Chapter 30
The camp stirred in silence before dawn, cloaked in soft grays and murmuring wind. Soldiers moved like shadows around dying fires, rolling up bedrolls, checking weapons, preparing for the march to Duskwind Vale—the vampire-held borderlands.
I stood at my window. My heart pounded—not from fear, but from the weight of my choice.
It was almost midnight. I left my bedroom to find my mother. I knew she was probably in bed with my dad, but I needed to see her urgently.
Though I loved my parents sharing the same bedroom, when my uncle was the Alpha, my mom always slept in the queen's quarters, especially after she had my stepbrother. I have heard of sharing the night she shared a bed with my uncle, unlike my dad.
The Night Was Silent
The night was silent, the moon was high, and the howls had quieted. I had crept into the queen's quarters.
Vivian Nobel stood at the window, combing her long dark hair, a woman whose beauty was matched only by her fierce intuition. I had hoped to slip past her, but I knew it wasn't a good idea.
"You want to join your dad, don't you...?" My mother had turned before I could take one step. "You're here to say goodbye."
I hesitated, my shoulders stiffening. "...I want to go."
"I know." My mom's voice was soft, but her gaze cut deep. "Your father already said no."
I stepped forward, my voice trembling. "But I have to. I can't explain it—what if something happens? What if he needs me?"
My mother crossed the room and cupped my cheek. "He always needs you. Just not like this. You are his future, Viona. Not his shield." She tried to persuade me to change my mind, but it was futile. No doubt I had never gone to a battlefield before and didn't know what to expect, but if I don't go, my father would die, my mother would lose her mate, my siblings would lose their father, and my pack would lose their alpha. My life would be over; there was too much to lose.
"I'm not a child," I snapped. She didn't understand what was at stake here. "I'm thirteen—I've trained harder than some of the youngbloods going with him."
"And that frightens me," she whispered.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. My mother's lip quivered. My mother saw it. I felt it. "I'm going," I said again, barely louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry."
She turned away. Not angry. Not even surprised.
"I can't stop you," she said at last. "I knew from the day you stood between a dying pup and a thunderbear that I'd never truly be able to hold you back. So if you must go—then don't go unprepared."
She opened a small drawer in her table and pulled out a black satchel, handing it to me. "Food. A shift tonic. Spare clothes. And this—" She paused, pulling out a soft, silver-dyed cloak lined with leaves.
"It'll mask your scent," she said. "Even from your father."
I stared, wide-eyed.
"You're... helping me?"
"I'm your mother," she said with a sad smile. "Not your warden."
We embraced for a long time. Then I whispered, "I'll come back. I swear."
"You'd better," she replied. "Because when you do, you'll have to explain this to your father yourself."
"I didn't help you," she stated so we were clear. I knew I must have interrupted them because my father's scent was all over her, but she still came for me. Just like in my past life, despite how much I despised her, she still loved me and risked speaking up for me.
"I love you, Mom." Tears clouded my vision.
"I really, really do."
"You watched over me and protected me all these years, but I never did anything in return."
"Sweetie... where is all this coming from? Who said you never did anything for me?" She held my hands.
"I'm the proudest mother in the Wolf clan. You are my most brilliant daughter, and you would make a great Luna. That I believe."
"I'll never let anyone force you to do anything you don't want to. I'll protect you; no one would hurt you," I swore to her.
"Okay... I'll hold you on that promise," she smiled. I was so grateful; she didn't remember the past like I did.
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