In order to survive, Darius, the Alpha King, requires his mate. He will perish if he does not unite with her by the next full moon. After searching for days, Darius finally finds her but she is not who he thinks her to be.
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STUNNED INTO SILENCE, Pauline said nothing and stared at her daughter in disbelief, whose eyes were widened in anger.
For the next few minutes, both women stared at each other, until Ophelia sighed and turned away in defeat, falling back against the bed.
"What are you doing in New York, Pauline?" Ophelia asked calmly.
"I am here to bring you back home to Alberta," Pauline announced and Ophelia's head whipped towards her mother in shock.
"What?" Ophelia said then stood up.
"You heard me. It was a unanimous decision from the family to bring you back to Canada," Pauline said.
Ophelia frowned. Her mother was not making sense. "Why?"
"I told you it was a decision from the family. Your Grandmother raised the motion at the last family meeting."
Ophelia scoffed."Family? What family? The same ones who casted the vote to have me sent away, without so much as a second thought?
"The same ones who watched a little girl get dragged away, kicking and screaming, without any care in the world. Is that the family you are talking about?"
"Yes, that very one. Regardless of how you feel, Ophelia, the notion has been passed, votes were made and now you have to return to Alberta with me," Pauline said in a voice that meant no room for argument.
"Don't be ridiculous. I am certainly never going to step into that town ever again, especially not with you," Ophelia responded sternly.
"There is nothing ridiculous about what I said. And besides, you don't have a say in this. You are coming home and that is final!"
Clenching her fists, Ophelia angrily watched her mother.
"Why? Have they decided that I might not be as weak as they thought, or have they finally found a use for me?" Ophelia taunted
Pauline grinned but it was fiendish. "Indeed, Ophelia. You have never been more right in your life.
"Yes, the family has finally found the perfect role for you. Now, you finally have a chance to prove yourself to them."
Ophelia stood up to stare at her mother in the face. "Prove myself? Now, why would I want to do that?"
"Is that not what you have always wanted?" Pauline asked, raising a brow.
"You know, I haven't forgotten the times, I heard your father tell me, every time he would come back from visiting you, about how you begged for one chance to prove that you actually deserve to be a part of the family.
"Well, the time has arrived. This is it, your opportunity to show the other members that you are capable of doing something that will be beneficial to them in the long run."
Ophelia smiled bitterly, recalling when she wanted nothing more than to be loved and wanted by them. Looking back at it now, she could not help but hate herself for pinning after them like a fool.
"That was years ago. Now I want nothing to do with your family."
"Like I said before, Ophelia. Regardless of how you feel concerning the matter, or even what you want, you will come home with me," Pauline adamantly said.
Ophelia was getting more annoyed by the second. "I am no longer that weak little Ophelia who would go and come at their request simply just to please them and be in their good graces."
Mentally hitting her head on a wall, she asked tiredly; "So, what sort of 'perfect role', did they even find for me, anyway?"
"Two days ago, Leonidas became the leader of the family. And as you know a great leader needs an equally great partner, or in some cases someone obedient. So, we decided that it is time to find him a wife," Pauline told her.
It was obvious that Pauline was proud of her son. Oddly enough, Ophelia was happy that she felt no anger or envy at Pauline's words.
"That's great for you all, but I don't see what that has got to do with me," Ophelia simply said.
"It has everything to do with you, Ophelia. Who do you think the bride is?" Pauline said, smiling smugly.
Ophelia went still. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Pauline shook her head. "I know I didn't pay a high price for your tuition, just for you to turn out this dumb. "
Ophelia paid no mind to the insults. She just couldn't believe what her mother was saying to her.
"So, you want me to marry your son, is that right?"
"Exactly. I already booked our flight for tomorrow. The wedding is in a week from now," Pauline announced with a wide smile on her face.
Ophelia couldn't help but stare at the woman in front of her, unable to recognise the woman who gave birth to her.
From the start, she knew her mother loved her adopted son more but Ophelia never imagined her mother would deliver her to Leonidas this way.
With hurt-filled eyes, Ophelia poured out her thoughts and emotions.
"You know what, Pauline, I tried so hard to convince myself that you sending me away was not because you hated me but because I was not good enough.
"It took a long time for me to build my self-confidence which your so-called family brutally smashed. I endured the blame for being weak from you, I endured the pain of being sent away from your family.
"Heck, I even endured the judgement from the people of that town. But not anymore. I will not accept giving up my freedom and happiness for your family ever again.
"You are the most selfish person I have ever met and the only thing I regret is being born from your womb. You should've just killed me the moment you gave birth to me.
"That way, you wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of trying to raise a weak disappointment like me.
"But don't worry, you don't have to be bothered about handling this disappointment because for a long time, you ceased to be my mother.
"You can let the rest of the family know that I will not be returning to Alberta. So, please leave now and don't show your face in front of me again."
Pauline's emotionless eyes hardened slightly but it was mostly out of anger than hurt. It was as Ophelia expected, she felt nothing.
"You have made the wrong choice, Ophelia. Leonidas will come for you himself and when he does, there will be no hiding for you," Pauline said, then began walking toward the door without giving Ophelia another glance.
On reaching the door, Pauline turned back to Ophelia and said, "Be wary of the who you have been meeting. No matter what, the sins of the parents will always follow their children. You should be careful. "
With that, Pauline left, taking Ophelia's last shred of hope with her.
