CATRINA

I walk into my room, in my new home feeling distressed about the turn of events in the past two days. A couple of days ago when I woke up to find Connor gone, I never suspected that we would be fighting in the next few days and I would be rejecting his claim on me.

In the midst of all these things, it never occurred to me how easily I accepted Connor's heritage, my step-brother's heritage and most importantly my family's heritage.

The knock on the door of this room startles me. I quickly rush to open the door while tightening the woolly jacket around my body.

My mother stands on the other side of the door with a cup of what smells like hot chocolate in her hands and a small smile on her face as she waits for me to welcome her into my room.

Feeling quite uncomfortable to see my mother now when I know the reason behind her suffering, I offer a small smile of hesitance and let her come in.

"You didn't have to come up here. I would've come into the kitchen," I say, in an effort to initiate a conversation with her. I watch my mother as she enters the room and then places the cup on the coffee table and taking a seat on the couch.

She doesn't reply to me and continues surveying my room when her gaze lands on my bag of clothes.

"You have only that much belongings?" she asks, pointing towards the bag and then turns to look at me with a surprisingly warm expression.

"Yes," I reply.

"Why? You were adopted, yes? Surely you must have some things as a souvenir," she asks, genuinely confused about the size of my bag.

I shrug and let out a sigh, not wanting my mother to feel any guiltier that she already feels.

"My adopted family kind of started regretting me after they had their own child. My adoptive sister, she was jealous of me for being called as the eldest daughter and therefore, claimed as her right on all of the St. Clair's property," I say, trying to keep a lid on my emotions.

My mother's eyes widen and then she raises her brows as if trying to think the how and why of this situation.

"Did they ever hurt you?" she asks.

Her question immediately brings back the memories of how my parents had indirectly shunned me out of their lives when they found out about my pregnancy. I used to be all alone then, my parents neither my sister wanting to talk to me. My parents felt ashamed of having a daughter pregnant out of wedlock and my sister, she was happy to live like I didn't exist.

I blink several times and then focus on my mother to find her waiting patiently for me to reply.

"I have to tell you something. I know that you already know about it but I want to tell you myself," I say, remembering that Cayden told her but she won't discuss it with me until I tell her myself.

So, taking a deep breath and fisting my hands in my lap, I utter out those painful words which always bring back the memories of that horrific night when I saw so much blood and felt so much pain.

By the time I finish my story, I have tears flowing along my cheeks and my head buried in my mother's chest and she caresses my back in slow comforting circles. Her soft lulling voice somehow giving me the strength to look back at her.

"You are very strong, rebenok," she says and somehow that endearment sounds very loving. When Connor's father addressed me with it, it somehow made me feel like a bug but with my mom, it makes me feel cherished. I absorb the feeling starving to feel loved and wanted.

"I don't feel strong anymore," I whisper, letting my deepest fear that I am not strong anymore and that I won't be able to overcome this feeling of drowning that I feel when I am with Connor.

"You are, baby girl. Tell me what happened with your step-brother," she says and I draw back from her embrace, not sure if I should tell her. She smiles at me encouragingly, he brown eyes so warm and full of love that makes my eyes well up again.

"It happened the morning after our dinner. He came home and told me that I am his sister. I didn't believe him at first but then he shifted in my living room..."

My mom gasps interrupting me, "how was his wolf like?"

I frown at her question but then describe Xan's wolf. "Grey wolf. His coat was greyish and then a little blonde towards his legs."

My mom closes her eyes and then breathes out loudly as if she's relieved? I don't understand her reaction so I tell her the rest of my meeting. "He told me that you rejected him because you didn't want to raise dad's other son with your kids," I tell her and watch as she laughs.

The laugh is so cynical and chilling that my eyes widen in a bit of fear.

"Oh really?" she asks after a long moment. I feel very uneasy with this conversation. I don't know what to say but she beats me to it.

