“That’s not how I see her. I saw a female longing to hold her son.”
“She’s that good, huh? She can make you believe things.”
“Stop judging her. When you judge her, you judge all mothers, including me. How could you possibly think I would abandon my baby? My own blood and soul?”
“Nadia, not all mothers are like that.”
“Maybe she’s part of ‘not all others’. So, Riley, please… for me.”
Nadia’s eyes were pooling with tears, and I saw the pain in them. I couldn’t hold her gaze anymore. I rested my forehead against her as I closed my eyes. I was slowly losing my stance. No matter how much I hated Zahra, I hated more the pain I saw in Nadia’s eyes.
“You have no idea how much I’m willing to trade places with you to have a chance to see my mother, or my father. Please don’t waste yours.” Her voice broke and it pained me more. I knew how much she missed the parents she never had.
“Meeting her won’t change my mind. I knew her and what she did.”
“You know the female your father made you believe that she was. I’m not saying your father was a bad man, but maybe he saw things differently. Maybe it’s time to see the other side too, not just your father’s.”
I withdrew my forehead from her and pressed her head into my chest. “For you, Nadia. I will meet her. I will try. But I can’t promise you that I will forgive her.”
She nodded her head as her hands coiled into my shirt, clinging to it tightly. “It’s good enough for me. Thank you.”
“My father, he left me a letter before he died, but I didn’t open it. My heart was too cold to even grieve for him. I told my Beta to keep it back in his safe. I want to read it. Will you come with me?”
Chapter 73
NADIA.
Riley took my handand clasped it with his. Our fingers entwined, letting the sparks calm us both as we walked up the stairs. No one was saying anything, and I had no idea where exactly we were heading. I just let my mate guide me as I tried to feel his emotions.
He had his walls down and he was letting me know he wasn’t happy with his decision.
He might have decided to meet his mother because of me. And although it was originally my plan to use myself as bait, I felt guilty for doing it now.
We reached the fourth floor, but instead of swinging to the right, where our room was, we headed to the other side, where there was a short corridor. There was only one big double door on that part of the floor.
We stopped in front of it and Riley began punching in the code slowly as if letting me see what numbers he was pressing. Something clicked from the inside, and he let go of my hand. With both hands, he turned the door handles and opened them.
My eyes widened at the view inside. It was a library, more of a medieval Victorian style. The one on the second floor was totally modern compared to this one.
The library here looked smaller, but everything from the wooden furniture to the chandelier screamed elegance. Everything looked expensive.
“Wow!” I exclaimed in a hushed tone. I felt Riley’s hand brush my back as he guided me inside the library.
“This library is for the Luna of the Pack. This is yours, Nadia. You can make arrangements or take out anything you don’t like here. “
“I don’t think I would want to change anything.” I walked to one of the bookshelves where I saw names with a Luna heading.
My fingers skimmed over the spines of the books placed neatly on the shelves.
“Here are ten books from each of the previous Lunas. Their favorite books or any books that were special to them.” Riley explained as my eyes darted to a name I was familiar with.
Luna Zahra.
There were only three books on her shelves.
“She didn’t stay long enough to make it up to ten.” Riley chuckled, but it was a sarcastic one.
“Maybe she can add more…”
