[Pyla]I’d had a wonderful visit with my family in the fae lands. In some areas, especially on the fae roads themselves, time moved differently. Sometimes it was slower and sometimes it was faster, but the areas we lived in seemed perfectly synced to the human realm. I wasn’t worried about missing Forrest’s coming of age. On the last day, my stepmother came to me while I was out working around the village. I’d seen some of the friends I had, but I hadn’t told anyone about Forrest. It felt like he would be taken from me if I told too many people about my hopes. “Pyla, how are you doing? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your trek back to the human lands?” she asked. “Sri’zala, I hadn’t seen you there, you made me jump,” I chuckled. “You were deep in thought. I’ve been calling to you, but you didn’t answer. What has you so caught up in your head, daughter of my heart?” “Before you found my father, were you afraid of losing him?” I asked. “There is the fear that your mate will not live long enough for you to encounter them. Are you afraid your true mate has passed on? Or is it something else you fear? Do you think he will reject you?” I shook my head. “No. I’m afraid the man I want may not be my mate. His coming of age is soon and we’ll find out, but if he’s not, I feel like I’ll die. I have grown so attached to him.” “So you think you’ve found him already…. That is a rare blessing from the goddess. I can understand the fear you are feeling. It is so rare that it almost never happens. You feel an attachment even though you haven’t known him long?” “Yes. Forrest is the sweetest, kindest troll I’ve met. He is a rare man among trolls, and he claimed me as his a few months ago. I gave him a stone that I made into a necklace and he wears it every day. I haven’t seen him without it since the day I gave it to him. I’m afraid I’m putting too much hope into this match and that I’ll be disappointed,” I admitted to her. She reached a hand to me and I accepted it. Sri’zala had always treated me well, even though I wasn’t her child. She was more of a mother to me than the woman who birthed me. I never spoke my heart to my real mother because all of her thoughts were on rank and status. “You are a rare gift to him, as well. I am no seer, but the love you have for him is obvious in your words. Even though he might not be your true mate, you’ve given him more than a stone. You’ve given him your heart.” “That is what I am most afraid of, though. What if I gave him my heart and he is not the mate of my soul? How will I ever heal from this if Forrest is not my true mate?” “Time, child, time will heal you. Finding your true mate will heal you. There is no magic to heal a broken heart. I’m sorry I have to tell you that. You will always have a home here. If he is not your true mate, then come home for a while before your coming of age. It will not cure you, but we can help you to heal a little,” she replied. Sri’zala’s words comforted me, but they also stoked the flames of my hope. I knew that I needed to be cautious with my heart and not let it run away with me. But I also couldn’t help the way I felt.“Come, daughter of my heart. It’s time for you to return to the human lands. I will pray to the goddess for Forrest to be your true mate. Be with him until you know. Love, even for a short time, opens your heart to the promise of new loves. Perhaps Forrest is only meant to open your eyes to the hearts of other trolls. Perhaps he is your true mate. Leave it to the goddess, Pyla. She will watch over you and give you the mate you deserve,” Sri’zala told me in a kind tone. With Sri’zala’s words echoing in my mind, I gathered my things and made my way back to the human lands. The journey was long, but my thoughts of Forrest kept me company. I couldn’t wait to see him again and to feel his arms wrapped around me.Maybe I was only a first love for him, but my hope was too great that I might be lucky enough to call him mine forever. I checked in with the officials, letting them know I had returned from the fae lands before I headed to my mother’s house. She was having a fit when I walked in the door. Apparently, she had a chance to talk with Forrest’s mother and was told that Mrs. Montblanc didn’t want or need the opinion of someone who believed in harassing their children over encouraging them. My mother glared at me as she relayed that bit to her mate. He turned and glared, too. It had been a difficult couple months for her. She tried everything in her power to seem like the type of person the upper class trolls might want to associate with. She sidled her way into any of their conversations when she could. All of it on the back of my relationship with Forrest. She was using it as a means to wheedle her way into their social circle instead of staying in her place. I knew it wouldn’t work. Troll women were blunt and didn’t associate with people who weren’t aligned with them in other ways. Ignoring my mother’s scowl, I made my way to my room to unpack my things. As I put away my clothes, I couldn’t help but wonder what Forrest was up to. Was he thinking of me as much as I was thinking of him? Did he miss me as much as I missed him? These thoughts filled my mind as I lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling.Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. I sat up, heart racing, hoping it was Forrest. Instead, it was my mother.“Pyla, I need to talk to you.”I groaned inwardly, preparing myself for whatever self-serving rant she was about to go on. Was she going to encourage me, again, to sleep with him? Was she going to call me an uptight lizard bіtch again? “What do you want, Mother?” I asked. