A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

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+25 Points

“Alexander,” her voice came through the phone.

“Mom,” I greeted, trying to sound steady.

“You don’t call anymore,” she said without a second of hesitation. Not even a hello. “I’m left to wonder if I still have a son at all. Do you know the last time we spoke? And should I assume you’ve transferred your bad habit of silence to your sister too? Irene barely calls either. And I know why. You’ve influenced her.”

I closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me. This was a familiar tune. “Mom,” I said quietly, “it’s not like that. I’ve been busy–far busier than I ever imagined I’d be. Some days I barely have time for myself.” That was true, of course…she should know.

“You’ve always been busy,” she shot back. “You were busy as a boy, buried in those books, too serious to climb trees like the others. You were busy as a young warrior, taking on every training session twice over. And now you’re busy as Alpha. Do you hear yourself? Life has always been ‘busy‘ for you, Alexander. But family is not something you should treat like an appointment you’ll get to eventually.”

And there she goes again. I kept my tone even. “I understand. But I’m doing my best to balance everything, Mom.”

She clicked her tongue softly, the sound crackling in my ear. “Is that why I also had to hear from someone else that you’ve gone through with your mating ceremony? That you brought home the new Luna and didn’t think it important enough to tell me yourself?”

I sat upright, jaw tightening. There it was. I had known this conversation was inevitable. From the moment Faye crossed Blood Crescent’s border, my mother had probably known. She had her ways…she always did. And Irene? She would never hide something that significant from her. I wasn’t surprised. What I was surprised at was how long it had taken for my Mother to

confront me about it.

“You already knew,” I said flatly.

“Of course I knew. I called a friend the very day that girl arrived. And she confirmed it. But that is not the point. The point, Alexander, is that you never told me. I am your mother. I am also the former Luna of Blood Crescent. Do you understand the weight of that? I deserved to hear it from you.”

I dragged a hand through my hair, staring out the wide window of my office. “It wasn’t intentional,” I said. “There just wasn’t any need for the formalities. This wasn’t…” I paused, searching for the right word, “…this wasn’t anything special. From the beginning, you knew

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what it was: an alliance. Nothing more.”

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For a moment there was silence on the line, and I almost believed I had cut the argument short. But then her voice came, firm, each word wrapped in disapproval. “Nothing special? Is that how you reduce it? Alexander, do you hear yourself? That woman is your mate. She stands beside you as Luna now. Alliance or not, tradition does not bend for your convenience. Do you think the bond you formed is meaningless just because you chose it with strategy rather than affection? No. A mate is not ‘nothing special.”

My teeth ground together. I had expected this. My mother was nothing if not traditional, and tradition to her was as sacred as blood. Still, I couldn’t let her shape the conversation into something it wasn’t. “Mom,” I said, my voice steady though my patience was thinning, “I did what was necessary. That’s all. It doesn’t need to be dressed up as something it isn’t.”

She gave a low, disbelieving laugh. “You sound just like your father did when he thought practicality could replace heart. And where did that leave him? Where did that leave me? No, Alexander. Alliance or not, she is your mate, and that means she is my concern too. It is not too late for me to meet her properly.”

The way she said it made me realize there was no escaping from this. “You want to meet her. “I said.

“I don’t just want to,” she corrected, “I expect to. As your mother and as the woman who once held the same place she now does, I deserve that. Do not think to dismiss me by pretending this is optional.”

I rubbed at my temples. This was exactly what I had hoped to avoid. My mother had a way of turning simple requests into unmovable decrees. “Mom,” I said carefully, “this is not the best time. Things here are tense. I have my hands full, and she has barely settled in herself.”

“That is no excuse. Alexander, listen to me: neglecting tradition comes at a cost. You cannot isolate her from the family she has joined. Whether you value this bond or not, the pack does. I, as former Luna, do. She is part of you now, and she must be acknowledged as such. I will not have my son reduce something sacred into a mere transaction.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice from rising. “I understand what you’re saying, Mom, I do. But right now, I can’t afford to host visits or arrange ceremonial introductions. There are other matters pressing down on me.”

“So you would rather treat your mother like a shadow hidden in the corner of your life?” she pressed.

“No,” I said firmly. “That’s not what I mean. I simply don’t see the point in rushing through the motions.”

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Another pause. Then her voice softened, though not by much. “You are my son, Alexander. You may be Alpha now, but you will always be my son. And as your mother, I say this: you may dismiss me, you may delay me, but tradition will not be silenced. I will meet her. Whether you bring her to me or I come to Blood Crescent myself, that choice is yours.”

A flicker of unease shot through me. The last thing I needed was for her to show up here unannounced, sweeping through the pack grounds like a storm. That would unsettle a lot of things, and the last thing I wanted was more complications around here.

So I did the only thing I could–I gave her the promise she wanted, without setting it in stone. “Fine, you will meet her,” I said evenly. “I’ll bring her to you one of these days.”

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