Chapter 431
My mom found me in front of my computer hours later. โBaby?โ I donโt even remember how the call ended, just that it did pretty quickly after my father dropped the bomb that shattered me. โBabe?โ The black screen of the computer was taunting me. The screen was calm, still, and silent, but my insides were going insane. I wish my father had kept his mouth shut.
Why? Nixโs voice was soft, but confused.
You have kept your scent hidden, and so has heโฆ
I closed my eyes as I thought back to all the times he said I smelled wrong. How he never smelled like anything. He explained it, Iโm sure he had. What the hell was going on? How do I keep forgetting things about him? About myself? How had I forgotten to tell my father about the rogues?
โBaby!โ My mother grabbed me by my shoulders, jolting me from my turbulent thoughts. I felt like I was swimming underwater with everything. She watched me with wide eyes. โBaby, are you okay? What are you doing?โ She looked at the black screen and her brows furrowed. She turned back. โWhy are you just sitting here?โ
I blinked at her, not understanding her questions. My entire world had been shaken. How could she not see it?
Do his words matter that much? Megan sighed. Itโs not like we can go back and change anything.
โAmy, talk to me.โ My mom grabbed my face and bent down to stare into my eyes. โPlease.โ My eyes finally met hers, and I could feel the tears jump to my eyes. โWhatโs wrong, baby girl?โ
โHave you ever been told something that shatters your entire outlook on a situation, but it changes nothing?โ My words were soft, but they held so much emotion.
My mother laughed softly. โAre you serious?โ
I nodded. โYeah.โ
My mom squeezed my cheek. โBaby, I thought my mate had cheated on me, and I turned my back on our bond. Only for my daughter to tell me almost twenty years later that he hadnโt cheated. He had used magic on me, and I had been the one to betray our bond.โ I watched a tear fall down her face. โSo yeah, baby, I do.โ
I watched her for another minute. โSorry.โ She just winked at me.
โLike you said, I canโt change anything, and your father has forgiven me. Iโve spent the last few years forgiving myself.โ She slid into my bed. โNow why donโt you tell me what is going on in that brain of yours?โ
I sighed as I leaned back against the headboard of my bed. โRowan.โ
My momโs face crumpled in confusion. โRowan the king?โ I nodded. โWhat about him?โ
โDid you know he hides his scent?โ Such an innocent question that was hiding my feelings.
โYeah baby, everyone does. Heโs a Lycan male. The stronger they are, the earlier they have to hide their scent around wolves.โ It all sounded so familiar, but still so foreign to me.
โWhy though?โ
โBecause as an unmated Lycan male, his scent contains a hormone that would drive unmated female wolves insane. They would throw themselves at him.โ I lifted my brow, and she chuckled. โMore than they already do.โ
โSo, how is he ever supposed to find his mate?โ I threw up my hands.
My mom smiled. โHe has to be selective. What he is supposed to do is wait until he scents his mate, then he releases his scent when they are alone to confirm the bond. Once mated, the hormone will disappear, and he can walk around with his scent free for his mate to enjoy. All Lycan males are taught it, especially the strong ones.โ She grabbed my hand. โWhy are you asking?โ
โBecause I feel like Iโve heard this before, but any time I think about it, the thought disappears.โ My mom nodded like it was normal.
โYeah baby, thatโs the goddess for you.โ She chuckled. โAs a female, we have it easier, but the men were chased relentlessly. So the goddess made it that way.โ My mom shrugged. โOnce youโre mated, it becomes cemented in your mind, but this way you donโt focus on it.โ
โSo itโs not magic making me forget this?โ My mom shook her head. โThis is stupid.โ
She laughed. โYou say that, but if you ever have a son, you will soon see the importance of it.โ
โHow do you figure?โ
โYou donโt understand, baby. I watched young men be chased down the street by seasoned wolves when their scent came in. Some were physically harmed.โ She shook her head. โBefore the goddess fixed it, male lycans were held captive by female wolves.โ
โReally?โ I felt my stomach drop.
She nodded. โIt was bad, and this was the only way to help them. The goddess makes it fade in everyoneโs minds. That way you just accept that they have no scent, and you move on. Or if you smell their scent, and you arenโt their mate, if they get away from you, then their scent fades from your mind, like you had never smelled him before.โ