Chapter 22

I didn’t know what Eleanor would say once we met. Our last meeting had been chaotic and filled with harsh words, accusations, and misunderstandings.

It was a moment I had tried hard to forget, but the sting of Eleanor’s judgment lingered like an old wound in my heart.

"Do you think Eleanor will hate me?" I asked Zephyr.

Zephyr, reading documents on his tablet, replied, "Who cares what her opinion is? She is not the leader of this pack."

I smiled slightly at his bluntness, but his words didn’t completely calm my nerves. "She may not be the leader of this pack, but she is our closest family member. That’s why her opinion matters to me."

Besides, Eleanor was Zephyr’s stepmother, so it would be bad for me if she didn’t approve of our relationship.

I sighed inwardly. Having only one mother-in-law was hard enough, but now I had two.

Zephyr finally put down his tablet and turned to me. "Samantha, people who care about you will take the time to understand you. If Eleanor refuses to understand your situation, that’s her problem, not yours."

I sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple, sweetheart." Zephyr reminded me in a gentle tone. "You can’t waste your life chasing the approval of someone who only sees the worst in you."

His words meant a lot, but my mind chose to play his ‘sweetheart’ over and over again.

My cheeks turned a soft pink as my heart fluttered at the way he said it so effortlessly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I shook my head quickly, trying to put the thought out of my mind. I must have fluttered easily because of our bond. No wonder many werewolves tried so hard to chase their true mates.

"What are you thinking now?" Zephyr asked when he noticed I had stopped talking. "Do you have a fever? Your face looks so red."

When Zephyr reached out to touch my forehead, I immediately backed away. "No, I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine. It’s just the air—the air is a bit hot tonight."

The air, in fact, felt cold tonight, but Zephyr had no chance to ask further because we finally heard the sound of a car pulling up to the manor.

It had to be Eleanor and Mona.

"Let’s… let’s go greet them at the door," I said hesitantly.

Actually, Zephyr still thought that Eleanor’s approval was not important for our relationship. But as long as it made me happy, he would do his best to support me.

"Eleanor, you must remember our discussion last night."

I could faintly hear Mona’s voice from a distance. Next to her, Eleanor sighed harshly and said, "Can you be quiet for a moment, Mona? Of course I remember, I don’t have dementia yet."

Mona was about to reply but stopped midway when she saw Zephyr and me at the door.

The corner of her mouth lifted as she waved at us. "Zephyr, my dearest son. It’s so rare to see you greet your mother like this."

Her smile widened as she turned to me. "I only left you for a few weeks, but your mate has had a great influence on you."

I smiled shyly. "I didn’t do anything to him."

Mona chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with warmth. "Oh dear, you’ve done more than you realize. My Darren says his brother smiles more often these days."

"Mother, please," Zephyr sighed helplessly. "You know how Darren likes to exaggerate things."

"No, I don’t think he talks nonsense this time." Mona leaned in and whispered, "You have been smitten, haven’t you?"

Zephyr lowered his voice so no one could hear. "Mother, don’t start."

While Mona teased him endlessly, Eleanor and I silently exchanged glances. I didn’t know what was going on in her head, but I could see she seemed to want to talk about something important.

"Samantha," she called my name. "I see you’re still here."

I smiled politely and put my hands behind my back. "Yes, I’m still here," I said hesitantly, unsure of what she would say next.

Eleanor crossed her arms and took a step closer. She had the face of a kind lady, but her sharp gaze made me stop breathing for a second. "We didn’t get to finish our conversation last time."

I tensed, my mind flashing back to our last heated encounter. She had stormed out before the meeting had even begun. For some reason, I assumed she still held a grudge against me.

"I know my relationship with Zephyr looks like a big scandal, but I—"

"No," Eleanor interrupted. "This isn’t about that."

Her tone softened, and for a moment she looked almost… apologetic.

"I was wrong, Samantha," she admitted after a short pause. "I judged you too quickly and too harshly. I even blamed you for not fighting back when my scumbag grandson abused you. That wasn’t fair."

"That wasn’t fair because I vented my failure in fighting my abuser onto you. I feel angry… because I was in your shoes and I failed to run away while you had a chance to build a whole new life."

Back then, Eleanor didn’t have the courage to run away because she was afraid her daughters’ lives would be miserable because of her decision. So she endured everything.

Even when her husband brought another woman into their home, she swallowed the pain and accepted it.

However, he didn’t treat his new wife with kindness either, and Mona’s life ended up being just as miserable as Eleanor’s.

They were both victims of their bastard husband, which was why they refused to hate each other and instead chose to hate him.

If I wanted to find women who could truly understand my pain, then Mona and Eleanor were the answer.

"I’m sorry, Samantha." Eleanor took a deep breath. "I can’t erase the pain in your heart, but I will make sure my grandson pays the price for hurting his wife."