SWNOVELS Chapter Meeting The Walsh's
We drove until midnight before we pulled over at a rest area. Both our wolves were dying for a run and a hunt so we headed into the woods to unleash our inner beasts. Sprinting forward into the cold air with my amber fur flying in the wind as we ran around under the moonlight, I felt my wolf longing for the embrace of her mate as he stormed on ahead of us trying to find us something to kill.
He stopped suddenly, twitching his ears as he listened for any sound that would indicate our prey was near when my eyes caught a branch moving in the distance. Crouching low, I snuck off to the right as Kolby dropped to his belly and let us take the lead.
Watching closely as a doe munched on grass under the full moon, Aubrey snuck towards the unsuspecting animal, careful not to make a sound as she approached our victim. The woods were so quiet I could hear it's blood pounding in her veins making my wolf salivate in anticipation of the tasty treat in front of us.
With one leap, we tackled the deer to the ground, sinking our teeth into her jugular as she fought until her last breath. She bled out within minutes while we stood over her, panting in approval. Looking over to our mate, we smirked before yelping at him to join us in our feast then offered him the first taste.
Once Kolby had enough of his fill, Aubrey finished off what was left, leaving us with a swollen belly full of meat as we trudged back to the car. After we made it to the tree line, we shifted back and put our clothes on before getting on the road for another long drive.
"Why don't you close your eyes for a little while, we still have a good six hour drive ahead of us." Bishop said as my head began to sway back and forth.
Not wanting to fight the sleep that was creeping up quickly, I gave in and let my eyes close for a nap. As soon as my lids were shut, I began dreaming of what it would be like to be a mother. Would I end up like my mom and get trapped in a comfortable way of life or would I teach my children that the sky was the limit and they could do whatever they set their minds to?
Dream after dream it always ended in the same way, with Bishop being right by my side. Whether we were addressing his pack together or eating as a family, he was always there beside me and the thought warmed my heart. I didn't know what the universe had in store for us but I knew whatever it was, we would be fine if we were together.
The sound of a door slamming woke me from my happy moment and when I opened my eyes we were stopped in front of an enormous castle covered in snow. I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door just as Bishop was removing our bags from the trunk. Looking over at me he smiled and joined me when a tall man with salt and pepper hair and a scruffy beard stepped out the front door.
"Bishop!" He said as he slapped him on the back and pulled him into a man hug.
"Hello, Winston." He replied as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
Just as he was about to introduce me, a beautiful woman emerged from the doorway. Her blonde hair reached just above her shoulders and her crystal blue eyes shimmered with adoration as she approached her son. I could feel the warmth of their connection inside my heart and a smidge of jealousy began to cool it slightly.
"My baby boy." A single tear fell down her cheek as she checked him over then cupped his face.
She was a good foot shorter than him but he bent down for her to kiss his forehead before he hugged her tightly. They broke apart and she returned to her mate's side.
"Winston, mom, this is Ember, my mate."
His mothers eyes widened when she realized what he had just said then she looked over at Winston who extended his hand out to me and said, "Welcome to the family, Ember. This is Rose, Bishop's mother"
"It is so nice to meet you both." I said as I shook his hand then turned to his mother who was still staring at me.
Her expression was unreadable until Winston cleared his throat effectively shaking her from the mesmerized state she was in. "Y-yes, Ember, it is a delight to meet you. Come inside before you both get sick from this cold.”
We followed them into the house where she showed us our room and left us to get some rest. I couldn’t shake the awkward introduction that we shared but I brushed it off in hopes that she was just surprised that he was given a second chance mate and left it at that.
Letting Bishop take a shower and then a nap, I went downstairs to find his mother when I found a makeshift library with all kinds of different books lining the walls and picture albums inside an open armoire. Grabbing a thick, leather wrapped one, I flipped through the pages of unfamiliar people laughing and posing with goofy expressions on their faces when I noticed a photo of a small boy holding a stuffed bunny.
If his big, brown eyes and curly hair weren’t a dead give away, the cocky smirk on his face were a sure sign that this was my mate. I ran my fingers over the shiny picture when Rose walked into the room.
“He was a handful at that age, always wondering off into the woods chasing after one animal or another and his hunting skills were extraordinary. In fact, his father and I knew he would be a great leader early on.”
I closed the book as she walked to the armoire and took out another photo album. Searching the pages, she stopped on a family photo of the three of them and said, “This was the last picture I have of all of us. The next week, his father was killed.”
Placing my hand over hers I said, “He told me the story. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
She shook her head and replied, “It was the hardest time of my life but I had to keep the pack going so I did the only thing I could and enlisted the help of our Beta and Gamma and tried everything I could to keep us afloat.” Pausing to wipe her nose she closed the book and placed it back on the table. “After I sent Bishop off to training, I met Winston and I never knew I could feel that way again but I did.”
Just hearing her story made me reminisce about my own and how I was Bishop’s second chance mate so I asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
“I have to admit, when Bishop first told me about you, I didn’t have high expectations about your relationship, especially since his first mate was a disappointment but then I met you and as soon as I saw you I could feel your hesitations. I saw your insecurities and sensed your inadequacy but not about your love for him, there’s something else going on and I don’t know what lead you to my son but I am thankful for it because you brought him back to me.”
Looking down at the floor with tears pricking my eyes, I hoped that one day I could be as compassionate and wise as she was. When I lifted my head I said, “Teach me how to be a Luna, please.”
Aren’t their wolves adorable? Especially how he let her hunt and then she offered her kill to him? 🥰🥰
They made it to Canada and wow was that not the reaction I was expecting with his mom!!! But she redeemed herself and she knows Ember better than anybody else. I can’t wait to hear her answer though!!