Cordelia, who had just come in, met my gaze. I nodded.
A short while later, she returned with a plate of washed red grapes and sliced apples. She set the plate on a small stool before placing it between us.
I picked up two grapes, holding them out to my mother. She smiled, allowing me to feed her before I took a bite of an apple slice.
Then she tilted her head slightly. “How was school?”
The apple stilled between my teeth. Slowly, I lowered it, meeting her gaze.
“I’m no longer a student, Mother,” I said carefully. “I am now an Alpha.”
She blinked once, then a slow, approving smile spread across her lips. “You dethroned your father?”
She nodded, satisfied. “Good. I always knew you would.”
I didn’t correct her. Explaining would only confuse her more.
She studied me again, her gaze thoughtful. “And? Did you marry that girl?”
My brows furrowed slightly. “Wanda?”
She nodded, her expression unreadable.
I shook my head. “No. I married someone else. Her name is Meredith Carter. She’s from the Moonstone Pack.”
My mother’s lips curled up slightly, satisfied. “Good. As long as it’s not that girl… or anyone your father chose.”
I exhaled softly. There was no use correcting her. She had her own version of reality, one that didn’t always align with the truth.
After a moment, she tilted her head again. “It doesn’t seem like you love this woman you married.”
I stilled slightly. “What makes you say that?”
“I didn’t see any emotion in your eyes when you said her name.”
I shifted the apple to my left hand. “Love isn’t important for people like me in marriage.”
Then I picked up another grape and tried to feed her again. But she leaned away, shaking her head.
“No,” she murmured, pressing a hand lightly against her stomach. “I think my stomach is full.” A small frown crossed her face. “But that’s strange… I haven’t had lunch today.”
I met her gaze evenly. “It’s fine.”
But her expression fell into uncertainty, panic flickering behind her eyes. “I’m sorry about making you eat alone. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s fine, Mother. Just watch me eat,” I reassured her before the panic could take hold.
She hesitated, then relaxed, nodding with a small, relieved smile.
For a while, silence settled between us, broken only by the sound of me chewing.
Then she spoke again.
“This wife of yours,” she mused, curiosity lighting her gaze. “When will I meet her?”
“The next time I visit,” I said.
Her lips pulled downward. She didn’t like that answer. “Then describe her to me.”
I froze.
Describe Meredith?
For a long moment, I said nothing. But my mother only looked at me expectantly. Waiting.
Left with no choice, I let out a slow breath. “She’s about your height and size,” I started. “She has silver hair and purple eyes.” A pause. “She has a sharp tongue.”
My mother’s lips twitched, as if suppressing a laugh.
I hesitated before adding, “She has a mind of her own.” A beat. “And she’s the only one in her family with silver hair and purple eyes.”
At my words, my mother shut her eyes, a lingering smile on her lips. When she opened them again, her gaze met mine.
“Meredith’s looks are rare. It seems like you just described a goddess.”
I stilled.
Then, my lips twitched slightly, but I said nothing.
A goddess? Meredith?
No.
If anything, she was a thorn I had planted by my side.
I took another bite of the apple, shaking my head slightly. My mother’s sickness was acting up again.
Draven.
For a moment, I considered letting my mother hold on to her fantasy-that Meredith was a goddess. It was a harmless belief, one that seemed to bring her joy. But the words left my mouth before I could stop them.
“She’s no goddess, Mother.” I exhaled slowly. “She was cursed by one.”
Her brow furrowed, and the warmth in her black eyes dimmed slightly. “Cursed?” she echoed, her fingers tensing against the folds of her dress.
I nodded, watching her closely. “By the Moon Goddess herself.”
The frown on her face deepened. “And what did she do to deserve such a punishment?”
I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. “That,” I said, voice steady, “is something we will have to ask the Moon Goddess.”
The moment the words left my lips, something in my mother snapped.
Her face twisted in fury, her lips curling into a snarl. “Randall was cursed too!” she spat, her voice rising, sharp and full of venom. “That’s why he locked me up in the dungeon!”
I stiffened.
It was always like this-one moment, she was the kind woman I remembered, and the next, she was lost in a rage fuelled by the ghosts of her past.
I straightened, keeping my voice calm. “Mother,” I said carefully, “this isn’t a dungeon. It’s an underground apartment.”
She turned to me with a glare, her eyes wild, her features contorted with anger. “Liar.”
My fingers curled into fists at my sides. I knew where this was heading. Hell was about to break loose, and I couldn’t let it spiral out of control.
“You chose to live here,” I reminded her, my voice firm but gentle. “Father didn’t lock you up.”
She let out a harsh breath, her lips pressing into a thin line. Then, without warning, her black eyes shifted-turning molten gold, the same colour as mine.
Her hand shot toward the plate of red grapes, grabbing a handful. She popped one into her mouth, chewing slowly as if it might calm her.
But just when I thought she had regained control, her left hand lashed out toward my face.
I caught her wrist midair, my grip firm but careful.
I wasn’t surprised. This was normal. Expected.
Violence had become a part of my mother-a cruel gift from the bipolar disorder that accompanied her dementia.
“Mother,” I said, my patience thinning. “Can you calm down?”
She glared at me, her golden eyes blazing with fury. The kind woman from moments ago had vanished, replaced by a violent storm I had no way of controlling.
Then, with a speed I didn’t anticipate, she flung the handful of grapes at my chest.
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