Madeline’s POV

"Fuck,” I mumbled as I bent down to pick up a broken piece of plate from the floor.

That was the second thing I broke today. Mrs. Rose will kill me.

“What’s wrong with you, Mads?” my best friend Alison asked me.

“You are so clumsy today.”

I ignored her question and walked to the storage closet to grab a broom and a dustpan.

“Madeline?” Alison called my name.

I glanced up at her as I started sweeping.

“My mom isn’t feeling well today,” I mumbled as I looked back at the mess I had made.

“She is still refusing to take her pills?” Alison asked worriedly.

I nodded, crouching down and swiping the broken pieces into a dustpan.

“Did she tell you why?” Alison asked.

I stood back up and walked to the trash can. I emptied the dustpan and looked at Alison.

“She said that the pills made her numb,” I said.

I picked the broom back up and put it back into the storage closet along with the dustpan.

“Isn’t being numb better than being in pain?” I heard Alison ask as I walked back.

“Apparently not,” I sighed, leaning on the counter. “She said that she doesn’t know where she is after she takes the pills. She said that she couldn’t feel her wolf.”

Alison bit her lower lip and furrowed her eyebrows. She looked me up and down and took a deep breath.

“You need a night out,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

I shook my head immediately.

“That’s the last thing I need, Ali,” I said. “I can’t leave my mom. It’s bad enough that I have to leave her to go to work. I can’t leave her to go to a party.”

I worked at the diner and the library. I took as many shifts as I could. I needed money. We were in debt, and I had to find a way to pay it or we would lose our house.

“It’s not a party, Mads,” Alison said. “It’s just you and me hanging out.

You need to relax a little.”

I sighed and picked up a dishtowel. I started wiping the glasses.

“Besides, we need to hang out as much as we can before we turn 18,” Alison added. “I’m sure that I won’t get to see you after you find your mate.”

I snorted and looked up at her.

“I don’t have time for a mate,” I said.

Alison gasped dramatically. “You don’t want a mate?!”

I looked up at her and frowned. Could she have been louder? Luckily, we were alone in the diner. It was almost closing time.

“Be quiet,” I whispered. “I want a mate, but I’m not sure that I want to find him right after I turn 18. I have to take care of my mom. I have bills to pay. What if my mate didn’t understand that?”

“A mate loves you unconditionally, Mads,” Alison said softly. “He would understand.”

My father didn’t love my mom unconditionally. He left her. He left me.

“I can’t be sure of that, Ali,” I mumbled as I started wiping the counters. “It’s better if I don’t find him immediately.”

I kept my eyes down, but I could feel Alison’s burning gaze on me.

“Have you ever even liked someone?” she asked me. “I’ve known you my entire life, and I’ve never seen you interested in a boy.”

I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

The only boy I’ve ever liked was my savior.

Being a fatherless pup wasn’t a good thing. I was bullied at school a lot. Kids would laugh at me, call me a bastard, pull my hair, and sometimes even punch me.

One day, I was leaving school when one of my classmates tripped me.

He pulled my hair and started to call me names. The other kids were laughing and pointing at me. I was embarrassed because I started crying.

I’ve always tried so hard not to cry. I didn’t want to give them the pleasure of seeing me cry. But something about that day was just so overwhelming that I couldn’t control my tears. Alison was nowhere in sight, but someone else came to save me.

He pushed the bullies away, kneeled next to me, and wiped my cheeks.

He told me that I was safe and that they wouldn’t hurt me anymore.

He said some other things as well, but I didn’t hear him. I couldn’t look away from his beautiful blue eyes. I got lost in them. He had slightly curly black hair, and he was so tall.

He left after he saved me, and I never saw him again. I didn’t even know his name.

But every time someone mentioned having a crush, he came to mind.

“Maybe when I was a kid,” I shrugged.

“Who?” Alison gasped.

I stopped wiping the counters and looked up at her.

“I don’t remember,” I said. “He was just a boy.”

Well, that wasn’t really the truth. He wasn’t just a boy. He was my savior.

“I can’t believe that you never told me about him,” Alison said.

“It wasn’t that serious, Ali,” I sighed, putting the dishtowel down. “I was 12.”

“I don’t care,” Alison said. “I’m your best friend. I should have known about it.”

I wanted to repeat that it was just a silly crush on a boy, but my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was my mom.

“Is everything okay, mom?” I asked her as soon as I answered the call.

“Flower?” she called me by my nickname.

Her voice was quiet and raspy. She sounded like she was out of breath.

Did she try to get up on her own again?

“Yes, mom?” I said as I gripped the edge of the counter.

“I love you, my baby,” she said quietly. “Always remember that.”

My heart stopped beating. Why was she telling me that?

“I love you too, mom,” I said, looking at Alison. “What’s wrong, mom?”

“I’m leaving, Flower,” my mom said quietly. “I love you.”

I froze. I was completely frozen. I couldn’t move. I wanted to run home, but I couldn’t move. I didn’t feel my legs. I didn’t feel my body.

No.

Please, Goddess, no.

Don’t take my mom away from me! Not yet!

Mike’s POV

I was holding Janet’s hand in a tight grip.

