The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna
Chapter 220
I don’t know how long I slept, But when I awoke, it was already noon of the next day, Sunlight streamed through the partially opened curtains, and someone was sitting in the chair beside the bed
“You scared me, Frost,‘ I said, sitting up quickly.
“Well, Kaius sent me to check on you. And also, thought you would want to know, your mother is here. His expression was carefully
neutral, though I caught a hint of concern in his eyes.
“What?” I was instantly wide awake. “Where is she?”
“She had been waiting for a while, but you needed your rest.”
Anxiety twisted in my stomach. What would my mother think of me now? Not just back with Kaius after everything that had happened, but transformed into something not quite human.
“You could send her in,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.
“Are you sure?” Frost asked, studying my face.
“But could you do me a favour? Don’t leave me alone with her.” The request slipped out before I could stop it.
“Sure.” His easy agreement was a relief.
As he moved to the door, I quickly ran my fingers through my hair, straightened the bedcovers, and tried to look more composed than I felt. The last time I’d seen my mother, I’d been engaged to Kieran, preparing for a life at Storm Wardens. Now everything had changed.
The door opened, and Isolde entered, her familiar face a strange comfort despite my anxiety. She looked well–better than I remembered, actually, with a glow to her cheeks and a lightness to her step that seemed new.
“Mom!” I held out my arms to her, suddenly a child again despite everything.
“I’ve been so worried about you,” she said, embracing me tightly. She pulled back, studying me with the critical eye only a mother
can have. “But I can see you are completely fine.”
“Yes, I am.” I tried to sound more confident than I felt.
“I came because I wanted to talk to you.” She glanced at Frost, who had taken up a discreet position by the door, before returning her attention to me.
“Take a seat, please.” I gestured to the chair Frost had vacated.
She sat, smoothing her skirt with an almost nervous gesture that was unlike her. “I don’t know if you are ready to hear this news, but… This has been going on for a while, and it’s time I told you about it. I am getting married.”
I stared at her, certain I’d misheard. “What did you say?”
“I’m getting married. She repeated the words with more confidence.
“Come on, what are you getting at?” I couldn’t believe it.
What do you mean, ‘What am I getting at? I am getting married, and I had been hiding my relationship for the past few months. because you were not doing very well, but now… we are taking the next step. There was a defensive edge to her voice that
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Chapter 220
suggested this was not a joke.
“And who is the ‘we‘?” I asked, still struggling to process this unexpected turn.
Gabriel and I.
The name took a moment to register. “Gabriel? Second in command to Kieran?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The absurdity of the situation hit me all at once. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My mother had never shown the slightest interest in any man, always seeming perfectly content in her solitude. Now suddenly she was engaged to Gabriel? Kieran’s right- hand man? A guy who was probably ten years younger than her, from the very pack I’d just left. How the hell had this happened?
“Are you doing this to get back at me?” The question was out before could stop it.
“And why would you think that? When I came to the Storm Wardens, he had always been by my side; he helped me during those hard times, and yes, he is a few years younger than me, but we fell in love. I had been the one holding back all these time. I had told him to keep our relationship a secret for the meantime, but things changed.”
The genuine emotion in her voice convinced me more than her words. She wasn’t doing this to punish me or to make a point. She was in love–actually, truly in love, for the first time in my memory.
“Oh, then congratulations; I am very happy for you.” And I was, beneath the shock.
“The wedding is in a few months from now; we are yet to settle on the date, but I hoped you would be able to attend… the ceremony.” The hesitation in her invitation revealed her uncertainty about where we stood.
“Give me the date, and I’ll be there.” The quick acceptance seemed to surprise her.
“You would be there as my bridesmaid/maid of honor.”
The request brought unexpected tears to my eyes. Despite everything that had happened between us, despite the choices I’d made that she must have disapproved of, she still wanted me by her side on her special day.
“Mom, this is really a… surprise, a good one. I’m excited for you.”
“I can see that,” she said, a small smile playing at her lips. “I will be leaving now.”
“So soon?” I hadn’t expected her visit to be so brief, especially after traveling all this way.
“I came here to tell you about the wedding plans. I am going to send a letter concerning the date.”
There was something off about the whole interaction–she hadn’t mentioned Kieran, or my decision to return to Kaius, or the physical changes that must have been obvious to her. It was as if she was deliberately avoiding any topic that might lead to conflict.
“So… That’s it?” I couldn’t help asking. “I don’t know if you’ve been informed that I would no longer be getting married to Kieran.”
“Yes, I was informed, and if that’s your choice then it’s fine by me.” The easy acceptance was so unlike the mother I knew that I could only stare at her.
