Chasing His Scentless Mate (Caroline) novel Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Chapter 354 The Forbidden Room

Ava’s POV

After spending a wonderful night with the love of my life, I woke up feeling refreshed and energized.

I walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. I had just finished cooking the omelet when I felt him come up behind me, his arms wrapping around me as his lips pressed a soft kiss to my back. The surprise felt absolutely wonderful. I flipped the omelet onto a plate and turned to face him, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him.

"Mmm..." he groaned contentedly as we broke apart. "I think this house is magical!"

"I think so too!" I laughed. "I love it here."

"I knew my instincts were right, this is where we should make our home," he said, trailing kisses along my neck. "When do you want to start decorating?"

"Decorating?" I burst into laughter. "I haven’t forgiven you yet."

"But you will, it’s just a matter of time, and maybe a little more begging on my part," he said with a confident smile. "In the meantime, you could start fixing up our house. That spacious master bedroom upstairs could really use a bed."

"I like the cushions."

"So do I, but I’m in my thirties now. I can’t sleep on that kind of setup every night. My back needs a mattress," he joked with me.

"Are you saying I should forgive an old man?"

"Exactly, which is why you shouldn’t drag out this forgiveness thing too long."

I laughed again.

"Come on, let’s eat breakfast. Then I’ll take you home to get ready, and after that we can go to my apartment..."

I didn’t even let him finish.

"I’m never setting foot in that place again, unless it’s to burn that bed!" I looked at him seriously.

"I’m sorry, I know." He sighed. "I’ll take you home first, then go back to the apartment to pack up some things, and come back to get you. How does that sound?"

"That’s much better," I said seriously.

I needed to get back to my mother’s house and try using magic again to see if I could find her.

After breakfast, Joseph drove me home, promising to pick me up in the afternoon for shopping to decorate our new house and officially inviting me to move in. Though I hadn’t said I forgave him yet, I knew deep down I was already giving him another chance. And maybe giving myself one too, to decide if I was ready to tell him everything about who I really was.

The house was empty as expected. I’d been calling my mother’s phone for days with no response. The police had been useless when I reported her missing, suggesting she might have "taken a vacation" without telling me. As if my mother would ever do something like that.

I stood in the hallway, staring at the door that had always been locked for as long as I could remember. Mom’s private room. Off-limits. Forbidden.

"Well, Mom," I said to the empty house, "if you didn’t want me to break in, you should’ve stuck around. Not like you can ground me anymore."

I placed my hand on the cold doorknob. The knob wouldn’t budge. I twisted harder, then resorted to rattling the entire door. Nothing.

Frustrated, I searched the house for something to break it down with. I found a hammer in the garage and swung it at the door with all my strength.

Nothing. Not even a dent.

"Seriously?" I groaned, hitting it again. The hammer bounced back so hard it nearly hit me in the face.

This confirmed my suspicions—there was magic protecting this room. My mother’s magic.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to calm down. I needed to think clearly. I remembered watching Mom work her spells, the way her hands moved, the energy that seemed to flow from her fingertips. I’d never been formally trained, but magic was in my blood.

I placed my palms against the door, reaching deep inside myself for that spark.

"Come on," I whispered, focusing all my emotions into my hands: my fear, my anger, my desperation.

Something stirred within me, warming my palms.

The image zoomed out, revealing a luxurious beachfront resort. The location came into focus: Maui, Hawaii.

"What the actual fuck?" I screamed, the image dissolving instantly. "I’ve been worried sick, filing missing person reports, and you’re sipping piña coladas in Hawaii?"

I couldn’t believe it. Maybe I’d done the spell wrong. I took a deep breath and tried again, concentrating even harder.

Different image, same result. My mother and grandmother walking through a marketplace, buying souvenirs. Still Hawaii.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, my anger giving way to confusion and relief. At least she wasn’t in danger. But why would she leave without telling me? Was she really that upset about me staying with Joseph?

The energy drained from my body suddenly, making my knees buckle. I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself.

Right, using magic had consequences, especially for someone untrained like me. I felt utterly exhausted.

I looked around at the mess I’d made. I needed to clean up before Joseph arrived. I couldn’t explain any of this to him. Not yet, anyway.

With the last of my strength, I gathered the most obvious magical items and shoved them back into drawers. The door was beyond repair, I’d have to deal with that later.

Stumbling back to my room, I pulled out a suitcase and began throwing clothes into it. If my mother could take an unannounced vacation, then I could certainly move in with Joseph without asking her permission.

The last thing I remembered was sitting down on the living room couch "just for a minute" to rest my eyes.

The doorbell’s insistent ringing woke me. I blinked, disoriented, and checked the time. Crap! I’d been asleep for over two hours.

I staggered to the door, still groggy, and pulled it open.

Joseph was standing there, holding a pink envelope in his hand with a curious expression.

"Ava, what’s this? A love letter?" he asked, holding it up.