Chapter 180: World’s Most Beautiful Queen.

Female beasts could be vindictive. Think of how far the average female might go when she wanted to teach a bitch a lesson, then add teeth, claws, heightened strength and a beast with its own temper to the equation.

Yeah, Maverick knew his kind well enough. However far a human female was willing to go, a beast could take it twice as far. Which was why the moment the elevator doors opened, he was already telling Dimitri, "Keep an eye on that girl. My gut tells me she might try something stupid to defend her wounded pride."

He had grown up hearing enough stories about his mother’s adventures in high school to know exactly how vicious girls could be when they decided they hated someone. He had attended one himself for a while before the incident forced him to leave and finish the rest of his education from home.

Different generation, different school, same lesson: women were troublesome creatures.

His mate, however, would be fighting no stupid battles. Aria was under his House and under his protection, and he intended to keep it that way.

If Felicity or any other female thought she could drag Aria into some ridiculous feud simply because they didn’t like a human occupying space in Therion, they were about to discover just how troublesome Maverick Nightshade could be in return.

They made it back to his place when Maverick picked up the sound of his ringing phone. With Feral having taken possession of his body and gone straight to Aria, his phone had been left behind, and it hadn’t crossed his mind until now. Judging by how insistently it was ringing, the damn thing had probably been blowing up with calls all morning.

He hurried into his bedroom and headed straight for the bedside table where he’d left it. The moment he picked it up and saw the name flashing across the screen, however, his eyes widened.

"Holy shit," he blurted, immediately drawing his Beta’s attention.

"What is it?" Dimitri asked.

Maverick didn’t bother answering. He simply turned the phone around and showed him the screen. Dimitri took one look at the caller and his eyes widened too. "Oh, shit."

Across the screen were the words, World’s Most Beautiful Queen.

It was his mother, Violet Purple.

Maverick immediately cleared his throat and straightened himself as if Violet could somehow see him through the phone. "How do I sound? Normal, right?"

"Just pick up the damn phone," Dimitri urged. "The longer you wait, the more suspicious she’ll become."

Maverick braced himself and answered the call. "Hello, Mom—"

"My sweet boy..."

And there it was. The first voice Maverick had ever loved.

It didn’t matter that he was a grown man now, an Alpha with an entire House under his command and enough power to make beasts scatter from his path. The moment he heard that familiar endearment spoken in his mother’s voice, some part of him slipped effortlessly back into the little boy who had spent his childhood basking in Violet Purple’s love.

"Mama." He didn’t even realize he’d blurted out the title he’d used for the better part of his life until it was already out. Most people accused him of being a mama’s boy, and Maverick didn’t deny it one bit. He loved his mother. And his fathers. His family was awesome. Case closed.

"What is going on? I’ve been calling for a while. I was even about to call Dimitri if you didn’t answer this time."

With a wolf’s superior hearing, Dimitri caught every word, and his brows immediately rose at the mention of his name. Maverick had better settle whatever was going on with his mother because he wanted absolutely no part of it.

He wasn’t about to face Violet Purple’s questioning, especially when there was no hiding a secret from that woman once she decided there was one to uncover.

"I was busy, Mama. That’s all."

"Busy even at this time of the morning?" Violet sighed. "Never did I think I would reach the point where I’d actually long to hear some scandal about my own son climbing out the window of a girl’s room after spending the night with her."

Maverick swallowed. Why the hell did her wish have to come so dangerously close to the truth?

"Never say never, Mama."

And that was the moment Maverick knew he’d fucked up.

He could practically feel Violet’s attention sharpen through the phone. There was a brief silence, and when she spoke again, all the disappointment had disappeared from her voice.

"Ricky..." Hope had crept into it now, enough to make Maverick close his eyes in regret. "Are you saying there’s a—"

"I’m saying I’ll try my best to make it happen," Maverick cut in immediately, desperate to shut down whatever conclusion his mother was already sprinting toward.

There was a small sigh from the other end of the phone, quiet enough that Violet probably hadn’t intended for him to hear it, but Maverick caught it anyway.

"You don’t have to force yourself, Maverick. In fact, if you don’t ever want to touch a woman for the rest of your life, I’m fine with that—"

"Mom..." Maverick called, already knowing where her thoughts were headed. She was going to start blaming herself for what had happened to him again.

But Violet continued.

"It’s all my fault. I should have focused more on my family. I should have been there more, and maybe if I had—"

"Mom—" Maverick tried again, but she kept talking.

"I’ll never forgive myself for what happened to you. I should have protected you with everything I had. I should have—"

"Mother!" Maverick’s voice boomed through the room this time, carrying enough Alpha authority that even through the phone, the command in it was impossible to miss.

Dimitri had witnessed enough of these conversations over the years to recognize when it was time to leave. They never became easier to listen to, no matter how much time passed. Without a word, he quietly left the room, giving Maverick the privacy he needed with his mother.

"It is not your fault, Mother. How many times do I have to tell you that before you finally believe me? I don’t blame you for what happened. Not even a little." Maverick dragged a hand over his face, wishing she were standing in front of him so he could make her look at him and understand.

"You’re the Alpha Queen and have responsibilities to the people. How could you possibly have known that crazy woman would do something like that?"

"I know..." Violet whispered, her voice beginning to break. "But knowing that doesn’t erase the scars you carry now. I think about all the love I swore my children would grow up surrounded by, and then I think about you... about what she took from you, and I—"

Maverick never heard the rest because her words dissolved into sobs.

"Are you crying?" Maverick asked, hardly believing his ears. His mother wasn’t incapable of crying, but Violet Purple crying this easily over the phone was strange enough to immediately concern him.

"I’m sorry." Violet sniffled, trying to compose herself. "My hormones have just been all over the place these days, and everything keeps making me emotional—"

Maverick didn’t hear another word. His entire body had gone rigid at one particular word.

"Mom..." A terrible suspicion began creeping over him. "Please don’t tell me you’re pregnant."