I froze in place as I noticed everyone's eyes now on me, "Wie is dit? (Who is this?)" his mom questioned through squinted eyes that I almost mistakenly took as a glare.
I looked to Ade, again not understanding what was being said and hoping for some translation which I once again was denied. Maybe I should just learn whatever language this is? "Stefan Meyer.", he mumbled my name in a tone I couldn't recognize "My... mate." He revealed as he threw his apple away and disappeared up the stairs, leaving me, his mom, and who I assume to be his brother alone in the large kitchen.
I turned to the two strangers as I heard the faint click of a bedroom door. The guy didn't even react as he rubbed at the dark eyebags beneath his eyes, wincing when the goddess lady smacked his hand away with a spatula. "Ow ma, that's hot!" I watched as he fanned his hand in the air.
"Don't rub your eyes like that!" She scolded before giving him a pointed look as she noticed him sending her a glare, "Gaan slaap bietjie. (Go and get some sleep.)" She waved the spatula towards the stairs causing the tan guy to let out a quiet sigh before walking past me and up the stairs, paying my frozen figure no mind as he did.
I quickly turned my attention back to my mates' mother as I heard a soft hum, flinching when I made eye contact with a pair of bright Caribbean blue eyes. "So you're my baby's mate, huh?" she questioned as she looked over me in awe, looking me up and down. "I didn't think we'd be meeting this soon." She gushed.
I scooted back a little as she came closer, "Wait, you know about me?" I questioned with an arched brow, I also pointed a finger towards myself just to make absolute sure we were talking about the same person.
"Of course, I knew as soon as he found you." She said matter of factly "You don't understand how happy I was when Eze told me about you. I immediately linked Ade and told him to bring you to the pack house and-" she let out a quiet growl mid-sentence. "- can you believe he had the nerve to tell me no?" she continued saying with a disappointed look on her face.
She ranted about how she carried him for four months and how the least he could do was be respectful; I let out a small chuckle as I listened to her rant. She reminded me of how my Oma would act with my Papa. I discreetly bit onto my bottom lip, it was a coping habit of mine that Savannah has scolded me for many times.
"Oh! Sweetie, are you okay? what's wrong?" The dark-skinned she-wolf got even closer to me, looking at me with an annoyingly concerned expression. I knitted my brows together in confusion, reaching my hands up to feel my face as I noticed her trying to do the same. I froze when I felt wet streaks on my face, oh c'mon. I took a deep breath as I wiped off the tears with the back of my hands, "I'm okay." I said quickly as she took a step closer.
She looked at me, skeptically staring into my eyes as she debated whether to question me further or just drop it. Luckily, she went with the later option, "Okay, how about you sit down and I'll finish cooking. Have you eaten anything yet?" she asked while turning back to the food that I've just noticed had been cooking on low this whole time.
I shook my head no before going to sit down on one of the stools that surrounded the marble island set in the middle of the large modern kitchen. "Well lucky for you, you got the best cook in the pack standing right in front of you." she replied with a cocky smirk and I let out a laugh, my first real one since meeting my jerk of a mate.
I watch her cook for the next hour or so, listening to her tell stories about Ade. She asked about my childhood and I gave minor details here and there, not really in the mood to talk about my past with someone who's technically still a stranger. She never pressed me to talk whenever I didn't want to answer something, which I was extremely grateful for.
Despite the awkward silences between each unanswered question I was given, we had a nice conversation and I was able to find out some minor details about my mate. I was also able to learn her name, Esther. An oddly fitting name for the goddess looking lady. "Done!" Esther announced with a satisfied grin, causing me to look over at the table.
There were all types of food: biscuits, sausage, eggs, bacon, you name it and it was all there at the table. She had set the entire table herself, silverware and all, after I had given up on asking since she just repeatedly told me I couldn't because I was the guest.
When I finally gained enough composure to stop openly drooling over the deliciously prepared food, I looked back over at Esther whose eyes had just started to focus. "Come, sit down. I just linked everyone, they'll be down in a sec and then we can eat and formally introduce you to everyone." I nervously stood up and shuffled to the table before sitting down at one of the chairs. A few seconds later Eze walked in through the front door, I hadn't even noticed her absence as I walked with Ade into the packhouse and now I was wondering where she had been this whole time.
Eze looked around the entrance, giving me a soft smile and wave as she noticed me sitting at the table before hugging and kissing Esther on the cheek and taking a seat beside me. Next, the tan guy from before.
I watched as the tan guy came down with a loud yawn and sat next to Eze. The dark eyebags from before seemed a bit lighter and less noticeable, and his hair was tied into a small loose ponytail but he was still in the same loose t-shirt and sweats from earlier.
Moments later a dark muscular man with no hair came down holding a small girl with big brown doe eyes and two Afro puffs on either side of her head, she reached out for Esther and Esther cooed at her before scooping her into her arms and placing her on her lap causing the small child to giggle happily. The tall man beamed at them and kissed Esther on the side of her head, whispering an 'I love you' before sitting down next to her.