"Do you know that Xavier raped Xanthos's mother in front of her mate?" she asks and my eyes widen in shock at her raw truth. I knew that Connor and Fenris were hiding something from me but this, this level of degraded behaviour of my father was not expected.

I feel ashamed at the thought of my father being such an evil person. How can he think to rape a female that too in front of her husband like mate? What must that female had to go through?

What did the mate feel? He must have felt helpless and so angry to watch his mate suffer like that.

The gruesome image that my mind pictures makes me feel nauseous but my mother doesn't stop to tell me more of my father's sins.

"Did you know that your conception was a result of non-consensual sex? After discovering my pregnancy Xavier didn't even send a midwife for my delivery. My cell mate had to cut my umbilical cord and saved me from excessive blood loss," my mother's voice has risen by the end of her speech and I belatedly realise that I am weeping at the onslaught of my mother's emotions.

The cruelty with which my mother was dealt with by her own mate is unimaginable. Is there any werewolf here who can hurt his own soulmate to such a degree? Who can abandon his mate when she's pregnant and not even allowing her to have a midwife's help during the birth?

The thought brings back the memory of my own loss but there's nothing similar in our circumstances. Where Connor had left me because of a misunderstanding, my father deliberately prisoned my mother and left her to rot in that cell when she was vulnerable.

I didn't have anyone with me but she was alone with a bunch of prisoners and sinners around her.

How can I even compare my situation to hers? My subconscious chastises me making me shiver in shame and I duck my head in my lap, ashamed that I thought of my father as a moderate level criminal.

The sight of my mother losing her calm and detailing out my father's sins confirms that he was a truly malicious werewolf. He was evil. Evil enough to kill his own daughter? I don't know but I do realise that my mom sent me away only because she was scared of his intentions.

"I am sorry mom, I felt a little anger towards you when I realised that you gave me away and kept my twin with you," I whisper honestly, wanting her to know that I was wrong.

My mother embraces me while sniffling a bit while whispering, "my darling, I am sorry that I had to give you away. I am also sorry that you had to suffer at the hands of your adopted family. I shouldn't have trusted you with someone else, but I was helpless. If Xavier had known about your existence, he would've used you as a breed-mare and I didn't want that fate for you."

This new information startles me and I draw back from my mother's embrace.

"What? Like a baby machine?" I ask not able to stifle my gasp of dread. My mom's lips turn down in despair as she nods.

"I didn't want you to meet the same fate as mine," she whispers, tears running through her cheeks at a fast pace now. I wipe her tears and try to console her as much as I can.

"I am sorry that you had to go through all that. You protected me from that fate."

"But you suffered in the human world. You suffered at the hands of your mate too," she whispers making my own eyes well up but I don't let my tears fall. I promised myself that I wont cry for Connor anymore.

"Mom, that was supposed to happen. I am just happy to be with my family," I whisper unable to actually convey what I feel right now but looking at my mom's assuring smile, I think she got it.

"Okay, let's stop with all this drama," announces Cayden as he enters the room with a huge smile on his face making us smile with tears in our eyes.

"You promised me a tour of this house and the forest behind it," I whisper, wiping my face and then turning back to my mom who seems to have come out of her sad memories as well.

"Yes, I did but before that let's meet our niece, shall we?" he asks and immediately brighten up at the idea of meeting my newest family member.

