Chapter 22: Skylar

It is Friday and I am waiting for Cole at his loft. He had asked me to wait for him saying he had a surprise for me. I had dressed into an expensive dress and jewelry that Cole had left for me with a note begging me to wear it as it was just the beginning of a night full of surprises.

The dress looked great on me. It was light blue with a slit on one leg and hugging my figure. It showed my ample cleavage and gave my boobs a good lift. It felt as if it was custom-made just for me. With the dress, Cole also left a beautiful diamond jewelry set which went perfectly with the dress. The heels were made of glass and diamonds too. I felt like I was a walking store looking for being looted.

Cole had told me that he was taking me out for dinner and I couldn't be more excited. The last couple of weeks have shown me how much I love him. Every single second spent with him made me fall for him more. Cole also offered to help Lisa with her father's health by connecting her with a friend of his.

Lisa's father is reacting positively to the new medication and Lisa has been stress-free about her father.

Cole mentioned that his father would be returning soon and I have seen Cole work hard for the past week cutting down time with me. He comes home very tired. Last night after giving him a massage we were asleep early. I am waiting for Cole to reach home but he is a little late.

At 6:30 PM when I was in the kitchen getting a bottle of water, I hear the elevator ping. Thinking it is Cole, I rush and find myself in front of a couple. The man looks like an older version of Cole and the woman has his eyes. They are both tall like Cole and very thin. They are also well-dressed. The man is wearing a blue suit and tie while the woman is wearing a peach dress topped with a black fur coat.

I stand there awkwardly and say, "Hi, Can I help you?"

The elevator opens with a security code directly into Cole's apartment and guessing from their faces and given how similar these people look to Cole, they are his parents. Wait what? His Parents!! I was so not ready to meet them !! I am dressed well, but frankly, I was freaking out!! Cole had warned me about how his parents are intimidating.

The couple walks past me into the living room eyeing me up and down. The man asks me, "The question here should be, who the hell are you? Did you steal this dress and jewelry? Are you the maid?"

"Um, no, I'm not—"

"Is Cole here?" The man interrupts me.

"No, he will be here shortly. Are you his parents?"

The man looks at me with his eyebrows raised and says, "Listen, lady, get me a beer from the kitchen, wear the maid's dress and it is none of your business, but yes, we are his parents."

I walk over to his mother and say, "It is so nice to finally meet you. I am Skylar, Cole's girlfriend."

The man walks close to me invading my personal space and says, "Cole's what?"

I lean back and hesitantly say, "His girlfriend." Cole has not informed them about me.

The man gives out a maniacal laugh and says, "He does not have a girlfriend. If he did, he would not certainly choose you." He looks at me with disgust.

I am a nice woman, and I am trying really hard to be nice to them, but I don't like his father already. I don't like his mother as well. I am well dressed and in fact, I loved my appearance, but his mother looks disgusted at my dress. They are looking at me as if I am dressed in rags.

Cole's mother asks me, "How long have you been seeing him?"

"A few months," I reply with confidence. I don't know I had it in me to talk to them with such confidence. But suddenly, I feel like defending myself. I feel as if I have been disrespected.

"Months?" Cole's father yells. "That is not possible. If Cole was seeing someone, I would've known about it. I know everything he does and especially the women he sees."

I want to rip his throat apart. I do not know how I have this sudden rage within me but I want him to show me some damn respect.

Cole's mother straightens up and asks, " What is your name dear?"

"Skylar."

"I do not want your first name. Nobody cares about that. Give me your last name."

Something changes within me and I feel as if someone else is answering for me and I say, " Rose, Skylar Rose."

"And where the hell are you from Miss Skylar Rose?" His father jeers at me. "And also, what about your parents? What do those people do?"

" Well, my parents were born in the castle and their parents were the Royal Guardians of the King and the Queen. When the war broke against the castle, my parents managed to escape and they sought solace in the Golden Moon Pack. I was conceived there, but my parents went for a rogue war and never returned. The Alpha brought me up along with his wife. I have come here to follow my dream."

Cole's father's feature changes to one of horror and then it quickly vanishes. He huffs and walks away. "Is this some kind of sick joke? All the castle Lycans were swiped out. Then how did your parents escape and you are a lycan? Why do I not smell the Royal Guardians smell on you? Does Cole know about all this? Where the hell is he?"

" Well, Yes, agreed a lot of the people believe that the Lycans have been wiped out, but there are a few of us still around this world whose parents managed to escape the castle. I am a lycan, but, I do not smell like a Royal Guardian because I do not have any King or Queen to protect. Cole will be home once he is done with his office work."

"Cole is at the office?" His father asks me.

"Yes," I say.

"Well, then we should leave Lexi, and I suggest you leave too. You shouldn't be here." The man says taking his wife's hand.

"But-" I stop when I hear the elevator ping again and the door open. I turn and see Cole standing there with a bouquet of flowers, wearing a big smile like he always does when he comes to meet me."

