Chapter 134 LONELY AND ABANDONED
Edeline
I was stunned by this revelation. Nana and Papa had always adored my mom. They had always been there for her.
"They expected him to finish Beta training and overcome the challenges first before finding his mate... but there I was, with only half a mate bond. No friends. No loved ones. I felt so incredibly alone." Her eyes clouded with distress as she revisited the painful memory.
I was completely taken aback by everything she was telling me. I watched her closely, my lips slightly parted, as her expressions shifted with each recollection.
"They put me up in a cabin... the one in the forest, a ways away from here. It’s deserted now, overgrown and dilapidated. No one uses it anymore because it’s so far from the packhouse. That’s where I stayed... all alone. Jack never came to see me. The females in the pack weren’t kind either; your dad had plenty of admirers, but he was fully dedicated to his training. Betas ran in his family—he had to make Beta. His father put a lot of pressure on him. The first friend I made was William. He wanted to meet his best friend’s mate, so one day Jack brought him and his mate out to the cabin. Jack introduced us, then just left them with me. He didn’t stay around much because of the bond... it made him feel weak, and he trusted William. We were all just 17 at the time, but William had already found his mate too... she was a beautiful girl with dark hair and green eyes. Her name was Nyra. She was from the Dark Moon pack... the pack no one trusted." I recalled how Mom sometimes called Annabel “Dark Moon” as well.
"But she was lovely... compassionate. The two of them were absolutely adorable together, and they became my very first friends. I formed a deep bond with Nyra. She had such a great sense of humor... always mispronouncing English words. The Dark Moon community speaks another language; their pack members have a wonderfully unique cultural background."
I raised my eyebrows, beginning to understand. Luna Annabel had unique features and a subtle accent. Her son also had a distinct appearance, with a lighter complexion. It all made sense now.
"William would always come by to see if I needed anything. They were the only ones who looked out for me during those six months. Unfortunately, Jack wasn’t around for three of those months. He always seemed to vanish, and it upset William and Nyra. William tried talking to Jack about it, but it ended up turning into a fight, so they decided to let it go. William and Nyra were the only ones who stood up for me... they were my closest friends." Her voice trembled, and she sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears she tried to hold back. It was clear this was a painful memory. I could understand now why my parents had never talked about how they met.
This story tugged at my heartstrings. I had no idea my mom went through so much with my dad... I had to wonder... did they even fall in love?
"One day, we decided to visit the top of the waterfall. It’s a spot that holds a special place in my heart."
How ironic, I thought.
"I had a little encounter with some people who were teasing Jack—it wasn’t pleasant. Nyra thought it would be a good idea for us to have some fun, so the three of us decided to jump off the waterfall. It was exhilarating. During our second jump, Nyra went first and got caught in the water’s current. As she descended, she unexpectedly hit a hidden ledge behind the waterfall. We had no idea there was a cave there, as it’s not visible to the naked eye. At the entrance of the cave, there was a protruding stony ledge that was also hidden from view."
I found myself perplexed, my brows furrowing in confusion. I had never seen a cave or even heard of one, despite frequently visiting the waterfall.
Mom shut her eyes, holding back her tears. "She fell, crashing onto it with the force of the water pounding on top of her, and died instantly. William and I hurried to the bottom, finding the mouth of the cave. There she was, lying there broken and battered. Seventeen years old... so young, so beautiful, so strong, and her life was taken away in an instant by something as simple as jumping into water," Mom said, meeting my gaze as she continued.
"William was devastated. He embraced her tightly, and tears streamed down both of our faces. We only discovered after the autopsy that she was carrying a child, which added to William's anguish. As the weeks went by, William's grief became overwhelming. Jack unfairly blamed me for her death and hurled hurtful words at me, severing our friendship. However, William understood that it wasn't my fault. I stood by his side, offering a shoulder to cry on, just as he had done for me. Together, we mourned the loss of someone we both cherished deeply." I watched a tear roll down her cheek, and my own eyes welled up with emotion. My feelings, once numbed, were gradually resurfacing. She gazed ahead, her focus lost in the memories she was reliving.
"A few weeks later, I started experiencing symptoms. Growing up without a mom, I didn't recognize that it was my heat causing trouble. Since I had recently moved, my heat was approaching. William mentioned that he could sense it, and with your father's absence, I felt even more alone. The following day marked my 18th birthday, but there was no party, no gift, and no one wished me a happy birthday," Mom's voice cracked. "I was in a lot of pain, and William was also going through a tough time. He had just turned 18 a week earlier and couldn’t really celebrate because he was grieving. Your dad had turned 18 the month before... Well, that night, William came to my cabin with a homemade birthday cake. He had even lit candles and brought a present. It was really nice to have someone acknowledge my birthday. My wolf had been feeling down because of your dad's absence, but he saw William as someone to rely on, almost like a savior. Despite his own pain, William made the effort to make me feel special. The gift turned out to be a bottle of tequila." She chuckled softly, shaking her head.