Chapter 22

**Elena**

A few minutes later, I join them on the raised wooden deck. All three of them are already in the hot tub, their three big bodies taking up most of the space. I slowly approach the hot tub and Cal is the first to notice me, but the other two are quick to look back at me. When I'm right in front of the hot tub, I unbuckle the belt of my bathrobe and let it slide on the floor in front of their eyes. They stare at me with hungry eyes. I dip a toe in the water...

"Theo! Theo honey!"

"Oh fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Theo shouts as he stands up completely naked and his cock at attention.

I have just enough time to put the robe back on and Theo to sit down when his mother arrives on the terrace.

She hasn't changed since the last time I saw her, her hair still blonde and styled in a bun, she's at least a head taller than me wearing heels and me barefoot. She almost looks overdressed compared to us, in her wide blue pants, white blouse and cashmere vest in the same shade of blue as her pants.

"Oh I hope I'm not interrupting. I made pumpkin pie and I know my Theo loves it so I brought him some."

"Oh you don't have to justify yourself Mary, c'mon." I tell her.

"Oh honey." She hugs me. "You don't know how happy it makes me that you are my son's mate...and the other two..." She adds, winking at me and nudging me.

"Mom!" Theo protests as he sits there, the water and bubbles hiding his nakedness.

"Oh give me a break. I'm well aware that all three of you are naked and she's under her bathrobe too." She places her arm in mine and guides me inside. "I'll borrow her for a second."

I turn around wide-eyed, Theo looks completely incredulous, Finn holds back a laugh, and Caleb is this close to exploding.

Mary guides me to the kitchen and pulls out plates, forks and a knife. She is completely at ease in her son's kitchen.

"I know I've said this before but I'm so glad it's you." She says to me as I sit down tightening the belt of the robe. "It was the moon goddess that brought you here." She adds confidently.

If you knew Mary, that the only reason I came here was to take everything away from them and humiliate them, just like they humiliated me.

She serves me a piece of pie and slides it in front of me. "You've always been beautiful since you were a little girl but you're even more gorgeous now. Your parents would have been very proud of you."

"Thank you Mary." I give her a small smile. I know she means it but I've always had a hard time with people assuming what my parents would think because no one knows.

The boys join us in the kitchen fully dressed, Finn sits next to me and grabs a plate of pie, then Caleb does the same to my left.

"Mom you could have called me."

She pulls his shirt off and kisses his cheek. "Since when do I warn you? I'm coming if you're here, so much the better, if not, too bad. And there it's so much better! At least it gives me the opportunity to see Elena since all this time. You're right, she's even more beautiful than before."

Theo rubs his hand over his face and Finn stifles a laugh, his mouth full.

"Oh it's okay you're adults now. There's nothing shameful about saying you thought she was pretty." She turns her attention to me. "He kept talking about you, your beautiful blue eyes, I can still hear him telling me how pretty you were."

The red rises to my cheeks and I clear my throat unable to think of anything to say. I take a bite of pie instead.

" Well, at the same time it's the truth. She's always been very pretty." Caleb says, his voice very serious.

I look at him and read the sincerity in his eyes. So he thought I was pretty when his words and actions told me just the opposite, until my self-esteem and confidence slowly faded. This dive into the past is not nostalgic, on the contrary, but I don't regret anything that happened because without it I would probably never have become the person I am today.

Mary stays with us for a while, mostly asking me questions about my life in New York and my work. Before leaving, she adds one last time how happy my parents would be to see what I have become. I don't doubt it, but I'm not sure my father would have liked to see me with three mates.

"I can't imagine the look on Mary's face if she had arrived a few minutes later." Finn says to us with a laugh, once the front door is closed.

"Oh shut up." Theo replies, tapping the back of his head.

"Well then? Shall we go in that hot tub?" I ask them with a sultry tone.

Finn rushes to the back of the house throwing his shirt on the floor, followed closely by Caleb. Theo stands next to me and I elbow him lightly.

"Don't be embarrassed by what your mom said."

He sighs. "I'd already told you anyway, it's just... I'd never told Cal and Finn about it but from Caleb's reaction I imagine he was thinking the same thing I was."

I make a doubtful pout. I'm not really convinced that at the time he thought I was pretty, certainly today but with my extra pounds I'm not sure. He was constantly surrounded by pretty girls ready to spread their legs if he asked. It was the same with Finn, always with a different girl, the only one who was pretty quiet was Theo. I always thought that if he wasn't the son of an alpha, he would never have been friends with them but now I realize that the three of them complement each other. Between the three of them they are the perfect mate, but I'll be careful not to tell them that.