58. Looking for this?

She ran to her home as fast as she could. The woman was unsure what to expect when she got there. Only one thing was clear- she was ordered to return immediately, and this time she couldn't ignore the Alpha.

"Where the fuck have you been?" he roared in anger as soon as she entered the enormous building.

"I was out," she rolled her eyes, heading to her bedroom, doing her best to ignore the outraged male.

"Information, I need more information. Where the fuck have you been?" He grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it painfully. She wasn’t one to show fear or pained expressions, but this time Luna nearly broke down crying. If he put a little more strength into his hold, he would have snapped her bones like a piece of plastic.

"I was in pumas' territory, visiting some old friends. What's the fuss about it, anyway? Couldn't your lover find some time to spend with you? Or were the clients, who can pay for her services, more important than you are?" Luna spat back, hoping that her sharp words would leave the man speechless. Unfortunately, they didn't. Quite the opposite- they made the whole situation worse. Just as Alpha was about to raise his hand and hit her, the packhouse door flew open with a loud bang. Alpha instantly let go of Luna and left the living room.

"Eros," Luna signed, for the first time in her life, feeling happy to see her son.

"Mother, you wanted to talk. I'm here. Talk," Eros leaned against the door frame lazily, his hair soaking wet. Droplets of water covered his face, clothing, and hands.

"Let's head to the office; I'm not willing to discuss private matters in this living room. We might as well stand on the podium with microphones in our hands. I'll get a towel and some dry clothes for you." Luna didn't give him time to process her words. The woman rushed upstairs, leaving Eros standing alone. At first, he thought of staying there and waiting for her to return. Then, he decided to head to the office. It was unlocked, so Eros entered and sat in his regular place. After a couple of minutes, his mother joined him, handing a pile of clothes and towels to Eros. Luna gestured towards the bathroom with an inviting smile on her lips.

Since when did she become caring and friendly?

Eros nodded and headed for the bathroom, throwing a glance back at his mother, wondering what she was up to. This woman never did anything nice unless it brought something good for her. She never cared for anyone, besides the comfort of her mate, and herself.

"Is it me, or is she acting strange?" Ares spoke up, invading suspicious thoughts his human side already had.

"It's not only you; I'm thinking the same. Mother is suspiciously caring and nice, something is off," Eros replied, sniffing the pile of clothing and towels, looking for anything to prove his point.
She might spray Wolfbane over the fabrics to weaken him; she might try to add silver details in the hope of hurting him.

"The fabrics are clean; I would smell if something was off. My main concern is she's acting like a mother," Ares stated, silently trying to find any explanation for her actions.

"I can't believe that after all those years, some sick motherly instincts appeared out of nowhere. She wants something from us, I'm sure of it." Eros scratched the back of his neck, feeling unusually tense. He didn't like overthinking, nor was he a fan of the unusual behaviour of people he knew for years. He changed his clothes and dried his hair a bit, wrapping the wet clothing around his hand and dropping it into the laundry basket. He looked in the mirror, wondering if he would ever be able to live without a mask hiding his face. For years, Eros took his cover off only if he was alone, a habit which was changing drastically. Now, he was feeling comfortable with his face not being hidden whenever Eve was around. The human was changing him, and now, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it.

"I miss Eve," Ares blurted out, half whining.

"I know, I do too. Let's deal with mother first and then head straight back to the apartment." Eros blocked Ares and left the bathroom. His mother didn't sit in her usual leather chair; instead, she sat on the sofa, which usually was taken only by Eros. A slight smile danced on her lips as she noticed his frame.

"Come, sit down, we need to talk," she patted on the spot, next to where she sat. Against all red flags, Eros sat down and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"You have five minutes, mother." Eros broke the tense silence, placing his hands behind his neck.

"I'm sorry," Luna whispered, looking down at her lap.

"The fuck?"

"I said I'm sorry, no need to be rude when I'm trying to apologize." Luna frowned, displeased by her son's reaction. This was the first time she had tried to apologize for her actions, so the response she received wasn't the one she expected.

