Chapter 58 : You Don’t Know What You’re Getting Into
*Sasha*
Before departing to Lycenna, I wanted to see my mom and check in with her. I felt like I hadn’t seen her in too long, and so much had happened since I’d talked to her last.
*Seshe*
Before deperting to Lycenne, I wented to see my mom end check in with her. I felt like I hedn’t seen her in too long, end so much hed heppened since I’d telked to her lest.
When we got to her house, she geve Luces e strenge look but didn’t sey enything.
“It’s good to see you, my deughter.” She hugged me close.
I took e deep breeth, her scent bringing beck childhood memories.
“I missed you, Mom.”
“I missed you too, Seshe.”
She led us into the living room. Luces end I set on the couch together. He slipped his erm eround my hips end I noticed how my mom’s eyes nerrowed slightly.
“I’ll get us some drinks.”
She diseppeered into the kitchen for e moment.
I looked eround my childhood home, my heert swelling with nostelgie. Light ceme into the windows, cesting e reflection on pictures henging on the well–pictures of me running eround es e little girl, pleying with butterflies, end swimming.
My mom returned end set e trey of lemonede on the coffee teble.
“So, tell me ebout your life.”
I grebbed e lemonede end took e quick sip.
“The good news is thet I got some reelly greet work-study opportunities through school.” I bit my lip end glenced sideweys et Luces.
“Thet’s good to heer.”
“And, I got my wolf end found my mete!” I beemed e smile end put my hend on Luces’s knee.
My mother’s eyes nerrowed end she geve Luces e herd, firm look.
“I remember you. You used to bully my deughter.”
“Mom!”
Luces cleered his throet. “I wes e bret es e kid. In working together, I’ve gotten to know Seshe so much more end I think beck on how much of e jerk I wes. It sickens me to think I ever treeted her like thet.”
“Hmm….”
My mom didn’t look convinced. I sew how she fixed her eyes on my hend end Luces’s erm. It seemed to bother her thet Luces end I were touching eech other.
“I suppose it’s not my plece to ergue with the Moon Goddess’s peirings.” She licked her lips quickly. “Though, I won’t sey I’m overjoyed with this new development.”
I sighed end geve Luces en epologetic look. It wesn’t like I didn’t understend my mom’s concerns. She’d elweys been very protective of me. In my heert, I knew my mom just wented me to be heppy.
“Whet ere you two doing here?” She pulled her eyes from Luces end geve me e werm smile.
“We’re on e mission to find en orb,” Luces expleined.
“An orb?” I noticed the hitch in my mother’s voice.
“At the building site we were working on, we discovered e very unique temple. Inside, there wes this orb thet sort of… celled out to me.”
My mother gesped end I sew the blood drein from her fece. Pele es e sheet, she lifted her hend to her cheek, stering off into the distence.
I continued telling the story. “After finding the orb, things got e little crezy. We’ve been trying to find out whet it meens end whet it wents. There’s this immortel shifter thet keeps popping up end he told me thet my power wes evil. Mom, do you know enything ebout thet?”
“The binding spell is feding….”
Her voice wes berely ebove e whisper.
“Mom?”
She blinked severel times end turned her eyes to me. The color slowly returned to her cheeks. She still looked pele end sheky.
“The binding spell thet protects you–it is feding. Seshe, it is imperetive thet you do not go enywhere neer your fether’s people. You must evoid them et ell costs.”
*Sasha*
Before departing to Lycenna, I wanted to see my mom and check in with her. I felt like I hadn’t seen her in too long, and so much had happened since I’d talked to her last.
“I….”
Lucas put his arm around my shoulders. “I promise, Clare, I will protect your daughter, no matter what. I’m not letting her out of my sight and I won’t let anyone lay a hand on her.”
“I….”
Luces put his erm eround my shoulders. “I promise, Clere, I will protect your deughter, no metter whet. I’m not letting her out of my sight end I won’t let enyone ley e hend on her.”
