As soon as we entered the house, Mom started cough non-stop.
“Terrence and Samantha, you may go and play outside in the yard now.” I said to my kids.
“Great, Mom!” They exclaimed excitingly.
“So how are you?” I asked mom when my kids were gone.
“I’m better that you’re here right now,” she smiled. “Tell me, what have I missed in the last five years of your life.”
“Well few months after I . . .left, I had the twins. And then about six months later, I got signed by Randy, who’s now my best friend. I got a new stage name, started business as a pianist. I’ve had Randy collect 10 awards for me, and I have done many concerts by now, so all the paps know who I am, and the next day, my face was all over every newspaper and magazines. So yeah, it has been pretty eventful,” I said.
“Wow. That’s sound like amazing,” she laughed.
“It has been. So what have I missed here?” I asked.
“Well, Eva, that little bitch became Alpha female, but now she’s been exiled after she cheated on Howard,” she started. I was speechless. Howard had exiled Eva, after he had found out that she cheated on him. So that baby that he was protecting from me wasn’t even his to begin with. To be honest, I don’t know what I was feeling, but I think I knew that I was slightly glad that Howard got a taste of his own medicine- he finally found out what it was like to be deceived and played with. I knew that it was wrong of me to feel like that, but then again, I never did claim to be a Saint. My wolf growling at me for being slightly pleased that someone had hurt her mate, but I didn’t care.
Although, I did feel quite sorry for Eva. I knew what it was like to be all alone, and I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like if I didn’t have the support of Henry and our pack when I was pregnant.
She continued, “I think all of us were glad to get rid of her. She was only using the pack members as her servant. But anyways, Chris found his mate, Isabel. They’re amazing together, they fit together perfectly. But I know something’s happened between them that’s changed their relationship lately. Their smiles, laughter and even them holding hands seem fake.”
“Oh,” was all I was able to say. I didn’t know Isabel that much, but she seemed like a great person.
“Anyways, so your twins must about 4 years now, right?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.
“Yeah, they’re turning five soon, in less than 2 weeks. I can’t believe it. They’ve grown up so quickly; I remember the day they were born like yesterday and soon they’ll be going off to college,” I said as a tear slipped out my eye.
“It’s the same with you honey. It’s like you were still a baby yesterday, and now you have two babies of your own. But I never did expect to have grand kids in this lifetime, so thank you. Thank you for granting me my wish,” she smiled.
“Oh mom,” I whispered, giving her another hug.
The rest of the day we spent talking to each other about everything: new shoes, clothes and everything a normal girl would talk to her mom about. I had an amazing time, even if we did nothing but just lay around and talk to each other, probably because I had been dreaming of this day since my teen years.
We all had lunch together, which I made. The twins all played around all day long, and when we left for home after dinner, we left them both with big smiles on their faces. I had told mom I would visit soon, but first I had to go buy some things for the house.
— Howard’s POV —
Sitting in my leather chair in my office, I went through the stacks of paperwork piled on the dark wooden table, yet my mind wasn’t set on this, but on my beautiful mate, Caroline. Even though I had never admit this to anyone, not even myself, she meant more to me than anyone else in this world.
The day she left, she took my heart along with her. From the moment I set eyes on her, I knew I loved her more than anything already. I regretted every second of my life because of what I did. And when she left, I couldn’t give a shit about anything anymore; so I started smoking, drinking, doing drugs, having one-night stands with people I don’t even remember and a whole load of other crap.
When I wasn’t doing that, I was up in my private attic, crying and drinking my ass off or drawing and painting pictures of her. I would do anything to get her out of my mind, but she was always in my thoughts every second of everyday. I haven’t shown anyone my private attic; I don’t think anyone knows about it anyways.
While I was drowning all my sorrows with alcohol, it turned out my father had already made a plan for my future, to mark Eva. That bitter, cruel man saw Eva as ‘The Ideal’ girl, so he somehow persuaded me to mark and mate Eva. To be honest, I don’t even remember the mating, probably because I was too drunk.