"Cole!!!" His father storms over to him at the entrance. "WHY IS THIS WOMAN IN YOUR APARTMENT AND WHAT IS THE BULLSHIT CRAP SHE IS SAYING THAT SHE IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND?"

Cole's smile drops and a look of sheer panic and shock cover his beautiful features. "Father, Mother, what are you doing here?"

"Well, we were just crossing by and saw the lights of your loft here on, so we thought you were in midst of some business meeting. That is why we stopped. We should have known better." His father replies with venom dripping off his tongue.

Cole walks up to me and puts his arms around me and says, "Well father, let me introduce you to my girlfriend Skylar. We have been seeing each other for a few months now."

He turns to me and says, "Baby, these are my parents, Zach and Lexi Weitzel."

"Yes, we met dear," I say leaning into him.

Somehow I am starting to understand why Cole never introduced me to his parents or his circle. I have a feeling that all of them will be just like his parents.

"Zach, perhaps we can have dinner with our son and his so-called girlfriend. I want to know more about her." Lexi says.

Zach looks at me and Cole with a stink eye and says, "I guess that will be great honey. You girl, get dressed decently. I am not taking some riff-raff-looking girl to a high-end restaurant."

That's it with his rude behavior I stand up straighter and say, "I don't know whether you know that I have a higher position than you. I am a lycan. So, you better show some damn respect or you will be calling a war with the Lycans." I switch my hair from one shoulder to another and smirk at Zach's reaction, the subconscious part of me wanted him to see my tattoo but my subconscious was telling me it was more than just that.

"You, you, you, you FREAKING MARKED HER?" Zach thunders.

Cole holds me tighter against his side and says, "Yes father. Skylar is not only my girlfriend but also my mate."

I can feel Cole's muscles tense up and his breathing heavy. As if he is controlling his anger. Cole looks at me and whispers, "You look, beautiful baby. I am sorry that the special evening has been ruined. We can go out tomorrow."

I look into his eyes and nod. Something is definitely wrong with me. I am not myself.

The drive to the restaurant is eerily quiet. We are driving with Cole's parents after Zach insisting us to drive with him and Lexi. Cole holds my hand all the time and Zach mumbles profanities each time he looks into the mirror seeing us holding hands. I never imagined that Cole's life was so different than mine. When he said that his family would not approve of us, I did not know that they would be this difficult.

We get our seats immediately and Cole tries to distract Zach by talking about work. However, it does not work and Zach keeps looking at me with threatening eyes and mean looks. Lexi avoids me completely.

Zach looks at Cole and says, "I want you to work this entire week at night too in the office. I will not hear any excuses. There are a lot of reports pending from your end."

"Father, you will have all the reports by day after on your desk, I do not need to work the nights."

"You will do what I tell you to do. Understand."

I don't like how Zach is ordering Cole into doing what he wants. He has been constantly either ordering Cole or insulting him.

I take Cole's hand to help him calm down. Cole and Zach continue to talk about work and when there's a short break Lexi asks me about my pack.

I tell her things even I didn't know about. How am I doing all this?? Somehow even if it feels absurd it feels as if all this is true. But Lexi is far from being interested in my talks. Infact she looks behind me and ignores me completely.

Cole reaches over and pulls me close to him and says, "Sylar is an amazing chef. She is in fact being offered to work as a free lancer chef to a lot of top restaurants all over the town."

"No she will not be offered such a thing. That position is for people who pass out from Ivy leagues or such universities. No one in their right minds would offer such a prestigious post to a riff raff." Zach growls.

I look at Zach with hatered in my eyes and say, "Zach, I already have the offer letters and frankly everyone out there is not as condescending as you. Cole I am done here. If your father can not respect me or my mate then I don't want to stay here talking to a low life like him. He needs to know that he has just created a an enemy with a lycan. Other lycans would not be too happy Zach. So run to your little pack with your dumb wife and tell your stupid higher-ups to prepare for a war with the lycans."

Cole looks at me shocked and takes my hand to leave. I know I should have stayed shut, but it was as of it was not me who was talking.

"Leave, I have had enough of your and my son's insubordination."

I want to slap him, but Cole pulls me out of the restaurant. But Zach pulls at Cole's hand and says, "You will end this nonsense. If you don't know, the rules are changing. You and your little mate will not be together for long " Zach smiles smugly at me and I want to rip off that smug look.

What the hell is wrong with me today? I am not such a violent person. But I guess Zach knows how to bring that side to me.

We get out of the restaurant and hail a cab. On the way to the loft, Cole says, "Skylar, I am so sorry about tonight. I wanted to make it special, but my parents ruined it."

"No Cole!! I should have believed you when you said they are bad. It is my fault." I say kissing him. I feel him relax in my arms and we hold each other trying to calm each other.

Cole looks at me and says, "Sylar, tomorrow come what may, I am making your day special." With that we kiss again and all the anger towards his parents just bursts away.

I feel that we will be able to handle them next time as long as we are together. This evening just showed me how mature our relationship is.