"What the actual fuck? No, I must be dreaming, this shit is too fucked up to be true." Eros growled, pinching himself on the shoulder. He felt the little sting of pain- gasping as the realization of this being a reality hit him.

"Yeah, I already told you that there is no need to be rude. I'm truly sorry; I never thought that Evangeline could go into the heat. I never thought that you could lose your mind over her spending a little time with me. I'm trying to change; I want to become a better person, and maybe, if you'd allow me, help take care of your pups. The last couple of days have been troublesome, and I had enough time to think about many things. I know me and Eve didn't spend a lot of time together, but I got to know her a little better, and she's a truly wonderful girl. I want to redeem myself and fix the mistakes I made. Please, give me a chance to be the mother I never was," a tear slid down Luna's cheek, she instantly caught it, hiding any emotions she had.

"Is this whole thing happening because I'm supposed to become the King? Are you changing to gain more power? Frankly, actions speak louder than words, mother. You should have tried to do this before any harm was done. I know how displeased you were after finding out that I'd mated to a human. But she is my human, my mate, the greatest gift I've ever received. I still don't trust you, nor can I promise to trust your words in the near future, but I'll try. Now, if that's all, I'd like to get back home where my mate is expecting my arrival." Eros didn't sound like he was speaking to his mother. Their encounter reminded him more of a business deal than friendly mother and son conversation. Eros stood up, looked down at his mother, and extended his hand for her. Luna took it with a smile on her face, almost hugging him in happiness.

"That's all I'm asking for- a little time to prove that my intentions are nothing but the best. It's not about your title or anything, what could happen if you take the throne. This conversation is about me- finally growing up, understanding the importance of family, and trying to become a better person. I do not want to lose you, Eros. I don't want to stand aside, regretting that I've never met my grandchildren. My childhood and life have thrown enough rocks into the wheels of our happiness; it's about time to change and become a family. I want us to be just as close as we were when your father was alive. Just think about it, that's all I'm asking for." Luna dropped on her knees, sobbing, holding onto his hand forcefully. For a while, Eros and Ares kept fighting- one wanted to give her a chance, while the other wanted nothing to do with this woman. Tears stained Luna's cheeks as she let all of her frustration out. Her son stood tall in front of her. Even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to read his thoughts from the facial expression alone. The little, joyful boy, she knew as her son, was grown up. Now, he was a mated man. He was holding so much power on the tips of his fingers, pondering her future.

"Stand up, mother, you're still the pack's Luna. They will expect to see you strong and unbreakable, try and look like that, at least in front of your pack. As for your changes- we will see. Let's give each other some time, and later we can talk about how much change has happened since the last time we met. Now, excuse me, I have to go," Eros ripped his hand out of her grip and left the packhouse. He didn't want to stay there for any longer; walls were closing in on him, making the young man feel even worse than his mother already did.

"Are you going to trust her?" Ares popped up again.

"Damn it, I should have focused more on keeping you blocked," Eros whispered to himself, aware of the beast's reaction.

"No, you should have focused on her words and your way back home. Eve is waiting for us."
Eros ran, forgetting everything and everyone, with one goal on his mind. He needed Eve close; he wanted to wrap his arms around her tiny frame and fall asleep. To wake up next to the most beautiful woman alive. When he arrived at the bar, Eros was met with another surprise.

"Eve?" he called out, waiting for a response from his mate. Eros entered the apartment, yelled her name out again, and took off his shoes. He kept calling for her, no response. Eros headed to the living room, a little worried about waking her up if she had fallen asleep. The bedroom was neatly clean, her clothes piled on a chair next to her bedside. Eve's phone was charging on the nightstand. Her bag was dropped on the floor, next to the oversized hoodie, in his way.

"Come on, Eve, don't be such a pig," Eros whispered to himself. When Eros noticed her stuff all over the place and no sign of Eve, he was confused. He checked each room and all the places she could hide. Eve was nowhere to be found. Eros grabbed his jacket and car keys, ready to look for his lost mate, again.

"Looking for this?"