Chapter 57 Unexpected Visitors
1440words
"The Moon Goddess told me you'd be coming, Adeline. Please, sit down," the Luna said airily. I carefully made my way to sit across from her on the brown suede couch, nerves crawling up my skin. Sophia stood in the middle of the room, wide-eyed at her mother's confession. She strolled over to the couch and sat beside me, reaching for my hand in hers. We sat there in utter silence, staring at her while she knitted. She wore a white fuzzy robe with matching pants, clearly not expecting company. I was grateful when Sophia broke the silence, which had been making me uneasy.
"Mom, Adeline is Jaxon's mate," Sophia told her mother softly. Her eyes remained fixed on the white scarf she was knitting, but she made a soft "mhm" noise and nodded. Sophia gave my hand a gentle squeeze in support. I was anxious to know what she meant when she said the Moon Goddess had told her about me. I had been told to take the Luna's words with a grain of salt, but I could feel they held some bizarre truth.
I mustered all the courage I had, feeling sweat forming on my palms. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Luna. You've raised two amazing children," I said, my airways tightening. She set the knitting needles and ball of yarn on a small table beside her, then lifted herself to stand and stared hard at me again, as if examining me. Her intense gaze finally eased, and I felt like I could breathe again.
"I made some fresh apple pie while I waited for you. Would you like a glass of milk to go with it?" she said without missing a beat.
Struggling to form a cohesive sentence, I nodded and choked out a polite "please." She smiled and turned toward the kitchen. Sophia shot me a glance. "I'm so sorry, Addie. I had no idea she was hallucinating about seeing the Moon Goddess now, too. We can leave," she said, torment clear in her eyes. I gave her a small smile and whispered, "I'm okay. Thank you for this."
My eyes danced around the room. The fireplace was lit with a romantic fire, and a huge canvas of a family picture hung on the wall. The Luna returned holding a tray with two plates of pie and two glasses of milk—for Sophia and me.
I graciously accepted the plate of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream, pulling apart a piece with my fork. She sat back in her chair.
"So, Adeline, you have a red wolf too," admiration and support radiated from her in waves. My eyes widened; I struggled to understand how she could possibly know. Sophia scoffed at her mother's comment.
"Oh, come on, Mom, she doesn't have a red wolf. Where do you get these wild ideas?"
I pressed my lips together in a tight line. "D-did Alpha Jaxon tell you?" I stammered. I felt Sophia's eyes narrow on me, unaware of the truth about my wolf.
The Luna smiled. "I already explained, child. The Moon Goddess told me everything about you last night in my dream. Your love will save my son and Midnight Moon from unspeakable suffering, just like his love saved your life from the rogue."
My breathing quickened and my pulse raced; I prayed the Moon Goddess's words were false. Alpha Jaxon must have visited his mother and told her himself—or the other unthinkable reality.
"You must be ready for what's to come, Adeline. The force coming alive inside you was ignited by Jaxon's mark on your neck. Your wolf will only get stronger, like mine did—especially if an Alpha marks you." I nodded at her. I tried to explain how I was feeling, but no one understood the way the Luna did. She knelt in front of me, cupping the side of my face, making me shift at the discomfort of her being on her knees. The Luna's lilac eyes glowed as they connected with mine, causing my blue eyes to glow with hers. I felt the flood of love she exchanged with me.
"I told Jaxon to wait for you, and I knew you would find him just in time to stop him from feeling the pressure of taking a chosen mate. You're a pure wolf, Adeline. My son is lucky. My pack is lucky."
A tear crept down my face at her words; she was affecting me and nearly silencing my wolf.
"I'll be ready for anything, Luna. I won't let you down," I sobbed. It wasn't just everything she said; it was what I felt that lit a fire inside me.
"Call me Mom, Adeline. You are my child too if you are Jaxon's mate," she said with a smile that touched my heart. I could no longer fight the urge and threw my arms around her neck. She hugged me tightly as I buried my face in her neck. She smelled like a meadow filled with lilacs, with butterflies flying within. She whispered in my ear, "Listen to me, no one must see your red wolf yet. You will know when it is time to reveal yourself." I nodded, still nuzzled against her like a newborn child clinging to their mother.
Sophia dropped her plate on the tray the Luna had brought it in and sighed. I could see worry for my wellbeing in her face.
"I think it's time to go. Jaxon will be back soon. Thank you for the pie, Mom. I love you. I'll be back tomorrow," Sophia said with urgency in her voice.
I pulled back from the Luna and whispered, "Thank you for everything. I hope I get to see you again soon." Her eyes shone brighter than ever, and she gave me a seething grin.
"I'll be waiting, dear." She hugged me again, then moved to hug her daughter as I strolled toward the foyer, giving them a moment of privacy. I could hear the Luna telling her daughter how much she loved her and how proud she was.
Sophia grabbed my hand in the foyer, and we exited the loft, climbing effortlessly up the stairs, adrenaline pumping wild in our veins. We stayed unusually quiet, reminding me of a duo of spies in a Hollywood movie. When we reached my bedroom, an irritated Theo stood tall.
"Did I tell you ladies not to leave Sophia's room unless you mind-linked me?" he growled, causing me to jump back in surprise. Sophia pushed past him.
"Relax, we went to get lunch in the pack house dining hall. No one left the building, Theo. Did you get the stuff Adeline requested or not?"
His eyes began to divert to the floor as he nodded. "I placed them in a cardboard box in the closet so the Alpha wouldn't get suspicious if he beat you two back to the bedroom."
Still trying to absorb the Luna's words, I said, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Theo. I'm a little tired actually. Sophia and I are going to lie down and watch a movie. Would you like to join us?" Sophia jerked her body into mine, hinting that this was a bad idea.
A blush formed on his cheeks. He smiled and thanked me, "I would love to, but I think it's best if I stand guard for now."
I returned his smile and replied, "If you get bored, you know where to go!" Sophia and I scurried into the bedroom and plopped onto the bed in defeat.
"You're getting better at this," she teased, stretching her arms over her head.
I turned my head and laughed, "Hey! I learned from the best."
The room went quiet, both of us completely immersed in our thoughts.
"I-is what my mom said true or is she getting worse?" Sophia finally asked.
I sighed, my eyes glued to the ceiling. "Everything she said was true—either Jaxon told her, or the Moon Goddess really did come to see her..." The latter was frightening. The Luna had warned me I had a difficult journey ahead.
"Maybe we've had her locked up all this time for no reason. I never wanted her there," Sophia said, tears escaping her eyes.
I sat up and held Sophia in a tight embrace. "Soph, she knows everything you did for her was because you love her. We'll figure it out together."
My wolf hearing perked at two voices conversing outside the bedroom door. Finally, the doorknob turned, and Alpha Jaxon walked in wide-eyed, staring at Sophia and me.
"Sophia, what's wrong? Did something happen?" concern pouring from his voice.
