Chapter 123
APOLLO-
as
I wave goodbye to my brothers and sister they board the plane. Remarkably, I managed to get them on without any trouble. My mother kept quiet, avoiding any comments that might worry them, and I couldn’t quite figure out her motives. I was sure she would say something in front of them to make me feel guilty for choosing Lana over Jada.The fact that she hadn’t only made me worry more.
Toya was the only one left for me to keep safe, but I was already planning to send her away too, so she wouldn’t have to bear the weight of our mother’s emotional outbursts.
“Are you planning to head back home tonight?” I ask my mother as I pivot to face her. Since the engagement had fallen through, it would make sense for her to return to her hometown.
“Actually, no,” she replies. “I’ve decided not to go back as I originally intended. I still have unfinished business that I need to take care of.”
Unfinished business?
My breath quickens at her response. That wasn’t part of the plan; she was supposed to leave once everything settled down. I did not want her staying here simply to cause problems for Lana.
“The engagement isn’t happening,” I remind her gently. “You really don’t need to stay here.”
Her eyes darken with hurt as she whispers, “I remember the times you would find any reason to keep me close. Now, it feels like you’re always looking for ways to push me away.”
I did not want to hurt my mother.
I turn my gaze from her, desperate to think of something else. She has a way of making me feel guilty. Right now, all I could think about was Lana. After years of caring for my mother and trying to shield her feelings, I now had someone else’s heart that I needed to fiercely protect.
I glance at Toya, her concerned expression mirroring the heaviness in the air. I really didn’t want to have this conversation in front of her.
I was making an effort to maintain a calm tone throughout the conversation but if my mother started insulting my mate in front of my sister, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep it up.
“Can we not have this discussion right now?” I ask my mother. “If you want to stay, that’s your choice. But please, let’s drop the subject of Lana.”
I don’t wait for her to answer; I take Toya’s hand and lead her to the waiting car.
“Is everything alright, brother?” she asks gently, and I hate hearing the worry in her voice. She’s too young to be wrapped up in this chaos.
“It is.” I assure her, forcing a smile,
“I’ve never seen such tension between you and mom,” she observes.
“Really, there’s nothing to worry about,” I repeat to her, patting her hair gently in an attempt to soothe both her and myself.
“Are you sure?” she presses, and it hurts to see the innocent fear in her eyes. She’s been through so much already. If I’m not careful, our mother’s behavior could leave lasting scars like it has done to me.
I nod firmly. “I am.”
She relaxes a bit, adding, “Mom said I’ll be heading back home to stay with Nanny Zelda tomorrow.” She looks up at me, her eyes brightening. “Will you come to visit me after I leave? I miss you a lot.”
“Absolutely, I’ll come to see you,” I promise. “I always do, don’t I?”
08:52 Sat. 9 Aud
Chapter 123
के
Her face lights up with a beaning grin. “You do.”
Once I help my sister into the vehicle and watch my mother follow her, I climb into my own truck. I was grateful to hays chosen a separate teforde i couldn’t bear the thought of the conversation she would try and force onto me white toys was around.
I shake that thought away. There’s only one person I want to focus on right now.
For the rest of the drive back home, all I could think about was Lana. She’d wanted me to fuck her right there near the lake. Feouldn’t get the fork en het face out of my head. She was the only woman I would ever hold back this hard for. She wasn’t just any random woman to me. I wanted her fir me to be special. I wanted it to mean something.
Now that she knew about my feelings and how much I wanted to be with her, it felt liberating to finally stop hiding the truth. I was happy to be as open and honest as possible with her.
I never thought the day would come where I would be able to openly call her mine.
The pride in my chest was exhilarating.
The taste of her was still in my mouth and I couldn’t wait to taste even more of her. I knew I said I wanted to take things slow but that didn’t meget couldn’t cover every inch of her body with my mouth tonight.
A sharp sense of need rushes into my blood.
Fuck.
I had to end these thoughts before I went against my own rule.
I pressed down hard on the accelerator, my urgency growing as I longed to be near my mate. I hadn’t anticipated how difficult being apart from her would be even if it was only for a few hours.
I arrived at the house an hour later, only to be surprised that my father’s truck was nowhere in sight. It should have been here by now, unless he decided to head out somewhere else after dropping Lana home.
As I rushed inside, my anxiousness increased when I noticed the absence of my mate’s familiar scent. Still, I made my way straight to her room, feeling a twinge of disappointment and worry when I found it empty. There were no signs that she had even been here.
What the fuck was going on?
I approached Isabella’s room and knocked loudly on the door. After the third knock, she finally opened it, and the look on her face made it clear that i had just disturbed her nap.
“What?” she snaps, clearly annoyed.
“Where is Lana?” I ask, my concern growing. “She should have been back by now. I left her at the pack house and she was supposed to be brought home by your mother and my father.”
I knew they wouldn’t have left her back there, not with the things they’d been saying to her and how hard they were trying to get us to let go of each other.
Isabella frowns, her expression suggesting that I was about to hear something I didn’t want to. “You don’t know, do you?”
Don’t know what? I find myself in a state of confusion, grappling with the uncertainty that hangs in the air.
“What?” I demand, my tone sharp with frustration. “What is it that I do not know?”
My patience was wearing thin!
