Love & Tribulations

Chapter 6

Erza's POV

"That's it, I'm gonna kill that pussy ass bitch!" Tris yelled as I walked into the room.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"I swear, if Ash does this shit again, I'm going to murder him," she remarked, sighing as she turned off her phone and slumped onto the couch.

"Really?" I chuckled. They always fought over the stupidest things. I'd learned it was best to stay out of it.

"Sooo..." she smirked, turning to face me.

"What?" I questioned, unsure of what she was referring to.

"Don't play dumb. What did she say?" she pressed.

"We just talked... you know," I replied. "And she asked me out... kinda." A strange sensation coursed through me. Now that Rose wasn't near me, my thoughts were spiraling out of control.

"Kinda...?" Tris inquired.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," I murmured. Tris cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm serious," I stated.

"Well, what did you say?" she asked.

"I told her I'd go?" I hesitated, studying Tris's reaction as I tried to process everything that had happened earlier.

"Well yeah, she's your mate. But what else happened?" she pressed, making me roll my eyes.

"What?"

"I don't know. I just... I wasn't thinking straight," I sighed.

No shit," she replied sarcastically. I swear she can never take anything seriously.

"I think I'm going crazy," I muttered.

"Why do you say that?" Tris asked, knitting her brows slightly.

"I mean, come on... a vampire? What about the council? My pack? What happens if another war breaks out?" I spouted, wondering what the moon goddess was thinking when she paired us. There was a moment of silence before Tris stood and gripped my shoulders.

"You can't control everything, Erza, no matter how badly you want to," she started. "If this is truly what you want, then take a chance while you still have one. Worrying about whether or not there will be problems won't stop them from happening, but I can assure you we'll work them out."

"You're right," I exhaled. It was better to focus on the here and now.

"When am I not?", Tris said with a smug smile plastered on her face. I smiled, shaking my head at her before walking into the kitchen. I returned my attention to Tris hearing her sniffle.

"My baby is all grown up", she fake cried wiping her non-existent tears.

"Oh shut up", I groaned.

"Don't worry, if that mate of yours does anything stupid, I'll rip her pretty little head off," she said with a creepy smile.

A low growl escaped me before I could stop it. Where the hell did that come from? Tris looked just as surprised.

"You imprinted on her already? It's only been a week!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"It wasn't intentional!" I defended.

"Okay, I'm just... surprised," she said more calmly.

"Yeah," I agreed, chuckling slightly.

"You know I'm always here for you right?" she asked, placing her hand on my shoulder. I smiled before she brought me in for a hug. I owed her so much, if not for her I wouldn't be alive right now.

"I know", I assured her. Just then Asher came in with a pout on his face.

"No hug for me", he whined.

"No, you little piece of shit!", Tris shouted, causing me to pull away. Here we go again. They continued to argue while I went to get a drink from the fridge. They kept turning to me seeking confirmation on 'who's at fault'. I'd merely nod, knowing that my opinion wouldn't matter once they got started.

I found myself recalling times when my father would try to reason with them, and while it never ended well, it always gave a good laugh. A single tear trickled down my cheek, the anguish building up as my vision started to blur.

A drop landed on my wrist, right next to my father's watch. I could feel my composure slipping, so I hastily wiped my face when I noticed they were beginning to settle down.

"I seriously can't stand you sometimes", Tris voiced, making me grin.

"I'm heading over to my mother's office, don't touch my food", I warned in Tris's direction.

"Yeah, yeah", she waved me off walking over to the kitchen.

"I'll keep an eye on her", Ash said before I walked out.

I knew this situation was messy, but I didn't want it to affect my relationship with my mother. I stood outside her door feeling my heart rate pick up. I gently knocked, noticing how my hands were shaking. I saw the door handle turning, making me suck in a breath. She opened the door and smiled before inviting me in.

"I was just about to-", she came to a halt and peered at me. "Were you crying?" I was taken aback; it had been so long since I'd been home that I'd forgotten my mother could read me like a book.

"Oh, something must have flown in-" Before I could finish, she pulled me into her arms. I wasn't sure how to respond. All I could think about was how my tears wouldn't stop, despite my best efforts to suppress them.

"It's okay to cry", she voiced delicately, nestling me in warmth and unconditional support. "Thank you for being so strong for me these past few days; now it's my turn", a small sob escaped my throat as her embrace tore through my defenses.

Once I calmed down, she made me sit. I was utterly exhausted. She grabbed some water and tissues before joining me on the couch, rubbing my back as if I were a child again.

"I'm sorry if my recent behavior caused you any more pain", she suddenly said, "I was genuinely shocked when you told me about your mate, and I'm truly sorry for reacting the way I did. You're already going through a lot, and the last thing I want to do is add to that. I want you to know that whatever you choose I will support you." I pulled back and just stared at her in complete shock. Who is this woman?

"Are you okay? Maybe you're coming down with something", I asked in astonishment, placing the back of my hand on her forehead. She chuckled at my antics before brushing my hand away.

"No, silly, I just want you to be happy." She said with a gentle smile. I exhaled deeply, pulling her into a hug; I didn't expect our conversation would take such a turn, but I'm glad it did.