New Family Ties – 1

Thea’s POV

“Mom, where are we going?” Leo asked excitedly, bouncing beside me as I locked up our house. I felt the early summer breeze brush against my cheeks, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. This little trip hadn’t been planned, but I knew it was something I needed to do. Seraphina and Maximus had been calling me nonstop these past few days. They wanted to build a relationship with me, but I’d been keeping them at arm’s length. I decided to give them a chance. After all, how would I know if they truly loved me if I kept pushing them away? And frankly, I needed more kind people in my life.

I crouched down and adjusted Leo’s collar, inhaling his faint honey scent. “We’re going to meet some special people.”

As we walked toward the car, I noticed a moving truck parked near my house. “Looks like someone’s moving in,” I told Leo, pointing to the truck. “We’re getting new neighbors.”

The house had been vacant for several months. It had a similar structure to mine, just slightly bigger in appearance.

“Mom, I hope they have a kid about my age,” Leo said excitedly. “Don’t get me wrong, I like it here, but the other kids live too far away, and there are old people everywhere.”

I laughed, ruffling his hair. I’d chosen this community because it was quiet enough and not too far from Leo’s school. But I definitely hadn’t anticipated having so many elderly retired werewolves who liked to gather around the house and gossip about Leo and me.

“Let’s hope so, baby,” I said, helping him into the car and fastening his seatbelt.

I got in and started the engine. My nerves were already on edge, and we weren’t even halfway there. I’d grown so accustomed to being hurt that I approached anyone who wanted to get close to me with suspicion and doubt. Pushing the anxiety aside, I tried to focus on driving.

New Family Ties – 1

“So who are we meeting?” Leo broke the silence, bouncing in his seat.

That was one thing about Leo—he hated being kept in the dark. Just like his father in that way. He liked knowing things in advance, didn’t appreciate anything that surprised him, which was a bit odd for a child.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I smiled at him. “They’re people I’ve met recently, and they’ve been really eager to meet you.”

He frowned. In that moment, he reminded me so much of Sebastian. Leo was his father’s carbon copy. From his looks to his mannerisms, everything screamed Sebastian.

“Can’t you just tell me? You know I hate surprises,” he complained.

See? He didn’t like the unknown.

“I promise it’s a good surprise,” I assured him.

He’d be thrilled when he realized he was getting two additional grandparents. Mostly because he knew it meant more gifts and love coming his way. Though he was looking forward to having a sibling, he couldn’t hide the fact that he enjoyed being the only grandchild.

“Mom, is Dad going to marry Aunt Aurora?” Leo asked after a while.

My breath hitched at his question.

“Maybe,” I mumbled.

Though I felt the familiar ache, it wasn’t as heartbreaking as before. I’d accepted this a long time ago. Sebastian wasn’t mine. He never was. He had always belonged to Aurora, body and soul. They might be having difficulties now because of her lies, but they would eventually find their way back to each other. Their love had spanned a decade. There was no fucking way they wouldn’t repair what was broken. Sooner or later, when they resolved their issues, they would resume their love story.

New Family Ties – 1

“I don’t want that… I don’t want a stepmother,” he said quietly.

My heart broke hearing him so sad, but there was nothing I could do about it. Sebastian and I had been wrong from the start. We should never have gotten married, and I would forever regret not fighting harder when he said we should get married. If I had done that, life would have been easier. Instead, we got married and pretended to love each other in front of Leo. Now he was having a hard time accepting someone else as Sebastian’s potential wife.

“Leo…”

“I want you and Dad together. You were happy and in love before. Why can’t you go back to that?” he asked, frustrated.

How could I tell him that everything he said wasn’t true? Sebastian and I weren’t happy together. We weren’t in love; we were just acting for his sake. How could I tell him Sebastian had always loved Aurora? That my obsession with Sebastian had led to their breakup?