Glen’s POV
“Mother,” I called huskily.
My throat felt sore, and I had a slight headache. It had been so long since I cried so much over something. I couldn’t even stand because I felt weak.
I was sitting on the floor, resting my head against her lap while she sat on the couch with her hand pressed on my back, gently rubbing there to calm me down.
“Yes,” she answered as tears filled my eyes.
I missed calling her that with my whole heart.
“Did my father ever love me?” I asked seriously.
When a few seconds of silence went by, I understood the situation before she could even respond. Berta was different from Lorin; whenever I asked her something and she hesitated, it meant she was thinking of a nice way to respond that wouldn’t hurt or disappoint me.
“He adored you,” she answered softly.
“I see,” I whispered.
“He never did, did he?” I asked Dominic silently.
“No,” he responded sadly.
“Did he truly love you like he claimed to when I met him?” I asked her.
“Yes, he did; your father respected and truly loved me,” she instantly answered.
“So he did love her. Who he never wanted was me, but why? Sky and I look the same, so he should have loved me too,” I said to Dominic.
“Maybe it’s because of what he said back then,” he answered.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He called us weak, remember?” he asked.
“But I was only a child back then; I am now stronger,” I pointed out, waiting for him to respond, but he chose to keep silent.
“Mother, was I the reason you left the pack? Did he want to kill me because I was weak?” I asked seriously.
She stilled her hand and laughed nervously.
“Um… it was just a misunderstanding we had,” she answered as I sat upright and looked at her sadly.
She couldn’t even lie; her facial expression betrayed her badly.
“Mother, I understand that you asked Lorin to keep me in the dark and to be strict with me because you thought it was what was best for me to grow strong and learn to stand on my own. But you could have told me about my father, even if he didn’t want me,” I said seriously.
“I deserved to know about my twin brother too,” I said, and then I grabbed her hands in mine.
“I love and respect you a lot, Mother. Even if you had told me about them, I couldn’t have left you for them because I know your heart, and I know how much you care for me. I’m not sure if Lorin feels the same, but…”
“She does, absolutely,” she answered loudly, cutting me off.
She moved her hands to my cheeks and looked into my eyes.
“Lorin may be strict, but she loves you so much. We both love you so much, and you should never question that ever. You and Dominic are who we love the most,” she said as I grabbed her hands and slowly moved them from my cheeks.
“And Sky?” I asked.
“I love him with my whole heart too, because it wasn’t his fault that he grew up without my care. It was all my fault because I couldn’t take him with me,” she answered as tears filled her eyes.
“What about my father?” I asked softly.
“I loved him so much, but after what he did, I couldn’t seem to forgive him,” she answered and then stood up.
“He truly was an amazing mate who cherished me so much despite my background. He was so caring, and there was never a time he did things to hurt me intentionally until I got pregnant with you and Sky,” she said in a cracked voice.
“He changed, and for the first time, I feared him. He was not the Alpha I knew or happily submitted to,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks.
“He became harsh with me, mostly when the healer confirmed that my sudden sickness was related to…”
“Enough,” I said in a low tone.
“I just want you to know because you have the right to,” she answered.
“No, Mother, I don’t want to know,” I lied.
I was really curious to know the reason and what actually happened in the past, but not at the cost of her tears.
I felt horrible watching her tell her story with pain in her voice. It was as if I were making her relive her worst nightmare.
“Glen, I can tell you this much,” she whispered.
I stood up and shook my head with a smile.
“You are what matters to me the most, and you always will be. So I don’t need to learn about the past,” I answered, then moved closer and wiped away her tears with a smile.
“My twin brother, Sky, looks exactly like me; he is also as tall as I am,” I said softly as she smiled.
“He does have tattoos and piercings, though, and he has a sharp tongue,” I said as she laughed softly.
“You both do; you take after your father,” she answered.
“Yeah, and he does have a mate who is a dragon,” I said as her smile faded.
“What about you? You said you lost someone who meant so much to you. Is it too late to go after her?” she asked as I felt my heart begin to ache.
“It’s too late, Mother. I gave up on her; after all, she wasn’t my mate, and I was very bad to her. I just hope she finds someone who will love and treat her right,” I answered, with tears filling my eyes again.
“You are in love with her, aren’t you?” she asked as I chose to keep quiet.
If I answered her, she would confirm that I truly was.
“It doesn’t matter if she isn’t your mate, Glen. If you truly love her, you can still be with her. It’s never too late,” she said softly.
I swallowed hard and blinked the tears back with a forced smile.
“It’s too late, Mother; she is already with someone who she truly loves. She hates me to the bone because I mistreated her, thinking it was for the best,” I answered and then sighed softly when she grabbed my hand.
“Was it my fault?” she asked in a cracked voice.
“No, it wasn’t. I was at fault. If I had been kind to her, I would have been with her by now,” I answered and then laughed softly.
“Sky’s mate is a lot of work, Mother; you would love her. I wish one day to have such a mate. It was a brief talk we had when we met, but she sounded honest and looked very strong and independent, just like you,” I said as she smiled.
“Also, your mate still looks good for his age. I doubt he has a Luna besides you because he openly shared how much he adored you, and judging by the tone of his voice, I would say he is still in love with you,” I said.
I was about to say how Jace was there but stopped when she moved her free hand to my mouth.
“You always talk more whenever you are trying to avoid discussing what hurts you the most,” she said as I looked at her, speechless, when she dropped her hand.
“You were so hurt when you lost her, weren’t you? It must have been so hard having no one to talk to. I really am sorry,” she whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek.
I felt a lump forming in my throat, and my heart ached even more.
“She was everything I wanted, but I messed up big time. I was a foolish mother, and I lost her,” I whispered sadly.
She moved and wrapped her arms around my waist as I sobbed silently.
It felt like hell now that the realization and acceptance were finally sinking in.