"I see she already told you about me despite telling her not to tell anyone. I told her to keep the news to herself till tomorrow when she will turn eighteen!" I say and Eric's voice immediately invades my mind, chastising me...
'Thank you for helping me take care of my mate would have been the perfect thing to say in this sort of situation Thor, common!'
I know Eric is right but I don't see anything wrong in what I said. I'm just having a conversation with her, where's the sin in that? That doesn't mean I wouldn't say thank you to her later. I know the right thing to
"Tell me about you?" She says with a snigger. She didn't have to call me delusional, it's clearly written on her face.
"What could she have told me about you when she didn't even know your name?" She ask wonderingly with amusement
'Is she mocking me?' I thought to myself in annoyance. I am an Alpha, no one is allowed to speak to me with such an attitude! Not even if she's old and my mother-in-law. Even Eric, who has a free pass to do anything with me, wouldn't snigger at me when we're having a serious conversation.
"Yes, she didn't know my name but you did! Most of you folks think you know who I am and spread rumors about me when you don't really know me! Perhaps I should have asked you; what did you tell my mate about me?"
'Whoa! Tune it down, man! This is beginning to sound as if you're interrogating her! I know she's acting kinda cheeky but please don't be so angry you'll forget who she is to Ash!' Eric growls at me through our link.
'Okay,' I replied to him with my eyes still on her. I wasn't trying to bully an old woman. Even though I'm angry, I didn't realize my voice was harsh.
There are so many rumors going around about me and I know my mate would have heard enough to give anyone a nightmare. Which is why I don't want her to know about me yet. I want to have enough time to explain to her that all the rumors she's heard about me were wrong and what better time to explain than after the duel when I don't have to worry about Evelyn, Justin, and their minions stabbing me from the back
She looks away from me after a while. That single act gave her away that she'd certainly discuss me with Ash. I don't know what they usually see in my eyes since I have never met a shifter who can keep eye contact with me when lying, much less a human.
'I understand what you're driving at but please be gentle about it. No matter what she might have discussed with your mate, the fact still remains that she was there for her, and human or not, she's the only one Ash recognizes as a mother. For that alone, You have to be a little respectful, you know!'
I nearly laugh out loud when I hear the pacifying tone Eric uses in talking to me. He so badly doesn't want me to offend my mother-in-law, he's picking his words. I found his attitude funny and my facial expression soften
"After she told you she met her mate and you put two and two together to realize I'm the one she was talking about, what did you discuss with her about me afterward?" I try to ask gently this time and she brings her gaze back to me
"Yes, we indeed talked about you but that was BEFORE she met you and not after..." She replies, emphasizing on the word 'before'.
"And this morning, it's not as if she sat me down and said; 'hey, Martha, guess what? I met my mate! No!... We had both planned to stop working and leave the Night-Howlers pack after her eighteenth birthday and we were discussing what she will do after working as a maid
She doesn't want to live in another pack. She wants to get a job, work during the day and attend evening classes so she will get her high school diploma. After which she plans to sit for the SAT to get into college. Since she didn't mention meeting her mate in her plan, I asked if she ever thought about meeting her mate and if she'll still consider going to college even after meeting him.
It was then she opened up to me that she already met her mate. When she told me she met you at the house we were asked to clean for the Alpha's special guests, I wasn't sure who it was between the two of you. You confirmed for me yourself when you came to get her just now."
I nod at her through the rearview mirror, a hint of a smile on my face. I don't trust humans because of their fickle-mindedness. Which is why I've always kept them at arm's length. And to think one of the humans that I have reservations about will be the one to help my mate while our kind betrayed her... The joke is indeed on me.
"Thank you for everything you've done for her." I finally tell her what I should have said the moment I heard everything she did for my mate.
"Don't thank me." She replies and sighs with relief as if she's glad I don't plan on swallowing her alive.
"I love Ash as if she came from my womb and boy, was I glad when her deadbeat parents finally kicked her out of the house? Hell yeah, I was! I had to quickly grab on the opportunity to legally make her mine, you understand?"
She smiles at me through the rearview mirror and I nod back at her. Since Eric said my smile is scary, I refrain from giving her one. I don't want to scare her more than I already did.
'Hell yeah? Really?...' Eric says and laughs through our mind link.
'I know, right?... I have a cool and sassy mother-in-law, don't you think?' I replied to him, wondering what she would be like when she was young.
"You're Martha... I'm Thor, of course, you already know that... That fool driving us is my brother and best friend, Eric." I introduced and they shook each other's hands
We rode in silence for a few seconds after the introduction and pleasantries were gotten out of the way.
"Martha, do you mind answering another question for me, please?" I ask her. I have another question on my mind that I need an answer to. I thought it didn't matter before but I have to know now since it keeps bugging me.
"Okay, ask away" she replies
"I just want to know, you know, so I will be prepared when she finally finds out who I am tomorrow, you get. Ummm... I want to know, what did you tell her about me before she and I met?..." I watch her eyes to see if she'll be offended by my question as I asked.
Normally I don't care about her feelings but she's my mate's mom and very important to her which means I should also relate with her as if she's also my mother, right?
"Please don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to blame or accuse you of anything. I just want to know how she felt about the rumor of me being a monster and all you know..."
"I understand your concern Alpha..." She replies, assuring me not to worry with her smile and putting my mind at ease.
"Contrary to what you might be thinking, we didn't just start to gossip about you, you know. She was confused about something and... well let's just say we kinda started talking about you because I had to use your parents as an example so she wouldn't be confused about her feelings...
I'm afraid she already knows everything about you. But I sure let her know the ones I knew as facts since I used to walk for your parents and the ones that are just rumors...
I'm sorry, Alpha. I know I shouldn't have talked about your family, just that I had to let her know about the mate bond thing since she didn't know. She was confused because she was not told. I let her know how important it is for werewolves to wait for their mate."
I didn't have to ask further what my mate was confused about. From what Martha was talking about mate bond, I realized it must be because of the boy the Alpha and Beta's daughter were harassing her about. Even though I knew it wasn't my mate's fault that she wasn't taught about boys and mate bonds, I still can't help being jealous.
I wonder how far the boy had gone with her. I wonder if she has given herself to him. I looked down at her lying in my arms, studying the contours of her beautiful, innocent face and I realized I'd fallen in love with Ash, my mate. I remember the dream I had where another man was kissing and caressing her all over. Thinking about another man fucking her fuels my jealousy so much so I want to kill her right there and then