The War Of The Mallapers: A Rejected Werewolf Story

Chapter Fifteen

Leyla

It amazes me how relationships can form between people in a matter of moments. The relationship between two people is something that no one should take for granted because as easily as it is to form a bond, it doesn't take long or much for that bond to wither and diminish away. I remember in the early days of my deteriorating relationship with Ryan. He had just started the same school as me and I knew that Nona sensed a change in me, a change in my relations. She sat me down on the porch of my childhood cottage and said that we can't control what other people do but we can control how we react. She was always on the side of forgiveness, saying that when it is given because it is deserved that a weight could be lifted. 

But the problem that I see my mother face is something that is reflected in my own life. What if forgiveness can't be earned? What if a person is beyond redemption? As much as I feel a magnetic pull towards Ryan, is that enough to suffice a trusting relationship with him? My mother not only has to answer that question about her own mate but what about her family? The family that broke their relation with her, refused to believe in her, trust in her character, even their upbringing. I haven't spent nearly as much time as they have with my mother but even I can tell she wouldn't brutally murder someone without just cause. Let alone the Queen, the mother of her mate. How is it that I am able to see past her cold exterior and see the pain that has been withering inside her for the past two decades? How can they expect things to go back to normal? Without even apologising or acknowledging their mistakes?

She deserves better. Amira hums in the back of my mind. 

I know. I sigh. How is it that I have never even been in this part of the Kingdom yet I feel some type of comfort being here? It feels familiar, it feels like home. I question.

Essentially it is home. This place is essentially ancestral to our kind. This is the birthplace of the first wolves know to the human race. It's filled with ancient power, even beyond my understanding. I can feel the power radiating, its rejuvenating. Amira wistfully responds. 

She's not wrong, I can feel the pounce in my step despite the pain that I feel that is resonating of my mother. I turn to her with my hand clasped in hers and pull her long. I can see her forlorn face, it's like she isn't reacting but is just feeling everything pass her by, it's like she is going through the motions. The only thing grounding her my hand which she is squeezing like it is her lifeline. 

"Mom are you okay?" I whisper. My voice carries through the midnight air. I can feel the words stick to my mouth, clogging my throat. It feels like one of those moments where I am asking a question to something that I already know the answer to. I look her face which holds a storm of emotions but it's like my words have traveled far and wide, away from her ears. 

"Hmm?" She responds with a quizzical look on her face. 

"Mom? Talk to me please?" I plead. "I'm sorry if I overstepped and said something that I shouldn't have." I hang my head, thinking about how savagely I tore apart the woman who gave birth to her. The woman who in theory is my grandmother, yet the feelings associated with that relationship isn't there. 

My mom lets out a long sigh. She closes her eyes and holds her head up to the sky. It's like she's basking in the moonlight, the small little glimmer it lets off gives her this ethereal look. "Thank you." She whispers. "It's bittersweet being here you know? I have so many amazing memories here. I wasn't an unhappy child Leyla. I was the apple of my father's eye. My mother was an amazing woman, she was a good role model. I learned a lot from both of them. They weren't bad people."

"It's just when something tragic or horrific happens you truly learn who is there for you. You learn who will be your crutch in times of need. I always thought no matter what obstacles I came across, they would be there for me." She shakes her head. "Since I was pregnant I would always ponder what I would do if you were in my position and I can truly and honestly say that I would do anything in my power to protect you from harm. There would be no way I would let anyone willingly harm a hair on your head without me being a barrier for them."

"Then how can they stand by idly and watch me be executed? How could they do nothing to protest or fight for my innocence? How could they not give me a chance to voice my innocence. My own twin didn't hesitate to follow me without explanation because he trusted me, he knew I wasn't capable of doing what I was being accused of." She wipes a lone tear that trickles down her cheek.

She slumps on the ground, like her legs give way with exhaustion from the tap of emotions that are streaming through her body. She holds her head in her hands which are leaning on her legs. I can see her shoulders shake as she sobs. It's like a damn has broken inside her. "I can't help but blame them." She says in between her cries. 

I pull myself down on the ground next to her, resting on my knees as I patiently wait for her to speak. A part of me wants to pull her into my arms, the same way that Nona used to do for me when I would feel overwhelmed with emotions, but I can't help but hesitate as I don't want her to stop her explanation as all I know is that she needs someone to just sit and listen to her.  

"I blame them. Maybe if they spoke to me, just once, then maybe things could have been different. Maybe my innocence would have been proven, maybe I would have not been separated from you. Maybe our story would have been different. I can't help but feel robbed. We lost years, I lost your childhood years, something that I will never be able to retrieve." She wipes her face with her hands and lets out a cold chuckle, one that is devoid of any emotion as she shakes her head. 

I take a deep breath. "You know, I used to have similar thoughts. I would always wonder what my life would be like with both parents. I would question and wonder how different my life would be." I looked up to the sky, watching the moon fly high. I closed my eyes and continued speaking. "But then, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't have been as strong and resilient as I am today. If I was never rejected, or if Ryan never chose someone else over me, I would have never found you today. I would still be looking at the stars in the sky thinking my parents were dead. I would have never had met Nona, who without asking, gave so much in return." 

"I can't imagine you being the person you are today if the past didn't happen. If you weren't executed, you wouldn't have saved so many lives today. Look at your people, your pack." I pointed towards the grounds where the pack had gathered. They were bustling between tents, children were laughing despite the trials and tribulations they had fought. "You wouldn't be the strong and powerful Alpha you are today. The first female Alpha. The rightful rogue Queen. Everything that has happened has made you who you are today." I feel the smile creep on my face. 

And we couldn't be prouder. Amira rejoices in the back of my mind. 

I couldn't agree more. I respond.