Though, I still remember that morning clearly . . .
Howard saw a blurry figure walk up to me and sit on my lap. It looked like Caroline . . . He’d missed her so bad and now he was so happy that she was back.
“Baby, I want you to mark me,” she said in a seductive voice, straddling my lap.
“Oh Caroline, I missed you so Caroline,” Howard smiled.
She looked confused for a moment before an evil smile came upon her face. ‘He wouldn’t mark me otherwise, so he might as well think that I’m that ugly bitch Caroline.’
“I missed you too baby, and now I’m back,” she said.
“I’ll never ever leave you Caroline, I never will,” Howard said.
That night, Howard marked and mated who he thought to be Caroline. . .
The next morning, Howard woke up with a pounding headache. Shifting around slightly, he noticed he was completely naked. He moved into his bed more, only to stop when he felt arms wrap his waist.
He turned around very slowly so that he didn’t wake the person up. He was shocked when he’s found out that he had slept with Eva. But that wasn’t what blew his socks off, in fact, it was the fact that he could feel some feelings towards her. They were most definitely not love, but nonetheless it was something.
He noticed a mark on her neck . . . a mate’s mark. Subconsciously, a tear slipped out his eyes. He couldn’t believe what he had done; he’d betrayed his mate . . .his Caroline. He could never forgive himself for this, ever.
He was lost in his thoughts when Eva woke up. She looked up at him with happiness.
“H-how did this happen?” Howard asked.
“You marked me baby. I love you,” she said.
“B-but I-I-I,” he stuttered.
“I know, you love me too. Now we have to announce to the whole pack that I’m the new Luna,” Eva grinned.
Howard hated this life that he’d created for himself, and the worst part, he couldn’t escape his reality. He could never break his and Eva’s mark as his father would never allow it. He had to live with her for the rest of his life . . .unless Caroline came back, which was very, highly unlikely.
Since that day, I’d become the shell of who I used to be. I focused all my time on the pack’s business and even started a business of my own. I occasionally got drunk when I felt as though I couldn’t handle things. And one of those days, I got too drunk and slept with Eva. It was the first time I had sex with anyone in years.
About a month later, I found out that Eva was pregnant. I was so happy. I’d always wanted to be a father, and now, when Eva told me I was going to become one, I felt as though my life could go back the way it used to. I felt like, I’d finally have my own child who would never leave me, or betray me.
I had heard from many pack members that Eva was cheating on me. But I didn’t want to believe it because I knew that my ‘child’ would be my escape and the light in the darkness of my life. I didn’t want to believe that Eva was cheating because I wouldn’t be able to bear that another person was basically tossing me away like trash.
When I found out that she’d cheated on me, I felt stupid, because even though I already knew deep down, I didn’t want to believe it. But when those words came out her mouth, it was like a blow to my guts: when she confirmed that her child wasn’t mine.
The next day after the concert, we all returned back here, I couldn’t stay with Caroline, because there were rogue attacks going on nearby, and my whole pack was at risk. I knew who Caroline was now, so I thought I could easily track her down, but I knew that if those rogues had gotten to any members of my pack, I would never have them back. I wasn’t going to be responsible for the murders of innocent people- that would kill me.
As soon as we all got back home, I exiled Eva, although, I did give her some money from the pack’s fund, because I didn’t want her child to be homeless. It wasn’t the poor child’s fault, so why should he or she have to suffer.
I wrote poems to Caroline and sent her a present. I knew it wasn’t enough. It could never be enough for the way I had treated her, but I was trying my best. I only knew the address to her hotel where she stayed for over a week, and that was where I sent her it. But after the rogue problems, I tried to find her address, but there were no definite places.
I searched for her in many states, but I couldn’t find her, or my children. I loved them more than anything. I barely knew Terrence or Samantha, but I loved them. They were beautiful, like their mom. Even today, I am trying to find her. I am trying my best, but I can’t. Every day, my heart is breaking more and more, and I could sense my wolf weakening.
Suddenly, I could feel my wolf livening up. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt like something was happening . . .something amazing.