4. FILTHY DESTINY

AZALEA'S POV

“No she doesn't.” She defends immediately. I arch an eyebrow at her, she smiles.

“I had a lot of sisters growing up too, and we never really saw eye to eye, even though we were almost the same ages,” I interrupt her and she let me.

“You and all your sisters are from the same parents, Eloise sees me as a pest.” I tell her truthfully and she gasps, I guess I'm breaking her heart with my words, she probably doesn’t think it's as bad as it is.

“If you think like that of your sister, then how are you any better Azalea?.” She tells me firmly, I want to argue, but I decide against it, it's no use.

"Have you ever tried to mend things with your sister other than concluding based on your prejudice?. If not, then the fault also lies with you." 

I want to tell her all how Eloise and her friends use to mock me in school. How she would let them laugh at me. How would I endure that and try to "mend things" when I have done nothing wrong but being adopted. 

“I’ll talk to Eloise so you guys can talk out your differences.” She adds.

“Its okay mom, really, mating moon is just around the corner, she’d find her mate and leave the pack and I don’t plan on being here forever either.” It would sound mean, but I have dreamt of the day when we would no longer have to live in the same house, walking on egg shells around each other.

“Azalea……” She calls out, with a pointed face, she doesn’t like my way of handling things, which was basically running away from it.

“Who can blame her for not liking me, mom, no one does…….it gets worse every day, the way people frown at me, I try not to let it get to me, but I’m not made of bricks.” I rap out quickly, taking a big breath as I stop. This goes beyond Eloise and her snotty friends, the entire pack didn't exactly like me either. 

“You know what?, people shy away from poop because its scary not because its filthy.” 

“I’m pretty sure no one is scared of me mom.” I scoff, rolling my eyes, subtly. "I'm an anomaly." Who would be scared of a 5 foot girl in an army of muscular animal shifters. 

She nuzzles me with a smile. 

“You’ll see, when the time comes, they will realize they don't hate you, they only hated that they didn’t understand.” 

I smile at her words, she has a way of making every thing seem less frightening that it is, she calls it her ‘mom effect’

We were silent for a while, when I decide to ask a question on my mind, many actually.

“Do you think I’m one of you mom?.” I ask. Her head snap at me like I've uttered an abomination.

“Don’t be ridiculous Azzy, you’re my daughter and thus are a werewolf.” She says giving no room for discussion, but that's till I decide to discuss it.

“But I have no wolf, mom………what?, I'm pretty sure to be a werewolf, you need to have the wolf part?.” I ask her.

“You have a wolf, my sweet, she’s just taking her time to wake up.” She tells me, like she has been saying since I turned 18.

“Really taking her sweet time.” I mumble.

She laughs.

“What happens,” I pause again, finding my words. “What happens, when Pack life doesn’t work out, what will happen to me?.” 

“Are you thinking of leaving the pack?.” She asks like she already knows, making me think, she really does know us, or rather me, more than I know or think.

“I don’t think I’ll find a mate without a wolf, “ I say without looking at her. 

“I don’t want to put any one, especially you and dad through wanting to find me a mate or figuring what to do with me, so its just better, I go to live with humans……” I couldn’t continue with my words, they are hurting her.

“I don’t want to put dad through that, not after all this with finding Eloise a mate, when she has a wolf.” I say after a while.

“I wouldn’t stop you if you’ve already made up your mind, but I would also not let you go till you give us a chance, give it a chance.” She pulls me close till I rest on her chest, running her hands through my hair.

"I just don't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed, I don't want to be hurt mom, and I don't want to hurt others." I tell her softly and I hear her sigh.

"You have a wolf." She say in a firm voice, I barely hear. I turn and narrow my eyes at her.

"Mom…." I drag.

She shakes her head, "I'm not just guessing, I'm convinced."

I frown, convinced?, about to voice my thoughts but she already knows what's on my mind.

"See, I saw her the day I found you, your eyes were glowing, she was keeping you warm." She tells me. I blink several times, not understanding her words. Of all the stories of how I was found, she had left out this detail for years.

I shake my head, unable to believe her even though I know she has no reason to lie. She nods, reassuring me, I swear, her eyes glazed over with tears.

"You were out there for God knows how long before we found you, she's a strong wolf, else you wouldn't have survived." Mom explains and I feet my cheek moisten.

"But……" I try to reason out, having all these arguments in my head, but my words fail me, my throat tightening.

"Don't give up on her, do you understand, flower?."

It's silent for a while, before I finally found my voice again. Even if I did have a wolf, mating is a different situation. Eloise has had her wolf for years and is still unmated.

"Do you think Eloise will find her mate?."

"We all have different destinies, my dear."

I watch intently, her hands move in my head from the mirror on the door of my closet facing us. I don't say anything, not quite understanding what she means.

"Do you believe in destinies, Azalea?." She asks and locks eye with me from the mirror.