“Enough, we are not here to argue who was right and who was wrong,” my mother says when my brother jumps up from his chair. I shake my head. If he is supposed to be smoothing things over, it isn’t working.
“Enough? She is the one who went against her own family for that fucking prick,” Eziah hisses.
“Eziah!” My mother growls at him in a warning.
“Fine, he fucking kills you don’t come crying to me!”
“Since when have I ever come crying to you for anything, any of you? If I wanted help, you would all be the last people I went to!” I yell at them. My hands clench into fists at my sides. I feel Jonah’s arms wrap around my waist, tugging me back against him. He buries his face in my neck, and I suck in a breath, trying to calm down. I am livid; they all blatantly ignore me most of the time, but then claim to be helping me by hurting my mate.
“Marabella, you don’t mean that,” my mother says, reaching for my hand, but I yank it away from her.
“Don’t I? Because last time I checked, Eziah blew up over something that had nothing to do with him, and I defended my mate, yet you all ran to his side while backing away from mine.” I hiss.
“No, that’s not what happened, Marabella. You know your magic is different it’s… it’s-”
“I would choose your words very wisely in my house,” Kyan’s voice says behind me. Eziah growls, stepping toward him, and my mother gets in his path.
“Sit down, now!” she snaps at him. Eziah growls, backing up but refuses to sit down. Kyan leans against the door frame, unfazed by my brother’s tantrum.
“Why would you even bring him here?” I ask her.
“We were on our way to look for Rose. Eziah is going to try to track her.” So they aren’t really here to see me but just stopping in because they are in the city. I shake my head.
“What happened with Rose?” Jonah asks, standing straighter.
“Nothing you need to worry about; your father didn’t want to worry you,” my mother answers.
“No, what is going on?” Jonah demands, and my mother sighs.
“Rose took off with one of her friends, and she never returned home.”
“I will go get dressed and come help you all find her,” Jonah says, kissing my cheek and walking out.
Kyan steps aside, letting him pass before moving closer to me and placing his hand on my hip. My brother growls at him, and I glare at him.
“You would choose him over me?” he asks, disbelief evident in his voice.
“I am not choosing anyone, Eziah.” I shake my head.
“He tried to rape you. What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growls.
“He wouldn’t have done it!” I snap back at him.
My mother glares at Kyan before her head tilts to the side. I have seen that look plenty of times when she examines auras. She sighs, rubbing her temples. “He wouldn’t have done it; he was trying to scare her.” My mother shocks me by defending him.
“Fucking bullshit,” Eziah snarls at her.
“You are in enough trouble, mister, settle down or go wait in the car!” my mother growls at him, and her eyes glow fluorescent in warning, another look I have seen when she is about to lose her shit and deliver an ass-whooping.
Eziah barges past her, heading for the door. “He will kill you, and when he does, you have no one to blame but yourself,” Eziah spits at me, then storms out.
“Fucking teenagers,” my mother curses, and I purse my lips. She shakes her head and her eyes fall on me. “Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. I should have come sooner, but I only just got back from the Moon Goddess realm this morning and had to come to help your uncle. Your fathers have done nothing but fight over how they handled the Alpha challenge, and your brother has lost the damn plot with the drama over Marley.” She shakes her head and exhales loudly.
“What happened with Marley?” I ask. It never ceases to amaze me how nobody tells me anything.
“She wasn’t answering her damn phone, so Eziah went over there and caught her sleeping with her mate.”
“She found her mate?” I gasp.
“Yes, anyway, he has been in a mood since and only just told me last night. Your fathers found him passed out drunk on the damn border where he crashed your father’s car.” My eyebrows escape into my hairline in shock. Eziah has been in a mood for a while, making me wonder if that is why he is suddenly so angry. Still, it doesn’t mean I deserve his bullshit.
“So anyway, we should go. I just wanted to stop by, apologize. Then get you back home so we can put all this behind us, and your fathers really miss you, Marabella. They feel terrible. You just scared them, is all, and they overreacted,” my mother continues rambling when I cut her off.
“I am not going home. I am staying here.”
My mother stops talking and looks between Kyan and me. “No, you are coming home. That is why I am here, Marabella. You can’t stay with Kyan.”
“He is my mate, and I am an adult. I can do as I please. I am not leaving!”
“Nonsense, come on, we need to go,” she says, going to grab my arm, and I am shocked when Kyan grabs her.
“She said she is staying,” Kyan’s voice holds a warning. I hope I never see it come into action. I gasp, looking at his hand on her arm. My mother also looks down at his hand, gripping her, and my eyes widen when I watch hers glow in her fury.
“Mom?” I gasp.
“I suggest you move your hand, Kyan!” she hisses.
“And I suggest you leave,” Kyan says calmly, though I feel his grip on my hip tighten, his hand slips under my shirt.
“She isn’t leaving with you if she doesn’t want to.” My mother looks at me, but I look away. I swallow, feeling guilty about the look she gave me. My mother steps closer, and Kyan’s hand moves across my stomach. “Marabella?”
I chew my lip but I am not leaving. That place isn’t home to me anymore, as it stands I currently don’t have a home, but I feel more comfortable here than I ever did there with her. “I think you should go.”