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Gage pulled the phone away and looked at it. He wasn’t expecting this reaction. He thought for certain she’d lament losing her baby boy.
He put the phone back up to his ear. “She is wonderful. Bright and warm, sweet and kind. I could not have asked the gods for more.”
“She loves you, right?”
The question broke his heart. He knew that his parent’s mating had been a loveless one. “She shows me every day, in thousands of ways, how much she loves me.”
A ragged exhale had him wishing he was in Noctem Falls. He couldn’t help the storm of tears about to happen whilst in Éire Danu.
A quick sigh later, his mother shocked him again. “Good. Now, when can I visit and meet her?”
“Mother?”
“Yes, darling?”
“Are you… well, are you on drugs?” he asked, completely at a loss for words for the change in his beloved mother.
Her tinkling laughter further confused him. “I am so very sorry to confuse you.” She sighed. “Recently, here in Noctem Falls, Prince Magnus opened up the city to refugees.”
He gritted his teeth. He had been one of the ones that had tried desperately to return home when the city suffered from the virus. “I know. The queen kept us apprised of the situation in Noctem Falls when we realized we could not open the portals.”
“Good, there will be less for me to explain. Now, when that happened, a few vampires met their true mates and revealed to Prince Magnus a long-standing custom for Founding and Noble family members to arrange matings to keep bloodlines strong.”
He did not like where this was leading.
“Gage, I have left your father. With Prince Magnus’ support, I have realized that although I was blessed to have you, I do not have to stay within House Fabre. I moved in with your aunt and uncle weeks ago. I asked them not to say anything since I was still coming to terms with my new life.”
Gage gripped the phone so hard he heard it crack. “Did he ever hurt you?”
She chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. “Not in the way you mean. It was his lack of affection that caused the most hurt. Everything else was treated like a business transaction.”
Gage sagged in relief. He got along well with his father, though they were never close. He would hate to see his father as an abuser. “I would like you to meet my mate, mother. Can you please visit me in Éire Danu?”
He heard a sniffle, then laughter. “Of course, baby boy. I can leave this evening after taking care of a few things.”
Smiling at the fact that his mother visiting wasn’t anxiety-inducing, he shook his head. “You can stay here at the warrior villa or the Lionhart estate. Ari’s parents have extended an invitation for you.”
“Oh, my. Really? Gage, son, please do not take this the wrong way, but as much as I would like to stay with you, it would be a tad awkward you being so freshly mated and all. Besides, I would love the opportunity to get to know Catherine Lionhart, I have heard she is an amazingly strong woman, and I think this would help me.”
Gage truly wondered if he was living in a strange parallel dimension. “I do not mind at all, mother, but well, I fully expected you to want to stay by my side.”
“You are grown, Gage, and correct me if I am wrong, but I feel I did a fairly decent job raising you.”
“You did.”
“Well, now it is time for me to learn about myself and what I can do. I will not be able to get my years back, but I can move forward.”
“Mother, words cannot express how proud I am of you. If I could ask a favor?”
“You have only to ask.”
“Could you share some of your newfound strength and insight with my mate?” he asked, before unburdening his heart with the story of his mate’s past.
“You tell that young lady to keep her head up. I will be there for the evening meal,” his mother said in a firm voice. “I will get with Simon and see what can be done about this Witches’ Council.”
“It is already being handled, mother.”
“Humph! Not to a concerned mother’s standards. Now, go spoil that mate of yours. I will see you soon.”
