CHAPTER 38: LITTLE ROSE

CHAPTER 38: LITTLE ROSE
Rose
I was led into the house by an old maid. No, literally—she was old, dressed in the maid’s signature black-and-white outfit, complete with her head covered.
“The madam is expecting you,” she said in a clipped tone. “Don’t touch anything,” she sneered at me.
It was only because I was poor, I thought bitterly. Still, I silently followed her.
I was led over to the back garden and left alone for a brief moment. After a while, I could smell Mom’s signature scent—except now, it was stronger, heavier in my nose. It was unmistakable.
There she was, nonetheless.
I wanted to run to her and hug her, tell her I missed her so much, and say that I forgave her. That it didn’t matter anymore, that I finally understood everything she had meant. But something within me told me to stop and wait.
Something told me the woman in front of me was vastly different from the one I remembered as my mother.
For one, they were the same height and build, but their faces were different. My mother’s face had been softer, younger—a reflection of stress, but also a disposition that spoke of care. This woman’s face was smooth and taut, a testament to a good life, I supposed.
Mom’s eyebrows had always been fuzzy, but this woman’s were trimmed to perfection, sharpened into points that gave her the appearance of perpetually raised brows.
“I see you’ve found a way to crawl out of the gutters,” she said, her tone unfamiliar though her voice was the same.
Slowly, I lifted my head, trying to clear my mind of the fear that gripped me.
“What do you want? I’m not giving you any money, so what do you want?” she asked, walking over to me. She sat down slowly, gracefully, on the bench beside me.
Even her clothes were different. The mom I knew had favored baggy clothes to hide her small frame. This one wore tight-fitted garments in colors that complemented her skin and highlighted the subtle reddish hues in her hair.
“I just wanted to see you,” I stuttered, turning my eyes away from her and keeping them glued to the gravel beneath my feet.
“And now that you’ve seen me,” she said. “You can go back.”
“Wait,” I said, raising my head. “You didn’t miss me?”
“And if I did?” she asked, her tone indifferent.
“I gave birth to you,” she continued. “I cared for you for years, nursed you. Your life—your very essence—was dependent on me,” she said with a twisted sort of glee. “So, in some ways, I suppose I did miss you.”
“But so what?” she added, her voice hardening. “What does that have to do with anything? Does it absolve you of your current disposition? Clearly, you’re not a child, and I’m sure you don’t expect me to coddle you anymore. You’re capable of making your own decisions. After all, you came here on your own, didn’t you?”
She frowned suddenly, grabbing my shoulder painfully and pulling me closer to her near-unrecognizable face.
“Did you tell your father?”
“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I didn’t tell him. I left school without him knowing. He’s probably still there waiting for me.” I struggled to hold back the tears that suddenly filled my eyes.
“Good.” She leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs once more and tapping her finger against her bicep.
“Well? You weren’t here to look at me or admire how pretty I’ve become—or count how many children I’ve had since you.”
“Did you have any?” I asked hesitantly, peeking at her through my lashes.
“Yes, I did. Three. They’re thriving. They’re happy. I’m happy. Their father is happy. And that’s all that matters.”
Her voice turned sharp again. “Now, what the fuck do you want?”
My mind swirled, filled with nothing but my list of wants.
“I want you to take me back as your daughter,” I said finally.
For a brief moment, her expression softened in surprise—until she started laughing, clutching her stomach and nearly falling out of the concrete chair.
“Take you back?” she said, still chuckling. “And what next? Don’t kid yourself, Rose.”
“Why not?” I asked, my voice rising.
“Why not?” she mocked. “Because you’d better make a name for yourself—don’t be a useless person. Be someone with actual riches and wealth.”
She folded her arms and leaned closer. “And for the sake of the goddess, don’t settle for someone pathetic. Someone broke, with no money, nothing to his name, and just as much of an imbecile as you probably are.”
“Stick to the moon goddess? Forget that. In fact, fuck the moon goddess. Make your own path. Change your faith if you must, but don’t leave it to some unknown force to create your destiny. Do you understand, Rose?”
She leaned back, her tone still sharp. “Make sure you’re with someone you’re proud to stand with. Not someone who keeps you bound out of fear of rejection. That’s what I did,” she said, thumping her chest.
“And yes, it was painful. But I fucking went through it. The bliss of sexual pleasure with a mate fades over time, especially with an idiot like your father.”
I blushed at her bluntness.
“And stop blushing!” she snapped, rounding on me. “You’re not a child. Your school would’ve started teaching you intimacy education long ago. So stop it. You’re not that much of a child.”
“If that’s what you came for,” she continued with a shrug, “I suggest you leave.”
Mom stood to her feet, turning to leave, only for my hand to reach out and grab her.
She raised an eyebrow, glancing at my hand and then back at me.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to touch me,” she said coldly.
“I’d like to strike a deal with you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Her lips slowly curved into a smile, cynical and calculating.
“If I get myself mated to the most important person in the pack,” I began, “will you recognize me?”
“And what about your father?” she asked, her smile widening. “Are we going to leave him to look like an idiot while we ruin him together?”
“I don’t care about him,” I said firmly. “I never have. It’s always been about you, Mom. Frankly, it still is.”
She tilted her head, studying me. “And how do you plan to achieve this? Last I checked, the most important person in the pack is the Alpha. Are you saying you’ll mate with him?”
Her laughter returned, this time tinged with amusement.
“That’s treason,” she said with a mocking tone. “You know that, right? But aside from that, how exactly do you plan to do it?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted truthfully.
She rolled her eyes. “I suppose this is a good time to tell you a little about myself, isn’t it?”
She continued, her tone nostalgic. “Any normal werewolf feels excruciating pain when they reject their mate. It can break them—sometimes permanently. But it didn’t happen with me. Do you know why?”
She paused, her expression hard.
“It’s because of my blood—and yours. We have witch blood in our veins, Rose,” she said, her gaze skipping away from mine.
“Hate it or accept it, I don’t care. But I’m telling you this because it might help, just a little. If you’re going to do this, you’ll have to convince the Alpha King himself. Alpha King Leonard .”
Her lips twisted into a smirk.
“He’s not an easy man. He’s not soft. He’s hard, powerful, and very, very rich. If I were younger, perhaps I’d look at him myself. But I’m not. And you… you might just be able to pull it off.”
She tapped my nose lightly.
“Find Renee,” she said. “She’ll he
lp you with what you need. But you’ll need a lot of money. Eventually, though, he’ll come to appreciate you, little Rose.”