20. True Family
Ifeel it instantly through our bond. The turmoil of his feelings is almost knocking the air out of my lungs. And when he mutters the word, Mom, it's all I need to know. Oh fuck! Why is she calling all of a sudden? Why now, when he is finally starting to heal?
I can hear her voice on the other side of the line. I wanted to hear your voice, she says, and then there is silence.
"I can't talk now," Dante says evenly before hanging up.
Goosebumps appear on his arms, and he looks so distraught I'm scared he might do something stupid. He keeps shifting his phone between his hands, not sure what to even do with it. "You can give it to me," I say softly.
He nods and hands me the phone. I'm heading outside, he says through the link. I don't want Charlie to see me like this.
I'm not sure if that's going to help because she already saw that something is wrong. She has gone completely still, just watching us in worry.
Do you want me to tell her? I ask.
He stills and doesn't answer at first, then he nods. She deserves to know. He pauses. I need to be alone for a while.
Nefeli stirs in my mind, clearly annoyed. I make sure to calm her down first. This here is different. I will give Dante some space to sort his thoughts before seeking him out.
Just don't block me, I say.
I won't. He pauses. Fuck, I have a meeting with Liam and—
I will go, I promise. I will take Charlie with me so she can officially meet the twins. Don't worry.
He looks at me sadly. I'm so sorry for ruining our evening.
You aren't ruining anything. I wrap my arms around him, squeezing him slightly.
He places a kiss against the top of my head, taking a deep breath as if to take in my scent properly, and then hurries out of the apartment. Silence engulfs me once he is gone, and I just keep standing there, unsure what to do or think. I make sure to link Liam in advance so that he is prepared for what's going on, and I also ask him if his twin brothers are available.
The moment I mentioned Dante's mom, I almost feel Liam's anger through our link, but he keeps his cool and promises to make sure Felix and Dario will be there to hang out with Charlie.
When I'm done, I turn around, finally noticing Charlie's terrified expression. It's different from other times when she looked worried or sad; this time she looks truly mortified and scared.
"Oh no, honey," I hurry towards her and hug her. "Don't worry."
"But something is wrong," she blurts out. "Did something happen? Is it because of me? Did I do something? Do I have to leave?"
"No, Charlotte, we would never send you away," I reassure her, sad that her first thought instantly goes to her being at fault or us sending her away. We still have a long way ahead of us. "This phone call had nothing to do with you."
"Really?" she asks. "But Uncle Dante looked so sad. Is he alright?"
I contemplate my options and decide not to lie to her. "No, he isn't, but he will be. He just needs some time." I pause. "Did you realize he was talking to his mother?"
She shakes her head.
"I will give you the short version now, alright, but keep in mind that the rest of the story is his to tell." I wait for Charlie to nod and give me her consent before I continue. "I'm sure you know parts of it already. Dante's first mate died during a rogue attack. She was pregnant at that time, and both she and the unborn child were killed. Dante arrived in time to fend the rogues off, but it was too late for her. She died in his arms."
Charlie's expression changes to one of sadness. "That's terrible."
"For a mated wolf to lose their fated mate, that's one of the worst things that can happen to you. It's like your soul gets torn apart. On that day he lost his mate, his child, and the connection to his lycan. His lycan was so struck with grief that he went silent for years." I pause. "However, that's not the only thing he lost."
"His parents?" she asks.
I'm surprised she made that connection so fast. "How did you figure that out?"
"I just… he never talks about them. No one here does," she admits. "And I realized that there are different stories floating around. I have heard his parents both died, but also that his mother left."
People are gossiping; I am not surprised by that. Dante lets them believe what they want to believe. For him it's easier that way.
"But you still talk about Grandpa and about your mom, despite them having died. So, I had a feeling there was more to it; I didn't want to pry, though."
"You are not prying by asking questions," I tell her. "You can always ask whatever is on your mind. If we can't talk about it, we will tell you. But you don't need to hold back." I pause. "His dad died during the attack as well," I say. "His mom almost went crazy with grief. She… she blamed Dante for not saving his father."
"But why!? That's crazy," Charlie exclaims. "How could it be his fault?"
"It wasn't. But she needed someone to blame. She basically disowned him. I don't know what was said, but I've heard the fallout was terrible. Dante lost everything that day."
Until today I don't know how he survived it. To lose so much and yet keep going shows how strong he truly is. He once told me that his friendship with Liam and Aryanna saved him. It's the reason he dotes so much on Liam even now, and why he doesn't allow anyone to say anything bad about him.
Charlie stays quiet for a while. "That's just terrible," she mutters sadly. "If I think of Mom… she did everything to protect me. She didn't have to, but she did. She could have neglected me to save herself."
"I know," I say quietly. "It really sucks that Dante has to go through this." I pat her shoulder. "Come, I promised him I would go to a meeting for him and take you along so that you can meet Dario and Felix. And I think Livia is free now too."
Charlie agrees and gets up, helping me clean up the table before we leave. "Is Uncle Dante going to be alright on his own?" she asks.
My heart clenches at her question. "I think he really needs to be alone for an hour or two," I admit. "I, I don't like it, but I need to respect it. I will seek him out later. Don't worry."
Fortunately, we don't have to go far. Liam's office is on the second floor of the packhouse, and when we arrive Felix and Dario are already waiting with Livia.
"Hey, ear-biter," Felix greets Charlie with a grin.
Charlie rolls her eyes at him but then smiles. She seems to be comfortable around him and Dario, making me feel instantly relieved.
I turn towards Livia and gesture her to come forward. "Charlie, meet Livia. She is one of our promising young warriors and will be responsible for training you."
