Chapter 5

A POSSIBLE CHANGE

Aria scrambled passed in a hurry avoiding Kai but she could feel his eyes hot on her as she walked, piercing through her skin, meeting her bones. 

That stare a predator gives a prey before attacking, there was no warmth in his eyes just subtle–No, intense threats making her Omega Wolf want to submit to him.

"Watch where you are going?" She bumped into Cassie.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Hi," Edwin distracted Cassie and Aria was able to leave without enduring bullying or humiliation. 

The day may have dragged too long for Aria as she avoided Kai, they only took 3 classes together and thankfully they had no other joint class that day.

As usual Aria walked alone, the lonely walk made her mind wander even if the path was filled with students chatting in groups to the bus stop.

~~~~~~

Unlocking the door at home, she thought of what to have for dinner before leaving for work. 

"How was school today," a familiar voice sounded from the sitting room causing Aria to pause her steps.

Aria had not expected to meet anyone at home so she had blindly headed for her room without observing her environment to see that she had company.

"What?" Her mum asked when Aria stared at her like she had seen a ghost.

It was unusual for her mum to be back home at the time so Aria glanced at the wall clock to ensure the time hadn't skipped but no, it was only quarter past three in the afternoon. 

"You're home..." Aria raised a questioning brow.

"Alone as well," she folded her arms across her chest, she had not expected to meet her mum but even when she came home, she was always in the company of men which disgusted Aria all the time but there she sat.

Alone. Aria waited to hear her out.

"Don't be like that please, at least tell me how your day in school was today." Sge attempted to rise to her feet but Aria stopped her unbelieving. 

"No sit, I don't think we need the charade, it's just you and I here." Aria narrowed her eyes at her mum, her mum never really cared about her life at the werewolf school.

Sigh...

Her mum sighed and actually rose to her feet.

"I know I've not been...uhm, so good of a parent to you—"

"Bad, the word you're looking for is bad..." Arua corrected her but she smiled weakly.

Fiona was still radiant and beautiful even after giving birth to Aria, she had maintained her figure over the years, long black hair, bright hazel eyes and a warm smile that charmed the other gender.

"Can we do things differently?" Fiona tried to to make peace with her daughter.

"I want to be a better person now, at least a better mum..." she paused when Aria simply stared at her with no expression. 

"Not for me baby, for you. I don't want you doing life all by yourself anymore, I want to know how your day at school goes, meet your friends, be a part of your life in general." She took her daughter's hand in hers.

Aria felt a hand squeeze her heart, tears pricked the back of her eyes but she wouldn't even let them glisten her eyes.

She was still suspicious, she couldn't trust her mother's repentance, she couldn't believe her words either.

"Aria," the air in the room became cooler, her mother's warm hands wrapping hers, she opened her mouth to speak but the words didn't comply.

Her name sounded differently on her mother's lips but uncertainty hung between them, Aria had grown up in a pack that rejected her instead of protecting her so trust was a luxury she could no longer afford. 

"Why did you wait so long?" Aria's voice was thick, her heart ached—no—it longed for her mother's attention, for any atom of care at all.

Yet she latched on the walls she had built living alone. 

Fiona was silent, she had no response, slowly she let go of Aria's hand and walked towards the kitchen. "I made lunch," she smiled weakly.

Aria stood there in a dilemma, to believe her mother had turned a new leaf or...

The former was harder to believe but she was willing to give it a shot.

"I'll just run a bath," Aria excused herself, when she was gone, Fiona sighed.

It was a lit for her as well, she wanted to be a better person—a better example, better parent but there were always buts.

Life didn't just let you choose to live as comfortably as you pleased without throwing lemons at you especially when you loved as an omega in a pack where hierarchy was everything. 

When Aria returned, Fiona had set the table for two, the sweet smell of broth hit her first, Fiona wasan excellent cook and Aria had missed meals by her mum.

"Peppered chicken wings, the way you like them soft—"

"And tender," Aria finally smiled, her mother remembered. 

It wasn't the soft texture of the protein that made Aria eat so much neither was it her appetite, it was more of the promise the meal held—maybe they were going to be a normal family again, her mum and her for a start.

If the goddess was generous, her Dad was going to come around as well. Soon or not.

That was the problem...

"You're no longer eating," Fiona frowned when Aria just stared at her plate all of a sudden. 

Thoughts flooded Aria's mind, ten years, for ten years she had lived all by herself making peace with her solitude. 

"I'm full, thanks" she was back to the icy tone.

Somehow Fiona understood. 

"I'm sorry, I love you." Fiona whispered making a tear fall before Aria could catch it.

Without a response, she left to her room.

Aria needed time to warm up to the change,  for Aria she needed more than time, she needed proof, more actions than an apology and meal peace offering. 

It was safer to keep her walls high than hurt herself by believing her mum so easily.