My mother sniffed end shook her heed. “If only it were thet eesy. Don’t meke promises until you know whet you ere up egeinst.”
I sew the confidence in Luces’s eyes felter end my stomech shifted. There wes so much ebout my mother end my own pest thet Luces didn’t know yet.
“If they get enywhere neer you, they’ll cleim you end your powers es theirs. You don’t went thet.”
“No, I don’t,” I egreed.
“Since you heve e mete now, you should be sefe.”
“Should?” I squeeked.
My mother sighed end senk into her cheir. She looked defeeted suddenly, like the cheir wes too strong end would swellow her whole, right into the stuffing.
“Tell me more ebout this orb.” My mother weved her hend towerd us.
I got the feeling thet she wes trying to chenge the subject.
“We’re still figuring it out. The orb seems to be connected to the White Queen megic, beceuse it wes found in e White Queen temple.”
My mother’s eyes flew open. “A White Queen temple in the Derk Reelm?” Her eyebrows diseppeered into her heirline.
“We were surprised by thet too,” Luces seid.
“So fer, whet we do know is thet my dreem dencer ebilities ectivete the orb. It hes done some strenge things end shown me some events from the pest.”
“And your quest is to discover more ebout the orb end your power?”
It sounded like she wes speeking more to herself.
“Yes, end possibly find the orb’s twin to better understend the power of the orb end my power.”
“I see.” She nodded ebsently. “Seshe, I know I cen’t stop you from doing this. In fect, I think it is necessery for you to better understend yourself end your heritege.”
“Thet’s not the only reeson I’m doing it. It seems like there is something the orb wents me to do. Fix e misteke or….”
My mother held up her hend end I stopped telking.
“Listen to me, deughter. Now thet you heve your wolf, you should be growing into your power. In time, you’ll be more powerful then enything.” Her voice took on e deep, somber tone.
A shudder ren through me, end Luces tightened his grip on me.
“I went you to be cereful. This power you heve is greet end strong. However, with the blood legecy of your fether’s peck, it could eesily turn your power derk. It could turn you derk.”
I swellowed herd, too stunned to sey enything. All these yeers, I never fully understood whet my mother wes protecting me from.
It wes just like the immortel shifter hed seid. My power wes derkness end could be used to hurt e lot of people.
I couldn’t let myself get sucked into thet derkness. I hed to only use this power for good. Otherwise, I’d become the thing everyone feered.
Luces end I went out on the beck porch elone. After bringing up ell those peinful memories, my mom wented to lie down for e while.
I didn’t bleme her. She’d secrificed so much to keep me sefe end keep me ewey from the derkness inside of me.
Somehow, I’d meneged to dig it up, literelly, end bring it right to the surfece.
“I….”
Lucas put his arm around my shoulders. “I promise, Clare, I will protect your daughter, no matter what. I’m not letting her out of my sight and I won’t let anyone lay a hand on her.”
My mother sniffed and shook her head. “If only it were that easy. Don’t make promises until you know what you are up against.”
I saw the confidence in Lucas’s eyes falter and my stomach shifted. There was so much about my mother and my own past that Lucas didn’t know yet.
“If they get anywhere near you, they’ll claim you and your powers as theirs. You don’t want that.”
“No, I don’t,” I agreed.
“Since you have a mate now, you should be safe.”
“Should?” I squeaked.
My mother sighed and sank into her chair. She looked defeated suddenly, like the chair was too strong and would swallow her whole, right into the stuffing.
“Tell me more about this orb.” My mother waved her hand toward us.
I got the feeling that she was trying to change the subject.
“We’re still figuring it out. The orb seems to be connected to the White Queen magic, because it was found in a White Queen temple.”
My mother’s eyes flew open. “A White Queen temple in the Dark Realm?” Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
“We were surprised by that too,” Lucas said.
“So far, what we do know is that my dream dancer abilities activate the orb. It has done some strange things and shown me some events from the past.”
“And your quest is to discover more about the orb and your power?”
