Chapter Nine
My parents tree seemed a little brighter and more open today and that I could not explain. Perhaps it’s due to me needing this so badly. I sat my wolf down and breathed in the air.
Mom....
I laid my head down and closed my eyes.
What do I do?
I sat the for hours thinking until I finally drifted asleep....
The room was dark and smelled familiar. It smelled pleasant even. Suddenly the room brightened and as my eyes adjusted I recognized it to be my kitchen. My mother was standing at the stove humming as she stirred a pot of soup.
“Mom?” I asked in shock. This can’t be real....
“Yeah, Honey?”
“Oh my god, Mom!” I ran to her and hugged her from behind forcing her to turn around and hug me properly.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked as she let out a laugh.
I froze. Oh god. She doesn’t know. “Mom...you’re....” I looked down and swallowed hard.
“Dead?”
Her words hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity before I nodded.
“Oh, Honey. I know. It’s in the past now though and you wouldn’t be able to channel my spirit through a dream if you didn’t truly need me.”
“So I’m dreaming?” I asked as my brow furrowed.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t real.”
Those words were comforting. “It’s really you?” I asked as I leaned back from our hug and looked into my mother’s blue eyes.
“Yes. It is. What do you need?”
I opened my mouth to answer then fell short. What did I need? I searched and raked my brain before I settled on the correct word. “Advice.”
“On what?”
“Well, you know Todd....”
My mother nodded eagerly and smiled warmly. “Yes, of course. Is something wrong? Has he been harmed?”
“No, Mom, but...we’re dating and—”
“Oooooooh,” she squealed. “I knew it! I knew it! Has he marked you yet?” she asked.
“No.” My mothers enthusiasm was disarming and a little disappointing. It seems I already have my answer.
“Why not?” she asked then took my hand, “And don’t pout. What’s wrong?”
“I haven’t let him mark me, Mom. I wanted to wait until...it felt right. Until I felt like...” I trailed off and sighed.
“Until you felt what?”
“Until I felt like he was my mate.”
Her face transformed in a second. She went from confused to suddenly enlightened. “He’s not?”
“Well...like I was waiting. Then I met James.”
“Ooh. Who’s James?” she asked eagerly.
“James is a boy. He’s handsome and sweet and playful and...kind of a dick sometimes.”
My mother laughed, “You sound like me when I first met your father.”
“Really?” I asked.
“The very same,” she nodded.
This delighted me for some reason.
“Well...don’t just drop a name and leave it hangin’. Tell me about him!” My mothers eyes were alight with curiosity and it was in this moment that she reminded me of my sister.
“Oh, Mom! He’s so...sexy.”
My mother giggled. “What color are his eyes?”
“Blue. Except when he’s a wolf—then they’re gold,” I told her dreamily.
She raised a brow, “You’ve seen him in wolf form?”
I nodded sheepishly. “On the full moon. He found me.”
“I assume you had sex in wolf form with him then.”
I blushed. This was so Mom. Right down to the nitty gritty. “Yeah.”
“And he marked you?”
“No,” I shook my head and my wolf growled at me.
“And—wait, what? He didn’t mark you?”
I shook my head and shrugged. “I didn’t let him. But...” I bit my lip and stopped myself.
“What?”
“I marked him.”
My mom’s eyebrows shot to the heavens and she developed a small grin. “You must have him completely enraptured. Is he part of a pack?”
I nodded, distracted by what she said about him being enraptured. Surly not, right? We’ve only talked three times!
“Which one?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s his last name?”
“I don’t know.”
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know.” Each time I said those three words my wolf and I both grew more distressed. I know nothing about my mate.
“It seems to me you need to get to know him better.”
“Yes, but what about Todd?” I asked insistently.
“What about him?”
“I’ll break his heart.”
My mom pressed her lips together and frowned. “I’m going to say this, and I’ll only say it once. You can choose Todd or you can choose James. Either way, as I see it, someone will get hurt. There is not a better choice for either one of them and if you ask me, there isn’t a choice at all. Mate or love? It’s up to you Isabella to decide what each of those words mean to you. At the end of the day, you need to make the right choice for you, not them.”
Her words were confusing and calming at once and I instantly engraved them into my memory. This was my advice.
“Izzy?”
I looked up at my mom and frowned. Izzy? She’s never called me that. Only person who has is—
“Izzy?”
“Mom?” I answered but my mothers lips were not moving.
My mom smiled bittersweetly at me leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “I will always be proud of you. I love you and your sister.”
“Mom!” I whimpered as my kitchen and my mother started to fade away and ripple at the edges.
“It’s okay, Isabella. One more thing, though. Don’t worry about Sphinx. She’ll be fine.”
“Isabella? Baby?”
I woke up and met the gold eyes of my mate.
_________________________________________________________________________
Hey, Everyone! I hope you like the book so far...just an idea I'm trying out! Thanks for reading :D
QUESTION: Team Todd or Team James?
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I like that shit.
FearTheDrumline
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(Don't) Take Me Over
عاطفيةJames is an alpha of Claire de lune, one of the strongest packs in the world, and he has been so since nineteen. Isabella is an orphaned rogue with a little sister and another rogue, who she has known for the greater part of her life, is willing to...
