“Do you need a reason?Have you needed a reason to do anything that you’ve done to me?”
“She’s trying to help you,” Leilani butted in, her tone and the glare she shot El told El that even though Leilani was there as one of her supposed guardians, there was no lost love between them.That suited El just fine because she wanted nothing more than to best the arrogant old lioness again.
“Like you did when you attacked me?”El said her voice sticky sweet and full of venom.
“El, I know it’s a lot to take in, but we are here to help you,” Persia said, trying to be the moderator between them.
“Go to hell,mother,” El snarled.
She knew it was childish, but she didn’t care.Maybe she was pregnant, and that’s why she was acting so crazy.
“I am your mother.I know that there is a lot for us to talk about, and if you would feel better to talk about it, then let’s chat.Anything I can answer, I will.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”Persia asked.
“Everything.Why would you leave me?Why would you leave my dad, your mate?Why would you pretend to be human and befriend me?You could have just told me who you were?Why all of a sudden throw it on me and yank me away from the only people in the world that have ever cared about me?”
“I had to leave you.I truly felt that if you grew up human in a completely human environment, that this life wouldn’t find you.This prophecy they told me about that was supposedly about my child wouldn’t come to pass, and you could have a normal, happy life.My reason for coming back into your life as a human friend instead of your mother was for that same reason.I wanted to be near you and becoming Persia gave me that connection to you.When you disappeared and then told me you had married Ryan, I knew everything I had done had been for nothing.I could have watched you grow alongside your father, my mate.I could have held you when you had your first heartbreak and did your hair for school dances.”
El felt tears well in her eyes.She turned her head and willed them not to fall.One emotional speech would not break her.
“I was told I look just like you, but we look nothing alike,” El said once she had her emotions in check.
Persia looked at Willow who just simply shrugged.Persia then nodded her head and stood up.Willow must have done something because where her once dark-haired friend stood was now an older woman who looked like the mirror image of her in thirty years.El gasped before she could stop herself.
“You’re just trying to trick me,” she said, even though deep down she could feel her mother’s pain coming through, not only in her words but in waves off of her as she stood looking down on El with such sadness.
“It’s not a trick, El.Your mother asked me to hide her true identity.As you can see, it was the only way.If she would have waltzed into your life looking like her true self, everyone would have known, especially your father.”
“You’ve met my dad, though.You’ve been around him?How did he not know it was you?”
A tear fell down Persia’s cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.
“Willow was also able to mask my scent when she changed the way I looked.Even though your dad is human, he would have picked up on my scent since we had bonded.It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.Watching the two of you and hearing the way he treated you.I knew that was because of me.I hate his new wife, and as Mother as my witness one day she and I will have our time together for all she made you endure.”
“You let it go on, though.You had all the power.Dad would have left her, left everything for you, but you chose to stay gone.”
“I truly thought this prophecy would never come to pass if you didn’t know your true identity.”
“When you become a mother, El, you’ll realize that sometimes being a mom is about making hard choices and knowing whether it’s the right one,” Leilani chimed in.
“Stay out of this,” El snapped.
With her emotions running rampant, her lioness was coming closer to taking over, and the only thing she could think about was settling the score with Leilani.El couldn’t blame her; the woman was as irritating as a damn fly at dinnertime.
“We have our differences child, but I’m not only your guardian but your mother-in-law,” Leilani warned.
“You tried to kill me,” El scoffed.
“No, I made you fight.I made you call on your lioness.I also bought myself a one-way ticket out of the Pride for a while so that I could see through to my duties as guardian.”
“You hate me, though.”
“I don’t particularly like you, no.It has nothing to do with you as a person, just what you are,whoyou get to be.I’m grown enough to admit that I want it for myself.The same as I resent Ryan for getting to be Alpha.Everyone knows it should be me.He doesn’t even want it.”
“Well, one thing’s for sure, if I could give you all the crazy of my life, I’d gladly do so.”
