“I love you,” I admitted then slapped my hand over my mouth. Wasn’t the guy supposed to say that first? I had never said I love you before. I’d had boyfriends, but I never let them get close enough for love. Being in love meant you could get hurt.

A huge grin broke out onto his face.

“God, I’ve been waiting to hear that from you my whole life.” He scooped me up and started walking me to the bedroom, kissing my neck. I smiled. Okay, maybe saying I love you wasn’t that bad.

Diwali

I was being nudged awake. I opened my eyes groggily to see Kai. He was freshly showered and was wearing a red silk Indian t-shirt with a smudge of ash on his forehead. I looked at him confused.

“What’s up?” I asked groggily.

Kai looked nervous. “Well, remember how I told you that I told my parents about you? My mom and sister have been bugging me to talk to you and today is Diwali. It’s a special holiday in India. We always video chat on Diwali so…”

I knew what Diwali was from my six months in India. I sat up so fast I almost smacked his head. “How long do I have to get ready?”

He grinned. “Twenty minutes.”

I leapt off the bed and flew into the shower. After quickly applying light make-up and blow drying my long blonde hair, I went into my room. It was stacked full of the moving boxes my mom had brought. Where was my box of stuff I brought back from India? I tore open the tops of the boxes. Books, no. My boxing gloves, no. Regular clothes, no. A knock at the door.

“Aurora? It’s time to call them,” Kai told me.

“Be right there!” I screamed as I tore open another box. The sight of my red silk Indian top and bangles made me smile. I threw the top on over skinny jeans and put a stack of red and gold bangles on each wrist. The top was adorned with gold thread and was a gift from the host family I had stayed with. I threw open the door and took in Kai’s shocked expression.

“Too much? Trying too hard to impress them? I’ll go change.” I went to turn around and he caught my elbow.

“Don’t you dare! You look amazing.” He spun me around and kissed me deeply.

We sat in front of Kai’s computer and I nervously played with my bangles. The video chat icon started ringing and I swallowed hard. Kai smiled at me and clicked the green accept button.

The screen came alive with an image of a beautiful woman,  Kai’s mother, and a younger version of her sitting beside her. They both wore Indian clothing and jeweled bindis on their foreheads.

His mother scanned my outfit and smiled warmly. “Hello, Aurora, I’m Maya. It’s so nice to meet you. We have heard so much about you,” his mother said. His sister who looked to be in her early twenties waved. “Hi, I’m Diya.”

“Hello,” I croaked nervously. What had he told them about me?

“Namaste Ma, Happy Diwali.” Kai put his hands together in prayer and nodded.

“Happy Diwali Bete,” she replied.

“So,” Diya smiled. “When’s the mating ceremony?”

Maya elbowed Diya in the side as Kai groaned. “We are taking it slow, Diya.”

Diya put her hands up. “Okay, okay. I’m just saying my big brother is the first out of thirteen siblings to find his mate. Mom is dying to plan a wedding here.”

Maya lightly smacked the back of Diya’s head and she frowned.

“You are the first of your siblings to find your mate?” I turned to Kai, shocked. He smiled nervously. “I told you it was rare. Don’t mind my sister. She is bored and likes to interfere.”

Diya stuck her tongue out.

Maya cleared her throat. “So, Aurora, how do you like Mount Hood?”

I smiled at the graceful change in topic. “I love it. It’s so beautiful here. How is the weather in Delhi? If I remember correctly it’s quite pleasant this time of year.”

His mother raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been to Delhi?”

“Yes, Ma’am. For six months last year.”

His mother and Diya both shared a smile. We all talked easily for the next hour. Diya kept taking jabs at Kai and teasing him. I could tell he adored her. She was the princess in the family. I noticed his father didn’t join the call. We signed off and I gave a huge sigh of relief.

Kai laughed. “Were they that bad?”

I smiled easily. “No, I’m just nervous. I want them to like me.”

He leaned forward. “They will love you, like I do.”

My heart started beating fast and Kai kissed me gently.

“All right, are you ready for your first pack training session? I can’t have an out of shape second,” he teased.

I stood up and glared at him. “Out of shape. Oh, really?”

The pack walked a short distance to another member’s house. We went down into the basement that had been converted into a large gym. A boxing ring stood at the far corner and the rest of the floor was covered in padded mats and free weights. The walls were lined with mirrors.

I had changed into tight yoga pants and a sports bra. I pulled my hair up into a high bun. I was tempted to wear my black belt but thought better of it. Better to surprise them. I had been studying mixed martial arts since I was twelve.

Kai shouted to the group. “Pair up with your partners and start defense techniques. Aurora, you partner with Emma.”

Oh my God, he seriously didn’t understand what I meant when I said I ran self-defense classes on the weekend. He thought I was weak. No offense to Emma but I was stronger than her. “No,” I told the room loudly, “I want to partner with you.”