Santiago pov continues
Adrian is sitting in between Mom and Mother, with Mom on his right and Mother on his left consoling him just as I anticipated she would be doing. I take a seat on his sofa, it smells so much like Camilla, I doubt he will ever be at peace in this room without her. I know, every surface of this room smells like her, he was sure to have her on every texture of it just so he can smell her and feel her close on nights or days she wasn't with him.
Adrian's head lifts from my mother's lap and he sighs, looking at me. “I'm sorry I couldn't accompany Santiago to pick you up.”
“That's okay dear,” Mother says, her hand brushing Adrian's back.
I roll my eyes, snorting as Mom grins at me. “Well, I don't mind. My responsible son picked us up because my irresponsible one was trashing his room which I plainly asserted was for him and his luna.” she murmurs, her hand lifting to knock Adrian on top of his head.
The action makes me laugh, making Mother shoot me a glare that makes me raise my hands in surrender. My mother spoils him more than his mom does, Adrian can't ever seem to do any wrong in her eyes. If she sees him screw up, she will always find a justification for his demeanor. His mom is the exact same way with me, you should think they traded babies but I'm right months older than Adrian is.
“Santiago, just to be clear and hear an honest version of everything, enlighten me on what happened.” Mom tells me, her face resting in her hand to watch me narrate the story of how he ran Camilla off. My mother gives her a disappointing look, shocked she doesn't take Adrian's word for it.
I rest my arm on the sofa armrest, narrating my version which is also Adrian and everyone else's version except, I don't blame Camilla for anything based on Liliana's words. When I'm done retelling the story, both women look distraught but Mom is more disappointed with Adrian than Mother.
“What happened here Adrian, did I raise you wrong? Are there faults in my upbringing? If yes then what are they and why are you the only child that turned out like this? How many times have I warned you to stay away from that girl? I spoke against that relationship so many times because I knew one day, something of this sort will become a problem.”
Adrian doesn't respond, he simply shakes his head. Mom sighs, using her arms to help her get off the bed with ease. “I'm going to check on Belle, that girl doesn't disgrace my upbringing skills like you did.” she says heading for the door, Adrian looks at me with panic in his eyes.
“Mom, Belle isn't here.” I blurt out, making her pause with her hand on the doorknob.“She went after Camilla and we can't find her or Camilla.” I explain, my fingers taping at the armrest anxiously.
Mom turns around, her hand dropping from the door knob. Her gaze seeks out Adrian's, her head slanting and shaking at him. “You lost my daughter too?”
“I'm sorry, I've failed you, I've failed this pack.” he whispers, his voice breaking at the last word leaving his lips.
Mother shakes her head, her hand caressingAdrian's back. “You haven't failed anyone Adrian, sometimes good people make bad decisions too. You always think and act in a fit of rage, you never calm down and reason with the facts that's why you end up making these disastrous decisions at times.”
Mom sighs, strolling back to Adrian and Mother. I watch her movements, the same acquired grace I've seen in Camilla reflecting in her and I notice Camilla is a luna in every sense, she's just sweet whereas others are bitter.
“Adrian,” she begins, settling down on the bed next to him. “You're an amazing Alpha, a good brother, son and friend but as a child, you got your fathers temper. You don't listen to anyone, that's the issue, I don't understand why you would cuss out your luna. Did you see your father do that to me once?”
“Mom she–”
“Did what, pushed your mistress and denied it? So what if she really did? Personally, I would have done worse in her place and that girl is lucky she only lost her child, I would have murdered her myself.” she snaps, cutting Adrian off mid-sentence, he doesn't get to make that useless argument he has been using all along.
I grin to myself, without it Adrian has nothing to justify his imbecility.
“Mom,” Adrian grumbles. “Camilla killed my child, your first grandchild.”
“Hmph, grandchild my foot. I wouldn't have accepted it either way, God allowed that child to die because it was never meant to stay with us...Adrian did you chase Camilla bring back the child? No, it just drove your sister off likewise. You need to mature and start conducting like a man, being feared by folk doesn't make you grown, you understand?”
