Ruthless -ON HOLD-

A Ruthless Mate

Prologue

"Melanie?" my mother's voice drifts smoothly through my bedroom door, followed by a soft rapping on the heavy wood. 

I glance up from my book as the door swings open into my room. My mother steps inside and smiles softly, almost sadly at me. "Hi, honey," she says tentatively. Worry creases her brow and a sinking feeling settles beneath a growing knot in my gut. Something isn't right.                                                                          

I sit up straight and dog ear my page, lying it on the bed beside me. "What's up?" I ask feigning casual though my anxiety levels could rival the height of Mount Rushmore. 

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous action I'd picked up from her. Her hands come together in front of her, her fingers twist and knot. Untwist. Unknot. . "Um, well, I can't really explain it now. Why don't you come downstairs with me?" she smiles half heartedly again. I can't tell who she's trying to reassure, me or herself. 

What the heck is going on? Is dad okay? My brothers? 

"Mom, what's going on?" I ask, the suspense reaching a boiling point. 

She shakes her head, a solemn gesture, and smiles again, "It's fine, honey. Come on, your father's waiting on us."

Feeling uneasy, I slide off my bed. "Is everything alright?" I ask as she rests a reassuring arm around my shoulders, squeezing me, almost protectively, to her side.

She plants a comforting kiss to my temple, "It's fine, baby. It's all fine."

Author's Note: So this is the first of the edits to be completed. I didn't change much about this, just added and rephrased a bit to get the anticipation ball rolling. More prominent editing will become apparent in future chapters. Thanks for reading!

Much love,

-Al