Chapter Ten: Motherly Love.

"Come. Aunt Lorena wishes to see you." Ivy says, rising up from her bed. I wrinkle my brow, puzzled.

She did not place any calls. How did she know?

"Through the mind-link." She responds as if reading my mind.

I blink at her, and she laughs.

"Relax; I did not read your mind. We do not read minds. That was only instinct, but all werewolves can speak with one another via a pack's mind-link. We do not need to see each other to convey a message. We mentally say it to the person. Exactly like how you talk to your wolf." She continues, walking to a drawer and opening it.

"Is this some kind of new technology? Why can't I interact with the other wolves? I hope it's not too expensive."

Ivy laughs. "Amelia, It is not a technology or something you can purchase. It is a gift bestowed upon werewolves by the moon goddess, and it does not come naturally; you obtain it from the alpha when you achieve your rank. If you are worthy of becoming a pack member, the Alpha will give you a rank and the opportunity to communicate with other pack members. Pretty much every wolf here has a rank, and we communicate through the pack link." She adds as she takes out a little bracelet and puts it over her wrist before approaching my front and pulling me up. I stood up, and we both left the room.

'Alpha, Luna, Omega. That's what she means by rankings.' Rex chipped in.

'There are other rank positions available, but I guarantee to inform you if you allow me to shift. It is boring in here.

In my head, I see her getting up on all fours, stretching her body, and shaking her fur.

'You know, I can't shift yet. It is against Stark's instructions.'

'Awww. That is adorable. You are obeying our mate. Does this imply I'm not the only one swooning about him?" She approaches while wagging her tail.

I let out a gasp. 'No, I do not do that.'

'Just confess it, Amelia. You like him just as much as I do.'

'No, I do not. I don't really have a choice here, and you know that.'

"When do you ever not have a choice? You could leave if you wished. Keep lying to yourself.'

"—That is the beta. Are you listening, Amelia?"

I hear Ivy's voice say, and I realize she was saying something.

I'd zoomed out on her.

I pretended to cough and turned my head to look at her, but she had already given me a knowing glance. I smile shyly.

She shook her head and smiled slightly. "That's okay. I was only discussing the rankings in the pack."

My ears pricked.

"There are four rankings in each pack. Alpha and Luna; Beta, Gamma, and Omega. I'm sure you already know who Alpha and Luna are.'

I nod, and she briefly explains what beta, gamma, and omega are. Rex was right about the Omega all along.

We went down the stairs to the sitting room just as Lorena entered the house. She smiled broadly as her gaze fell on me and motioned for me to approach her. She looked lovely and very young for her age.

"Good morning, ma'am." I greeted her warmly as I approached, but she startled me by pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Aunt! You will suffocate her." Ivy giggled behind me, but her aunt ignored her.

She eventually drew away after a long time, and I let out a big breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.

"You will be my daughter-in-law. Please don't call me that. I'll be grateful if you call me Mom."

I wasn't sure how I felt about it because I had only met her last night.

Her expression sank as she observed my hesitancy.

"It's alright; you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, Ma. I mean, Mom. I want to." A bright smile returned to her lips, and she grabbed my hand and led me to the enormous U-shaped couch in the room before sitting down. I take a peek around the living room before sitting down alongside her.

"Ivy, can you please get us a bottle of wine and two glass cups?"

Ivy nodded before turning to go. I shuffled nervously in my seat.

"You must be thinking why the hell I am acting this way toward you. I'm so glad you're here. You know, when I met my mate, Stark's father, I was just 17 and he was 19. We became inseparable and eventually married. We finally gave birth to two kids, Stark and Colton. By the age of 20, Colton had met his mate, and the two of them had gone away to start a life together, but my older son, Stark, remained single. I got very concerned late last month, when he turned 29. Everyone was nervous because he grew agitated when he could not locate you. He sought from pack to pack and realm to kingdom but came home with no good news. The pack started to lose hope. Their Alpha lacked a mate and Luna. It began to look bad for us." She gulped and took a handkerchief from her purse to wipe away the tears that had fallen down her face.

She clears her throat and looks at me before proceeding. "It made it to the Royal Eclipse, the pack for royals. They threatened to remove his status and transfer over park leadership to Colton if he did not produce a Luna by the age of 30. When I heard this, I was devastated. It's not because Colton is incapable of leading the pack; rather, it's never been done in our lineage for the younger son to govern. Our imagination will be greatly destroyed, bringing shame upon us. Then, when Stark returned home that night and said he had discovered you, I was overjoyed. We were all pleased, and now that I look at you, I'm glad I didn't put pressure on him to marry any female to accept the title of Luna. I know you're perfect for him. I can see it." She grinned and grasped my hands once again.

