Chapter 34: A Mother's Debt

I went to see my mother at dawn.

She was still in the locked room downstairs. Awake. Sitting on the edge of the bed staring at nothing.

She looked smaller than I remembered. Thinner. Her perfect hair was messy. No makeup. Wearing borrowed clothes.

This was Margaret Dillard without the armor.

"Lita." She stood when she saw me. "I didn't expect you."

"We need to talk."

"About?"

I closed the door behind me. Locked it. "About a choice you need to make."

Her face went pale. "What kind of choice?"

I sat in the chair across from her. Tried to find the right words.

There were no right words for this.

"In three days, I'm going to die," I said. "It's prophesied. The only way to stop the demon army."

She gasped. "No. There has to be another way."

"There isn't. When I die, Cole dies too. The mate bond kills him." I took a breath. "But there might be a way to bring us back."

"How?"

"A resurrection ritual. It requires ingredients and a willing sacrifice." I looked at her. "Someone has to die in my place. Permanently."

The room went silent.

My mother sat down slowly. "You want me to volunteer."

"I'm asking if you would."

"Why me?"

"Because you owe me. You owe James. You destroyed both your children trying to control us." My voice stayed steady. "This is your chance to save one of us."

Tears fell down her face. "I know what I did. I know I can't fix it."

"No. You can't. But you can do this."

She looked at her hands. "If I say yes, what happens?"

"You die. I come back. So does Cole. The pack gets their Luna and Alpha. The world gets saved."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I stay dead. Cole stays dead. You live with knowing you could have saved us but didn't."

She flinched. "That's cruel."

"So was everything you did to me."

"I know." More tears. "I thought I was protecting you. From the wolf bloodline. From the danger."

"You were protecting yourself. From having a daughter who might be stronger than you."

She didn't deny it.

I stood. "You have until tomorrow night to decide. The ritual needs your answer before the moon sets."

"Lita, wait."

I stopped at the door.

"If I do this," she said quietly. "Will you forgive me?"

I thought about it. Really thought.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "But maybe I can stop hating you."

I left before she could respond.

Outside, Stacey was waiting.

"You okay?" she asked.

"No. But I will be."

"What did you ask her?"

"Something terrible."

Stacey didn't push. Just walked with me upstairs.

The pack was gathering for breakfast. Today was the Alpha meeting. Leaders from every pack in California would come.

They'd all meet me. Judge me. Decide if a newborn Luna Alpha was worth following.

"Nervous?" Alex asked when I sat down.

"Terrified."

"Good. Means you're smart." He pushed a plate toward me. "Eat. You'll need strength."

I picked at the food. My stomach was too twisted to eat much.

Cole came in. Fresh from a shower. He looked tired but determined.

"Meeting starts at noon," he said to the room. "Everyone be on best behavior. No fighting. No showing off. We need allies, not enemies."

"What about Erica's pack?" Marcus asked. "They still angry about the banishment?"

"Probably. But they'll come. Council ordered it." Cole sat beside me. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Liar."

I almost smiled.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

Not Morgana this time.

"I know what you're planning. The ritual. The sacrifice. It won't work. Resurrection magic always has a price beyond what you see. Be careful, Luna. Some deaths should stay permanent. A friend."

I showed Cole.

His jaw tightened. "Who sent this?"

"Don't know."

"Another witch?"

"Maybe. Or someone from the Council trying to scare me."

"Is it working?"

"A little."

He took my hand. "Whatever you're planning, we do it together. Clear?"

"Cole."

"I mean it. No more secrets. No more protecting me by keeping me in the dark." His eyes were firm. "We're partners. Act like it."

He was right. I knew he was right.

But how could I tell him the plan required my mother's death? He'd try to stop me. Find another way.

There was no other way.

"Okay," I lied. "No more secrets."

He studied my face. Didn't quite believe me. But nodded.

Andres came in holding his laptop. "Got the autopsy report on Brian. Preliminary."

Everyone went quiet.

"And?" Cole asked.

"Definitely not suicide. Neck was broken. Professional job. Fast. Clean." Andres looked at me. "Someone wanted him dead and made it look like suicide."

"Who?" I asked.

"Don't know yet. But security footage from the jail was wiped. Same style as when someone hacked our system." He paused. "Whoever killed him has serious resources."

"My mother?" I suggested.

"She was here. Under watch. Not her."

"Then who?"

No one had an answer.

My phone buzzed again. Same unknown number.

"The one who killed Brian is coming to the meeting today. They'll reveal themselves when the time is right. Watch for the wolf with golden eyes. They're not what they seem."

Golden eyes.

I looked around the table. Everyone here had normal wolf eye colors. Blue. Green. Yellow. Amber.

No gold.

"What?" Stacey asked.

I showed her the text.

Her face went pale. "Golden eyes are rare. Ancient bloodline. Only a few families have them."

"Which families?"

"The Council families. The original Alphas." She looked at Cole. "Your father had golden eyes. Before he got sick."

Cole stood. "My father is dying. He's not killing anyone."

"But his family might have other members," Andres said. "Cousins. Distant relatives."

"Why would they kill Brian?" Marcus asked.

"To protect Lita," I said quietly. "Or to protect the prophecy. Make sure everything happens as planned."

Cole's phone rang. He answered. His face changed.

"When? How long? Okay. We're coming."

He hung up. Looked at me.

"My father wants to meet you. Now. Before the Alpha meeting." His voice was tight. "He says it's important. Says he has information about the prophecy. About your mother's bloodline."

"Is this a trap?"

"I don't know. But he's dying. This might be our only chance to talk to him."

I looked at the pack. At Cole.

Two hours until the Alpha meeting. A dying man with information. A mysterious killer with golden eyes.

And somewhere, my mother was deciding if she'd die for me.

"Let's go," I said.

Whatever was coming, I'd face it.

I just hoped I was ready.