“Why so soon?” Bonita asked. “You just met the girl. Is she in a family way?”

Tegan choked on the bread she’d been chewing. Ben handed her a goblet of water before answering his mother.

“No, Tegan isn’t pregnant. If she was, we’d tell you. It’s not something we’d hide.

I’m not trying to hide our relationship or how I feel about her.”

“How do you know anything? You just met the girl. You’re living together so obviously you’re not marrying to get her to have sex with you.”

Tegan continued to chew, trying to be understanding. After all, they didn’t know her.

She also thought it was important Ben handle it. Her family had threatened to kill him so she could take a bit of unpleasant on his behalf.

“I’ve known Tegan’s family for some time now, nearly two years. I work with her brothers a lot. And I’m old enough to know the difference between wanting sex and being in love with a woman I want to be married to. I’ve been in enough relationships to know that.”

“Oh? Are your brothers cops then?” Jillian interrupted, trying to change the tone of the conversation. Little did she know.

“No. My brother Lex is an architect, although he does security consulting for my oldest brother, Cade. Cade runs several businesses, including a chain of coffee shops in the Seattle area.”

“Then how do you work with them, Ben? Are they snitches or criminals?” his mother demanded.

Tegan thought the woman was deliberately rude to see how much Tegan would take.

Tegan wanted to pop Ben in the nose for leading up to what he was about to tell them with no prep at all.

“Oh, well.” He looked to her and Tegan narrowed her eyes at him and gulped her wine down in two swallows. May as well get it all out in the open.

“Go on. You knew this would happen.” She sat back, arms over her chest.

“I didn’t, not like this. Cripes. I’m sorry. This is my fault. Let’s change the subject.”

He rolled his eyes and drew his thumb over her arm.

“Are you high? You can’t change the subject now! Whatever they’re imagining has to be worse than the truth. Ben, you’re going to have to buy her something shiny after this. Just spill it already.” Jillian threw up her hands “Yes it’s your fault. This was totally predictable. But your sister is right that you need to just spill it. Although I doubt they’ve imagined this.”

“Don’t talk to my son that way!” Bonita interrupted. “You come into my house and this is how you act?”

Tegan took calming breaths and told herself the woman was just a momma bear protecting her son.

“Mrs. Stoner, your son has a few things he needs to tell you. I’ve been urging him to do it for a bit now. He and I have had words about it because it’s my concern this stuff he’s held back will create unpleasantness.”

“You were obviously raised by people who had no manners at all. How dare you speak to Ben in that tone, he’s better than the likes of you.”

The woman actually sniffed in Tegan’s direction and with that, she was done being accommodating. Ben held her shoulder and she shook him off to turn to face the tiny little beast.

“With all due respect, ma’am, I’m acting with way more restraint than you’d be shown in my house with your atrocious manners.” Whoops, well okay so her brothers wanted to pop Ben in the nose but they hadn’t and they respected the bond, damn it. Her family accepted Nina, Gabe and Nick as well as Sid. All the people who mated with her siblings had been welcomed into the Pack. Clearly this woman hadn’t the slightest idea of what that meant.

The beast’s penciled-in eyebrows rose as she wrinkled her nose and glared at Ben.

“You’re going to marry this? Benjamin, she’s after your money. Her family is obviously part of the criminal element if you deal with them and won’t tell us why.”

She did not just say that. “I don’t need his money. I’ve got a trust with three million dollars in it. I also earn a salary that’s twice his. As for my family, why do you assume all this negative stuff about me? Yes, you don’t know me and yes, I’m sure it’s a shock to suddenly be told your son has a fiancée but what I don’t get is why you’re so all fired hostile from go when most families would be happy their son met someone he loved!”

Tegan stood but pushed Ben to sit. “No. You sit and finish dinner. I’ve lost my appetite and I’m going to leave now.”

“I’m not going to stay here without you, honey. How are you going to get home?”

“My sister Megan just lives about three blocks over, actually. I’ll go to her place.

Call me when you’re done and you can pick me up.”

He stood. “No. I said I’m not going to stay here without you. I won’t let you be insulted by my family. I’m sorry, I didn’t imagine this would happen.”

“Ben, may I speak to you privately?” Tegan asked.

He nodded and she drew him out front. “Look, there’s a whole lot of stuff not being said. I don’t know what’s going on in there but you need to hash it out without me. I don’t want you to have bad feelings with your mother. Just talk it through. Is this about your ex?”

Shoving a hand through his hair he sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her this way. Honestly, I don’t quite know what to think. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s unacceptable, I want you to know that. I’m going to make sure they know that too.