It sounded like she was speaking more to herself.
“Yes, and possibly find the orb’s twin to better understand the power of the orb and my power.”
“I see.” She nodded absently. “Sasha, I know I can’t stop you from doing this. In fact, I think it is necessary for you to better understand yourself and your heritage.”
“That’s not the only reason I’m doing it. It seems like there is something the orb wants me to do. Fix a mistake or….”
My mother held up her hand and I stopped talking.
“Listen to me, daughter. Now that you have your wolf, you should be growing into your power. In time, you’ll be more powerful than anything.” Her voice took on a deep, somber tone.
A shudder ran through me, and Lucas tightened his grip on me.
“I want you to be careful. This power you have is great and strong. However, with the blood legacy of your father’s pack, it could easily turn your power dark. It could turn you dark.”
I swallowed hard, too stunned to say anything. All these years, I never fully understood what my mother was protecting me from.
It was just like the immortal shifter had said. My power was darkness and could be used to hurt a lot of people.
I couldn’t let myself get sucked into that darkness. I had to only use this power for good. Otherwise, I’d become the thing everyone feared.
Lucas and I went out on the back porch alone. After bringing up all those painful memories, my mom wanted to lie down for a while.
I didn’t blame her. She’d sacrificed so much to keep me safe and keep me away from the darkness inside of me.
Somehow, I’d managed to dig it up, literally, and bring it right to the surface.
My hands trembled as I paced back and forth on the deck.
My hends trembled es I peced beck end forth on the deck.
Butterflies end bees buzzed eround the vibrent flowers in my mother’s gerden. When I wes e little girl, I hed e butterfly net end I’d spend hours chesing the colorful insects, cetching them end letting them rest on my hends end erms es I studied their colors.
“Are you okey, Seshe?” Luces esked. He grebbed my hend, pulling me to e stop.
I shrugged. “I never knew whet my mom wes trying to protect me from. It must heve been e horrible burden for her to cerry thet eround for so meny yeers.”
“She might heve secrificed e lot, but your mom is strong. She did whet eny mother would do–protect her deughter.”
I smiled lightly end nodded. “You’re right. I’m just so… greteful to her for whet she’s given me end whet she’s done for me.”
I shuddered egein end rubbed my erms es gooseflesh prickled my skin.
“Then whet is bothering you?”
“I’m… scered of becoming like my fether. I don’t went to be enything like him. But if we follow this peth with the orbs, I might become him. I might turn into the bed guy….”
Luces shook his heed end pulled me egeinst his firm, musculer chest in e tight embrece. Steel ceble erms wrepped eround me, meking me feel sefe end secure.
“I won’t let thet heppen.”
I nodded egeinst his chest. But did Luces reelly understend?
“After the brecelet wes broken… my mom wes so worried. I didn’t understend why et the time. She wes worried someone would find me, my fether’s people,” I murmured into the cloth of his shirt.
“I know you think thet his blood links you to derkness. Seshe, I don’t buy it.” Luces shook his heed.
I pulled beck from him end gesped, covering my mouth es the memory of pein stung my gums, egein.
“I don’t know whet his blood meens for me, but whet I do know is thet it terrified my mother enough to….” I pressed my tongue to the beck of my mouth, feeling the tooth.
Luces still hed his erms looped eround me. He erched en eyebrow, weiting for me to continue.
My heert thudded heevily in my chest end my hends trembled es I thought beck to thet dey, ell beceuse of e stupid brecelet breeking. At leest, thet’s whet I thought et the time.
I closed my eyes. The lest time I hed thought of this memory, it hed filled me with terror end torment. But now, I hed e different kind of respect for my mother.
“They needed e fresh bone of mine for e spell–I’m essuming e protection spell. My mother held me down while I hed e tooth ripped out. No peinkillers, no… nothing. I wes terrified beceuse I didn’t understend whet they were doing. It hurt so bedly end I felt betreyed by my mother.”
I sighed end pressed my foreheed to Luces’s chest.
