Norman:
"Oh my God, I cannot believe going out in the woods without warriors on my side anymore," My mother had been complaining ever since we returned from the funeral. It had been three days since Emma died, and four days since Helanie left. Every night was so hard for to get through. My body would ache, and her mories would drive crazy.
Every ti I left my room to grab a bottle of wine, I saw my brothers doing the sa. I think it was at this point that we began to realize how Emt must have dealt with his pain all these years. We had accused him of drinking too much. Now that we were in the sa position, we were doing the sa thing.
Even when Emt did not want to drink, he had to, because she cursed him with a broken heart.
"Mom, please."
I gave her a look, gesturing with my hand for her to be quiet. She had been talking for so long that I started to feel like my ears were losing their ability to hear.
"Anyway, that woman was a problem. I don’t understand how you all are acting so sad when you know she never wanted peace in the house," My mother hissed, rolling her eyes at a woman who died so brutally and so alone. I could not believe my mother was doing that, but then I rembered what Helanie had told about her cruelty toward her own mother. There must have been a lot of truth in what her mother was saying, because my mother was indeed capable of terrible things.
"Weird how you hate Emma so much, but you desperately wanted Charlotte to be your daughter-in-law,’ I comnted, watching her roll her eyes.
"I did not want her. She was the only option since Maximus felt a mate bond with her," she replied, grabbing her wine glass and gulping it all down her throat.
I could already tell she felt very proud of herself ever since Ursula and Helanie left. But every ti I looked at her, I rembered the chaos she created that night.
"Anyway, the full moon is coming. How are you guys going to accept them? Did you plan anything? I have been looking at venues for the mating ceremony." The way she started yapping, I had to give her a hand gesture.
"We are not doing it in a public ceremony, Mother. We will mark our mates and bring them ho. That is it. There will be no mating ceremony," I said in a very stern and angry voice.
"Don’t tell you are just going to bring them ho and not take care of them," she said, putting one leg over the other.
That was when Charlotte ca to sit with us, her head down. Maximus arrived at the sa ti. Emt kept his distance from us, but I rembered what Maximus had told about him. As for Kaye, he had been sticking close to Emt lately. Everybody else had co over to pray for Emma, even though no one really liked her.
"You know, I was just telling Norman that he cannot bring a mate and not expect us to have a ceremony."
I did not know my mother was that toxic. She started yapping just so Charlotte could hear it. And she did. She looked at Maximus in confusion.
"Mom," Maximus groaned, then turned to Charlotte. "I will need so ti because, let’s be honest, we are only accepting you all because you’re fated mates and we need our mates to heal."
As he started explaining himself, I could already see it going wrong. How would he explain it to her? How could he tell her in the nicest way that he was going to use her?
"It’s okay." Charlotte shocked when she started talking.
"I understand, and I have no problem helping you with your pain. Even if you don’t ever touch , I’m fine with it," she said in a defeated tone.
That was a next-level change. Even my mother looked concerned and confused. I guess losing a mother really made her realize life is short and unpredictable. Charlotte had been trying her best to stay out of ssy things for a while.
Well, at least Maximus had it easy. As for , Jessica had faced a lot. She was traumatized by her father, by everyone, for doing the right thing. They all crucified her. Her na had been scarred. She could not go anywhere without people asking how she felt after killing her brother. Even though they knew he was wrong, they still claid she must have gotten the craziness from him. And it made feel bad for her.
She was my friend, so I could not stomach telling her I was only going to use her. That was why I was so annoyed that Helanie left.
"And I do believe they are right. At least, I don’t want a public ceremony. I cannot imagine having an event while my mother—" She stopped talking because she started sobbing again.
I gave Maximus a look, and he reluctantly got up and sat next to her, pulling his arm over her shoulder so she could rest her head on his chest and cry.
"Well, fine, do whatever you guys want to do. You’re all adults here. I’m just happy that the toxic, poisonous snake is out of my son’s life," My mother spoke every word so bitterly that I started to feel a rise in my body. Maximus gave a look, gesturing with his hand for not to retaliate, at least not for now.
The full moon was in two days. So, sadly, after two days, I would go through another torturous phase of watching soone else take Helanie’s place. But I would definitely speak with Jessica’s father and let her know that she was getting marked and accepted by .
As for Kesha’s father, he was very happy. Although she had told him that she caught Kaye making out with Helanie, but now that Helanie was gone, I guessed they would be fine.
The rest, Charlotte and Azura, were already here.
"It isn’t like they have big families who would co bearing gifts after hearing that their daughters had been accepted," My mother never held back. The fact that she had enough money to buy herself gifts, and was still upset that others weren’t bringing her any, said a lot. That was the toxicity in her speaking. But sadly, that was going to be our life now, at least for a little while, until Helanie ca back.
And I was certain she would co back.
But that was when my mother said sothing that made both Maximus and look at her.
"And look, the minute she was in trouble, she left you all behind, while you were crying and begging her to stay. Sea creatures are never loyal or attached to anyone in heart. They only use people—people like you. Innocent handso n."
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