Chapter 321 About The Father

Chapter 321: Chapter 321 About The Father

Talia’s POV

The carriage rolled through the forest, and I felt the warmth of the sun on my face. The birds were singing, and the wind was warm, and I could hear the laughter of my pack around me.

I looked at my mother, and I saw her watching the trees pass by. Her eyes were wide, and I could see the wonder in them. She was seeing the world for the first time in fifteen years.

Kaelen sat across from us, with his gray eyes watching me with quiet affection. I felt his hand brush against mine, and I smiled at him.

Then he stood, and he moved toward the front of the carriage.

"I will give you two some privacy," he said, and his voice was soft. "I need to check on the horses anyway."

I looked at him, and I felt the gratitude swelling in my chest. "Thank you, Kaelen."

He nodded, and he climbed out of the carriage. I watched him mount his horse, and I saw Cain hand him the reins. He settled into the saddle, and I saw him look back at me one last time.

I smiled, and he nodded. Then I turned back to my mother, who was watching the trees pass by, with wonders in her eyes.

"Mother," I said. "What are you thinking about?"

She was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke, and her voice was soft and distant.

"I am thinking about your father."

I felt my jaw tighten at the name. "Edmund."

She nodded, and I saw the sadness in her eyes. "He was not always like that, Talia. He was not always weak."

I looked at her, and I felt the confusion rising in my chest. "What do you mean?"

My mother looked at me, and I saw the memories flickering in her tired eyes. Her face softened, and I watched the years fall away from her.

"When I first met him, he was strong," she said, and her voice was filled with warmth. "He was proud, he was fierce, and he loved me, Talia. He truly loved me."

I shook my head. "I never saw that, Mother. I only saw the man who let Vivienne walk all over him, and the man who let her hurt us."

My mother reached for my hand, and she squeezed it. "That was not the man I was mated to, Talia. That was the man Vivienne made him."

I looked at her, and I felt the anger and confusion mixing in my chest. "What happened, Mother? How did she change him?"

She looked away, and I saw the pain in her eyes. "Vivienne happened."

She took a breath, and I watched her gather her strength.

"There was a time when I became very sick, after using my magic in one of the attacks on Cresswood. After I fell sick, your father was lost," she said, and her voice was heavy with grief. "He did not know how to lead without me. He did not know how to manage the alliances, or how to negotiate with the surrounding packs, or how to keep Cresswood strong."

I listened, and I felt the cold creeping into my chest.

"That was when Vivienne stepped in," my mother continued. "She offered to help him. She offered to guide him, to advise him, and to stand beside him at the alliance meetings. And he accepted."

I shook my head. "He should have known better, Mother. I do not like the fact that you are defending him after all he has done."

My mother looked at me, and I saw the tears in her eyes. "He was broken, Talia. He was lost, and she took advantage of that."

I felt the anger rising in my chest. "He let her destroy everything, Mother. That is the better way to say it."

My mother nodded. "Yes, Talia. He did."

I was quiet for a long moment. The carriage rolled on, and I listened to the sound of the wheels and the birds. Then I remembered something.

Then I spoke, and my voice was soft. "Mother, there is something I need to tell you."

She looked at me, and I saw the curiosity in her tired eyes. "What is it?"

I took a breath. "My bonding ceremony was held at Mooncrest Hall. But at Mooncrest Hall, during the celebration, Vivienne was exposed, and she confessed to everything."

My mother’s eyes widened. "She...confessed?"

I nodded. "She confessed to using black magic, Mother. She bewitched Edmund. She poisoned his mind so that he would abandon you and not care about me."

My mother stared at me, and I saw the shock on her face. "Black magic?"

I nodded. "That is why he changed, Mother. That is why he let her hurt me. It was not just greed, it was magic. She took his mind, his heart, and his will."

I watched my mother’s face, and I saw the grief and the anger flickering in her eyes. "She took everything from him, mother. She took everything from us."

I squeezed her hand. "Yes, Mother. She did."