CHAPTER 39
Giselle's POV
I watched as my mother stood up from her dressing table and moved toward me, her face filled with concern. She reached out and took my trembling hands in hers, her touch warm and comforting.
"Come here, sweetheart," she said gently, pulling me toward her bed. "Sit down and tell me what's wrong."
She's being so gentle. I let her guide me to the edge of the bed, grateful for her calm demeanor. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought.
Mom glanced at the giant wall clock behind us, its ornate hands showing it was already six-thirty. "The party starts at seven," she said, turning back to me. "So you have about thirty minutes to tell me whatever has you trembling like a leaf."
Thirty minutes. That felt like both an eternity and no time at all. Just get it over with, Giselle.
I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Mom, I'm in a relationship."
Her eyes widened in surprise, eyebrows shooting up. "That's what has you so worked up? Being in a relationship?"
I nodded, unable to trust my voice. If only it were that simple.
To my complete shock, Mom burst out laughing. Her curly brown hair bounced as she shook with mirth, the sound filling the elegant bedroom.
"Oh, Giselle!" she said when she finally caught her breath. "You had me worried sick! I thought something terrible had happened!"
Something terrible might still happen. But I forced myself to stay quiet and let her finish.
"Darling, you're twenty-two years old," Mom continued, reaching out to cup my face. "You're old enough to be in a relationship with whoever you want. There's absolutely no reason for you to be scared like you've committed some terrible offense."
If only you knew. My heart was still racing, because I knew the conversation was far from over.
"You don't understand, Mom," I said, shaking my head. "It's not that simple."
"Why not?" she asked, her expression becoming more serious. "Is he married? Too old? What's the problem?"
Here goes nothing. I took her hands in mine, needing the physical connection for what I was about to say.
"The person I'm in love with," I began carefully, "the person I'm in a relationship with... it's Zarkhan."
There. I said it.
The change in my mother's expression was immediate and terrifying. Her face darkened like storm clouds gathering, and I could practically see the moment the implications hit her.
"What did you just say?" Her voice was deadly quiet.
"I said I'm in love with Zarkhan," I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady. "We're mates, Mom."
Mates. The word hung in the air between us like a bomb waiting to explode.
"Over my dead body!" Mom exploded, jumping to her feet so fast she nearly knocked me over. "Absolutely not! This is forbidden, Giselle!"
Here we go. I'd known this was coming, but it still felt like a slap to the face.
"Mom, please just listen—"
"Listen to what?" she cut me off, her voice rising with each word. "To how you've destroyed everything we've built here? To how you've perverted the sacred bond of mating?"
Perverted? The word stung more than I'd expected. How is love perverted?
"It's not perverted," I said, standing up to face her. "We're not blood related. We're—"
"You're family!" she screamed. "He's your stepbrother! This is sick, Giselle!"
Sick. Another blow to my already bruised heart. Why can't anyone understand?
"The moon goddess chose us for each other," I said desperately. "Mate bonds don't follow human rules—"
"Don't you dare bring the moon goddess into this abomination!" Mom's face was red with fury. "This ends now, do you hear me? This relationship is over!"
Over? Like hell it was over. She doesn't get to decide who I love.
"You can't break a mate bond," I said firmly. "And even if you could, I wouldn't let you."
"Watch me," she snarled, moving toward the door. "I'm putting a stop to this madness right now."
She's going to tell Richard. Panic flooded through me. They're going to try to separate us.
"Mom, wait!" I called after her, but she was already storming out of the room.
The door slammed behind her with enough force to rattle the windows, leaving me standing alone in her bedroom. Well, that went about as well as expected.
I sank back down onto the bed, my legs suddenly weak. Why won't anyone accept us? Both Richard and my mother had reacted with the same explosive anger, the same disgust.
But I've already accepted Zarkhan as mine. That was the difference. I'd moved past the societal taboos and embraced what we had. Why can't they?
Because they're stuck in old ways of thinking. They saw stepfamily relationships through human eyes, not werewolf ones. But mate bonds transcend all of that.
I thought about Zarkhan, about the way he'd held me in Omaha, the way he'd whispered my name as he claimed me. The way his body had felt pressed against mine, strong and warm and perfect. The memory of his husky voice against my ear still makes me feel hot between my legs.
God, I miss him. Even though it had only been a few hours since I'd seen him, the mate bond made separation physically uncomfortable. I need to find him.
But first, I need to figure out how to handle this mess. Mom was probably downstairs right now, telling Richard about our conversation. They're going to present a united front against us.
Fine. If that's how they wanted to play it, then Zarkhan and I would present our own united front. We'll fight for our love.
I stood up, my resolve strengthening with each passing second. No matter what anyone says, I'm going to fight for him.