Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Mason

I walked out of the packhouse, utterly unprepared for the scene unfolding.

An nalise, my mother, was glaring so hard at my mate and father-in-law that I was taken off guard by the vehemence of it, despite not being able to hear what she was hissing at them.

I could see the tension in Kora’s b*dy, her shoulders stiff with discomfort, and that was all I needed to see for all my protective instincts to rile. On the other hand, Oswald wore a calm expression on his face, but I could tell he was trying hard to hold back any anger he might be feeling.

My mother had a way of getting under people’s skin like that.

“What’s going on here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even as I approached.

Mother spun around to face me, her eyes blazing. “What’s going on? You’re asking me what’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on! That murderer is still here, and you’ve done nothing about it!”

I felt my heart sink as I realized what was happening. My mother had been simmering with anger toward Oswald for a while now, and I had hoped it would eventually pass. But it seemed like it was only getting worse, and now it had reached a boiling point, threatening to spill over at any second.

“Mother, we’ve been over this,” I said, my voice low. “Oswald was being controlled by a witch. He didn’t kill my father.”

An nalise snorted. “Oh, please. Don’t be so naive, Mason. You can’t honestly believe that he was completely innocent.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to control my temper. I felt like I was constantly having to repeat my words when it came to defending Oswald and what he did while under a spell that he had no control over. Why couldn’t everyone just listen? “He wasn’t in control of his actions, Mother. It wasn’t his fault.”

“He still did it,” she said, her voice cold. “And now he’s here, in our

Chapter 102

pack, where he doesn’t belong.”

Kora stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. “He belongs here just as much as anyone else, An nalise. He’s been nothing but helpful to our pack since he arrived.”

Mother turned to her, her expression contemptuous. “You would say that. You’re his daughter. You’re blinded by your love for him,” she scoffed.

Kora’s jaw clenched, but I spoke up before she could say anything. “That’s enough, Mother. I won’t have you disrespecting Kora and Oswald like this.”

Mother looked like she was about to say something else, but I could see the anger and frustration in Kora’s eyes. She was at her limit, and I knew it wouldn’t be good if either woman truly exploded.

“Enough!” I said again, my voice rising as I turned to my mother. “They are members of this pack, and they deserve our respect.”

I glanced at Oswald, who had inched a few feet away, whispering to other pack members. He looked up and caught my eye, and I gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment. It had taken me a long time to forgive him for what had happened to my father, but I knew in my heart that he wasn’t to blame. The witch had been controlling him, and he had been just as much a victim as my father.

But my mother couldn’t see that. All she saw was a murderer who needed to be banished from the pack. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Mother glared at Kora but didn’t say anything else. The tension in the air was thick, and I knew this argument wasn’t over. But for now, at least, things had calmed down.

Mother gave me a disgusted glare before looking around at the curious eyes that were lingering. She straightened her spine and stalked back toward the pack house, radiating rage.

As the crowd finally dispersed, Kora approached me. “Are you okay?” she asked, touching my arm.

“I’m fine,” I said, bitter with my mother’s constant undermining. “I just can’t believe my mother would act like that in front of everyone.”

Chapter 102

Kora gave me a sympathetic look. “She’s just scared, Mason. She’s worried about the pack, and she thinks that getting rid of my dad will solve everything.”

“I know,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “But it’s not that simple. He didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s already served his sentence by having to serve Deborah and Lyle for years.” He’d been a sla ve to the witch and her son.

Kora nodded. “I agree.”

But my mother’s words had me worried. She had never let things go easily, and I knew she wouldn’t rest until Oswald was gone. I didn’t want to imagine what kind of trouble she might stir up if she didn’t get her way.

I turned back to Kora. “We need to figure out how to make my mother see reason. Maybe if we explain everything to her, she’ll understand.”

Kora raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think she’ll listen? I’ve tried to talk to her about it before, and she just brushes it off. She’s convinced that Dad is the cause of all our problems.”

“I know,” I said with a sigh. “But we have to try. We can’t just let her keep acting like this.”

And the only alternative I could come up with was exiling her, but despite our differences, I didn’t want to. She was still my mother, even if she was being completely unreasonable.

Kora nodded, and we started to make our way back to the pack house for dinner. As we walked, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. My mother’s behavior was becoming more and more erratic, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

As we settled down to eat, I found myself lost in thought. How could I make my mother see that Oswald wasn’t a threat? And even if I did, would she ever be able to forgive him for what he had done?

I looked across the table at Kora, who was smiling at me. Her presence was comforting, and I forgot about all my worries for a moment.

“You know,” she said, breaking the silence, “I’ve been thinking.”

“What about?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.

“Maybe we could talk to some of the other pack members,” she said, her eyes shining excitedly. “See if they can help us convince your mother that Oswald is not a threat.”

I considered her idea for a moment. It wasn’t a bad one. If we could get some of the other pack members on our side, maybe my mother would be more willing to listen.

“That’s a good idea,” I said, feeling hopeful for the first time. “Let’s do it.”

We spent the rest of the evening discussing our plan, and by the time we went to bed, I felt that we might actually be able to make a difference.

But as I lay in bed, listening to the sound of Kora’s breathing as she slept beside me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things would only get worse before they got better. My mother was not one to back down. easily, and I knew that we were in for a long fight.

An nalise