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, “I know things haven’t been easy between us, but I wanted to apologize for how I’ve treated you. I’ve been so caught up in my own ambitions that I’ve neglected you and your feelings. I know that Forrest means a lot to you, and I want you to know that I support you in your relationship with him. I’m sorry for not showing that support appropriately.”Though I was briefly taken aback by her words, how she treated me over the last several months echoed in my head. This was only to gain favor with Forrest’s mother. I wouldn’t be tricked by her words. “You have never been appropriately supportive of me. Not since I was born and you gave me to my father to raise. Do you think that your words now will heal what you have broken time and time again with your selfishness?” I asked. My mother flinched at my words, but her expression quickly turned cold. “I’m trying to make amends here, Pyla. Can’t you see that? You’re always so quick to judge me and assume the worst.”“I’m not assuming anything,” I replied, my voice calm but firm. “Your actions speak for themselves. You only care about yourself and what you can gain from others. You don’t care about me or my feelings.”Mother’s eyes narrowed, and I could see anger rising in her. “You ungrateful little brat,” she spat. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is the thanks I get? I’m trying to fix things. Why won’t you let me fuсking fix us?!” “Because you’re not ‘fixing us’ for me or for our future relationship. You’re doing it because Forrest’s mother and her friends won’t accept you unless I do. If I could trust that you weren’t doing this for selfish reasons, I would accept it, but I can’t. If you want me to forgive you, then you have to show me that you’re truly sorry and that you’re going to change,” I told her. My mother’s face contorted in anger as she balled her fists at her sides. “You’re just like your father, always thinking you’re better than everyone else. Well, you know what? You’re not. You’re just a stupid girl who doesn’t know how to appreciate the opportunities she’s been given,” she yelled.I stood up from my bed, feeling the anger bubble up inside me. “You don’t get to talk about my father like that,” I seethed. “He’s the one who actually cared for me and loved me. He didn’t abandon me like you did. You don’t know the first thing about him. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of my room this minute!” She stood there for a moment, her eyes blazing with fury, before finally storming out of my room and slamming the door behind her. I let out a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It was always like this with my mother - she never listened to me, never cared about my feelings or my happiness. All she cared about was herself and what she could gain from others.I lay back down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling once more. Forrest was the only good thing in my life right now. He was the only one who truly cared for me, who understood me. I knew that I loved him with all my heart.As I closed my eyes, my mind wandered to the thought of Forrest’s touch. The feeling of his hands on my skin, his lips on mine. I wanted him so badly it almost hurt. I wondered if he was feeling the same way, if he too was lying in bed, thinking about me.It was late evening and I didn’t know if he was home. I toyed with the idea of calling him, but wanted to see him even more. More than anything, I wanted him to hold me, kiss me, and tell me he loved me. I struggled with my urges. It was cold and I was cold blooded because of my lizard side. I didn’t really like going out in the cold. This was part of the reason we settled in a warm part of the fae realm, so we wouldn’t be hobbled by winter. Trolls didn’t have the same problem as lizard people did. They could go out no matter the weather and feel comfortable. I was more capable than my full lizard family, but that didn’t mean I liked it. If it was to see Forrest after all these weeks away from him, though, I would do it. Quickly, I bundled up for going out in the cold. I wrapped scarves around my tail to keep it warm. A cold tail was hard to deal with. I could never quite warm it back up. As I headed to the front door, my mother’s mate stopped me. He glared at me and crossed his arms. I took a step back. He rarely talked to me, but when he did, he was never nice. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked. “I’m going for a walk and to visit Forrest. What business is it of yours?” He sneered at me. “You’re not going anywhere, little lizard. Your mother has already given you too much freedom. It’s time you learned your place.”I bristled at his words, feeling a surge of anger. “I don’t have to listen to you,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “You’re not my father, and you’re not even my stepfather. You’re just a pathetic excuse for a mate to my mother.”He grabbed me by the arm, his grip tight and painful. “Watch your tongue, girl,” he growled, his breath hot on my face. “Or I’ll make sure you learn your place the hard way. You may be able to beat an untrained troll, but I’m a warrior and I won’t underestimate you.”No matter how I struggled, I couldn’t get away from him. He was definitely stronger and a lot bigger than me. I knew he was a troll warrior, but I never tried to test myself against him. As he tightened his grip, I could feel the heat of his anger radiating from his body. A part of me was scared of what he might do, but I refused to show any fear. I was a fighter, just like my father, and I wouldn’t back down from a challenge.With all the strength I could muster, I twisted my arm and broke free from his grasp. His eyes widened in surprise, but I didn’t wait for him to react. Instead, I landed a swift kick to his groin, causing him to stumble back in pain.Without another word, I ran out the door and into the night. Trying to stay and stand my ground would only result in a real fight where I could actually get hurt. One thing I was taught as a warrior in my village is that you need to know when to run and went to fight. This was definitely not a time to fight. I ran through the dark streets, my heart pounding with adrenaline. I realized that I had never felt so alive before. The rush of energy coursing through my body was exhilarating, and I knew I had made the right decision by leaving. I couldn’t stay in that house any longer.