Chapter 66 Hope
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I knew that taking Adeline to see my mother had been a bad idea. I loved my mother with everything I had, but I couldn't erase the bloodthirsty look in her eyes from my memory when she lunged to attack Beverly. I struggled to hold her back. Either my mother had much more strength than I had realized, or her wolf was driven by true hate. My mother had never approved of my chosen mate, Beverly. She always believed I had a fated mate, but somehow Beverly had slipped through my rough exterior, convincing me it was in the pack's best interest for me to take her as my Luna.
Adeline resisted my wishes to leave my mother. The one request I had was that they leave when I said, but she defied it. I would have brought someone in to watch Adeline while my mother trained her, but not many knew my mother was even still alive. Plus, it was safer for me to stay; my wolf was also on edge, refusing to leave our mate. Adeline crossed her arms over her chest, determined to stay. I had learned she was stubborn beyond belief when she set her mind to something.
I pressed my lips together. "You two have one hour. I have work to do, and I'm not leaving you behind, Adeline," I said. I expected my mother to be further upset, but instead she smiled and said, "You love her already. I'm happy for you, Jaxon," nodding her head approvingly. We moved to the living room, and I sat in my mother's rocking chair while the two women got to work on the couch. My mother had brought out a box of handwritten books covering Luna behavior, Luna etiquette, pack programs that benefited the pack, Midnight Moon pack history, and traits of red wolves.
When my mother held up the journal she had written about red wolves and flipped through the pages explaining it to my mate, I frowned. "How did you know my mate would be a red wolf?" I asked. It didn't make sense—I had only met Adeline when we conquered her pack. This book must have taken months to write. My mother slowly lifted her head from the lined pages. "I didn't know your mate would be a red wolf until the Moon Goddess came to me and warned me that Adeline would save Midnight Moon."
I appreciated my mother's help, but this was getting out of hand. Now she was dreaming about the Moon Goddess? It pained me to see my mother losing her sanity. Choosing to ignore it to avoid upsetting my mate, I threw my head back against the wood of the rocking chair and mind-linked Beta Don. "Continue with the preparations for the mating ceremony. I'll be back as soon as I can. Adeline has something she wants to show me," I told him.
"Show you, huh? Does it involve her losing her clothes?" he chuckled.
"Don, that is your Luna you're referring to—if you happened to hit your head and forgot," I replied, then ended the mind link.
I decided to close my eyes for a moment but ended up falling into a deep sleep. A small hand traced my jaw and down my neck. I knew it had been Adeline by her sweet vanilla scent. Without opening my eyes, I smiled and moaned at her touch. "How long have I been out?" I asked. My mate laughed. "Four hours, Alpha."
My eyes blinked open, realization setting in that I'd slept through most of the afternoon and had left Adeline alone with my mother. "Where's my mom?" I asked, grabbing Adeline and checking her for any signs of injury. Adeline pointed her index fingers up and down her body dramatically. "See? Not a scratch. She went to make lunch for us." My mate dropped onto the plush couch, and I followed behind her. She pulled her legs over mine and leaned her head against my shoulder, looking defeated. "I'm so exhausted, Jaxon. I won't be ready to become Luna for years at this rate. There's so much to learn," she admitted.
My mother entered the room wearing an apron over her black dress. "A Luna never knows everything there is to know. You'll keep learning every day how to better serve your pack, and then, just when you think you've figured it all out, you'll discover your own methods and pass those on to the next Luna of Midnight Moon." They both seemed so relaxed with each other. I could see they had instantly formed a bond.
We had lunch together. My mother had prepared a stew that reminded me of my childhood. Her stews had been my dad's favorite, especially on cold nights. Our family had grown up in a modest two-story home close to the river. My mother had insisted we needed to experience a normal childhood—so we could better understand all shifters of all ranks in the pack as we grew into our responsibilities.
I watched closely as my mother and Adeline chatted about her life in Shadow Pack and how we had officially met. She knew my mother was dangerous but was still so accepting and warm toward her. Beverly had never wanted to see my mom, even before the attack; she claimed my mother was damaged and should be taken out of her misery. I finished my bowl of stew and stood up, signaling it was time to go. "Just like your father," my mother smirked, taking the almost empty bowl.
My mother hugged Adeline. "Remember everything we talked about. Feel free to take the books too. I made them for you," she told her. Adeline beamed from ear to ear. "I'd like to see you again soon, if that's not too much trouble," she replied. My mother kissed her forehead. "My door is always open for you." I reached over and pulled my mother into a hug. I was sure she could feel my guilt over the reluctance I had to have her near my mate. "It's okay, Jaxon. I get it. Come with Adeline soon. Some good company is nice once in a while, you know?" she joked. I nodded to my mother. "I'll see what I can do."
Adeline reached for my hand, and we returned to my office. Theo was waiting outside the door for us. I pressed my lips against hers, waiting for her mouth to grant permission for my tongue to enter. After a quick embrace, I pulled back and noticed Beta Don pacing in my office. He approached us outside the door. "Alpha, Adeline, I need to talk to both of you," he said. The wrinkles forming on his forehead told me something was wrong.
We entered the office, and Beta Don closed the door. "I'm sorry to tell you like this, but your father has fallen ill. He's had a fever since last night, and he isn't doing well," he explained. Adeline's eyes widened, and she grabbed her face with her hands. "No. Please no," she choked out.
"The pack doctor has been by. He said it isn't looking good," Beta Don told her, placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
Adeline shot her eyes at me. "I have to go see him. Please, Alpha, if something happens, I won't be able to forgive myself for not being there for him." I understood the pain of losing a parent. If this would ease her hurt, then I would allow it. I brushed her hair behind her ear with my hand. "Go, Adeline. Theo will stay with you. I'll come by tonight to pick you up," I replied.