"Yes, please," I whisper and get out of my seat.

~~~~~

Cayden leads me and my mother out of our home and into the neighbouring house, the one where I went early in the morning today.

"That castle behind these houses is the school or academy for young werewolves. It's called the Recranian Wolf Academy," says my mom. I nod at her, taking in all of the information while the sight of the house brings back the memory of my fight with Connor and how he walked out on me today.

I haven't seen him since then. I don't know if he's still here or not but thinking that he would at least tell me before leaving, I push him out of my thoughts and focus on the cry of the new born which is audible to me as well.

I believe when Cayden said that the baby has a healthy set of lungs, he meant it. I chuckle inwardly at the prospect and find myself eager to hold her. Even if I can't have my own babies, I always am happy to see others kids. It makes me feel less barren about myself. I don't know if it's healthy but I am past that thought now.

"Hey again, Catrina. I hope you had a good sleep?" enquires Sierra, breaking my train of thoughts making me focus on her.

"Yes, I did. I guess I needed it," I whisper while smiling and entering the house. Earlier this morning when I told them both about my meeting with Xan, Fenris had suggested that I should sleep and detoxify my body of the drugs that he had given me.

Apparently, Fenris thinks that Xan might have drugged me because of which I cannot remember anything about how I reached Connor's territory. I find it a little weird but at this point I am used to all the weird things happening around me.

"Come on, she's awake and happy to be in her dad's arms," chuckles Sierra making my mom chastise her that the baby loves Sierra equally. I get a hint that Sierra is nervous about all this baby-fiasco but don't comment instead watch as Sierra takes my mom's hand in hers and drags her into the living room. I follow with Cayden beside me.

"Did you think of a name?" asks my mother and I realise that they haven't named their daughter yet.

"No, I have three names in my mind. Fenris has a few too but we can't decide one," answers Sierra and then appears to be deep in thought.

"Let's go upstairs. I want you to meet your niece, sister," says Sierra to me and I startle out of my own thoughts of how I had planned names of my kids as well.

Ugh! What's wrong with me? This place brings all the thoughts of my past into my mind. Mentally, chastising myself, I follow Sierra upstairs, quite eager to meet my niece.

Walking into the nursery, I immediately take in the baby smell and a feeling of contentedness washes over me. Sierra walks beside me but quickly makes her way to the baby when it reaches out her hands to her mom.

I watch in fascination as the baby physically shows that she wants be held by her mother.

"She's quite intelligent?" I can't help but ask this. Human babies are almost in a haze when they are born but this baby looks aware of her surroundings.

"Yes, she's a werewolf-witch hybrid. She's definitely more advanced in her growth than a human," whispers Fenris as he watches his mate and their daughter's interaction with shiny eyes which makes me feel like I am intruding in their private moment.

"That's great." I don't understand what he said about the hybrid thing so I let it go not wanting to be overly curious. I'll ask mom later.

"Come on here, Catrina. Hold her. Meet your niece," says Sierra and Fenris nods his head motioning me to go to Sierra.

I feel quite nervous about this but still walk forward and watch as the baby tilts her head to look at me. I gasp in surprise at the impact of her gaze on me. She has deep blue eyes which are sparkling?

She looks at my surprised face and her mouth widens in a smile. She doesn't have teeth but her gums appear to be quite sharp as if they have teeth just underneath them. The baby looks at me beckoning me to take her in my arms.

Oh! My God! She's responding as if she's a six months old baby. Her eyes are clear blue now. I observe the rest of her features as I walk towards her.

She is a chubby little baby, who's tall like an average human kid but her hand and leg gestures are quite active. She has lots of hair on her head, at least shoulder length hair which is jet black like her father. She is like a copy of her father considering her eyes and hair but her facial features are more like Sierra.

The baby is beautifully fascinating to watch and she's still looking at me as if waiting for me to finish my observations and take her in my arms, so that's what I do.

I gently pick her up from Sierra, supporting her neck with one hand and holding her under the bum with the other. The baby holds still in my arms as if getting used to my handling of her and then when I pull her close to my chest, she snuggles into my neck as if sniffing me?

Fenris chuckles behind me and Sierra watches her child interact with someone other than her parents with adoration.

"Why is she sniffing me?" I ask nervously, not quite sure if I am stinking or if this is a normal werewolf habit.

"You are new to her, she's trying to memorise your scent," answers Fenris.

"Kotyonok, meet your aunt Catrina, ona tvoya krestnaya," whispers Sierra and I gasp in shock at the couple who's now standing together and looking at me. 

~~~~~

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