Chapter 30 Breaking the News #2
Does she know I’m here yet? I knock lightly on the door before opening it.
Mom looks up, brushing her hair back. “Tatum, what are you doing here?” she asks. So, she knew I had arrived, because she had wiped away the tears already, but her bloodshot eyes are a dead giveaway that she’s upset. She must have seen me through the cameras.
“I thought my mom might need me,” I answer softly as I walk over to the armchair she’s sitting in. “She’s going to come back, alright?”
She doesn’t answer, wrapping her arms around my waist, and I hug her tightly. She’s silent, but her heart is racing. I stroke her hair. “It’s ok to show others how you feel, Mom… Let me be there for you, for once.”
Her arm tightens. “I wish she had talked about it with me. I could have gone instead. Why did she feel she couldn’t come to me or any of us?
” she whispers. “She left a letter… she’s been working on this for so long, and she even traded her voice for Hades’ favour.
Why would she even think she has to be the one to make all the sacrifices? ” Mom continues, her voice muffled.
I frown. What? “What do you mean she traded her voice?”
Mom pulls away and picks up a letter from the table.
“It was delivered to me by magic courier a few minutes after our call. I didn’t even know she knew how to send messages like this.
It’s an old practice, one that, as far as I know, no one can even use.
I didn’t even know my daughter knew how to…
There’s so much I don’t even know about her. ”
“You know her, Mom. She just…” I sigh softly, looking down at the letter. “She just needs to spread her wings herself. She had to save Si; we all would do it willingly. They’ll be back; she was confident.”
“I know… I hope she returns to us. Those three were- are inseparable. Read the letter.”
I look over the letter, skimming through it.
She begins by informing Mom about the plan; I’ve heard that part already. Then she moves on to her voice.
I made a trade with Hades, Mama, because he’s the only god who would willingly help.
He may be seen as a villain, but there’s a lot more to him than that.
I traded my voice, Mama, in return for safe passage to and from the Realm of the Gods.
I can still do spells, so don’t worry. This is a small price to pay to bring Sienna back. And you know I’d pay it willingly.
I read the passage and sigh.
Fuck, Heaven, you paid such a high price.
Mom sighs. “I want Sienna back; I’m just so scared we won’t see any of them again… And Ahren, the quints, not to mention Allie! You guys are the future; we’re the ones who were supposed to take risks, not her, not them.”
“Maybe Uncle Liam is right; you guys just need to give us the best training possible, so when she returns – and she goddamn will – then you need to teach her everything you know. Give her the power to become stronger with everything you have. It won’t do any harm to help her.”
Mom nods, her eyes flashing. “I will, and I refuse to sit here and sulk. I… She will return.” She stands, taking a deep breath. “Right, we have work to do. Let’s do our part. Have you reported to Leo yet?”
“No, he hasn’t called yet.” Although I travelled mainly in wolf form, and there was no way I could answer my phone anyway, he hadn’t called.
Mom nods. “Then we just wait… wait for them to come back. Maybe I should call Raven and Liam; their five sons have gone… She asked if I shared the details of the mission with the others.”
“It’s a good enough excuse to call- I mean, reason, you should definitely call.” I change tune as Mom narrows her eyes.
“Also… Uncle’s either going to have to initiate me back as Alpha, or he’s going to have to get everyone under him…
again.” I cringe internally at how the elders are going to react to this.
There’s always been some who looked down on Dad and now me.
Although initially the members were happy to join the sub-pack, their children found it lacked the fame and recognition of the main pack.
“Well, with this stunt Ahren pulled, I’m not sure what Rayhan will do,” Mom says, shaking her head.
I shrug. “Well, Uncle’s chill, he might be fine.”
The doorbell rings, and Mom looks at her phone. “It’s Uncle,” she says, surprised as she hurries to the door. I follow her out, holding Heaven’s letter in my hand. The moment Mom opens the door, Grandad Al wraps his arms around her.
“There’s my girl, now don’t tell me you’ve been crying?”
“I haven’t,” Mom denies haughtily.
“Good, these little fuckers are not worth the tears.”
“How’s Kiara? Shouldn’t you be with her?” Mom asks.
Granddad Al shakes his head. “Dante’s with her; besides, she’s confident they’re all going to make it back, and I’m going to take her word for it.”
I raise an eyebrow. Not my word? I said the same thing.
Mom nods before she hugs him around the waist, burying her face in his chest.
At least she has Granddad Al. He might be grumpy and annoy everyone at times, but he does care for her.
“Thanks for coming,” I say quietly.
“Yeah, well, I still needed to have a word with you in person. And when those fuckers get back, them, too.”
“Right,” I reply flatly.
I take that back; maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t come.