“Ariel, darling,” mom says, reaching out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Tell me, sweetheart, how are you feeling about this?” I look up at my mom, trying to sort through my feelings, trying to figure it out. Because on one hand…I mean, he is my mate – it’s just the truth, and it was going to come out sometime. And why should Luca have to deny who his mate is, or hide it, when the press asked him? If it were any other mating bond, just between two people, I’m not sure it would be as big of a deal. But…I mean, that’s not our situation at all, is it? Passively, I look down at the article, reading enough to gather that it is a laudatory piece. The press is, apparently, thrilled that I’m mated to Luca Grant – it marks us officially as the cutest new couple in the celebrity world