Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Distant Connection

Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Distant Connection

Some Minutes Later…

The door burst open, and Mrs Doyle hurried in, her face alight with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Ember’s face brightened up with a warm smile at the sight of her mom and she rushed to meet her mom halfway.

“Mom!” Ember cried excitedly as she melted into her mom’s arms, letting Mrs Doyle’s warmth and scent wash over her.

“Ember, you’re really awake! Mr Lou told me you regained consciousness, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe him.” Mrs Doyle sounded out of breath from the unbridled joy coursing through her.

Mrs Doyle littered kisses all over Ember’s face and hugged her even tighter. Tears welled up in Ember’s eyes and spilled over. Her mom’s embrace and her actions were a clear indication that she had really scared Mrs Doyle.

“I am okay, mom. I’m alive.” Ember told her.

Mrs Doyle led Ember to the couch and they sat together, side by side.

“It’s been a month, Em.” Mrs Doyle whispered, her voice cracked with emotions. “I… I thought we had lost you”

Ember shook her head slowly. “You didn’t lose me, mom. I’m right here”

Just then, Mrs Doyle reverted to her maternal role as she cradled Ember’s face in her hands. “What on earth even happened to you? You were never a clumsy child when you were growing up, but now, it’s like you seem to trip and fall with every given chance”

On hearing her mother’s ignorance in those words, Ember began to simmer with a quiet anger. Her anger was fueled by the realization that someone, probably Mr Lou, had deceived her mother about what had happened to her.

The first incident that occurred, Pete had been the one who’d rescued her and lied to her mother about what happened and that, she had been grateful for.

This time around, she wasn’t so sure she liked the fact that Juno had almost killed her and yet, Mr Lou had lied to her parents about what went down.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching my steps and I just tripped over.” Ember said. She hated that she was doubling down on the lie, but there was really nothing else she could say.

“I told you to be careful, Ember. You are a Beta now, you are prone to getting hurt and I… I can’t bear that. You know I can’t bear that.” Mrs Doyle sputtered and the pain in her voice just served to make Ember even more angry.

Juno, Lyra and Lisa would get what was coming to them. She didn’t care if Mr Lou had punished them or not, she would make sure that they paid for everything they had put her through.

In order to change the topic, she asked. “Um… where’s dad? I expected him to be here with you”

Mrs Doyle cleared her throat awkwardly. “Your father,” she replied, “he had a mission out of town and he is there right now. I have sent out a message to him though, he knows you’re awake and he’ll be here anytime soon”

Ember sighed deeply. Lately, it was typical for her dad to be away on a job for the pack instead of being there with her. She did not dwell on the fact that in more ways than one, he had constantly picked the pack over her.

Her mother’s voice pulled her out of all the thoughts whirling around in her head. “You should rest, Ember. Lie down. You need to regain all your lost energy”

She knew her mother was right. She had lost a lot of energy during her one month in sleep state. The truth was that, she could not rest…. In fact, she could not feel relaxed knowing she was in Mr Lou’s house.

He still gave her the creeps and for all she knew, Juno could be around somewhere too.

“When can I go home, mom?” She asked. Even the texture of her voice came off as strange to her. It was coarse and strained and it scared her.

“You can go home once we know you’re strong enough to function as normal.” Mrs Doyle assured her but Ember shook her head fiercely.

“I’m as good as new, mom. We can go back home right now.” She insisted. She knew she probably sounded hysterical and borderline paranoid, but she did not have any iota of trust for Mr Lou and didn’t want to be anywhere close to him too.

Mrs Doyle’s heavy sigh was followed by a surprising gesture — she took Ember’s hand and led her to the expansive mirror, urging her to confront her reflection again.

“Look at you, Ember. Look how deep your eyes have sunken into your head. You can barely even hold yourself up. We are even lucky to have you alive. It is too risky to make the trip back home with you like this.” Mrs Doyle said, and even Ember caught the finality in her tone.

Resigned, Ember strolled back to the bed and collapsed into it. It was in times like these that she wished she had a friend. Or a mate. Just someone she could fade into without feeling like a burden.

Her mind drifted back to the vampire and the last encounter that she had with him. She thought about his hard set face and the way his black hair pooled over his face.

She thought about how he could effortlessly make her laugh and how he could rile her up just as easily.

Ember recalled her stay at his mansion when she’d ran away from the mating ground and a chill rolled through her. She thought he was really interesting. 

The way words just rolled out of his mouth and how his eyes bore holes through her made her skin tingle in a way she’d never felt before.

She found herself wishing that he would just appear like he always did. Was that an odd thing to be thinking about?

And the worst of it all? She didn’t even know his name!

Mrs Doyle noticed the change in Ember’s mood as all these thoughts were running through her head, and rushed to her side. “Honey, don’t think about it too much. You’ll be home before you know it”

She nodded slowly. If only her mother knew what she was actually thinking about.