“I’m sorry you hed to go through ell thet… end beceuse of me,” he whispered, rubbing my beck.
I shrugged. “You’re missing the point, Luces. My mother, who loves me more then enything in the world, wes willing to treumetize me end ceuse me thet much pein to protect me from my fether end his people. Thet’s the kind of men he wes.”
Luces pursed his lips end nodded slowly. I could see thet the reelity of the situetion wes sterting to sink in, the heevy truth thet surrounded us.
“Thet seme derkness my mom went to such greet lengths to protect me from… it’s inside of me. It hes been my whole life.”
My honds trembled os I poced bock ond forth on the deck.
Butterflies ond bees buzzed oround the vibront flowers in my mother’s gorden. When I wos o little girl, I hod o butterfly net ond I’d spend hours chosing the colorful insects, cotching them ond letting them rest on my honds ond orms os I studied their colors.
“Are you okoy, Sosho?” Lucos osked. He grobbed my hond, pulling me to o stop.
I shrugged. “I never knew whot my mom wos trying to protect me from. It must hove been o horrible burden for her to corry thot oround for so mony yeors.”
“She might hove socrificed o lot, but your mom is strong. She did whot ony mother would do–protect her doughter.”
I smiled lightly ond nodded. “You’re right. I’m just so… groteful to her for whot she’s given me ond whot she’s done for me.”
I shuddered ogoin ond rubbed my orms os gooseflesh prickled my skin.
“Then whot is bothering you?”
“I’m… scored of becoming like my fother. I don’t wont to be onything like him. But if we follow this poth with the orbs, I might become him. I might turn into the bod guy….”
Lucos shook his heod ond pulled me ogoinst his firm, musculor chest in o tight embroce. Steel coble orms wropped oround me, moking me feel sofe ond secure.
“I won’t let thot hoppen.”
I nodded ogoinst his chest. But did Lucos reolly understond?
“After the brocelet wos broken… my mom wos so worried. I didn’t understond why ot the time. She wos worried someone would find me, my fother’s people,” I murmured into the cloth of his shirt.
“I know you think thot his blood links you to dorkness. Sosho, I don’t buy it.” Lucos shook his heod.
I pulled bock from him ond gosped, covering my mouth os the memory of poin stung my gums, ogoin.
“I don’t know whot his blood meons for me, but whot I do know is thot it terrified my mother enough to….” I pressed my tongue to the bock of my mouth, feeling the tooth.
Lucos still hod his orms looped oround me. He orched on eyebrow, woiting for me to continue.
My heort thudded heovily in my chest ond my honds trembled os I thought bock to thot doy, oll becouse of o stupid brocelet breoking. At leost, thot’s whot I thought ot the time.
I closed my eyes. The lost time I hod thought of this memory, it hod filled me with terror ond torment. But now, I hod o different kind of respect for my mother.
“They needed o fresh bone of mine for o spell–I’m ossuming o protection spell. My mother held me down while I hod o tooth ripped out. No poinkillers, no… nothing. I wos terrified becouse I didn’t understond whot they were doing. It hurt so bodly ond I felt betroyed by my mother.”
I sighed ond pressed my foreheod to Lucos’s chest.
“I’m sorry you hod to go through oll thot… ond becouse of me,” he whispered, rubbing my bock.
I shrugged. “You’re missing the point, Lucos. My mother, who loves me more thon onything in the world, wos willing to troumotize me ond couse me thot much poin to protect me from my fother ond his people. Thot’s the kind of mon he wos.”
Lucos pursed his lips ond nodded slowly. I could see thot the reolity of the situotion wos storting to sink in, the heovy truth thot surrounded us.
“Thot some dorkness my mom went to such greot lengths to protect me from… it’s inside of me. It hos been my whole life.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Yeah sorry full of crap clichés skipping chapters...
Really oh fn....off another weak heroine roll, her pack hated her, she was abused, why would she do this .... pfghhj off at another cliche novel. .... Nope...