I sat down next to her, taking her hand. I needed to be close to her, to breathe in her scent just to keep myself from exploding.
“There’s been another challenge,” I admitted quickly, not seeing the point in dragging out the inevitable.
“Anotherchallenge?” she questioned, her eyebrows knitting together in surprise. “Who else would challenge you for me?”
“Dark Moon,” I grumbled. “Alpha Huxley has issued a challenge for the right to mate with you.”
Her face paled. “But…you’re already fighting my father. You can’t fight Alpha Huxley too.”
I knew she could tell by the grim expression on my face that was exactly what I intended to do.
“What?! No, Caelan! You can’t!” she cried, throwing herself into my arms. “What if something happens to you?! I won’t stand there and do nothing. I can’t lose you.”
I held her close, my chest swelling as I realized what she was saying. She cared for me, maybe as much as I cared for her. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“You won’t,” I promised. “As long as I get to hold you when it’s all over, I can get through anything.”
Teatime
SHADE
A FEW DAYS LATER
“Oh, Shade! I’m so happy you were able to join me for tea!” Luna Maty said as she rose from the little round table in the drawing room. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that Caelan has found his mate.”
I smiled as she took my arm, leading me over to the tastefully decorated tabletop. White linen and fine china cups had been set out for our teatime, along with a three-tiered platter of decadent little sandwiches and treats.
I had a moment of panic as I stared at the elegant setting.
How formal is this supposed to be? Am I even dressed appropriately? I don’t know the proper etiquette for this kind of thing. Goddess, please don’t let me embarrass myself.
“Thank you, Luna Maty,” I replied as I perched on one of the chairs.
She took a seat next to me, smiling brightly. “Please, we’re family! Call me Maty, or, if you’re ever comfortable enough with it, you could call me Mom.”
I nodded, though I didn’t know if I’d ever be comfortable enough to do something like that. It felt as though I’d be betraying my own mother if I called another by her title.
“My goodness, you look so much like your mother,” she said in a hushed tone.
“I do?” I questioned.
I honestly never thought that I had much resemblance to my mom. Sunny looked more like her than I did.
“Oh yes! You’re the spitting image of her.” She sighed sadly. “I miss her dearly. She was one of my very best friends. Her visits were one of the things that I looked forward to the most.”
“Did she visit often?”
“Oh yes. She came all the time, and sometimes she would bring you girls with her,” she replied. “She loved you both fiercely. You were her pride and joy. Even when things were bad with your father, she said she never regretted becoming his mate because it brought her the two of you.”
I gave her a sad smile. “I don’t remember as much of her as I would like,” I admitted. “But I do remember always feeling loved. It was just warmer in her presence, like being wrapped in a soft blanket just because she was near.”
“She would be so proud of you, Shade,” Maty said. “She always wanted her girls to grow up to be kind and caring. But most of all, she wanted you both to be strong, to be the sort of wolves that would stand up for others. The kind of women that others could look up to and emulate.”
“I don’t really think that I turned out how she would’ve wanted,” I replied as I stared down at my clasped hands resting in my lap.
How could my mother be proud of what I’ve become? I’ve killed. I’ve been powerless where it probably counts the most. I couldn’t even stand up for myself. I let my father dictate everything I thought or did and use me like a weapon for years. I’m not what anyone should aspire to be.
“You areexactlywhat she would’ve wanted,” she countered passionately. “You’ve been through a lot. Things no one should have to experience, but you came out the other side, still astrong, vibrant, beautiful young woman who would give her life to save another.”
