One Night

Chapter 165

Audrey

The guests had all gone home.

I sat in a

a plush armchair, my hands wrapped around a delicate china teacup. The warmth seeped into my palms, but it did little to ease the tension in the room. Across from me, Fiona perched on the edge of her seat, her narrowed eyes darting between Edwin, Claudia, and me. Her hands were shaking slightly, whether from anger or fear, I couldn’t quite tell. Likely both.

Edwin stood by the window, looking out at the lines of cars that were pulling out of the driveway, his arms folded tightly across his chest. His jaw was clenched, a muscle ticking beneath his taut skin, and I could feel waves of fury rolling off of him through our bond.

“We should be hauling her ** back to Crescent,” he said through our Mindlink for what felt like the thousandth time since we had sat down “Not drinking tea with the b**h.”

“Let’s just hear Claudia-my mother, I mean-out.” It would take some time to get used to calling Claudia that: my mother. Even through our Mindlink, it felt foreign and confusing. I honestly wasn’t even sure if I would ever get used to it.

Edwin huffed in response through our Mindlink. Meanwhile, Claudia sat next to Fiona, one hand resting on her arm in at had it not gesture that was both comforting and restraining. I wondered if Fiona would have tried to pounce on one of us been for that touch.

“You know we can’t just let this go,” Edwin said, the first to break the heavy silence. “She tried to kill Audrey-my mate. Not to mention the fact that she’s been working with Coldclaw for years, trying to carry out some prophecy. She needs to face justice.”

Claudia’s grip on Fiona’s arm tightened. “I understand,” she said. “But I won’t let you take her. She’s my daughter too, Edwin.”

“But she’s not “I started to say, then bit my tongue. The hurt look on Claudia’s face made me regret my words immediately.

“Blood does not make a family, Audrey,” Claudia said softly. “I raised Fiona. I love her just as much as I love you.”

Fiona’s head snapped up at that, her eyes wide with surprise. Claudia turned to her, pulling her into a tight hug. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You were misled, brainwashed by Coldclaw. We’ll protect you from them. I promise.”

Edwin scoffed, turning away from the window. “Protect her? She’s the one we need protection from. She pushed Audrey off a balcony, for Goddess” sake!”

“And she will be justly punished for that,” Claudia said, her voice brm “But please, Edwin, have mercy. Let me handle her punishment. We should be going after Coldclaw together, not turning against each other.”

I watched as Edwin’s face cycled through a range of emotions-anger, frustration, and finally, resignation. Setting down my untouched tea, I stood up and walked over to him, placing my hand on his arm. I felt him relax slightly at my touch.

“What do you think?” he asked me softly.

I took a deep breath, considering my words carefully. “I think Claudia might be right. Fiona was just a child when this all started. She was manipulated and brainwashed. That doesn’t excuse what she did, but… maybe she deserves a chance to make things right.”

I looked at Fiona, who simply stared at me in shock.

Edwin looked at me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright. I trust your judgment,” he said, then turned to

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Claudia. “And yours. I’m not saying I agree with it, but I’ll offer mercy just this once. But,” he added, his gaze hardening as he looked at Fiona, “if you misstep again, if you so much as lay a finger on my mate or anyone else, I won’t hesitate to take action. As Alpha of Crescent, I have a responsibility to protect my pack-and my mate.”

Claudia visibly relaxed, her shoulders sagging with relief. “Thank you, Edwin. Thank you so much.”

Fiona remained silent, her jaw working as she stared at the floor. The tension between us was palpable. We had become unwilling sisters, bound by a shared mother and a tangled webs of lies and manipulation.

That would take a lot more getting used to than calling Claudia Mom

“Everything will be okay,” Claudia said, hugging Fiona again. “If Coldclaw is threatening you or trying to force you to do anything, we’ll protect you. You’re safe now.”

Edwin nodded slowly, his anger seeming to ebb slightly. “Coldclaw is nothing more than a band of rogues and criminals. I’ll send my men to give them a formal warning. And since you’re the Luna of Silverbite,” he added, looking at Claudia, “we can partner our packs to handle this threat together.”

Claudia nodded. Normally, her husband, the Alpha of Silverbite would have been the one to handle such things. But from what I understood, he had passed many years ago-not long after I had been born. So now the responsibility sat on her shoulders

I saw Fiona’s shoulders slump slightly at Edwin’s words, a flicker of relief crossing her face. But her eyes were mouth set in a tight line. My wolf stirred uneasily inside of me.

“I don’t trust her,” my wolf growled. “She’s dangerous.”

“I know,” I thought back. “Trust me, I feel it too. We’ll have to keep our guard up.

still hard, her

Claudia’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Audrey, darling, I want to throw a party for you. To welcome you back into the family properly and give you our family name.”

I felt my cheeks flush. “Oh, you don’t have to-”

“Nonsense,” Claudia said, waving away my protest. “It’s long overdue. But before that, I want to hear everything about your life. Tell me about your childhood, your adoptive parents…”

So I did. I told her about Meredith, my first adoptive mother, and how kind and loving she had been. I described our little apartment, the bedtime stories, the handmade dresses. Then, hesitantly, I spoke about the second home-the neglect, the cold, the hunger.

Claudia’s face darkened with each word. “I can’t believe my little girl had to go through all that,” she said, her voice tight with anger. She rose and crossed the room, cupping my face in her cool, smooth hands. “I’m so sorry, my darling.”

I reached for my locket, opening it to show her the picture inside. “This is Meredith,” I said softly. “She was wonderful. Think of her when you think of my past. Not of my second family.”

Claudia leaned in, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at the photo. “That’s my baby girl,” she whispered, tracing the image of toddler-me with her finger. “You were so beautiful, even then.”

We talked for hours, Claudia eager to learn every detail of my life. She told me about my true birthday-the same day as Fiona’s-and about the family I had never known. All the while, Fiona sat silently, her eyes distant.

When the clock finally ticked past midnight, Edwin stood up. “We should be going,” he said, holding out his hand to me. “It’s been a long day.”

I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted, my eyelids heavy and my legs weak. Claudia and I shared another tight embrace, one that was full of tears and promises to talk more soon. Fiona remained silent, not even meeting my eyes.

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As we made our way out to the car, I glanced back and caught sight of Fiona’s face reflected in the window. Her eyes were fixed on us now, cold and calculating as ever. A shiver ran down my spine at the sight of her.

Edwin’s warm arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“I know,” he said softly, not needing me to voice my concerns out loud to feel it through our bond. “I don’t think this is quite over yet, either.”