Chapter 27: And I Will Be Your Mother

As the sun shined through Dolores's stained bay windows, she reached across the bed, searching for warmth to find crisp unwrinkled sheets. Opening her eyes, a wave of sadness crashed over her. Over the mast months, she and Jaspers had been spending most of their nights together. Slowly getting to know one another's body. Last night they went further than they ever had, and now he was gone.

No longer able to stay in bed alone, Dolores made her way to her wardrobe, trying to settle the feeling of abandonment. Even though Dolores knew that his decision to leave alone was probably for the best, she couldn't help but the kernel of anger and hurt that she felt, knowing that she was alone again.

They were mates. They should be together. Dolores violently pushed her arms through her fur-lined gown, smoothing the dress at her middle. She slammed the wardrobe door harder than she meant to as her entire being screamed that she should be with Jasper. She'd rather be in danger with him than live here with this so-called peace without him.

Dolores shook out the tension in her shoulders, letting all that she couldn't control, what she couldn't change, go... for now. She would definitely be thinking about Jasper later, especially since her lips were still swollen, and she could still feel the ripples of her orgasm from last night.

Heat pooled between her legs, and she clenched her thighs together to stop the spread. She brushed out her hair and tried not to remember how Jasper's tongue had felt as he had devoured her during the night until she saw stars. Instead, she decided to visit the Luna Queen and tell her little she had learned.

She was sure the Luna Queen would not want to hear because Jasper had barely told her anything choosing to keep that a secret from her as well. The memory sent a bucket of ice water over, cooling any lingering desire she had from their night together.

When Dolores arrived at the arched double doors, she was surprised to see them not open when she knocked. Every time before, they would open as if by magic Dolores shifted on her feet, not knowing what she should do next. Daring another knock, she waited and was startled when the double doors opened only wide enough for one pencil-thin maid to walk through before slamming shut once more.

"Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, no longer has any business with Princess Dolores." The pencil-shaped maid announced.

"I have information that she has asked me to retrieve---"

"The Queen has learned all that she wished to and no longer has any use for you." The maid interpreted, spitting her last word at Dolores.

Dolores blinked rapidly before countering. "I thought I was the only one she asked. Who has told her information that she no longer needs my assistance."

"If you must know your highness, the Sage Jasper sent over a wizard to answer any question the Queen had." The maid snapped, and Dolores knew that Jasper had sent a messenger for her sake. "Now, I must ask to leave naturally after learning the information. Her Majesty is quite upset."

Before Dolores could ask why the maid gave her a careless curtsy and then walked back through the narrow opening of the carved doors. Figuring there was no use in pursuing her relationship with the Queen any further, Dolores made her way back to her quarters of the castle.

She usually would have gone directly to her quarters, but the thought of being alone filled her with so much sorrow that she decided she would visit her mother. Perhaps even stay with her mother again until Jasper came back.

Dolores made her way to the servant's quarters, a shortcut she had learned when she first arrived at the Palace, and she wanted to get to her mother's quarters quickly and undetected. Passing through the kitchen, she overheard a few of the maids gossiping about how the Beta Jakobe killed himself and that Lady Pearl, or Polly as Dolores now knew, had gone mad overnight.

Quietly sliding behind a rotting cabinet, Dolores listened, learning that when the Alpha King, her father, had heard about the Lady Pearl, he laughed and ordered that she be confined to her room. Stating that: 'if she wants to be a mad female then let her be mad in her own quarters.'

Dolores heard the maids giggle, and a twinge of pity struck her for Polly's sake but was quickly removed when she remembered Polly's story. Even if Dolores knew how it felt to be the cause of the Palace and even a Packs laughter, she knew Polly deserved every giggle and chuckle thrown at her.

Making a turn left towards the courtyard instead of right towards her mother's. Dolores breathed in the fresh winter air as she absentmindedly wandered through the frosted-covered royal garden. This was going to be a cold and lonely winter, something Dolores knew too well and had hoped to never have to experience again now that she had found her mate.

If only Dolores had insisted on leaving with him, or heck, she could have agreed all the times' Jasper had asked her to run away with him. *Why didn't I!* Dolores kicked at the snow only to see that she was now standing on ice. Catching herself before she could fall, Dolores looked around and saw that her wandering had brought her to the lake that she and the tiny Dragon had meant all those months ago.

The memory of their time sent a spark of celebration to life, and she found herself singing the silly song that Jasper had once sung to her. She wished with every line that the tiny Dragon would appear, but she knew that was impossible. Dolores let the lyrics trail off as she sat down at the bank of the lake where they had played and rested so many times.

"Lo…?" A young female voice called.

Dolores jumped to her feet at the sound of her nickname. Ellie walked closer towards Dolores, the moonlight lighting her face. When Dolores recognized her, a smile filled Dolores's face, pushing down the sadness Dolores had felt.

"Ellie!" Dolores exclaimed, stretching her arms out to wrapper in a tight hug. Her arms fell to her sides, along with her smile, when she saw Ellie's face. She looked dreadful, and Dolores suddenly remembered that with Jasper's departure and the Queen, Dolores had entirely forgotten to speak with Ellie.

"Oh, Ellie, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Dolores grabbed Ellie's wrists, pulling them both down to the bank so they could sit and talk.

"My mother…" Ellie trailed off, then took a deep, resolving breath and continued. "Did you learn anything? I mean, I know.... a lot of rumors are being said in the Palace, and I just... well my mother, she---"

"Your mother," Dolores interrupted, squeezing Ellie's hands tightly as she continued. "Pearl, no, ah...Polly, she is…." Dolores said, "She is not your mother."

