My Alpha Mate (Completed)

Chapter 29: First Date

Darius and I sit in a restaurant nearby - Wolves' Business - sipping on red wine and eating beef stakes. It's our first date since we've gotten on good terms.

"What will we do about your mother's situation?" he stares at me in curiosity.

"I forgave her," I say. "I plan on having her in my life."

He tilts his head, getting beef on his fork. "It'll be a problem for our pack. Two men died chasing vampires not long ago."

"Don't you think I know that?" I frown. "It wasn't her. She never killed a werewolf," I demand. "She caused one death a long time ago. And she feels bad enough herself. How can I blame her?"

I remember the last conversation we've had....

She cried about Jamie not wanting to speak with her. "I wish... I wish I could see him just once. To tell him how much I regret what I've done."

"I know," I laid a hand over hers. "If you did have a chance to do it all over again..." I ask silently, "what would you've done?"

"I would've let them join," she swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I would've given your father permission to be his mate. I would've kept you with me. And he would have rights to see you whenever he wanted to."

I nod. "I trust it was hard to accept it. That your husband is being taken away from you by... some magic."

She shook her head. "Killing Valerie was the worst mistake of my life. If there's one thing I've learned in this life..." she smiled at me, "it's that you can't change one's destiny."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you saying I should be with Darius?"

She pressed her lips. "No good can come from fighting what's meant to be your life."

"Some advice," I scoffed. "So if someone's being mistreated, he should just make his peace with it?" I shook my head.

"No, of course not," she cupped my hand with hers. "But you work it out. You owe that to him - you owe it to yourself, Lily. You told me yourself - you never went fully into it. You were one foot out the door from day one."

"You're right," I stared into the distance. "I was prejudicial from day one. Angry that any choice has been taken away from me. Angry at the loss of my freedom."

She nodded. "No one can understand that better than me. And I made a mistake of not giving a chance to my destiny. Look where that got me - I'm sure I would've been happier with any other outcome. At least I'd have you - my children," she sniffed. "I miss this warmth. The warmth of a living body," she inhaled deeply. "Now, all I have is regret and hatred from the ones I loved."

"If you forgave her, I'll forgive her," Darius sinks his teeth into the meat, "as simple as that."

I look at him with relief.

"How did your Dad take it?"

"He doesn't want to see her," I tilt my head. "I thought about it a lot, you know. Technically, I also kissed you while still engaged to Ian. So I know how hard it must've been for him. But I confessed right away. I never led him on. We broke it off immediately. Dad didn't. He decided to lie."

"Your Dad tried to stay with your mother even after he found out," Darius stares at me. "Only you had the privilege to make your own decision, whereas his mate's now gone. She took her from him. The old man was just dealt a bad card. He fell in love with your Mom and couldn't have known he'd find a mate sometime in the future."