6. Luca

The momentI stepped through the front door, my mom grabbed my arm, and I winced as her grip pressed against my scraped elbow.

"Where on earth have you been? I"ve been so worried!" She demanded.

I looked at her, not sure what to say. Was she really worried, or was this just another one of her dramatic episodes?

"You don't answer my calls or my texts. Your grandfather has been asking for an update. I didn't know what to tell him! I can't believe you would leave me in the dark like that. I was so humiliated."

I narrowed my eyes at her, ready to correct her that I did, in fact, call and text her back, but she was the one who didn't answer.

Before I could get a word in, she continued rambling about last night's family dinner and how embarrassed she was that I wasn't there to tell everyone about my date with Levi.

She said she had promised Aunt Eliza and Uncle Robert that I would be there.

For a moment, I thought she was actually concerned about me. I guess some things never really change.

Not even after seeing her son with band-aids on his elbow or wearing footwear that didn't belong to him.

Actually, didn't Levi mention they called her earlier? Wasn't she going to ask how I was?

But then again, why would I expect her to do something she'd never done before?

She was now talking about some shopping trip she was planning, something about needing a well-deserved break because she'd been busy taking care of Grandfather.

I tried hard not to roll my eyes and mention that he has around-the-clock care, and that I barely saw her in his room unless he called for her.

Instead, I touched my elbow, the one she grabbed earlier, and noticed that the corner of one of the band-aids Levi had placed was coming loose.

I pressed it slowly back into place. It was barely a scratch, but he made sure to put a band-aid on every little nick and wound he could find. He almost finished an entire box.

My heart fluttered as I remembered how Levi looked at me earlier, his laugh, and the way his eyes seemed to say I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

"Why are you smiling?" my mom asked, arms folded across her chest.

"Nothing, just remembered something funny that happened earlier," I replied, trying to sound casual.

She looked at me suspiciously, then shook her head.

"Well, don't get too attached to the fox. You're still meeting Theo Blackwood," she said.

"Do I really have to? Doesn't Grandfather prefer I marry Le— I mean, the fox shifter anyway?" I asked, the words trailing off as I deliberately avoided saying Levi"s name.

I tried to cloak any hint of enthusiasm in my voice, not wanting to reveal my true feelings to my mother.

It wasn't just that I was dreading the ‘date' with Theo Blackwood. But Levi seemed... well, wasn't he as good as it gets?

In terms of an arranged marriage, it felt like I hit the jackpot.

He was hot, sure, and we clearly had chemistry. On and off the bed. But more importantly, he was nice and seemed to genuinely care about me.

Who cared if I didn't know his favorite food or football team yet? Those were things I could find out later.

All I knew was that if I was ever lost, he would come running to find me. If I had even the smallest injury or bruise, he'd take care of me. And that was enough for me right now.

My mother looked around nervously, and I winced again as she grabbed my injured elbow, this time tighter, and practically dragged me to the nearest room.

After hastily checking that it was empty, she quietly closed the door and turned the lock.

When she was done, she turned to me and said in a whisper, "You know how much I love this family." She placed a hand on her chest, a beat too late, as if it were an afterthought—clearly a dramatic gesture.

The bracelet on her wrist caught my attention, reflecting the light in the dim room. I swore I had never seen it before.

A sudden pang of suspicion crept into my mind. More like you love this family's money, I thought to myself.

She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to agree that she did love this family.

I sighed and nodded. I was tired and just wanted to get whatever this was over and done with.

She finally continued, "But this alliance with the foxes is a mistake. Your grandfather is wrong."

Wow. I don't think I had ever heard her disagree with any of his decisions before. Because that meant going against him and losing his favor.

"When he, well, is no longer with us," she said, the last part in a whisper, "it will be up to us to restore our family"s reputation. And the best way to do that is to form an alliance with the Blackwoods. They're not as prominent as us, but they're an old and respectable family."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. She wasn't wrong.

The Blackwoods were known for their extensive network within the magical community, and they had several rare artifacts that could strengthen our coven's power.

Additionally, their financial stability would provide a solid foundation for our family's future endeavors.

"And, they have a summer house in the south of France they said we could borrow," my mom added, her eyes gleaming in excitement.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.

I must be more tired than I thought because it seemed like my mom was willing to barter her son"s future for a vacation home in Europe.

I tried to push that thought to the back of my mind. A bigger realization hit me.

Maybe this was why I had been feeling uneasy around Levi. Why did he agree to this arranged marriage in the first place? What exactly did he have to gain here?

