3. The decision

3

THE DECISION

A s soon as I wake up, I get a quick shower and head to my mom's house. It's nearing sunset by the time I pull into her driveway. Michael Scott didn't show up at my place until midnight last night, so I am assuming he'll follow the same pattern as before.

When I get to the front door, I don't bother knocking and walk right inside. Even though I haven't lived here for four years now, I still don't knock when I come over. Maybe I should , but this place still feels like home.

"Mom!" I yell from the foyer as I make my way further into the house.

She doesn't respond, but I hear voices coming from the living room. I head that way and stop when I see who is sitting on the couch next to my mother.

Mom's eyes widen and she abruptly stands from the couch when she sees me. "Madeline. What are you doing here?"

Well… if there were any lingering doubts that Michael Scott could be my dad they're certainly gone now. Not that I doubted it.

"So it's true." I cross my arms over my chest, giving my mom a look.

Michael stands. "I will go and let the two of you talk." He stops by me. "Madeline, I'll come to your house around midnight."

I nod to let him know I heard him, thankful he's going to give me a chance to speak with my mother alone. As soon as Michael walks from the living room, my mother rushes over to me and wraps me in an embrace. Part of me wants to shove her away and demand answers, but the last thing I want to do is hurt my mom. I can wait a few more seconds.

I wrap my arms around her, leaning into her embrace.

My mother is, like all the other succubi, tall. She stands at 5'11", making my own 5'5" frame feel short.

"Oh, Madeline." She sighs, leaning over to put her cheek on the top of my head. Her red hair gets in my face, but I ignore it and just let her hold me.

My mom is gorgeous. Out of all the succubi I've met, not one can come close to her beauty. But not once has she ever made me feel like I'm less because of my hybrid blood. She's the one who says I should embrace both sides of myself. I've always wished I could be more like her.

I can't help but feel a little betrayed by my mom right now. I need to know if what Michael said is true. Did my mom really keep the truth about my existence from him until I was eighteen?

Worse than that, I need to know if my mom knew my father was married. Because I just can't imagine my mother being the kind of woman to do that with a married man knowingly.

Mom pulls back, putting her hands on my shoulders. "You're upset with me."

I nod, not bothering to hide the truth. My mom knows me too well for me to lie to her.

She gently caresses my cheek with her thumb and then pulls back. "Let's sit. We need to talk."

I follow my mom to the couch and take a seat beside her. She fidgets her folded hands in her lap for a few seconds, like she's trying to figure out where to start.

"How did you meet Michael?" I ask, deciding I want to hear the story from the beginning.

Her entire face lights up as she looks at me. "It was a whirlwind romance, your dad and I."

My dad . It's so weird to hear that phrase directed at me. My father has always been a taboo topic. Anytime I've brought him up, it's always been shot down.

"Before you were born, I worked for my father as an ambassador," Mom begins. "It was so much fun. I got to travel and meet with other supernaturals. I never really enjoyed being around my kind. And being an ambassador gave me a chance to get away. I loved every moment of it."

She was an ambassador? How have I never heard about this? I thought my mom told me everything. At least, everything that didn't pertain to my father.

"I was sent to talk with the vampires about an alliance," Mom says, after a long pause. "Michael Scott was young and had just taken his throne and my father thought it was a good way in with the vampires."

I furrow my brows. "But we don't have an alliance with the vampires."

She shakes her head. "I'm getting to that."

I press my lips together to stop myself from asking more questions.

"When I met your dad, it was truly love at first sight," Mom says. "I was heartbroken when I learned that he was married. I figured what I felt for him was one sided and I did my best to focus on the alliance."

So she did know he was married.

I want to say something, but I can see the guilt in my mom's eyes. She doesn't need me to yell at her, even if that's what I want to do.

"You look just like him, you know?" She looks at me with tears in her eyes. "You're so beautiful."

"Mom." I give her a pointed look. "You're getting off topic."

"Sorry." She looks down at her hands as she continues. "Michael and I spent a lot of time together and my feelings for him grew stronger. I knew that I should've called my father and asked him to send somebody else, but I was selfish. I wanted to spend time with Michael, even if my feelings were only one sided. But the more time we spent together, I began to realize that my feelings weren't so one sided. His marriage wasn't so great. He wasn't happy."

My stomach churns as the story continues. I already know where it ends up—with me existing.

Mom clears her throat. "It only happened once. I felt so guilty that I left the next morning. I think Michael must've felt guilty too because he never tried to contact me—not that I blame him. He was married and his commitment wasn't to me."

A tear rolls down my mother's cheek and my chest aches for her. Yes, what she did was wrong, but she's remorseful.

"I would say that I regret it, but I don't." She wipes her tears from her face. "I got you out of it and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I want to hug her, but I can't. Not yet. The story isn't done and I need to know the rest.

"Your father never knew," Mom says. "We made a mistake and I knew he regretted it. I knew it after it was over—I could see it on his face. At first, I kept it a secret because I didn't want to ruin his marriage. It's not like he could just divorce his wife and marry me."

She's right, of course.

Supernaturals don't have divorce. We marry for life.

Most supernaturals have soulmates—the one person handpicked by fate that is perfect for you. But vampires and succubi don't have the luxury of getting soulmates. That's why choosing a lifetime partner is so important. Once a couple is married, they develop a mate bond, which bonds them to their partner permanently. It's like their minds, souls, and emotions are connected.

"Do you think Michael could've hidden the affair from his wife? They have a mate bond," I say.

