AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom was crying too. It was the first time I’d ever seen her do it. “But to protect all of us, no one could ever know you weren’t really mine. So I pretended to be pregnant, wore a horrible fake belly, and bragged about how I’d booked a fancy birthing retreat to have you. Thank the moon it took place before the internet and I could pull it off. The agency directed me to the teachers that would train you to be human. If we were found out, we could have been in big trouble. You could have been taken away from me. That’s why I never told you, Bug. That’s why I changed your name, and that’s why I lost my mind when you told me about the Hudaknocker. I had to make you think it didn’t just have an effect on shifters because eventually, you would have figured out that you were one too.”
“You could have told me when I told you about the Hudaknocker.” My head was spinning right now. Part of me was glad that she had a reasonable explanation. Unless she knew Bjorn had pulled these documents, she would have had no way to rehearse that answer. For once in my life, I believed her. “I would have kept your secret.”
She sighed. “I suppose I could have, but I panicked. It wasn’t my best work. I admit that now. And maybe, after what happened to your mother, I didn’t believe in fated mates. I thought what was happening here was cute and heartwarming but no different than any other relationship. Once I saw what kind of flaming hoops Bjorn was willing to go through to be with you, I changed my mind.”
That was high praise coming from Suzanne Marlowe.
“I want you to drop the lawsuit against Bjorn. If you hurt him, you hurt me.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I didn’t know what to expect. If she’d protest, up the ante, or simply respect my wishes.
Mom nodded. “I’ll talk to the lawyers as soon we’re done here.”
“And I want you to leave Bibi alone.”
Mom nodded. “I will. But I was hoping to come to your mating ceremony.”
I looked at Bjorn. “Would you be okay with that?”
“It’s a day to celebrate family, and she is family.” He turned to her. “Don’t make me regret this decision.”
“No surprises, okay?” I added.
“I’ll do my best.” She rose from the desk. “Can I hug you?”
Mom usually wasn’t a hugger. Her love language was material.
“Yeah.” I could use one too. I felt really lucky. Not only did I have Bjorn, but I also had the entire crew ofThe Mating Gamethat would help me get past this. Mom had Michael, if she could ever pull him off the golf course, and my younger brother and sister, if they decided to take her phone calls. I knew for certain they were hers because I remembered her being pregnant. Funny how that worked. She’d worked so hard for me, and then her fertility issues went away. And somehow, we’d always been close, even if we hadn’t seen eye to eye.
We didn’t share blood, but we shared a bond. I knew she could do better. I had to set the example.
She held me much longer than I expected. “I know you don’t understand what I’ve done, but soon, you’ll have a baby of your own, and I have a feeling you’ll understand everything.”
ChapterThirty-Two
Bjorn
“I’m gonna miss this,” Stephanie said as we drove into the mountains. “At the end ofThe Real Werewivesseason, there was closure. But you’re all talking about Hannah’s episode, and I’m sad I won’t be here.”
“I could always use another camera person,” I said. “Sounds like Bibi and Marissa are cooking up some side projects, and there’s no way Hannah won’t keep us on our toes.”
“Javier and I already have plans to head back to Sawtooth, but I might see if I can sneak down here every so often,” she said.
Stephanie would definitely be back behind the camera. Even if it wasn’t onThe Mating Game.
“I’ll miss my roommate,” Hugo said. “Have to admit, when Bibi asked me if you could stay with me, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I’ve been on my own for a long time. But it was nice having someone around.”
“You know, Bibi will be looking for a roommate too.”
“She’s complicated, Bjorn.” The wolf had a dreamy look in his eyes. He loved every twist and turn she threw at him. “I don’t ever want to tame that spirit.”
“Maybe you can just take her to Vegas instead,” I suggested. “You might have a few days before things get started with Hannah. Maybe you two can have a getaway.”
Hugo shook his head. “Having Lars on the next episode presents some unique challenges, so I’ll have to reconfigure the security team before we get started.”
I raised a brow. “Any known threats before we even get started?”
“Hope not.” But his tone said that there were some. He was too good of a guy to let me be concerned with them on my mating day.
“You’re doing a hell of a job, Hugo.” After spending the last few weeks with this guy, I was in awe of how hard he worked. How thorough he was. He’d been given an impossible job, as the danger zone extended well beyond Sunset Springs.
