Chapter 3

Some minutes before the break of day, Isis Cepheus slipped into the living room as quietly as she could. But she wasn’t so lucky... a figure was already there, sipping coffee.

Isis froze in her tracks the moment she saw her mum. Her eyes were stern.

“Mu... Mum?” Isis greeted softly. “Have a good night’s rest?”

No response. Isis felt something was off. Her mum, Nora Cepheus, wasn’t the type of woman who would scold her over sleeping out, so what...

Isis was about to take a step closer when Nora finally spoke. “Why did you sleep out? You know I would be worried.”

Dalton’s words from yesterday came back with a fresh sting, making Isis feel disgust for her mother from the bottom of her heart. But she swallowed her anger. I slept out for the first time, so we’re even, she thought before clearing her throat. “Sorry, mum. I slept off at Alice’s place.”

Nora moved closer and scoffed. “Alice’s place? You mean the same Alice that called here to ask if you got back home safely?”

Isis’s eyes widened. She became speechless immediately.

Nora pressed her again. “Did you lose your tongue now that your lie has been exposed?”

“Why didn’t you come to the sports competition? I told you it was my first day in Hale’s class, right?” Isis threw the question back immediately. She thought Nora would just overlook it like she usually did, but since her mother was pressing so hard, Isis couldn’t control her anger anymore.

“Is that the question I asked?” Nora fired back. “I’m asking where you were last night!!”

“I was at a guest house, doing what you were doing at home,” Isis replied curtly. The memory of Dalton and Fatima’s betrayal was still seeping in. All Isis could remember from the guy last night was ‘fish boy’... but never his face, because he had left first.

Nora’s face was edged with worry. “Isis, what on earth are you saying? Is that all you have to say after sleeping out?”

Isis eyed her mum evenly. If only she hadn’t made her prostitution so obvious that even Fatima found out.

“I said I was out doing what you taught me, Mum,” Isis repeated before turning to go to her room. Then she stopped. “I hope your boyfriend has left? You know I hate having males around.”

Nora didn’t move. Her face went pale. “You won’t have to worry about that again, Ice. Go and pack your bags.”

Isis stopped, her shirt already halfway off. “You say what?”

“We’re moving out, Ice! Go and pack your bags!” Nora yelled this time, tears dripping from her eyes as she walked toward her daughter. “Max is marrying me. So we’re moving to his place before the wedding.”

“Mum, are you mad?” Isis freaked out. “You’re even getting married now? Is sleeping around not enough?”

“Isis!!” Nora yelled in anger before hitting her daughter with a sharp slap. “Did you think I’m doing this because I wanted to?”

Isis’s hand traveled to her cheek. Two strings of hot tears ran down her face. As long as she could remember, Nora had never raised a hand against her. It was a total shock... Isis felt like she was losing her damn mind.

“Mum...”

“I will slap you again if you say anything else,” Nora warned, her eyes glowing ferociously. “Your father left me with nothing but debt and your bills to pay. Did you have to judge me, too?”

Isis’s throat instantly dried up. “Mum...”

“I vowed never to tell you all this. I wanted to make sure you were happy, even if I had to sell my dignity for it... and all you could do was blame me, too?” Nora slipped to the ground and sobbed. “You’re my daughter, Ice. You should understand me more than anyone else.”

Isis was at a loss for words. This was the first time Nora had ever mentioned her late father’s debts. All she had been told since she was young was that her father died in a fatal plane crash... she never knew a thing about how he actually lived.

She ran her hand through her hair in frustration and bent down to Nora’s level. “But did you have to get married? Can’t Max just be your boyfriend and...”

“I love him,” Nora confessed. “This is the first time since your father’s death that I’ve actually had feelings for someone. I just couldn’t refuse him when he proposed.”

“So we’re moving to the Vineyard Pack now?”

Nora thought her daughter finally understood and jumped to her feet. She held Isis’s hand expectantly. “No. I told him I can’t leave Ember now because of your education. So he moved here instead with his son. You guys can go to EPC together and...”

Isis yanked her hand away. “His son?” she exclaimed. “You’re not only getting married, but I’m getting a stepbrother now?”

“Ice, you’re going to love it. Just try...”

“No, Mum,” Isis cut in. The thought of what Fatima and Dalton would say if she appeared with a stepbrother out of nowhere haunted her. “You can move out alone. But I won’t leave here only to be stuck with some stepbrother.”

Nora looked defeated at her failure to get through to her daughter. She sat back on the floor. “I can never leave you behind. You’re the reason why I agreed to marry him in the first place.”

“Stop using me as an excuse!” Isis yelled painfully. “If you want to do anything for me, then don’t go on with this marriage!”

Nora stood up. “Fine. If you really want to do this...” She went to the dining room and grabbed a knife. “I would rather die than leave you alone.”

Isis was losing it. Her mind, her heart, her trust... it was all falling apart.

“Get a grip, mum!” she sobbed, trying to reach for the knife. “Think about me, too. What should I tell my friends at school?”

Nora refused to let go. “Max will pay all our bills and I won’t have to sleep with different men again. Isn’t that better?”

“Nothing is fucking better! Get a job! Pick up garbage! Just do anything but this, Mum, please.” Isis had to resort to pleading when she realized she couldn't fight anymore.

The mother and daughter’s argument was cut short by the sound of a van stopping outside.

“The packing van must be here already. Go get your things, honey,” Nora pleaded.

Isis ran upstairs dejectedly. Not to pack her bags, but to cry.

Nothing is going well, her wolf panicked. Isis hugged her teddy and cried bitterly. She’s determined, the wolf said again.

“Arrgh. No!”