Chapter 181- Dear, Mommy!

Arabella:

I was sitting beside Bradley in the back seat of the car, watching the familiar roads pass by as we headed toward my pack, when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen before answering. I wasn’t paying much attention at first, but something about his sudden silence made me turn toward him.

He listened to whoever was speaking on the other end, his forehead creasing as he asked a few questions. He disconnected the call and sat quietly, his phone still in his hand. Something was clearly wrong.

"What happened?" I asked, shifting toward him. "Is everything alright?"

Bradley didn’t answer immediately. He kept the phone in his hand, looking down at the screen as though he was looking for appropriate words.

"Bradley?"

He finally turned toward me. "It’s your friend, Maya. She’s left."

For a moment, I couldn’t make sense of his words. "You mean she actually left?" He gave a small nod, and I slowly sank back into my seat.

So, Maya had been serious after all.

I knew she’d been upset with me, but some foolish part of me had believed she was only threatening to leave because she wanted me to stop.

We’d had arguments before, said things we didn’t mean, and somehow found our way back to each other. But this time, she’d actually packed her things and left. Just like that.

"And Toby?" I asked him. "Did he go with her?"

"No. Toby stayed behind." I closed my eyes and rested my head against the seat. At least Toby was still there. But Maya...

I wanted to call her right away. I wanted to beg her not to leave, especially now, when everything was getting so complicated, and I needed her more than ever.

I knew she had her reasons for leaving. I couldn’t even blame her for being upset with me. But couldn’t she have waited until we had one proper conversation?

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

The number you are trying to reach is currently switched off.

"Oh, come on, Maya," I muttered, trying again. The same recorded message greeted me.

I lowered the phone to my lap, wondering if she was somewhere with poor reception. Maybe her battery had died. Or perhaps she’d deliberately switched off her phone because she didn’t want to hear from me.

What if she had blocked my number?

I looked out the window, rubbing my thumb over the edge of my phone. I couldn’t exactly turn the car around and chase after her, especially when I had something important to deal with.

Once Maya reached our café, I’d call her again. And this time, I wouldn’t let the conversation end with another argument. I’d listen to whatever she had to say, apologize if I needed to, and somehow convince her to come back.

I wasn’t ready to lose my best friend over this.

"I know how it feels when your best friend doubts you." Bradley’s voice drew my attention back to him. "... and refuses to understand your side of things."

He gave me a small, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry too much about Maya. She cares about you, Arabella. Give her some time. I’m sure she’ll come around."

"I hope so," I murmured, slipping my phone back into my bag. I let out a quiet sigh before turning to Bradley.

"So, here’s the plan, Bradley..." I began, and he immediately straightened in his seat, giving me his full attention.

***

I entered the Moon Goddess temple with two royal guards following close behind me.

The temple was quiet, and a few candles burned near the altar, where a large statue of the Moon Goddess was draped in a sheer white veil.

And there she was. Vikki Toussaint. Rick Toussaint’s wife.

She was kneeling before the altar, her hands joined in prayer, and her eyes closed. A priest stood beside her, sprinkling holy water over her head while murmuring something. I almost laughed at the sight.

Even my stepmother knew she had enough sins to keep the Moon Goddess busy for a lifetime.

I nodded at the priest as I approached, then stopped directly behind Vikki. She was so busy praying that she hadn’t even noticed my scent.

Thankfully, there was no one else around. Whenever the wife of a high-ranking pack member visited the temple, ordinary worshippers were instructed to stay away until she was finished.

How convenient.

For once, it seemed like the Moon Goddess was on my side. I waited until the priest finished sprinkling the holy water before gesturing for him to leave. He glanced at Vikki, clearly unsure whether he should interrupt her prayers.

"I need a moment alone with my mother," I explained, keeping my voice polite, and that got Vikki’s attention.

Her eyes flew open, and she turned her head toward me. The moment she saw me, her hands dropped to her sides.

"Arabella? What are you doing here?"

"Just need to have a little talk with you, Mother." She began getting to her feet, but I firmly placed my hands on her shoulders, asking her silently to stay there. I turned my attention back to the priest, who was still standing beside the altar.

"Didn’t I ask you to leave?" I reminded him softly. The priest glanced toward the royal guards near the entrance. After a few minutes, he bowed his head.

"Of course." He gathered his things and hurried toward the exit. I watched him leave, making sure one of the guards followed him outside.

I’d already instructed my men to keep an eye on the priest and prevent him from mind-linking anyone. The last thing I needed was someone alerting my father or Vanessa before I finished speaking to Vikki.

And speaking of Vanessa? Bradley was already with her.

We’d planned everything during the drive. While I dealt with Vikki, Bradley would make sure Vanessa remained exactly where we wanted her.

Because if there was one person my stepmother cared about more than herself, it was her precious daughter. And today, I intended to use that to my advantage.

I smiled at Vikki and stepped forward, taking both her hands to help her up from the floor. "I need to ask you a few questions about my mother."

Vikki pulled her hands away the moment she was on her feet. She gave me a mocking smile, brushing the dust off her dress. "Am I your servant, Arabella? I don’t think I have to stand here answering your questions. Besides, I have some shopping to do. So, excuse me."

With that, she picked up her handbag and tried to walk past me, but I caught her hand before she could take another step.

"Not so fast, dear Mommy." I smiled when she turned around, ready to snap at me. "You see, the royal Beta is a little busy right now. He’s performing a C-section on your precious daughter. The poor man isn’t even a doctor, but I’m sure he’ll figure something out."

Vikki went completely still, and the color drained off her face. "What... what did you just say?"

"Oh, you don’t believe me, dear Mommy?" I batted my eyelashes innocently. "Why don’t you make a video call to Vanessa and see for yourself?"

I raised one shoulder casually, still holding her hand. "Go on. I’ll wait."