Last to come down was Ade, he came down once everyone had gotten their food. He seemed to let out a quiet grunt when he noticed where the last seat available was located, across from me. After taking his seat he quietly filled his plate up with food and started eating, not giving me a single glance in the process.
A whimper sounded in my head as he blatantly ignored me, a silent rejection of our bond "Mate doesn't want us..." my wolf, Leon, whined into my head. "I know..." I replied back with the same saddened tone.
I let out a breath of air before blocking out my wolf. I refuse to embarrass myself by crying again, it would be the second time today and that's two times too many.
The rest of the dinner went smoothly and Like Esther said, I was properly introduced to everyone there. The tall bald man and the little girl that came down together were her mate, Alpha Koje, and Adaku, who they call Ku for short, their youngest child. The tan guy from before is Kyle, his nickname is Dapper, a nickname given to him in their native language, he wasn't the same skin tone as them but I didn't ask any questions since it was none of my business.
After dinner I convinced Esther to allow me to help clean off the table and then waited by the door since Esther said Ade would be driving me home. While I was waiting by the door Ade suddenly popped up in front of me, he immediately grabbed my chin with his fingers before lifting my head towards him. I watched as his brows furrowed when we made eye contact, my mate let out a growl before letting go of my face, "Lets go." I stood shocked for a little while before I slowly followed him out the house and to his car, climbing back into the front seat and once again putting on my seatbelt.
I glanced from the window to Ade as I noticed his hands hold on the steering wheel becoming increasingly more tighter, "Are you okay?" I questioned cautiously after a few awkward moments passed in silence.
He glanced my way before looking back at the road, "Why were you crying?" He questioned.
My eyes widened at his question, immediately becoming uncomfortable with the topic. "I-I wasn't." I said, trying to lie as I looked away towards the road.
"I'm not dumb, your eyes are a little puffy and even though we're not completely mated... I can still feel your emotions." his shoulders tensed at the last part, as if the mere thought of being mated to me made him uncomfortable. I looked at him in shock as I studied his expression before fully turning away from him, "Fine." he scoffed, turning his attention back to the road.
A few minutes later we pulled up in front of the small cottage me and my oma lived in. I turned to Ade as he came to a stop, "Do you want to come in and meet my Oma?" I asked him after moments of silence. Beads of sweat made its way onto my forehead as I became confused on whether I even wanted him to say yes.
"Oma?" he repeated without looking at me, not answering the question.
"It means grandma, in German. Since I got to meet your family, I thought... Maybe you could meet mine?" he was quiet for a while and when I finally gained the courage to steal a glance his way he still wasn't paying me any mind. I turned around as I felt the same familiar and uncomfortable sting of unshed tears starting to gather. I quickly opened the door to the car and hopped out, closing the door and heading straight for my cottage, not giving a single glance back.
I walked across the street before stopping after hearing the slam of a car door coming from behind me. I looked back and smiled as I was met with an expressionless Ade who did nothing in reply to my obvious excitement. I hurriedly opened the door and led him to my Omas' slightly warm room, "Hallo Oma." I took her hands in mine and watched as a smile spread across her face.
"Hallo, wie war dein Tag süß? (Hello, how was your day dear?)" she asked, rubbing her thumbs against the back of my hands in small circles.
"Es war gut. (It was good.)" I answered, turning to grab Ades' hand. He hesitated as he saw me reaching for them but eventually allowed me to grab one of them "Oma das... (grandma this...)" I placed Ades' largely calloused hand in hers' as I went on "...Ist mein mate. (...Is my mate.)"
"She can't see very well so she gets to know people through the feeling of their hands and facial features, just think of it as a handshake." I said.
"It's nice to meet you madam." He greeted my Oma with a slight head bow that had me swooning at the respectfulness, wow the bare minimum. I chuckled as my Oma looked between both of us with a confused expression.
"She also only speaks German." I revealed, causing him to give me a pointed look that had my Oma letting out a quiet laugh.
"Can you tell me how to say nice to meet you in German then?" he asked, never taking his gaze off my Oma. If she could see how much attention she was getting she'd probably die of happiness.
I laughed again as I softly shook my head, "Sure, so just say, Es ist schön dich zu treffen." I said, slowly reciting each word.
"Es is chon ditch zu treffen?" my oma froze before breaking out in a fit of laughter causing me to also let out a laugh of my own.
My mate sighed as he turned his head to meet my eyes, "I'm assuming I said it wrong?" Ade questioned and I just nodded my head, not being able to formulate a sentence through all the laughter. Once me and my Oma calmed down she looked at me with a sly smirk.
"Er ist lustig, muss eine ziemliche Handvoll sein. (He's funny, must be quite the handful.)" She told me and I looked at Ade with a huge smile on my face. I should be mad at him for trying to reject me and constantly rejecting our bond but right now, in the moment, I just wanted to pretend everything is fine.
"Ach du hast keine Ahnung. (Oh you have no idea.)"