Wolf Bound

Chapter 26: The Lone Wolf's Tale Pt. 1

"Okay, then," Vincent mumbled.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Come on. The other pups are waiting for you." Her smile caused a smile to gloss over his own face.

He could trust Íngrid. She was kind. She was obedient to his parents. But most importantly, she was like a second-mother figure to him—warm, caring, protective, and strong. Nothing could break her or his mother, even in the midst of battle. That was what he thought, at least.

But as the days went on, he'd noticed a change. The wolves of Valor were growing restless and things were shifting. However, it appeared his mother was to blame. Because people talked. People always talked. Vincent could hear all of their whispers.

Their thick, heavy Spanish accents clinging to the words most of the people had been spreading through gossip within the pack; especially the other mothers who judged. It had become something constant that he'd grown immune to. He didn't understand it, but he knew.

"Will William be taking Alonso's place as alpha?" Outside of the small white house, where most of the children resided while their parents were busy throughout the day, the whispers started again. The culprits were standing a few feet ahead of Vincent and his mother, unaware of their presence.

"There's been no further word about it yet," a voice replied.

"What, does Mariana think she can handle this all on her own? We haven't even seen her around lately. It's been a week. They should just allow William to take his rightful place as alpha! He is beta, after all. Next in line. The child isn't fit."

"Sí, between you and I, I heard she hasn't been doing so well though. I have no doubt in my mind that it's because of the sudden ties cut to her strong mate's bond. Donde hay amor, hay dolor, I mean, just look at her son. It seems like she's been neglecting that poor boy."

"Shit, shh, cállate! You're too loud," the other woman hissed in a quiet whisper.

"Oh my." There was a short gasp.

The two women turned to the mother and son pair approaching them from behind, from the house porch. Both Vincent and Mariana paid them no mind. Mariana held Vincent's hand in hers with her head high, eyes forward, and Vincent with his head down, eyeing the floor.

"You two have a responsibility to help watch over the children who are within that home depending on you, don't you? Te sugiero que hagas eso entonces." Mariana's words were firm. Nothing else needed to be said.

"See, what did I tell you!? You've no shame, Susan," the woman who hissed, scolded the other. That was the last thing they heard before the two women scurried inside the house, the screen door slamming with a loud rattle behind them.

Vincent and Mariana continued to walk in silence. They were returning to his home, where she could lock herself in her room, and hide from all of her responsibilities to the pack. There was no doubt in his mind that's what she was eager to do. It's all she'd ever been doing lately.

He peeked up at his mother, whose face was as hard as stone.

There was a blanket of intimidation covering what she truly felt. But he could feel her racing pulse in his fingertips. Their words were a layer of poison slowly killing her at best. It'd been hard to ignore the grim atmosphere looming over everyone, like a ghost haunting, since the news spread.

"Mommy." Vincent squeezed her hand for her attention.

Her skin was raw under the pounds of make-up she used to hide the stress, and exhaustion. He could feel how rough her hands were now. She was cold, distant, unhinged. Vincent knew, for sure, he could never be as numb as she was, even though he was without a father now too.