I needed her support. I would see my daughter for the first time in 15 years. I would see my true mate’s body being burned. I would need to talk to my daughter and ask her to come with me.

To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. I was freaking out.

“Mike?” I heard my name being called.

I turned around and saw my old best friend.

“Jack,” I mumbled his name.

He sighed and approached me and Janet. He continued walking toward the funeral site along with us.

“It’s Alpha Jack to you, but I will let it go this time,” he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

He was still angry at me. He never used to insist I call him Alpha.

“This is my mate, Janet,” I said, looking at her and giving her a small smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alpha Jack,” Janet said politely.

Jack looked at her and gave her a small nod. He looked back at me and narrowed his eyes.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

I gulped and took a deep breath.

“Leah called me,” I said. “She asked me to take care of Madeline. I am here to take her home with me.”

Jack tightened his jaw and looked away from me.

“Maddie won’t be happy,” he mumbled. “She will refuse to go with you.”

I could tell that he wanted to say something else. He started fidgeting with his fingers. I knew that he did that when he was nervous. He was my best friend for years. I knew him.

“But?” I asked, making him glance at me again.

“But she will have to go,” he mumbled. “Her financial situation isn’t good and there isn’t much I can do to help.”

Shit. The cancer treatment probably cost a fortune.

“She is poor?” Janet asked, making Jack look at her wide-eyed.

That wasn’t very nice, Janet. I mind-linked her.

I just want to know what we are dealing with. She answered. We need to know how much it will cost us to take care of her.

“She is in a little bit of trouble,” Jack mumbled, narrowing his eyes at my mate.

I could tell that Jack was pissed at my mate for asking that.

I sighed and looked around.

So many people were going to the funeral. Most of them were crying and comforting each other. It was obvious that Leah was very loved.

I could see the burial site up ahead. I could already see Leah’s body. It was completely wrapped in a white sheet. It was tradition. Her body was laid on a structure made of wood. It would soon be burned. The tradition was for the funeral to be held at night. The bodies were burned because it was believed that the fire in the night will show the deceased the way to the Moon Goddess.

My heart clenched. I loved Leah. I loved her so much. I just wished that my love for her had been enough to keep me here.

My wolf retreated completely. He wasn’t able to witness his fated mate’s funeral.

He never completely forgave me for leaving. He understood why I left, but he always missed his pup. I knew that he would come back when I approached Madeline. He would want to see her.

I could feel people’s eyes on me. I could hear them whispering. I didn’t even need to hear what they were saying. I knew exactly what they thought of me. The warriors at the border almost didn’t let me in. One of them recognized me and I was sure that he was going to attack me.

Thankfully, the other warrior mind-linked Jack, who allowed me to enter the pack.

Their opinions of me didn’t matter. I was here for my daughter. I was here to take her home with me.

Everything around me disappeared when my eyes landed on her.

Goddess, she was beautiful.

She looked just like Leah, but she had my eyes. Her hair was long and wavy, and the color was the same as mine. She was a perfect mixture of Leah and me, and she was beautiful.

She was staring at her mom’s body without blinking. She wasn’t crying though. Her face was expressionless.

“Is that her?” Janet asked.

I nodded, not moving my eyes away from my daughter. I wished that she would look up at me. I wished that she would smile at me as she did when she was a baby.

Jack approached her and pulled her into a hug. He whispered something to her, and she nodded.

She still didn’t look at me.

“Thank you all for coming,” Jack said as he let Madeline go.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked at Leah’s body.

Luna Maria approached Madeline and Jack. She cupped Madeline’s cheeks and kissed her forehead. I saw a tear fall down Madeline’s cheek. Maria took Madeline’s hand in hers and looked at Leah.

“Leah was an amazing woman,” Jack said. “She was a wonderful mother and a great friend to us all. Everyone who knew Leah knows how much she loved her daughter. Everyone who knew Leah knows how devoted she was to our pack. We lost a great she-wolf, but we are all better people because we knew her.”

Jack turned to Madeline and asked her something quietly. She shook her head. Jack nodded and kissed the top of her head.

He looked at someone in the crowd and nodded.

A man approached the wooden structure and lit the wood on fire.

I looked at my daughter. She closed her eyes and bent her head down.

A girl around her age approached her and pulled her into a hug.

“Let the fire lead her way,” Jack said.

“Let the fire lead her way,” I mumbled quietly.

I heard people around me mumbling the traditional proverb. Janet stayed silent. I sighed. It was disrespectful not to say it at a funeral.

Janet. I mind-linked her. Say it.

She glanced at me but kept quiet.

I tightened my jaw. I knew that I would have to talk to her about it later. I knew that Janet wasn’t too happy about my daughter coming home with us, but she could have at least said the damn proverb.

I looked at Leah’s body. It was almost completely gone.

My heart clenched. I wished that I could have seen her one more time before she died.

I sighed and looked back at my daughter.

Her wide eyes were fixed on me. She knew who I was. She had to know who I was. She recognized me. My pup recognized me.

I gave her a small smile.

Anger flashed in her eyes and she looked away from me.

Fear washed over me. Would my daughter even want to talk to me?

