My mother huffs, then she stands from her chair.
She lifts her palm. Blue-gold cracks the air open into a portal. On the other side I can see their kitchen at House of Zorah, Seth walking through with a sandwich, mouth full, enjoying the quiet of an empty house. He sees my mother stepping through, eyes huge, and runs off down the hallway.
My mother steps through, muttering, and the portal stays open for a moment.
Jacob looks back at me. He gives me a slow nod, pride in his eyes.
“You did well today, little alpha.”
He hasn’t called me that since I was a boy. It hits me sideways, warming something cold and afraid inside me. I don’t trust my face to hold steady so I look down at my coffee and nod once.
Jacob bows his head to Mara. “Give her time. She’ll come around.”
Mara smiles and bows her head back to him.
He steps through the portal. It snaps shut behind him.
Through it I catch one last glimpse of my mother in her kitchen, swiping the island down with a rag, hurt sitting on her face. Guilt gnaws at me. I didn’t want to hurt my mother. But I had to choose, and I chose Mara. I’ll always choose Mara.
I drag a hand down my face. When I look up, Mara is watching me, her tail high, and her ears alert. She’s looking at me like I just did something she wasn’t sure I had in me.
I lean my elbows on the counter and look at her.
“Sorry to disappoint you. But we aren’t moving to House of Zorah until this resolves. You are not staying in a pack where you’re not accepted.”
She starts to purr. She looks away from me, frustrated with her own body, the way it betrays her.
“You’re trying to put a cub in me right now.” She mutters.
I smirk and pick up my coffee, hiding my smile behind the rim.
“Is it working?”
Her tail does a slow sway, but she doesn’t answer. I chuckle and take another sip, my headache is finally starting to back off, and I set the mug down and turn toward the fridge.
“Don’t worry. I’m not pushing it right now. You’ll fall into another heat cycle soon.”
Behind me, she shifts in her chair and lets out a soft whimper. My dick twitches.
“And when you do? Consider yourself pregnant.”
She huffs, but the sound lacks conviction.
I open the fridge and stare into it without really seeing anything.
10
Mara
Aaron pulls me into the forest and I don’t know what for.
He hasn’t said a word since we left the cabin. That alone is enough to put my ears up. Aaron doesn’t go quiet unless something is wrong.
He stops in a small clearing and looks around carefully.
“What’s going on?” I ask him.
He turns. “There’s someone I need you to meet.”
