The Rare She-Wolf: Twice the Power, Zero Forgiveness Chapter 08

The Rare She-Wolf: Twice the Power, Zero Forgiveness Chapter 08

The second Mom lunged to wrap me in a hug, her whole body went rigid..

Because she wasn’t holding a hallucination.

She was holding me-solid, real.

Her arms tightened around me inch by inch, and tears crashed down her face instantly.

“Wren… you’re not dead? You’re really not dead?!”

I looked down at her.

In just a month, she’d wasted away to almost nothing.

Her eye sockets were sunken, her lips bloodless, and a scabbed-over cut still marked her temple.

She clutched my hand so hard it hurt, like I was the last lifeline she had.

“Mommy’s wrong.

“Wren, I know I messed up, I really do.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, shouldn’t have forced you to be Rowan, shouldn’t have said those

terrible things.

“Come home with me, okay? Please?”

She sobbed so hard she could barely catch her breath.

“I’ll never cut your hair again.

“You can wear dresses if you want, you can be Wrem if you want.

“I don’t want Rowan anymore. I only want you.”

If I’d heard these words before, I would’ve been over the moon.

But now? I felt nothing.

Mom cried out, “Wren, where have you been this whole month?”

Before I could answer, steady footsteps approached from the hallway outside the hospital room.

Cormac walked in.

He stepped to my side, and his broad, warm palm settled on my shoulder.

“She’s been with the Stormhowl Pack.

“Stay away from her. She’s my daughter now.”

Mom snapped her head up.

“You took her from me?”

Cormac stared at her, cold as ice.

“You should say I saved her.

“Because if I hadn’t, she’d either be actually dead right now, or you’d still be locking her in a room, forcing her to be someone who doesn’t even exist.

Mom’s face went sheet white.

She shook her head, tears streaming nonstop down her cheeks.

“No… I won’t do it again… Wren, Mommy really won’t do it again.”

She dropped to her knees beside the bed and tilted her head up to look at me.

“Give Mommy one more chance, okay? Please.

“I dream about you every single night.

“I hear you crying, I hear you calling me Mommy.”

She reached out to touch my face.

I stepped back.

Her hand hung frozen in midair.

“Wren…”

I looked at her, calm as still water.

“Ms. Ashborne,”

All the blood drained from her face completely.

“What did you call me?”

“Ms. Ashborne.”

I said each word slow and clear, “You’re not my mother anymore.”

It was like she’d been slapped hard across the face She swayed on her feet.

“I am, I’m your mom!

“I gave birth to you-how can you not want me?”

I looked at her, but I didn’t feel hate anymore.

Hate was exhausting.

I didn’t want to trap myself in her pain any longer.

“You gave birth to me, but you never once chose me.

“What you wanted was Rowan, a male Alpha heir, a bargaining chip to get you back into the

Ironfang Pack.”

It was never Wren.

“You never loved me, did you?”

Mom opened her mouth to argue.

But no words came out.

Because she knew every word I said was true.

I lifted my hand and pressed it lightly to my chest.

“But you know what? Rowan never got eaten by me

“His wolf has been inside me this whole time, protecting me.

“I’m a rare twin-wolf lineage.”

Mom’s eyes blew wide open.

“What…”

Cormac said evenly, “She’s awakened. And there are two wolves inside her.

“What you threw away all those years ago was never a useless daughter.”

Mom stared at me blankly.

The next second, she broke down, covering her face, and sobbed until her whole body curled

forward.

“I was wrong…. I was really wrong…

“Wren, I’m begging you, don’t throw me away.

“I have nothing left. I only have you now.”

I looked at her.

Once upon a time, I’d been terrified of when she cried.

When she cried, I always thought everything was my fault.

But now, I just nodded softly.

“Yeah. I came here today to say my final goodbye.

“Mom, this is the last time I’ll call you that.

“Goodbye.”

Mom snapped her head up, her eyes full of nothing but despair.

I didn’t look at her again. I turned and walked toward Cormac.

This time, I didn’t look back.

As I walked out of the hospital room, Mom screamed my name behind me.

Over and over.

It sounded like a late apology.

And a useless, too-late confession.

But I wasn’t going to stop anymore.

The day we got back to the Stormhowl Pack, every

light in the Pack House was on.

Nessa had laid out a new dress for me.

Cormac ruffled my hair and murmured, “We’re home, baby girl.”

I looked up at him and smiled, truly smiled.

“Yeah. I’m home.”

I had a new dad.

A new pack.

A new family.

Inside me, Rowan’s wolf was with me, too.

I was never again the unwanted daughter of anyone.

Or anyone’s replacement.

I was Wren Ashborne.

I was the rare she-wolf the Stormhowl Pack chose to protect.

And starting this moment, I was Wren-who only lived for herself.