Chapter 185
Charis
The terrace of Rhett’s pack house was peaceful in the evening light. I lounged in one of the comfortable chairs, my stomach full from dinner, but my mind anything but settled.
The conversation with Rhett and Slater kept replaying in my head. They’d both been so certain that Isolde had manipulated me that what I’d overheard was just part of some elaborate trap. And logically, I knew they were probably right. Isolde Knox could be dangerous, cunning, and always three steps ahead of everyone else.
But what if they were wrong?
What if Eva Greye really wasn’t my mother?
The thought made my chest ache. I’d spent my whole life believing I knew who I was, where I came from. The idea that it was all a lie felt like standing on ground that was slowly crumbling beneath my feet.
Was that why my father had treated me like I was trash? Was that why he’d always been cruel to me? Perhaps he knew.
I pulled out my phone and typed out my mother’s number. I still had it off-heart, just as I did when we were babies. I still had my dad’s and his Beta and his gamma. That was basically the first thing you learn when you come of age, right before you’re shipped to training school.
The phone numbers of your parents and guardians.
After typing out the number, I stared at my screen and her contact stared back at me.
For days now, I’d felt this overwhelming urge to call her. To pick up the phone and demand the truth. But every time I’d gotten close, I’d stopped myself. What would I even say? “Hey Mom, are you actually my mother, or have you been lying to me my entire life p>
And would she even tell me the truth if I asked?
As for my father—Silas Greye—I barely thought about him anymore. The last time I’d seen him, I’d been curious about why he looked so sick, so thin and worn down. But that curiosity had faded quickly. He’d never been much of a father to me anyway.
Sighing, I turned my phone face down on my lap and leaned back in the chair. The moon was rising, full and bright. I stared up at it, trying to find some peace in its steady glow.
There was an old saying that: ’the longer you stare at the moon, the more likely you’d dream of answers to your heartaches p>
And tonight, I needed this old wives’ tale to be true.
“Hello? Who is this p>
I sat up so fast I nearly fell out of the chair. My heart was pounding. Where had that voice come from?
“Hello? Can you hear me p>
It was coming from my lap. From my phone.
Oh no.
I snatched up the phone and flipped it over. The screen was lit up with an active call. My mother’s number blazed across the display.
I must have accidentally pressed the call button when I set it down. No, no, no—
“Hello? Who is this?” my mother’s voice came again, sharper now and filled with suspicion.
My hand was shaking. For a second, I considered just hanging up. But that would be worse, wouldn’t it? Then she’d know someone had called and just refused to speak.
Slowly, I raised the phone to my ear.
“Hello,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper.
There was a pause on the other end, then a soft gasp. “Charis? Darling, is that you p>
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s me p>
Another silence. This one stretched so long I thought maybe the connection had dropped.
“Oh, thank the goddess.” Her voice cracked a little. “I—I didn’t expect to hear from you.” Her voice was carefully neutral, but I could hear something underneath it. Surprise? Worry? Hope?
“I didn’t mean to call,” I blurted out. “It was an accident. I just—my phone p>
“Oh.” Was that disappointment? “I see p>
“No, I mean—” I stopped. What did I mean? “I was thinking about calling you. I just hadn’t decided yet p>
“Well, you’re calling now,” she said. “How are you, sweetheart p>
“I’m fine p>
“Are you eating properly p>
“Yes p>
“Getting enough sleep p>
“Yes p>
Another painful pause.
“Your father has been asking about you,” she said.
I doubted that very much. “How is he p>
“Better. The doctors found a treatment that’s helping p>
“That’s good p>
We fell into silence again. This was excruciating. We’d never been the most talkative family, but this felt different. Like, there was an enormous thing sitting between us that neither of us wanted to acknowledge.
“Charis,” my mother said suddenly. “Is everything alright? You sound… different p>
“I’m fine,” I said again.
“You keep saying that, but I’m your mother. I can tell when something’s wrong p>
The words hit me like a punch. I’m your mother. Was she? Was she really?
I wanted to ask. The question was right there, burning in my throat. Are you my real mother? Did you adopt me? Have you been lying to me?
But I couldn’t make the words come out.
“I should go,” I said instead. “I have studying to do p>
“Of course.” She sounded disappointed. “Charis, before you go p>
“Yes p>
“You know you can talk to me, right? If something’s bothering you. If you need anything. There was never a day that went by after you left the house that I didn’t think of you. On one hand, I was glad you left and escaped your father’s wickedness; on the other hand, I missed you so much p>
My eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall. “I know p>
“Then, when will you come home?” she asked tentatively. “Will you ever come home p>
I didn’t know that, either. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. “I don’t know, Mom,” I said eventually. “With the court process and all p>
“You can call it all off when you come to court in two days. You only need to tell the judge that you’ve missed home. I promise I’ll protect you this time. Your father is sick; he won’t hit you again p>
I thought of all the times I’d needed her protection. All the nights I’d begged and cried for her to do something, and how she’d stared at me with just the same helplessness that I was. Now that I think of it, maybe she isn’t really my mother because I’ve seen the height of motherhood. I know how protective mothers can be.
“I don’t know if I should come back,” I said with a sigh. “But it’s not like I’m renouncing my family. I don’t want to be with you and Dad again. I don’t want to marry Darian p>
“About that she started saying and trailed off. “Your father was foolish, our pack was in trouble, and he needed the Alpha King to help him with a few connections that would get the pack back on its feet. He’d lost all his mother in an investment scam and was trying to p>
“Stop making excuses for him, Mom. Even if all of that happened, sacrificing his only child shouldn’t have been an option p>
“Yeah,” he inhaled deeply. “I guess so. You’re right p>
Another long pause before I broke it. “I have to go now,” I murmured. “Goodnight p>
“I love you, darling p>
The words startled me. It felt so strange coming from someone like her. Almost unnatural.
“Goodnight, Mom p>
I ended the call before she could say anything else.
For a long moment, I just sat there, staring at the phone. That had been completely useless. I’d called her—accidentally, but still—and I hadn’t asked a single important question and hadn’t gotten any closer to the truth.
Coward, I thought viciously.
Movement caught my eye. Someone was walking up the path toward the pack house. I stood up, grateful for the distraction, and squinted into the darkness.
As the figure came closer, I recognised him. Kael.
He moved with that quiet, controlled way he always did. Everything about him was measured and careful. Even the way he walked seemed deliberate.
“Hey,” I called out as he got closer. “How are you doing p>
Kael looked up at me. In the moonlight, his face looked pale and drawn. There were shadows under his eyes that hadn’t been there this morning.
“I’m fine,” he said in his usual quiet manner.
Everyone kept saying they were fine today, I thought.
“What was so urgent?” Kael asked. “Rhett’s message said he needed help p>
“His biological mother showed up,” I explained. “At the hospital. Apparently, she’s been gone his whole life and just decided to come back. He didn’t know what to do about it p>
Kael’s eyebrows rose slightly. For him, that was practically a dramatic reaction. “I see p>
At that moment, the front door opened and Rhett stepped out. He spotted Kael and walked over with the cocky expression he wore when trying to hide his stress.
“I didn’t know you’d make it,” Rhett said.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “You said it was serious. I thought something was actually wrong. I can’t believe you called us over for such trivial matters p>
“Trivial?” Rhett’s eyes narrowed. “My long-lost mother showing up isn’t trivial p>
“It’s a family issue,” Kael said flatly. “Not an emergency p>
Rhett rolled his eyes. “Well, excuse me for wanting support from my friends. Why couldn’t you come earlier, anyway? You’re hours late p>