His fingers moved from my shoulder to my neck, his touch lingering. "I can make it up to you tonight," he whispered. "After the party. Let me remind you why you're here."
I stepped away from his touch. "I'm not interested in being your substitute for Olivia."
I could see the flash of anger in his eyes, but before he could respond, the doorbell rang.
"That must be our guests," Margaret said. "Theo has been so excited about this party. Don't ruin it for him, Emma."
Without waiting for my response, she swept out of the room. Caleb gave me one last warning look before following her.
I took a few minutes to compose myself, trying to cover the burns with makeup as best I could. When I finally made my way downstairs, the party was already in full swing.
Pack members filled the living room, mingling with Theo's school friends and their parents. Theo's face turned sour when he spotted me.
"Look, Theo, your mother is here," one of the adults said to him.
Theo scoffed loudly enough for everyone to hear. "She's not my mother!"
I stood frozen as Caleb sighed deeply and approached his son.
"We don't talk like that, Theo. Emma is your mother now, and she's been taking good care of you,"