Mated to Her Alpha Instructor Chapter 59

Eileen

Dinner had been quiet, comfortable in a way that still felt fragile and new—the kind of peace I'd learned to trust only cautiously, as though breathing too loudly might shatter it. Regis had cooked again, something light and nourishing. He'd watched me eat with that careful attention that no longer felt intrusive, just… present. Caring.

Now we sat in the living room, the fire crackling softly, and I'd almost let myself relax completely when he spoke.

"My mother wants to meet you."

The words landed gently, but my chest tightened anyway. I set down the glass of juice he'd prepared and tried to keep my voice steady. "Your mother?"

"She reached out this morning." He shifted closer on the sofa, not quite touching but near enough that I felt the warmth radiating from him. "She knows about us. About the baby. And she wants to welcome you properly."

My throat constricted. Of course she wanted to meet me. But there would be expectations I couldn't possibly meet. I was the wolfless girl who'd somehow ended up pregnant by the heir to one of the most powerful Alpha families in the territory, the student who'd been marked by her instructor in a moonlit forest because I'd been too heartbroken for a man who didn't deserve it—

"Hey." Regis's hand found mine, his thumb stroking over my knuckles with devastating gentleness. Through the bond, I felt his concern, his determination to soothe. "I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. My parents don't care that you're wolfless. They care that you're mine, that you're carrying their grandchild, and that I—" He paused, his voice dropping to something raw and honest. "That I'd burn down the Council for you."

I looked up at him, those ice-blue eyes steady and sure, and something in my chest loosened just slightly. "When?"

"Whenever you're ready. There's no rush."

But there was, wasn't there? His mother had reached out, extended a hand I couldn't leave hanging indefinitely. They'd been patient already and I couldn't keep hiding behind Regis's protective instincts forever.

I took a breath, steadying myself against the anxiety trying to claw up my throat. "Tomorrow," I heard myself say, the word firm despite the tremor underneath. "If they've already made the effort, I can't keep acting like a coward."

Regis's expression shifted—surprise, then something almost like pride. "You're not a coward, Eileen. You've been through hell these past weeks. No one would blame you for taking more time."

"I would." I met his gaze, forcing myself to hold it even as my pulse hammered. "I've spent too long letting fear make my decisions. If I'm going to be your mate, really be your mate, I need to face this."

The word still felt strange on my tongue—mate, not just partner or girlfriend but something permanent and primal—but saying it aloud to him made it real in a way that both terrified and steadied me.

He leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine in that gesture I'd come to crave, his scent washing over me like comfort itself. "Tomorrow, then. But I'm not leaving your side for a second."

"I know," I whispered, and meant it.

---

Hours later, lying in the too-large bed that still smelled overwhelmingly of him, I couldn't quiet my mind. The bond hummed with Regis's presence downstairs—he'd gone to his study after making sure I was settled—but it wasn't enough to silence the anxious spiral building in my head.

I reached for the communicator on my nightstand.

[Mira,] I typed quickly, hoping she was still awake.[ Are you there?]

Mira: [Eileen! I was wondering when you’d message. How are you holding up?]

I stared at the glowing text, trying to figure out how to put my spiraling thoughts into words. [I’m meeting his parents tomorrow.]

Mira: [That’s wonderful, isn’t it?]

Me: [But they're the Luna and Alpha of the pack. I regretted saying yes so quickly.]

Mira: [Regis is the most thoughtful male I’ve ever seen. If his parents raised him, they’re probably just as kind.]

Me: [What if I say something wrong? Or embarrass him?]

Mira: [Eileen, you think he’ll let his parents make you feel small?]

A reluctant smile tugged at my lips despite everything. […No. Probably not.]

Mira: [Definitely not. Now, wear that cream-colored dress—the one that makes you look soft and glowy. Let him do most of the talking at first. Just smile, be yourself, and remember: the bond chose for both of you.]

Me: [Mira!]

Mira: [I’m serious! He’s crazy about you. They’ll see that immediately. You deserve this.]

We messaged back and forth for a while longer, Mira tossing out increasingly absurd predictions until I was laughing despite myself. She said I might accidentally call his father “Your Majesty” or that his mother might try to feed me seventeen kinds of pastries to “fatten up the grandchild.”

Me: [Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.]

Mira: [Good thing you’re stuck with me. Now sleep—you need to look adorable tomorrow. And text me the second you’re back. I want ALL the details.]

I promised I would, then set the communicator back on the nightstand, watching its light fade to a gentle pulse.

Through the mate bond, I felt Regis's awareness shift, as though sensing I was calmer now. A moment later, his presence began moving toward the stairs.

Then came the soft knock on my door. "Eileen? Can I come in?"

"Yes," I called, sitting up against the headboard and pulling the blanket higher even though I was fully dressed in one of the soft nightgowns he'd bought for me—another quiet gesture of care that I still didn't quite know how to accept.

He entered slowly, and even in the dim light from the hallway, I could see the tension in his shoulders, the careful control he maintained around me now that we'd completed the bond. His eyes found mine immediately, that piercing blue gaze that always seemed to see too much.

"I felt your anxiety ease," he said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Mira?"

I nodded. "She helped."

"Good." He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with fingers that trembled just slightly. "How are you feeling otherwise? The bond's been… settled since this morning. The pup, too."

Heat crept up my neck at the memory of this morning—of what we'd done, how thoroughly he'd marked me, how completely I'd surrendered. "Better," I admitted quietly. "The nausea's less constant. And I can feel them now, sometimes. Just a flutter, like…"