Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 38003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“I’ll sneak out, but I’m going to need clothes,” Poppy said.
He moved to his drawers, handing her a pair of sweatpants and his shirt. She slid them on, and he quickly got dressed.
Sneaking her out wasn’t going to be easy. He was going to have to take her to the kitchen, and if his dad was there, then he’d see. It was a risk he was going to have to take.
They made their way downstairs, and as he got to the bottom step, his father called out to him. “I’m in the dining room, son. Your breakfast is on the counter. Bring it in,” George said.
This had to be pure fucking luck.
He walked Poppy to the kitchen, opened the back door, and before she left, he pulled her against him, kissing her.
She smiled at him and then ran out of his yard.
He couldn’t believe he had snuck her out.
Grabbing his breakfast from the counter, he made his way into the dining room. “Where is everyone this morning?”
“Lionel has a breakfast date with Anna. Your mother took the girls to the shop before she’ll drop them off at school. How was it sneaking Poppy out of my house?” George asked.
Klaus choked on the piece of toast in his mouth. He grabbed the water and swallowed quickly, a little taken aback by his father’s words.
“Dad, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Son, for years, I’ve come home and at night, I make it a habit to check on all of my children. If I hadn’t looked in on you last night, I’m sure Poppy’s dress would have been a big indicator. It’s dried and pressed. You can take it to her later.”
“Oh,” Klaus said.
“Klaus, why didn’t you tell me that you had found your mate? Don’t even think of lying to me or giving me any kind of bullshit.”
“Dad, it’s not … don’t.”
“Your mother is going to be delighted. She has been hoping you would be lucky enough to find a mate. We can start her training immediately. We’ll have her move in. I know Bethany adores her, and she is a good woman.”
“No, you can’t do that,” Klaus said, panic rising up inside him. He’d never told his father no before.
“Excuse me?”
Klaus gritted his teeth.
“What are you not telling me?”
“Poppy and I, she, we, I…” He didn’t want to disappoint his father, but there was no way around it. “I bullied Poppy in high school, and yes, we’ve known that we’re mates since her first transition, but last night was the first time we had … been close.”
He stopped talking. The room was silent. He was a little afraid to look at his father.
“You bullied her in high school?” George asked.
“Yes.” Shame washed over him.
“Son, please tell me now why I was not made aware of this.”
This was … horrible. The disappointment in his father’s voice, the pain he saw in Poppy’s.
“She never told anyone. I may have said some things about … her mother,” he said, hating himself.
“You what?” George asked.
“Look, Dad, I, I know I fucked up, big time. I know you’re angry with me, and you have every right to be. Poppy didn’t want to be my mate. She wanted to ignore it, and seeing as I hurt her, I wanted to make it right with her. Last night we … connected. She allowed me to be with her. I have to make it up with her, and she doesn’t want anyone to know that we’re … mated.”
“Lionel’s son wants her, Klaus.”
“He can’t have her.”
George took a deep breath. “If I hear of you ever disrespecting Anna and her daughter again, Klaus, I swear, I will strip you of the right to be alpha. I am so disappointed in you.”
“I know,” Klaus said, bowing his head. “I … I couldn’t help it. She was always so, I don’t know … there, and I … it was like I hated myself even when I called her names and said the shit that I did, but I couldn’t stop myself.” He sighed. “Do what you have to do, but please, don’t, I’m begging you, don’t … say anything to Poppy. She’s not ready, and she will never forgive me.”
“You’re willing to wait to be with your mate?”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win Poppy. I … love her, Dad.” As Klaus said those three words, he realized he had loved Poppy his whole freaking life.
Chapter Nine
“You seem different, honey,” Anna said.
Poppy paused as her mother cupped her cheek, tilting her head left, then right. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. You just … you’re glowing.”
“I’m not glowing, Mom.”
“You’re happy?”
“Yeah, of course, I am.” She glanced down at the latest rounds of online orders. These were easy as they were already in stock. All she had to do was spend the day packaging them up.