Ash's POV
I slumps back on my bed as soon as my mate stormed out of my room in anger. I would have still gone after him even though I feel bone tired but what am I supposed to tell him when I'm guilty of what he accused me of?
The kiss was nothing to me. I kissed Ethan out of curiosity and that's all there is to it. Even though I'm already at the age where she-wolves are looking forward to meeting their mates, I wasn't expecting to have one since I was a late bloomer and my wolf doesn't look like what other shifters' wolves look like. She doesn't look like what any man-wolf will be attracted to.
Martha opens my bedroom door then and sees me just lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Ash, is everything okay?" She asks as she further walks inside, looking concerned "Why are they leaving now? I thought they were staying for lunch?"
"He's angry with me. He somehow found out I kissed another man and insisted I tell him who it was that I kissed. He left in anger when I didn't."
"Oh my! But how did he find out? Nobody knew you kissed Eric except for the three of us, right?...."
"Eric?.... You mean Ethan"
Oh, pardon my mistake. I meant Ethan of course. Eric! A very charming man, that one." She says with a smile
"No one knows about the kiss except for the three of us. And I doubt if Ethan would ever tell anyone about it..." She says and sigh. "Shifters! Your world is so complicated! We, humans, don't give a damn about such things. Who you kissed or have sex with in the past doesn't matter. The past is the past as long you don't revisit it"
"I just wish there was a way I can talk to him and explain things. Tomorrow is when I get to confirm that he's truly my mate. What if he refused to show up because of this?"
"Why don't you call him on the phone then..."
"Yes. I can use your phone to call him if I have his phone number but I don't. It's so shameful that I don't know anything about him except for the fact that I'm attracted to him... He didn't tell me anything!" I say with frustration
"You're right to be worried but I'm sure he has his reasons for not telling you yet. You'll get to know in a few hours anyway so stop stressing over that... I have Eric's number. Let me go get my phone. I'll be right back" She says and hurried off
After Martha left, I get out of bed to go to the bathroom. When I return, she's already back with a gold gift bag in hand.
"What's that?" I ask as I sit on the bed with my legs folded under me. I can't help but smile when I see her smiling.
"Here, see for yourself." She replies and handed the bag over to me.
I look inside the bag, inside is a brown clasp closure manila envelope. I gasp out loud when I also see a brand new phone
"Oh, Moon goddess! Martha! You bought me a phone!?" I say with surprise and immediately leap out of bed to hug her.
She takes a step back, making me pause from hugging her.
"Easy with the hug please, I don't want you crushing me to death. I am an old woman. Every time you hug me, you don't seem to know your strength. Your hugs are always bone-crushing." she said with a shrug and we both start to laugh.
"I wanted to give it to you tomorrow morning but I just figured, instead of using my phone to call your mate you could use yours.
"Yeah, thank you so much, Martha," I said gratefully and she nods back at me in return.
I set the phone aside and bring out the envelope. I opened the clasp and saw there are papers inside.
"What papers are these?" I ask looking at her with a smile.
"Why ask me when it's right in your hand." She replies to me and I peek inside the envelope
I look back at Martha with shock when the word adoption caught my eye while I was bringing the papers out of the envelope. She just smiles and nods at me. It can't be what I'm thinking or could it? I thought to myself as I bring the documents out.
Oh, Moon goddess! It is what I'm thinking! My heart leaps as I read on...
Adopting parents: - Martha Davies.
Child's name:- Ash Anne-Marie... I stop reading and look at her when I saw Anne-Marie written as the middle name.
"Anne-Marie?" I ask with a smile. "I never realized I have a middle name until now." I'm emotional and trying to keep the tears at bay as I talk to her.
"It means; God has favored me... I've always liked that name you see and I promised myself I will give it to my daughter if I have one." She softly replies to me and the waterworks burst out. I can't keep the tears in anymore.
Her statement; 'I promised myself I would give it to my daughter if I have' got to me. I hide my face with my hands and cry. I have a mother now. A mother that genuinely loves and wants me. She's a human and I'm a shifter. She's colored and I'm white yet, all these differences don't matter to her. She loves me just the way I am, far more than my own kind. God has favored me too
She sits beside me on the bed and pulls me to her where I cry some more on her shoulders before I finally quiet down
"Thanks, Mom," I tell her when I finally raise my head from her shoulder
"That sounded awkward doesn't it?" She asks and I shake my head
"No, it doesn't"
.
"Are you sure? It kinda sounded awkward to me. That's the first time I'm being called that."
"Don't worry you'll get used to it"
"Yeah with time but for now let's continue with Martha and Flame..." She says in dismissal and Immediately changed the subject. I can tell she's shy so I let her be for the moment
"So now that we've gotten that out of the way, bring your phone out, and let's set it up together." She says and I remove the phone from the box
I'm eighteen but Martha's phone is the first phone I ever handled in my life. I remember when I was fifteen. My dad had just bought a new phone and gave me his old one. I was excited to finally have a phone and was about to unlock it when Celine collected it and smashed it against the wall.
Now I have a brand new one that belongs to me. I'm excited and within an hour, I have an email account and every social media application Martha advises me to download. My first friend is Ethan of course since Martha is not on any of them.
It's almost evening when we are finally done. While I'm still on my bed learning the ropes of my phone Martha brings food into my room and we eat together before she leaves for her room giving me the privacy to talk to my mate alone.
I call Eric's number that I already saved on my phone...
"So you now have a phone," he says when he finally answers my call on the third try
"Excuse me?"
"Martha told me you don't have a phone before when I ask for your number"
"Yes, I don't! But how did you know I was the one calling you?"
"The number is registered in your name and it popped up on my phone here when you called. Since I don't know that many people called Ash, I guessed it would be you"
"Oh, okay. Martha just bought it for me as my birthday gift and she decided to give it to me today instead since I needed to call 'you know who'. I hope you understand who I'm talking about?" I ask and he burst out laughing
"Oh, I know who you're talking about alright. Well, I would have loved to chat with you more but if eyes could kill, your 'you know who,' who is sitting right here by my side would have killed me a hundred times over. Let me give him the phone. I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah... Bye"
Before I can finish bidding Eric goodbye, I hear my mate's voice take over from his friend and it immediately feels as if I've been cloaked with warmth all over.
"I'm busy right now but I'll call you back as soon as I'm done, alright?" His voice is surprisingly gentle, making me wonder if it's the same person that was angry with me earlier
"Okay..." I reply and the line immediately disconnects
I breathe a sigh of relief after the call ended. I'm relieved he didn't sound as if he's angry or was he just pretending because of his friend?