member harmed downstairs?”

“I attacked him.” My father’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at my sudden bluntness.

“Y-you did what?!” He then put his head in hands before shaking it. “You know, you are to be the future Alpha, you can’t just go around beating up people of your chosing.”

“It wasn’t for no reason. Both me and Jeremy heard him plotting to kidnap and harm my mate, something I wasn’t willing to sit back and watch happen.”

“And your mate, when she heard?”

“She felt like she needed some time to calm herself and decide who’s story she believed with a clear mind.”

“She wasn’t going to trust her own mate?”

I took a deep breath, ready to drop the bomb on my dad that I knew he wouldn’t be too pleased to hear. “She kinda sorta still doesn’t know about werewolves.”

“What?!” He was absolutely livid. “What are you going to do then, wait until you run out of time and pick the first girl you see? Are you out of your mind?”

“I am going to tell her, I just have to find when the time is right.”

“‘Time is right’?! You have less than a week, yet this is where you are in the planning. I hope you know that dropping something like that on her the morning of the coronation won’t work. It will severely backfire.”

“I know, I just don’t want Harper to feel like she is being forced into anything.” My eyes widened when I noticed my slip up and I watched my father’s expression.

“Harper?” His face was blank. “As in Harper Morris, the one you had over the other day, the one that you were hanging out with and have been since you were just kids?”

“Yep, pretty much,” I said, rocking on my heels.

“Well, at least she knows you, and you aren’t a total stranger,” he muttered mostly to himself. “But I expect you to make her aware of our existence fairly soon, friend or not.”

I nodded, knowing he was right.

I was going to have to come to terms with things rather quickly.

Harper Morris was my mate, human or not, and I never wanted anyone other than her to rule beside me.

Now, would it take a lot of convincing to get her to accept this? Yes.

Would she freak out a first? No doubt.

But would I be with her through it, until the end? Definitely.

I took a deep breath.

My father was right - because I was going to have to break my feelings to her now.