Lupus Deus (Published on Amazon)

(C16)

Vivian Grey

"Mom?"

I held my breath as the other line went silent before a choking sob escaped the other line.

"V-Vivian? Is that you?" My mom's voice shook in fear of being wrong. My heart clenched painfully.

"Yeah, Mom it's me," I whispered into the phone, having a hard time not crying then and there from happiness. Her voice alone sent a wave of homesickness, I wanted to be wrapped in her arms.

"Oh my god, my baby girl! I'm sure you probably don't have too much time, so I'll let you speak, where are you? Who took you?" My brows furrowed at her words but I quickly understood.

She thought I had somehow managed to call her despite my 'kidnappers', now came the hard parts, but I tried not to dwell on that and enjoyed her voice.

"No mom, it's fine I can talk to you all I want," I looked up at Zaliver, forgetting he was there but wanting to let him know that if he dared take the phone from me I'd fight him for it, thankfully though he just stared back with curiosity in his eyes. " Mom I should probably explain some things," I said softly.

" Are they making you say this? If I go to the store what do you think the first thing I will see be, Skittles and a Snickers bar or a Hersheys Bar?" Her voice became strained as she tried a calm voice.

I took a shaky breath and give a small chuckle into the phone. When I was little I had been a joking child who didn't really take anything seriously but I had always made plans just in case something happened. One day after school I had stormed into the house telling my mom that we needed to make a code in case I was kidnapped and somehow managed to send a message.

Skittles = Out of State / Country.

Snickers = I know/recognize the kidnapper.

Hershey's = I'm being forced to say something.

She had shaken her head at me, saying it wasn't something to joke about but after throwing a tantrum and making her promise to repeat it she agreed.

"I'm really fine mom. I can't believe you remembered that it was such a long time ago." I said surprised and filled with strong emotion.

"Y-You're really okay? No Hersheys bar?"

"No candy Mom, I'm really all right and unharmed." I forced myself not to look at Zaliver whose gaze was set on me.

"B-But, then where are you? Why haven't you come home? Are you in some sort of danger? If you are we can protect you here now honey, come home. Everyone's worried about you, we've all been looking for you, your father's out now trying to convince the alpha to send out a search party, but for some reason the Alpha says he can no longer feel your pack link ,yet he still feels you-" Each word sent guilt to me, even though Zaliver had been the in to kidnap me, I hadn't really thought of how my parents had taken my sudden disappearance seeing as so many other girls had gone missing.

"I'm so sorry you and Dad have been worrying about me, but I'm really fine. It's a long complicated story mom, one that I don't know completely but let's start with the beginning." I tried telling her, my body being overwhelmed with the sudden happiness, sadness, guilt, and worry.

I sat on the edge of the bed, aware of the fact that Zaliver was still silently observing me. I couldn't decide if it was because he didn't want me to say certain things or because he was genuinely concerned about me. The deeper more connected to him part of me argued that no matter what he would always care about my emotional and mental state as much as he did for my physical one, while the cold and angry part of me argued that he just didn't want everyone to know about me. I told the later to shove it.