Chapter 96 CHAPTER 96
Evelyn's POV
We arrived in New York a few days later. As soon as we landed, I knew I had gotten home.
Alpha Michael was pretty much fully recovered and Jasper arranged pictures and tickets to make it look like they had attended a conference. He rented a hose for me in town and said we needed to talk about something important.
I knew what it was.
He held my hand. “There is no doubt that I love you, Evelyn Moon. And that I'm sure that you are my mate.” He rubbed my knuckles. “But you have to stay away from the public for now.”
He watched me.
“My father, Alpha Raymond, is running for the position of the Mayor of New York.”
I nodded. “I know.”
I could see he was struggling to articulate the words.
“People don't like your kind,” he said. “I'm not saying I don't, but…”
“I understand,” I said, relieving him from the burden. “You want me to lay low until the elections are over.”
He smiled and squeezed my hands. “Is that okay?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said, rubbing my knuckles. “A huge one. Can you guess?”
I thought for a while. “I can't think of anything right now.”
“Your mum,” he said and my heart leapt.
“What? You found her? Is she alive?”
“Yes,” he said. “I found her about a week ago, through your aunt.”
I suddenly became overcome by a mixture of emotions. I was excited to meet her but I was worried about what that would mean. I didn't remember her at all. I had no memories of her face. When I thought of the word mother, the person who came to mind was Madeline.
We drove for a while and stopped at an establishment. It was a privately run home for people with all form of disabilities. I tried not to imagine what she would look like. Was she lame? Bent? Insane? Would she recognise me?
“Are you excited?” he asked.
“Nervous, actually. I don’t remember her.”
Her room was In the VIP section. Alpha Michael went in first while I waited outside the door. I twisted my fingers nervously. Who knew I'd be so nervous to meet my own mother?
When the door finally opened, I almost jumped back in fright.
“Come in,” he whispered.
I took my steps one feet at a time until I was standing inside the room and looking at the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
“Mum?”
She had a wide smile plastered on her face. “Evelyn,” she called out. “My baby is all grown up.”
She spread her hands open for a hug. I looked undecided at Alpha Michael, then back at her. I walked forward and fell into her embrace. I didn't know how much I needed that hug until her arms wrapped around me.
“You finally came back,” she said.
I sobbed gently. “Where were you all these years? I had no one.”
She said nothing. She just stroked my back gently and it was enough for me.
Alpha Michael excused us shortly after and said he would get some breakfast for us. I walked him out of the room and hugged him tightly. That was the best present he had ever given to me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“It's nothing, “ he replied. “Have some time with your mum. You have a lot of things to catch up on.”
I smiled. “I know right.”
Growing up with my step mother, there wasn't a single picture of my mother in the house. I had no idea what she looked like. I only knew I had a mother who left me and her name was Anna Moon. Over the years, I found peace by believing she was dead.
Now I sat before a woman I could never imagine would be my mother. Besides her greying hair, she didn't look anything like her age.
“I'm so happy you grew up fine, Evelyn. Leaving was the only way I could protect you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, sitting beside her
She rolled her sleeves up and showed me a tattoo. It was the fourth symbol on the cave. The eye of the fox.
I pulled up my sleeve and found a new tattoo.
“A fox tail,” she said. “It's special.”
I nodded.
“No one likes our kind,” she continued. “When Madeline found out, she threatened to expose me. Her only condition was that I would leave Trent for her.”
“Did dad not know?”
She shook her head. “I kept it away from him because I struggled with my identity. I hid it for so many years.” She held my hands. “Their kind and our kind can never be together, Evelyn.
I thought about Alpha Michael.
“He's a good man but it's not enough, Evelyn. You'll never be accepted by them. You'll always feel like you don't belong. You'll always be the one fingers would be pointed at.”
I broke down in tears. “I love him, mum.”
She hugged me. “You can always find someone else. You have to let him go and save yourself.”
I knew she was right. He was already asking me to lay low so that I do not tarnish his father's election. She was right. I had to let him go.
I thought of aunt Maya. I heard the news of her divorce. She had gone into hiding too.
“What's the name of your fox?” She asked.
“Nyra,” I replied, smiling with teary eyes.
“It's a beautiful name. You should always speak to her. Learn about your heritage, Evelyn. And there's nothing to be ashamed about.”
A couple of minutes later, I excused myself to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my image. I was scared of what the next few weeks would be like.
My hand fell to my tummy and it remained there. A pup was growing inside of me. Alpha Michael’s pup. I rubbed the little bump affectionately.
I couldn't tell him that I was with his child.