Page 10 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha

Idon’t know how Floyd did it, but this time when I come home, it’s just Mom waiting for me. Before I can even say anything, she beats me to it. “I knew you didn’t do anything,” she tells me. “Not because I’m blinded by love for my sons, but because I know them. I know when either of you lies.”

“Mom,” I utter, finally feeling the last few hours catching up to me. Tears are filling my eyes, at the same time, I’m frustrated for acting like a baby.

She wordlessly pulls me into her arms.

“Why?” I say. “Why did it turn out like that? Why is shemymate?”

“I don’t know,” Mom whispers. “I don’t know why the goddess mated you to her. It doesn’t make sense for me either.”

“It’s just cruel. What am I going to do now?”

“I… I have no idea,” Mom says, while grabbing my face between her hands. “But we’ll figure it out, okay? Just no rash decisions, please.”

“Tell that to my brother,” I say.

“I did,” she tells me. “I said it to both him and your father, just with more curt words and a little more insistence.”

“Don’t tell me you threatened Dad.”

“I did. Told him if he doesn’t want to rely on his hand for the rest of his life, he’d better fucking apologize,” she spits out, much to my surprise. When I raise my brows, she just shrugs. “What, you think I can’t curse?”

“For someone who always scolded us for using bad language, you for sure didn’t hold back just now,” I say.

“If there ever was a time to curse, it’s now,” she says. She takes a deep breath. “So, can we try to repeat the talk from earlier today?”

“Right now?” I ask her.

“Do you really want to postpone it further?” she asks quietly.

I shake my head. “I just want to get it over with.”

“Alright, come.” She leads me out of the alpha suite and downstairs to where my father’s office is. Beta Floyd already waits for us in front of the door, nodding encouragingly at me. I always thought he disliked me, but today he had my back. I won’t forget that, ever!

Mom confidently enters the room without knocking and strides inside, tugging me after her. Floyd follows, closing the door behind him. Inside, I spot my father and Eugene. They are already sitting on the sofa. Andsheis here, too. My heart clenches painfully while I try to fight the urge to run to her and close her into my arms. Fuck the mate bond!

“Just so we are clear,” Mom says. “This is the second and last chance of having this talk! Now…“ She takes a deep breath. “Olive, is Marcellus your mate?”

“Yes,” Olive answers quietly. My heart fills with relief, not because it means she accepts me now, but because she didn’t lie. “I, I felt the pull when he turned eighteen. I panicked and ran outside before he could spot me, but he followed me. He… he didn’t know it was me at first.”

Mom looks at me. “Does this correlate with your story, Marc?”

I nod.

“Alright, Eugene?”

“I also panicked,” Eugene admits quietly. “I knew something was off. I saw Marc running outside, as if something was chasing him, and I could feel the tension through our twin bond. I just…” He finally raises his head to look me in the eye. “Fuck… I saw the both of you and just went crazy. I thought you were trying to take her from me, and I was so mad that you would do that.”

“I didn’t tell him you were my mate,” Olive admits. “Not until later.”

“I’m sorry I lied about her being my mate,” Eugene admits quietly.

Dad sighs, pinching his nose. “I understand,” he says.

“Youunderstand,” I mimic him. “That’s certainly more grace than you have shown me. But it’s good to know that you think I’m a lying rapist.”

Dad looks tired. “That’s not what I thought. Not really. I was overstrained with the situation. I handled it badly.” Mom stares at him. “I’m sorry,” he adds. When Mom keeps glaring, he clears his throat. “I’m also sorry for hitting you. I should have listened to you first.”

I didn’t know how tired I felt until this point. I just feel drained and wish this whole ordeal would be over, for me to never think about it anymore. I don’t want to reply to any of them or hearany more explanations, I’m too disappointed to think straight. “And now?” I ask instead.