My cheeks heated up, forcing me to turn aside.

Perfect. I mentally sneered.

It's really obvious. No, I am not perfect, and I understand that she is only expressing her perspective.

She lowers my hand and gets a drink from the table, taking a sip. I must have been too focused on listening to realize Ivy had returned with the drinks. She was sitting on a separate couch, munching on a bag of chips. My stomach growled at the sight, so I swallowed and ignored it. Lorena must have heard it because she bent her head to the side and glanced at me while I stared down at my hands.

"Have you had breakfast?" She asked, exactly as I expected.

"No."

"Why is that? Didn't Eva carry your food up to your room?

I wrinkled my brow and glanced at her.

"I haven't seen Eva today."

"Amelia. Why haven't you told me? You should have instructed a maid to grab it for you. It's almost lunchtime, and you haven't eaten anything." This was Ivy talking, and I saw a grimace on her face.

I gasp. "It is fine. I wasn't really hungry, and I'm used to it."

Lorena returns her drink to the little circular table in the center of the living room before standing up. "Not here. Come with me."

I got up, and she physically pulled me to the kitchen, where she began issuing commands to the Omegas/maids.

I'm not sure what to name them. It's odd.

Indeed, my new circumstances are extremely odd, and I am growing increasingly concerned that I will no longer be able to live a normal life.

Within a minute, everyone was busy creating or preparing the meals while we sat in the dining room to wait. I tucked into my dinner as soon as it was delivered to me. To be honest, I was quite hungry.

"So…" Lorena began. She was seated in the chair opposite me. Ivy had left the kitchen earlier to handle some business.

I look up from my meal to see Lorena. Only a plate of chips and a glass of juice were put for her, as she had asked previously.

She took a sip of her drink and looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes, causing me to return my attention to my food. My instinct tells me she's going to question me about myself.

"Stark indicated that you were human, which is probably why it was so difficult to find you. We never would have guessed that his mate had been in the human world all this while. Perhaps you know something about your birth parents? Why didn't you shift till you met your mate? How did your human life go?" She inquired just as I had anticipated. I hear her sigh as she reaches across the table to take my hands.

I had already finished eating.

I returned her gaze but was taken aback by her tears.

"I understand. I talk too much and am an emotional freak, yet there are moments when I just can't stop myself. I truly want to know you better before I go tomorrow. Tell me more about you. I don't care about your past; all I want to know is who you are now. Talk to me. Like mother to daughter." Her soft voice made the hole in my heart hurt again. Since Mom died, no one has been able to replace the emptiness. The feeling of motherly love. The feeling of motherly love.

I hesitated but still nodded.

"Well, I'm—" I clear my throat after hearing the raspy sound my voice made before continuing.

I told her briefly about my childhood as an only child. Before and after my mother died to how Helena decided to send me away by marrying me. Once I was finished, I took a big breath and quietly observed her reaction. She had been silent the entire time, and I had no idea what was going on in her thoughts.

She eventually let out a loud breath, breaking her stony look, and softly gripped my hands. Just then, I saw an omega stroll in. She bows and then clears all of the dishes, leaving only the juice glasses.

"I understand how difficult it must have been to lose both parents at such a young age, and I'm sorry you had to grow up with that woman. Why didn't your father leave some of his possessions to you?" Lorena remarks as soon as the Omega exits.

I return my focus to her and open my lips to speak when she interrupts.

"Never mind. That's your past life. It no longer matters now that you are here. Everything that belonged to Stark is now yours. Right, son?"

"Sure." The unexpected deep voice surprises me, and I turn to see Stark standing at the kitchen entrance. His body was somewhat resting on the doorframe, and my heart began to rush.

How long has he stood there?

'I'm not sure, but he looks absolutely amazing. I want to leap on him and make him mark us right now.' Rex chipped in, whimpering gently.

'What's your deal?' I snap at her. 'Is it every time you appear when Stark does?' I'm starting to believe your entire existence is all for him.

She snorted. 'You'll understand what my deal is once he marks you.'

I ignore her and return my attention to Stark.

He is no longer dressed in all black as he was this morning but in a white polo shirt. My gaze shifts from the veins that protrude from his folded huge arms down to the cargo trousers that dangle around his waist, and I swallow.

I agree with Rex on this point. This man is really well-built, and I am convinced he goes to the gym every day.

This is not the first time I've seen him, and I'm looking shamelessly at him.

He moves nearer, and I startle out of my stupor, returning my gaze to his face. When I see his smirk, I blush and turn away.

Great. He now knows I was checking him out.

Stark approached the table and dropped a file of documents in front of me. I gaze at it with curiosity.

"Sign these now. That way I know you won't try to run away again.