Chapter 76 Mother
ADRIANA
Hazel left us behind, walking ahead with her box while Luke and I walked behind carrying the other two.
“Your friend calls you nicknames, though. Why won’t you let me call you that?”
I didn’t want to tell him it was because we weren’t friends yet, but after thinking about it and coming up with no other tangible reason, I had to tell him that.
“I just met you today and we’re not friends yet. I can’t exactly give you such liberty yet.”
Thankfully, he didn’t push it and we walked like that in silence until we got to the pack house.
“This is the Alpha’s house. Do you work here?”
I laughed lightly and shook my head.
“No, I live here.”
“Really? Are you his sister?”
Far from it. What exactly am I to him?
“I’m his friend.”
That seemed to work as an explanation. I hadn’t exactly thought about it before now.
“What about her? Is she his friend too?”
To answer his question, a few guards walked past us and greeted us.
“Good day, Beta. Good day, Luna.”
My mouth dropped open. What the hell was going on? Since when did they address me as Luna?
“T-that’s not me. I’m not the Luna.”
He didn’t look like he believed me. His face was frozen in surprise and I didn’t even know what else to say.
“I don’t know why they said that—”
Hazel turned to look at me and I could see the hint of a smile on her face. She had done something.
I just sighed and didn’t bother explaining anymore.
“I guess the guards want you as their Luna.”
We both laughed it over, but I felt uncomfortable.
Just then, I heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Elijah and the doctor was following closely behind him.
Shit. He had come already?
“Where have you been?” He asked Hazel first.
“We went to pick these up.”
He turned to me and he didn’t look happy at all. His eyes moved to Luke who was standing quietly beside me.
“Who is this?” He pointed at him.
Hazel looked to me to answer him and I cleared my throat nervously before stepping forward.
“The car broke down and he helped us carry the boxes home.”
I don’t even think he heard anything I said because his eyes were fixed on Luke.
“Good day, Alpha.”
Now wasn’t a good time to be greeting him, Luke.
“As you can see, they’re home safely now.” Elijah's voice was hostile.
Luke dropped the box carefully.
“I’ll see you later, Adriana.”
He gave Hazel a small nod which she completely ignored and walked away.
With him gone, Elijah’s anger came back to me, but he didn’t say anything. He just walked away, leaving me standing there.
Hazel gave me a knowing look.
“I was trying to get rid of him for this exact reason, but you thought I was being mean.”
She picked up her box and walked away too. Was the doctor done with Leo already?
I went upstairs to check on him and as I got to the door, I could hear him crying lightly.
Now I knew that I had messed up badly.
“Hey, pumpkin.”
As soon as he heard my voice, he got down from the bed and ran to me, wrapping his arms around my legs. I bent down to pick him up.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help you.”
“But you said you’d come back early,” he signed.
I sighed.
“I’m so sorry. Something held me back.”
I cleaned his face and sat him on the bed.
“Did you listen to the doctor?”
“I tried to but I couldn’t say the words. Daddy was very angry at me.”
“No, he wasn’t mad at you. Your dad can never be mad at you no matter what you do.”
He was mad at me for not being there to help you.
“Did you bring back my ice cream?”
My eyes widened as I’d completely forgotten my promise.
Shit.
“Outside. Now.”
I saw Elijah standing by the door and he walked away, leaving me there with my heart beating frantically. Time for my scolding.
“I’ll be back.”
He was leaning on the railing when I came outside and I just stood there, waiting for him to say something.
“You knew the doctor was coming today, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but—”
“You know how Leo gets when the doctor comes over, don’t you?”
“I do, it’s—”
“You know fully well that he can’t sit through a session without you being there, didn’t you?”
I didn’t bother trying to answer again. It was obvious he wasn’t in the mood to hear me explain yet, so I just let him continue.
“You went out and you didn’t say anything to me. The doctor came and I spent the entire time looking for you. Leo kept asking for you and I had nothing to tell him.”
I knew that he didn’t have an issue with me going out, but the fact that it was today when the doctor was supposed to come over was the problem. Also because it concerned Leo.
I had been looking for him before I left but I couldn’t find him anywhere.
“To make matters worse, you come back with some man. You bring a stranger into my house and you’re giggling and being all buddy-buddy with him. Since when do you have friends that you now bring home?”
I took a step back from him, trying to push down the tears forming in my eyes.
“It’s my fault. I put you above your status and I should be blamed for that. But I’ll tell you this, don’t go close to my son again. He’s my life and I won’t let his feelings be hurt. If you can’t keep your promises to him, stay away from him! I shouldn’t have expected any better anyway, you’re not his—”
Hazel ran up the stairs and stood in front of me protectively.
“Elijah, stop it.”
He looked at her for a moment, then back at me, and I could see the anger burning in his eyes. Then he walked away.
She pulled me in for a hug but the damage had already been done.
You’re not his mother. That’s what he was going to say.