Animalistic

23

My feet fly down the steps two at a time, the heavy footfalls of Atlas not to far behind as I race to the entryway. Jumping down the final set and swinging around the banister to the last set that lead down to the pristine white marbled room below me, my eyes set on one of the most comforting sights I've ever seen. Bright orange-red locks dripping down the sides of the delicate figure smiling and conversing with the welcoming regality of the Alpha Horne's, eyes of the clearest ocean blue squinting and wrinkling at the edges with graceful age and genuine happiness, freckles fanning the lightly over sun kissed skin, indistinguishable sounds like bird song echoing ever so slightly off the walls, thin fingers adorning small hands resting upon narrow hips with ease, the smell of overly sweet peanut butter cookies and breakfast lemonade wafting through the air, warmth of sunbathing under an early afternoon June sun radiating from that little speck of summer pallet against the lavishly imperial decorum of the room below--Mom.

Skipping every other step, almost leaping too far from the set of stairs, I descend like a madwoman, catching the shifted eyes I didn't know I desperately needed, seeing the widening smile I didn't know I could miss so, I kick off from the last step and launch myself the few feet forward into the arms and embrace of my flawless mother. She stumbles back a few steps as her arms gently curl around me and I latch myself to her form, leaning down a bit so that my head rested upon the shoulder I cried on in my earlier years and almost cried on once again, but for different reasons. One of her hands came to rest upon the back of my head, her fingers lightly brushing through the identical hair, like she use to. Her mouth moved to my ear, as I bury my nose in the sent of home.

"Hi sweetie" her gentle voice coos. I mumble something close to hi mom back but it gets muffled against her freckled shoulder.

While in this little moment of time, where it's just me and her, I whisper into her familiar shoulder "I missed you."

"I missed you too honey," she whispers back to me. "I don't want to say I told you so," a breathy laugh escapes her "but I told you you'd be chosen." There's a momentary pause as her face shifts slightly before her mouth returns to my ear, "and it looks like you took my advice." I tried desperately to recall what she meant, something about mistakes, but the overwhelming return of comfort in the face of all I was extremely unprepared overwhelmed comprehensible thought as the moment passed in sweet embrace. I couldn't cling on forever, though I desperately wanted to, to go back and regress into the six-year-old laying under the oak tree sleeping on her lap as she stroked my hair and hummed to me, but that's the past, and now I have to introduce the past to my future. With one final death squeeze I pull back and look to my radiating face mother's face, the smile I remember and love spread across her face, her steady round eyes gazing back at me before flicking behind me to the others in the entry room I completely forgot about.

Turning slowly, I look back at the three Alphas, Lady and Alpha Horne to either in front and on either side of my mother and I, Atlas huffing at the bottom of the stairs with a slightly concerned yet excited spark in his eyes. Right. I clear my throat slightly. "Alpha, Lady Alpha" I address each of them, turning and giving a slight bow of my head to each, "I would like to introduce you to my mother" I say stepping to the side slightly looking back to her.

Bells lightly ring from the Lady Alpha "Yes dear, we've met." Alpha Horne gives her a stern look. "And she is quite lovely."

I rub the back of my neck slightly. Of course they've met, they were talking before you tackled her you idiot. I turn my embarrassed eyes up to my mate, his eyes meet mine and there's something there I don't think I've ever seen before, a slight twinge of nervousness? Good, at least he feels the same as I. Reaching my hand out for him gingerly, I beckon him over with a reassuring nod. He gives a slight one back, a smile forming at the side of his mouth as he takes a step forward, taking my hand, I notice the slight shake in it as he stands next to me, towering before my mother as I turn to her. "Mom," her eyes flash to me before returning to meet the gaze of my mate, "this is Atlas."