Dolores held her breath for Ellie's reaction, but her surprise never came. In fact, Ellie didn't look surprised at all. "What does that mean? So the rumors are true?"

Dolores gave Ellie's hands another squeeze and then told Ellie all she had uncovered about her so-called mother and the female who was her actual mother. Dolores told Ellie that jealousy of her mother being chosen over Polly to be the King's mistress was why Polly had murdered her twin sister, Pearl, and took her place. Along with the hope to learn the Silent Maw Pack's hidden treasure, Polly had never learned because Ellie was a daughter and not a son, therefore not a rightful heir and unworthy of knowing the Pack's secret.

"I...I can't believe my moth...." Ellie started.

Dolores felt Ellie's vibrating through her glove-covered hands. Grief and anger swirled within her pupils, accompanied by a touch of fear and confusion.

"How could she do something like that?" Ellie continued her voice, colder than the winter wind kissing their cheeks. "My real mother, she was... her twin sister! And she killed her just so she could take her place!" Ellie whimpered, "To...to live a life like this?!!"

"From what I know and told you, Polly didn't only want to have your mother's life, but she wanted to learn the hidden treasure of the Silent Maw Pack..."

"How could there be a treasure more precious than a werewolf's life!" Ellie barked. "Let alone her twin sister's life, goddess above." Ellie pulled her hands from Dolores's grip and covered her face muttering how wrong everything in her life was and is before sobbing into her gloved palms.

"Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?" Ellie hiccuped.

Dolores moved closer to Ellie, wrapping an arm around her and pulling Ellie into Dolores's side. Ellie leaned into Dolores's embrace, crying into her shoulder.

"All I have ever dreamed of is to have a mother who wasn't her." Ellies whined, "and I always felt like a horrible daughter for wanting that but now..." Ellie raised her head, wiping at her dripping nose. "Turns out I did have one, and the mother I have tried to please my entire life was never my mother, to begin with. She was the female who murdered my mother, her sister.

Ellies cried harder, and Dolores hugged her closer, not knowing what to say but wanting to comfort Ellie somehow.

"How am I going to be able to face Polly knowing the truth? How am I going to be able to still live as her daughter and keep this horrible secret?" Ellie pleaded into Dolores's shoulder.

"Well, you are always welcome to stay with me in my quarters…." Dolores sheepishly said. "I mean... you are my sister, which means you can stay with me for as long as you like...or at least you can stay with me tonight, if you are too upset to go back to your own quarters."

Ellie lifted her head a fraction, capturing Dolores's eyes. "May I?"

"Of course, you can!" Dolores stood and offered Ellie a hand up. "My home is your home."

Ellie took Dolores's hand, and they walked arm in arm back towards the place. Dolores told Ellie that she planned to stay with her mother. Diana and Dolores were confident that her mother wouldn't mind at all if Ellie stayed too.

Dolores mother stood in her front entrance's threshold as if she had known all along that they were coming to see her. Diana rushed them, practically ripping their heavy winter clocks from their bodies before she pushed Dolores and Ellie towards the blazing fire and instructed them not to move an inch until their cheeks were red from the fire and not the winter wind.

She then placed two platters of food in front of Dolores and Ellie before settling between them. One platter held the biggest turkey legs Dolores had ever seen, whereas the other platters were filled with various desserts. Dolores had discovered since coming to the Palace that her mother had quite the sweet tooth.

As the three of them ate, the three females talked. Dolores's mother mainly listened until kindly asking Ellie: "How's your mother? I hope we are not getting you into any trouble by having you here again."

"She is not my mother!" Ellie abruptly shouted, her voice raw.

Dolores watched as her mother reacted instantly, wrapping Ellie into herself as if Ellie was a newborn babe. "I am so sorry, my dear." Ellie began to cry once more, and Dolores itched to comfort her but stopped when she saw that Diana had started to sway gently. Dolores wondered if her mother had already known or had always known the truth about Ellie when she heard Diana say: "If you'd like and don't mind a rogue like me, I would be honored to call you my daughter."

"You'd...you want to be my mother?" Ellie sniffed, and Dolores watched as her mother wiped Ellie's nose with the sleeve of her dress. "I wouldn't mind at all!" Ellie blurted. "You are always so kind to me…so yes."

Diana smiled, bringing Ellie in tighter to her chest. The room became quiet as Diane swayed back and forth. Dolores had snuggled close to her mother, matching her movements. Finally, Diana stopped, moving Ellie off her lap.

"You've both had a very long day," Diana stated. "Why not go to bed and sleep, and when you wake in the morning, we can sort everything out. Alright?"

Dolores and Ellie nodded in agreement before following Diana to the spare room. Diana handed them each a pair of pajamas that she had made before kissing both on the forehead and saying goodnight.

Once changed into the softest pajamas Dolores had ever worn, she and Ellie lay together on the giant bed cuddled up close for warmth.

"Thank you for everything tonight Dolores…." Ellie murmured, a light flush spreading across her nose. "or should I call you… sister?"

"I do believe that is what we are." Dolores laughed, bumping Ellie's shoulder with her own.

Ellie beamed but then sighed before speaking again. "I can't let all this go so easily." Dolores saw a determined look in Ellie's eyes as she continued. "I want to go looking for my mother's bones. It pains me to think about how she is still lying there...cold and alone, under the Tost mountain."