Mated to the Alpha and His Beta novel

Chapter 487 Stella

I couldn't shake what my aunt had said. Obviously, my parents were all still trying to adjust to how fast I'd grown up, but I'd thought they were all taking it in stride. At least as much as they could have, anyway. And I couldn't blame my mom for being protective of me. Not after all we'd been through. What mother wouldn't worry for the daughter she'd seen destroy an army?

But I couldn't live my entire life being watched over by my parents. First of all, now that my body was finally aligned with my mind, I knew that sooner rather than later, the Moon Goddess would tell me of my final purpose. Second, my Abba's advice was sticking with me. I couldn't know how long I had here in this world, and I wanted to experience as much life as I could...while I could. And, finally, I wanted my mom to have the same chance.

At eighteen, she'd been mated to the Constantine Alpha and his Beta. Shortly after that, she'd gotten pregnant with me...then her memory had been stripped from her. For her protection, sure, but even so, it had left some psychic scars on her that might never be totally healed, even if she didn't know that. She'd met my Abba. Fallen in love with him. The Moon Goddess had given all four of my parents her greatest blessing, but I knew more than anyone how being unique and special wasn't always the blessing it had been meant to be.

It was a lot of work. It caused stress, being different. Even the good parts could feel like they were too much, overwhelming.

My mom was manifesting her worry for me by being overprotective. Understanding it didn't make it easier for me to handle, but I was trying not to flip out on her.

"You never had your teenage years," she said now from behind me.

I'd been staring out the window of my bedroom, out across the tops of the trees. Toward the unknown. The sound of her voice made me jump a little.

"I didn't mean to scare you." My mom laughed a tiny bit, shrugging her shoulders. "I thought you'd be able to sense that I was there...I mean..."

"Because I'm a Celestial," I finished for her. At her open, curious expression, I decided to keep going. "Yes. I'm sure I could keep my senses on alert all the time so that nobody could ever sneak up on me. I could call on so many different kinds of skills to protect me from any threat. But that's tiresome, Mom. And I don't want to live like that."

Her lips pressed together, and her gaze flared as her wolf rose a bit. Then it shadowed. She nodded.

"I want you to feel safe, Stella."

I crossed the room to take her hands. "I do. I promise you. I do."

Her fingers squeezed mine gently before she let go. She went to the window I'd been staring out of. "It's so beautiful here. You've got the best view in the whole house. I just want you to know you can come to me about anything, little star You bypassed all the awkward years, right from child to adult.bwant you to know that I understand if there are some rough patches between us."

"Did you have them with your own mom?" I felt a little weird calling my mother's mother "grandma." That had always been Gabriela for me. I'd barely met my other grandma.

My mom turned and nodded. "Sure. We had our arguments. She wanted what was best for me, but I wasn't always ready to listen to her, and I didn't always agree. I love my mother, but we...well, we are different."

I sensed a tension in her. A sadness.

Something to do with me and the twins. I didn't want to dig into that without her permission, so I withdrew the tendrils of my senses. This wasn't as hard as keeping up a constant vigilance would've been, but it was somehow more insidious. It would be too easy to open myself up to the high emotions of the people I loved so I could help them. But, I hadn't done it with my aunt, and I wasn't going to do it with my mom.

"Has she seen or talked to you since we've been back?" my mom asked. Her voice was so purposefully steady that I knew she was only able to keep holding it that way with a lot of effort. "No," I said softly.

Her flinch was small, but I saw it. Her head hung and her shoulders drooped. She nodded, like the answer didn't surprise her. She drew in a long, deep breath and stood up straight. My mom's brave smile didn't fool me. I suspected it didn't fool her, either.

"I didn't think so," she said. "I'll leave you alone now."

For a moment, she looked like she was going to hug me, but then she backed off. She left my room, giving me the space I'd thought I wanted.

It wasn't actually as great as I'd thought it would be.