Charlie beams at the young woman. "Thank you for training me, Livia," she says. "I've heard you are really cool."
Charlie has zero filter, but I think that's one of her charms, as it just shows her honesty. It works on Livia too, because she smiles. Livia was bullied as a teenager and tends to be a bit closed off, but she is also sincere and has learned to have faith in her abilities. "It's nice to meet you," she says. "I've heard you are a tough cookie."
She and Charlie eye each other in approval and nod.
"Thank you for entrusting your niece to me, Beta Ella," Livia says. There is a glint of pride in her eyes, something I can understand too well. She has worked hard to become a warrior at such a young age, channeling all her humiliation and anger into it.
I leave Charlie with the three teens and head towards Liam's office. Liam and Aryanna are already expecting me, both with gloomy expressions although Aryanna's is more worried and Liam's towards pissed.
"I apologize for the change of plans," I say when I enter.
"I can't believe the bitch called him," Aryanna grumbles. "What does she even want?"
"I don't know," I say honestly.
"I talked to Eric briefly," Liam says. "Dante's mother is staying in Paris at the moment with one of the packs there."
"And?" Aryanna pushes.
Liam narrows his eyes to a dark glare, something in his eyes flashing angrily. "Seems like she wants to reconnect."
Frankly, while I wasn't sure why she called—Dante hung up before she could say anymore—this is what my gut feeling was telling me. I feel angry for my mate at having to go through all this emotional shit again. Losing his mate, his father, and his unborn baby in one day during one event was deeply traumatizing for him, and instead of having his mother at his side, she blamed him for everything.
Dante was finally able to move forward, and now this!
Aryanna just stares at Liam. I only know her as laid-back and nice, but now she looks furious. "Is this a joke?" she asks.
Liam looks similarly pissed. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"How did she even get his number!?" I ask.
"Dante hasn't changed his phone number," Liam explains. "He has always had the same."
I don't even know what to make out of all this. This is so fucked up. If Dante wants to reconnect with his mother, too, then I will support him, but I doubt he is mentally anywhere close to that yet. His emotions are in turmoil; I can feel them all too well through the bond.
"Let us hurry up and work on the schedule for the warriors," Liam says; he looks worried now. "Then Ella can go back to check on Dante."
Aryanna and I instantly oblige, both of us just wanting to get it done with so that Dante won't be alone for too long. We are almost finished when the door flies open, and Felix unceremoniously storms in. "Liam!" he blurts out.
Liam is up on his feet instantly. "What happened!?"
"I'm not sure, Charlie… her nose is bleeding. But it's not stopping!"
At hearing Charlie's name, my blood freezes in my veins. I jump to my feet instantly, hurrying out of the room. Charlie and the others have spent the time talking in one of the adjacent rooms. There is a comfortable meeting room, and Livia has gotten some snacks from the kitchen. The plan was for them to get to know each other better.
When I burst into the room, there are tissues lying around covered in blood, and Dario is pressing one against Charlie's nose while Livia is gathering more supplies from the first-aid kit.
Nose bleeding is nothing I'd deem dangerous, but it takes me one gaze to know that something just isn't right.
"It doesn't stop," Livia exclaims. "I already linked the pack doctor."
"Charlie," I blurt out, running towards her. Charlie looks at me, her eyes wide open. She looks terrified. For a split second, I swear something in her eyes flickers; it's almost like they flash purple. A dark purple, the hint of color almost not detectable, but I'm sure I saw it.
I take the tissue from Dario's hand and press it against Charlie's nose, making her tilt her head back. "Don't worry, sweetie," I mutter. "We will get you to the infirmary instantly."
"Let me take her," Liam offers. He and Ari have followed me and look equally worried now. "I will carry her."
I nod, about to make space, when a heavenly scent fills my nostrils. I know this scent more than anything else. It makes my heart beat faster every time I smell it, but at the same time calms me down as well.
It smells like home.
"I'm here," Dante says, hurrying towards me. "I can take her."
Liam smiles and nods. "Of course, she is your kid."
"How did you know?" I whisper.
"I felt your emotions going through the roof," he admits. "And instantly knew something was wrong."
We can deal with it, I reassure him. I promised to give you time. If you need more—
No, he interrupts me. You and Charlie are my family. And I will be damned if I leave you hanging.
Goddess, I love this man so much. He scoots Charlie up in his arms and makes sure to make a run for the infirmary. I follow him while my thoughts go back to the way Charlie's eyes flashed when she was scared.
Could it be her wolf? I ask Nefeli. Charlie is only turning sixteen soon and will receive her wolf when she turns seventeen. But it's not entirely impossible that she feels the presence of her wolf spirit already.
No, Nefeli says. I'm sure it wasn't her wolf. I would have felt her presence if she were on the surface.
Then what was it?
I have no idea.
While I follow Dante and Charlie to the infirmary, my thoughts circle around all kinds of possibilities. I want to believe that I imagined it, but deep inside I know I didn't. Maybe she has a gift? She was tested when she entered the pack, and she ranked beta, meaning she has a gift.
So maybe it was that.
However, I somehow don't think it is.
It's nothing more than a gut feeling I have. I have no proof, nothing. But at the back of my mind, I suddenly go back to when Dante and I started to look for Charlie. We knew Candy was her mom, but we didn't know anything about her dad.
Why did Candy not contact him? Why didn't she make sure Charlie was with him? There can only be three reasons… either Candy doesn't know the father, which I doubt. Or he is dead, which is a possibility seeing how she was on the run.
Or she was trying to protect her from him.