Adrian's shoulders drop, his head hanging lower as he shakes it. Mother soughs beside him, her hand reaching underneath his face to raise it.“I think what Ximena is trying to say is you're a complete fool, I love you child but you're stupid for acting like you did with your mate. Camilla, that's your Luna, your strength, and you pushed her away. What happened to the love you told us about, you said you love her and she's everything your Mom said she'd be so where was that love? Did it all suddenly fade simply because she made a mistake?”
“Perhaps, you just claimed to love her while it was good for you? Because there is no way all that love can disappear within flashes.” Mom counters, peeking at him. “Tell us,did you see her actually push Angeliqué?”
“They were the only ones there, and Angel wouldn't kill my child Mom.” he mutters.
“And Camilla would?” I counter, my voice barely audible because I didn't intend on saying it out loud. I came here to sit and listen to him attempt to convince Mom and Mother of the despicable thing he believes Camilla did, hell he doesn't even believe it himself, he accepts it because Angel says it's so. Mom glares at me warning me to be quiet and I heed it, I am not about to piss off the fire luna.
“Did you see her or not?”
“No,” Adrian whispers.
“Oh, so you don't know for sure. You simply went and accused her of–”
“But Mother,” Adrian argues. His gaze shifting between Mom and Mother.
Mother shakes her head, her hand patting him on the back lightly. “Adrian, women would do anything for retribution and are ruthless with it, worse than you with your impulse aftermaths. Women are absolutely vicious when they sought to seek vindication but if Camilla is all you say she is, then she might not have pushed her. I refuse to believe that precious girl would do anything this cruel, if she loves you then she'd have loved that child just as much as you. There must be another explanation.” she tells him, despite his adopted unresponsive nature, she continues to speak. “You have to start looking for your luna and apologise to her, yes you owe her a thousand apologies. No man should embarrass his woman, Alpha or not you disrespected her by not standing by her when she pledged her innocence.”
“She doesn't want me looking for her, she said I shouldn't. I know Camilla, she was dead serious about it.”
Really, he knows her enough to acknowledge she doesn't want him chasing after her anymore but he doesn't know her enough to take her word for it over that of a common underrated Zeta? My eyes roll back at the thought, Adrian should start a club for stupid men and he can very well be CEO of screw-ups due.
“Then stay here,” Mom urges. Her hand smacking him upside down on his head. The impact echoing the room, my head flinches, a laugh tickling the back of my throat. I try so hard to contain it but it tears through me with a relatable force. Coughing to cover up my chuckle, I almost choke, making Mom glare at me in distress. Her gaze narrows from me to the water bottle on the table beside me, I reach for it. Taking sips of water as I choke subtly, soon enough, I'm done choking on my laughter. Adrian and Mother have continued with their conversation, dismissing me almost suffocating on a snort, but Mom watches me until I'm no longer coughing like a kitten choking on a fur ball twice its size.
Mom veers her gaze from me to Adrian, “Listen, I need you to bring your sister and our daughter in-law home. We don't care if you're mad at her but the Pack needs her, I am ready to hand over every duty to her. She might have wronged you in ways we don't know, but the Pack has nothing to do with your personal issues. The pack comes first Adrian, your decisions should only ever affect it in a good way. You swore upon your father's grave you'd be half as good an Alpha as he was and you've done good this far but right now, you're not doing a very good job at it. You sent your luna away from her people, when I sauntered in here I could scent the gloom from your people, they missed her. Even if it seems to be only because they'd rather have her than me for Luna, I'm not even offended by this development.”
Mother nods, “If you're convinced she killed your child, we can't ascertain you otherwise. We weren't here but to bring her home where she belongs, not for you but for this Pack and my daughter too, I miss my little goddess.” She instructs him.
“Umm, I think I might know where they both are.” Adrian says confidently, making every bone in my body twitch to prove him wrong.
I fist my hand, trying so hard not to act on impulse like he does. I begin to count in my head in an attempt to eradicate the thought and let Adrian discover his hypotheses on the whereabouts of the girls are wrong by himself.
One.
Two.
Three.
Fou–
“They are not at Dark Moon.” I let out, a deep breath following the relief of letting out the words. Adrian gapes at me in awe, all confidence he exhibited earlier extinct at the moment. This jaw dropped, eyes wider than a river look on his face is absolutely worth the outburst of self-control. I suppose part of me wanted to relish in this, the moment he found out he knows nothing and doesn't know where to begin for the first time in his life.
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