Madeline’s POV

"What is my father doing here?” I asked Alpha Jackson.

There was a sharp pain in my chest that was slowly being replaced by anger. I wanted that man gone. I didn’t want him here. He made his choice when he left my mom and me 15 years ago. I didn’t want him here. I didn’t need him.

“You recognized him?” Alpha Jackson asked, surprised.

Of course, I did.

“I have his eyes,” I mumbled, wiping the tear from my cheek. “And my mom always showed me pictures of him. She wanted me to remember him.”

She loved him so much. She loved him even after everything he did to her. He was her fated mate, who lied to her. He promised to mark her, but he never did. He hurt her so much, and I would never forgive him for it.

I looked back at the fire.

“I will miss you, mom,” I mumbled quietly. “I hope that you are not in pain anymore.”

My voice broke and I stopped to take a deep breath.

“I love you,” I continued quietly. “Please watch over me.”

I still couldn't believe that my mom was gone. She was the most important person in my life. She was the one who loved me the most. She was the one who always took care of me. I didn’t know what I would do without her. I didn’t know how to move on.

“I am so sorry, Mads,” Ali said quietly as she tightened her arms around me. “I will always be here for you. I will always be your friend. You know that, right?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the dying flame.

My mom’s body was completely gone.

My mom was gone. She was gone and she would never come back.

My heart broke into a million tiny pieces. I wanted to scream and cry. I wanted my mom to come to hug me. I wanted my mom to call me her little Flower and to tell me that everything would be okay.

I sobbed and leaned my head on Ali’s shoulder.

“Maddie,” I heard a man’s voice.

I looked up and saw my father standing a few feet away. A woman with an ugly expression on her face was next to him.

Anger rose inside me, and I had the urge to punch him.

“My name is Madeline,” I said as I looked away from him.

“Alison, could you give us some privacy, please?” Luna Maria asked my friend quietly.

“Of course,” Ali responded before I could say that I wanted her to stay here.

She kissed my cheek and let me go. I watched as she walked toward her parents. Her mom pulled her into a hug and it made me want to cry. I wanted my mom to hug me.

But that wasn’t possible anymore. She was gone.

“I am sorry for your loss, Madeline,” my father said, making me look back at him.

The anger returned. I wanted to slap that fake sadness off his face.

“Why are you here?” I asked, clenching my fists. “You made your choice 15 years ago. My mom wouldn't want you here. I don’t want you here.”

My dad sighed and glanced at the woman next to him. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

Who was she?

“Your mom called me before she died, honey,” my father said. “She wanted me to take care of you after her death.”

My eyes widened and my heart raced. What the hell was he talking about?

“I don’t need you to take care of me,” I said, trying to stop my voice from shaking. “You haven’t been taking care of me for the last 15 years.

Why start now?”

What did that even mean? How would he take care of me? Would he send me money? I didn’t want it. I had two jobs. I would manage somehow.

I would sell my house, pay off the debt and find a smaller place to live in. I already had a plan. I didn’t need him.

“I know that you are angry, Maddie, but…” my father said, but I interrupted him.

“It’s Madeline,” I said sternly. “It’s not Maddie or honey. It’s Madeline.”

“Your father is trying to be nice,” the woman who was standing next to him spoke. “You could be a little bit more polite.”

My eyes widened. I could have sworn that I heard Luna Maria growl quietly.

I wasn’t rude. I just didn’t want that man to call me by any nickname.

“It’s okay, Janet,” my father said, keeping his eyes on me. “Madeline has every right to be angry.”

I took a deep breath and released it slowly.

I realized that I wasn’t even angry at him. He didn’t deserve my anger.

I was just so sad. I was in pain and all I wanted to do was go back home and curl into my mom’s bed. I wanted to breathe in her soothing scent while it was still there. I wanted to pretend that she was holding me. I wanted to cry my eyes out and let the pain wash over me.

I had to keep it together for the last few days and I was so tired of it. I wanted to let go. I wanted to break down.

“You are 17 years old, Madeline,” my father said. “You are having some financial trouble. Janet and I are here to help.”

I looked at the woman. I seriously doubted that she wanted to help me.

The expression on her face told me that she would rather watch me burn next to my mother than help me.

“Who is she?” I asked, looking back at my father.

He took a deep breath and looked at the woman next to him.

“She is my chosen mate,” he said, making my heart stop.

She was his chosen mate?! He left my mom and me and took this woman as his chosen mate?!

“I know that everything is a shock right now, Madeline, but you will have time to get used to it,” my father said, looking back at me. “When you move to our pack, you will…” “What?!” I interrupted him.

Move to their pack?! Was he serious?! I wasn’t leaving my pack! I wasn’t moving anywhere! I wasn’t going anywhere with him!

My father took a deep breath and looked at Alpha Jackson.

“We are taking you home with us, Madeline,” my father said. “You can’t stay here anymore. I know I screwed up 15 years ago, but I am here now, and I will take care of you.”

My heart wasn’t beating anymore.

He wanted me to go with him?

No.

No freaking way.

I wasn’t going to go with him. I was going to find a way to stay with my pack.

I didn’t need him. I didn’t need anyone.

I was going to be okay on my own.