She shrugs. "I don't know. But either way, I didn't want to put additional strain on them by coming forward about my pregnancy. And once you were born, my motivation changed completely. I didn't want to keep you a secret for him—I wanted to keep you a secret for myself. I didn't want to share you with him. And as you got older, the desire to keep it a secret grew stronger. I was afraid. I knew how much you didn't fit in with other succubi. I was scared you would leave me to live with him."

At that I lean into her, putting my arm around her to embrace her. "Mom, I would never abandon you. You're my mom. But Michael is my dad. I should've gotten the opportunity to know him."

She sniffs. "I know. I have made a lot of mistakes and I am sorry about that."

I want to tell her that it's okay, but it's not. She kept me from my dad. There is a whole side of me that I don't know much about because I've been kept in a bubble.

"I think you should go with your dad. He needs you. And more than that, you both deserve to get to know one another," Mom says.

My eyes widen. "You think I should go?"

"Yes." She pulls back to look at me. "You'll never truly be happy here. The succubi and incubi have a way of making a person feel inadequate. It's not just you, sweetie. They do it to each other too. You're just an easy target for them."

I shrug, trying to show it's not a big deal. "I know I'm not beautiful like a succubus."

Mom jerks back. "Madeline, that is not true and you know it. You're so beautiful. It's why the others make fun of you—they're jealous."

I roll my eyes at that. Of course my mother thinks I'm beautiful—she has to say that. But I know the truth. I'm just a hybrid—not quite succubus, not quite vampire. I'll never truly fit into either world. I've not got the charm of a succubus, and I don't drink blood like a vampire.

"There is one more thing," Mom says.

I look up at that. "What?"

"I told your dad about you when you were eighteen. But I asked him to stay away from you. Don't be mad at him. He is your father, Madeline. And he loves you. Ever since I told him about you, he has called me once a week to ask about you. He always asks me to send him photos."

My heart swells at her words.

I have a dad. A dad who doesn't hate me. A dad whom I would've had a relationship with growing up if my mother hadn't kept me from him.

"Will you ever forgive me?" Mom asks.

"I will," I confirm. "But it's going to take me a little time."

"Are you going to go with him?"

I shrug, still not knowing the answer to that.

Everything is happening so fast. How can I decide to just go with him only twenty four hours after meeting him? He's my dad, but he's also a stranger. My heart feels so conflicted.

Still, staying with the succubi and incubi doesn't feel right either. Maybe I should just run away.

But where would I go? It's not like I could ever live among the humans. I'm too different from them to ever fit in.

"Whatever you do, please let me know so I won't worry about you," Mom says.

I look up and see her dark brown eyes pleading with me. And even though a small part of me wants to deny her, I can't. She's my mom and I love her. This mistake doesn't change that.

"I will," I promise, then stand up from the couch. "I'm going to head back to my place. I need to think before Michael comes."

She purses her lips, like she wants to argue, but nods. "Goodbye, Madeline. I love you."

I give her a quick hug. "Love you too, Mom."

I head to my car, my heart and my head aching with each step.

What am I supposed to do? I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions. I'm just not sure which way is right. No matter what I do, I'm going to hurt somebody.

On the drive to my apartment, I changed my mind at least ten times.

What if, for once, I did what was best for me ? No matter what I decide, somebody is getting hurt. So why not make myself happy? Right now, I'm miserable. I don't want to keep being a lackey for my grandfather and cousins. I want to do something with my life.

But do I want to go with my father?

When Michael Scott shows up at midnight, I'm still having an internal debate about the entire thing. I let him into my apartment and offer him something to drink. He refuses and follows me into my living room.

"You talked to your mother," he says.

"She told me everything." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "So… does your wife know about me?"

He frowns. "Yes. I told her about the affair right away. It took her a while, but she eventually forgave me. And when your mother contacted me to tell me about you, I told her. I won't lie to you—she's not thrilled about your existence. But I know my wife and she will grow to love you as she does our sons."

I highly doubt his wife will grow to love me. I'm the proof of my father's unfaithfulness all those years ago.

"Have you made a decision?" He asks, getting right to the point.

I sigh and nod. "I have. I don't want to be your heir, but I do want to see what the vampires are like. I want to get to know you and my vampire family. I'm scared, but I know that going with you is the right thing to do."

As much as I hate to admit it, this is what I've always wanted. And if I ever truly want to figure out who I am, I have to learn about the other half of me.

Michael grins widely. "I was hoping you'd say that."

My heart warms at his excitement. He does want me to go with him.

"Thank you for the invitation, Michael."

"Call me Dad, please," he says.

Dad… it's so weird to even think it in my head. But he is my dad. I would've been raised calling him that if my mother hadn't hidden me away.

I nod. "Okay. I will call you Dad."

His grin widens. "Will you pack a bag and come with me on my jet tonight?"

"Tonight?" I look around my apartment. "But my stuff."

"I will pay somebody to pack your things for you. You can choose what you want to keep with you in my home and what you'd like to put in storage," Michael—Dad—says. "Just pack clothes for now."

"Okay," I say, agreeing.

Am I doing this? Am I really about to move in with my dad ?

I pause before standing to head to my room. "I am going with you to learn more about the vampire side of me, but if things don't work out with the whole heir thing, I still want to be family."

Dad puts his hand on my shoulder. "No matter what, you will always have a place in my home. I promise you that."

His promise is exactly what I needed. My entire body relaxes and I find myself leaning into his side, hugging him. "Thanks, Dad."

I get up and head to my room, but not before seeing the smile on my dad's face. He is happy to have me join him.