Chapter 165
“Mom, don’t cry anymore. Olivia will be back soon…”
My words seem to make her cry harder, and I didn’t know what to do anymore. Her tears were ripping my soul apart.
Eros calmly placed a gentle on her arm. “Ma’am, it hurts to see you this way… I know how much you love her, but I promise, we figure this out.” he said, and that seem to do the trick. My mom’s cries quietened and we helped her off the floor.
I glanced at my mate, noticing the calmness in his eyes. It struck me that he didn’t seem a bit surprised by any of this. Had he already known? I pushed the thought aside, for now. My mom needed me.
“Come on, Mom,” I said, wrapping an arm around her. “Let’s go inside.”
Eros stayed close as we led her into the house. Everything felt off the place I’d grown up in, once filled with warmth and comfort, now felt cold and hollow.
Had it always looked this faded, or was it me? So much had changed since I’d been in the hospital… or maybe it was just me who had changed.
My mom let out a shaky sigh and wiped her face. “I’ll… I’ll make something for us to eat,” she murmured.
She moved to the kitchen, leaving Eros and me in the living room. I glanced around, the stillness unsettling. The familiar furniture, the family photos- everything seemed smaller, worn down, as if life had been sucked out of this place.
Eros reached for my hand, squeezing gently. “Are you alright?”
I nodded “Yeah,” I whispered. He could tell that I wasn’t but decided to let it slide.
I closed my eyes, and felt my wolf, Tiara, stirred inside me. I could tell that her hybrid essence was back. Her voice was calm but held a powerful presence.
*
“Eden,” she whispered in my mind. “You have to stay strong. There’s more going on than you know.”
I took a deep breath, “I’m trying, Tiara. It’s just… everything’s changed. I don’t know if I can handle it all.”
“You’re stronger than you think. Remember the trainings and lessons from the other world.. But there’s something your mother needs to tell you. Listen.”
The kitchen door creaked open, and my mom returned with a tray of snacks. Cookies and fruit juice. She set it on the table and sat across from me, her gaze heavy with a mix of guilt and sadness.
“Mom,” I said softly, meeting her eyes. “What’s going on? Why did Olivia leave that way? On what grounds? I know Alpha Griffin is related to us through you, but Olivia’s relationship with him seemed so natural. She even called him Dad!”
She hesitated, her fingers twisting in her lap. “There’s something you need to know, Eden. Something I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
My pulse quickened, and I exchanged a look with Eros, who gave me a slight nod, silently encouraging me. “I’m listening,” I said, bracing myself.
My mom took a deep breath. “It’s about Alpha Griffin… and me.”
1
The name alone made my skin crawl. Alpha Griffin had always been a distant figure, someone who’d never shown any kindness to me or my family.
“Alpha Griffin was my mate,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
09.44 IVION, NOV II
Chapter 165
+5
I felt my stomach drop. I knew before the incident that had me confined to the bed, that Mom and Alpha Griffin was mates. In the previous life, he even called me his daughter in a bid to sell me to hybrid king, Eros.
“Yes, he was my fated mate,” she continued, her eyes filled with regret. “But when we met, I was already pregnant. With you.”
The revelation hit me like a punch to the gut. “So… you met him after?”
She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. “I was young and wild, Eden. I made a mistake. I had a one–night stand with… a vampire, someone I met at a club. I didn’t even know his name. just, I just enjoyed being free.”
She said and my heart thumped heavily. I was a real hybrid. My mom’s a werewolf and My Dad’s a vampire. Could that be why the transformation was easier when Eros proposed to me?
i
Could it be why, as his mate I was already showing signs of being a hybrid before we mated? So, my mating with Eros simply unlocked the hybrid nature in me?
“Wow,” I exclaimed, reaching out to squeeze her hand. I could see the pain and shame in her eyes, but I didn’t judge her. I would never. She has been through so much.
She sighed deeply and continued “When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. But I knew I wanted to keep you,” her voice trembled. “You were my miracle, my light.”
I bit my lip, feeling a swell of love and pain in my heart. I cleaned a tear too. She had gone through all of this, carrying the weight of a secret to protect me.
“A few months later, I left my home to visit my childhoodfriend Belle. It was here at the silver moon pack, and that was when I met the soon–to–be Alpha Griffin. He was handsome and so charming. I was starstruck… and that was when I felt the mate pull.” Her voice broke.
“It was one of the best days of my life. But when he found out I was already carrying another man’s child… he couldn’t accept it. He rejected me.”
My hands clenched into fists as I processed her words. Alpha Griffin had rejected her–rejected us—because of a past
mistake.
“So he turned his back on you,” I said, bitterness creeping into my voice.
She nodded, her face crumpling with emotion. “Yes. He was angry, hurt. And didn’t forgive me. He.. he married Belle to further spite me. He hated me, and held a grudge, not only against me… but against you too.”
She started sobbing again, and more tears slipped down my checks.
I heard subtle growls and felt Eros‘ anger through the mate bond. He was livid, and fighting the urge to rush to Alpha Griffin’s house to rip his head off.
“I’m so sorry, Eden,” my mom whispered, tears streaking down her face. “I should have told you sooner. I didn’t want you to feel sad.”
I pulled her into a hug. “Mom, I… I understand.”