According to my grandfather, allying ourselves with shifters was the future. Keeping ourselves closed off was no longer beneficial, and being in the same area as them, we could provide protection for each other.

But other than that, what could the fox shifters benefit in this arrangement?

Was that really just it? Was the reason why Levi was so nice to me because of some pack duty? It ccouldn't be as simple as looking for a mate, right?

I felt like I couldn"t breathe in this small room and had to leave. I just wanted to talk to Levi and ask him.

My hand was already on the doorknob when my mom stopped me.

"Where are you going? Why aren't you answering? Tell me you'll choose the Blackwoods," she said.

"I don't know. I'm not sure."

"Don't tell me you're seriously considering that fox shifter. They're a joke. We'll be the laughing stock of the magical community if you do this. Especially after what happened to this family the past year; we will look weak, desperate." She gripped my hand on the doorknob tightly, preventing me from opening the door.

There was a wild look in her eyes, like she could see her reputation crumbling right in front of her.

"Look, I haven't made my decision yet, but I do trust Grandfather." I was surprised at the words coming out of my mouth. Despite not always agreeing with his methods, I respected him.

Yes, he has made some questionable decisions in the past, and he was hard-set on tradition and our family's standing. But he also prioritized the coven"s survival.

And right now, that meant putting aside any pride or preconceived notions, like our distrust of fox shifters, and moving forward.

"You've always been so difficult! You never listen to a word I say!" She said, her voice raised.

"Can we talk about this another?—"

"No!" My mother started tearing up. "How could you even think of doing this to me? After all I"ve done for you, this is how you repay me? I"m just... I"m just so disappointed..."

I frowned, quickly replaying our conversation over and over in my mind, from the moment I stepped into the house until now, trying to find out where I went wrong.

I didn't know what I said to make her cry, but I finally let go of the doorknob and put my arms around her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I promise I'll at least meet Theo."

I rubbed her trembling shoulders and added for good measure, "I'll call you once I've met up with him and tell you everything about it, okay?"

She nodded, lifting her head and patting my shirt, which was noticeably dry, sans tears. "Wear something nicer when you meet him. This doesn't look good on you at all," she said.

I looked down at my perfectly fine, albeit slightly wrinkled, shirt and nodded. It felt like anything I'd say at this point would probably be the wrong thing.

She patted my cheek, satisfied with my response, and then opened the door. "Get some rest. You look dreadful."

The walk to my room felt both long and short at the same time. I was exhausted, in more ways than one, and when my head hit the pillow, I just wanted to forget the talk with my mother earlier.

This wasn't good. She always had a way of making me feel small every time I was with her. But this had to stop. I needed to figure out how, and soon.

It was no mystery that I would be the next head of the coven, and with that responsibility came the need to establish firm boundaries with my mother.

I needed to make sure she understood that my decisions and opinions should be respected.

I mean, how would it look if I were giving orders as the head of the coven, only for my mother to undermine my authority and question them openly?

That being said, I also had to ensure that I wouldn't be so easily affected when she started ‘tearing' up again.

She knew it was lethal; she knew I would immediately agree to whatever she wanted once she did that.

Did I have to wear one of those helmets that impaired my vision so I could stay on track when I have the talk with her? I chuckled dryly at the thought.

It was no use thinking about that now because I couldn"t stop my mind circling back to Levi, wondering what he had to gain from this marriage.

I was itching to ask him, but for some unexplainable reason, I felt like I didn"t need to. It didn"t seem like he was doing this for any material benefit.

The first time we met wasn"t at some formal, stuffy meeting for the arranged marriage interview. We were just two guys in a bar.

Sure, maybe he knew who I was, but deep down, I sensed he didn"t intend to deceive or hurt me. He said so himself. And strangely enough, I believed him.

I looked down at the flip-flops he lent me. He was so attentive, insisting that I not wear the same shoes I had on.

These flip-flops, he said, were an old pair, but I couldn"t help notice that he had taken the time to carefully remove the tags.

It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes about his thoughtfulness. He must have bought them while I was asleep, going out of his way to ensure my comfort.

I let out a long sigh. Maybe I was just looking for an excuse to see him again.

I should definitely sleep on it. I wasn't even sure how or when to ask him about it.

Or should I even still meet him again so soon, since I was supposed to also see Theo Blackwood in a few days?

I did promise my mother I would meet him. She didn't have to cry because I still would have done it, even if for no other reason than to maintain good relations with the Blackwoods, especially as the future head of the coven.