My Teacher, My Mate

7. Fated Mates

Tessa

My head was pounding and so was someone on my bedroom door.

"Honey, wake up! It's your big day! I made chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream!"

I mumbled something to make her stop yelling. I found a pair of gym shorts and went to slide them on but I felt cool and wet. I needed to change my underwear.

Oh Goddess. Lucian Knight is my mate.

Peeling off the dress I couldn't help but bite my lip and smile.

"No. Bad girl. He's your teacher." I chastised myself in the mirror. That's when I saw the hickey on my neck! He might as well have bit me and completed the mating process that motherfucker!

I threw a hoodie on over my t-shirt and pulled my hair out of the Ariana Grande high ponytail to cover my neck.

When I opened the door my dad was sitting at the table.

"Morning, Tessa, happy birthday." Parts of his body and face might be covered in burns and scar tissue, but to me he was even more handsome than I remembered.

"Thank you, dad. Could I have a birthday hug before, before you..."

"Hide away again?" My mom stiffened over the stove when he said it but he laughed it off. "You can have a hug but I'm working on hiding less. It's not fair to you or your mother." My mom was at his side giving his side hug with tears in her eyes.

She placed the last plate down in front of him and sat down. "Seems like we have a lot to celebrate." She gave me a knowing look as I sat down. "Meet anyone special last night?"

Oh s**t, she saw the hickey.

"Can we talk after breakfast? She's still my baby girl you know?" My dad changed the subject. I was so happy to have him there. I mouthed 'thank you' to him.

We stuffed our faces with pancakes and my parents even flirted in front of me and I didn't gag. I was happy and wished for more moments like this. Laughter filled our home instead of awkward silence.

There was a knock at the door as we were cleaning up and I thought my dad might retreat but he didn't roll his wheelchair into the room. He rolled it towards the door and opened it.

"Lucian. I've seen you've grown up. It's good to see you. Are those for me?" He pointed to the roses.

"No, they're for your daughter, sir. She's my mate." His eyes stayed on me as I blushed.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish. No words. I wasn't going to tell my parents that my teacher was my mate. We hadn't even properly talked! What was he doing?! Trying to get me to reject him?

It seemed like the air stilled until my dad started congratulating him and my mom went to get champagne.

"What's going on? Why are we happy about this? He's my teacher!"

"Your father is the only reason I'm alive. I was taken in by another family but he found me and risked his life for me while I was just a baby. Coincidence? I think not." He winked at me!

"Fated mates!" My parents cheered and welcomed him inside.

"Yeah, mates. I get it. He's still my teacher and older. Shouldn't you be cleaning a shotgun or something, dad?"

"Fated mates mean there is more to your story. It could give some insight into my parents and pack that I never knew. It's a blessing from the Moon Goddess. YOU are a blessing directly from Selene herself." His eyes were filled with excitement but I didn't understand. Was he the reason I wasn't with Luke? Did his destiny change my own. And my dad was the one to save his life. That was when he lost use of his legs. That battle was where a majority of his burn scars came from. My mate is the reason my dad has been in agony my whole life.

It felt like someone had hit me in the head with a two by four. My fathers absence in my life was for a baby that wasn't even supposed to be part of our pack.

"You took him from me." Hot tears ran down my face as I stood while they all were starting to get cozy in the living room and popping champagne my parents couldn't afford. They were wasting it on him. "He should have let you die."