The Human |✔|
Chapter 36

Victoria's Pov

"Victoria" She whispered in shock. I just stood there awkwardly as she gaped at me.

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet, not exactly knowing what to do or say in this position.

I took the opportunity to take in her features. I knew what she looked like from pictures, but it was the first I'll be able to actually see her.

I knew from a tender age that I had most of her features, like her hair colour, eyes and the shape of my face, but I never thought I'd actually get the chance to compare in person.

Her hair was cut to her shoulders in its smooth waves. It looked thinner than in the pictures, but it still looked nice. Her face seemed slightly pale as if she was having a rough day, but her eyes held so much life and joy, just like what aunt Sophie always said.

She wasn't as thick as aunt Sophie and me, but her body weight seemed fair for a woman her age and suited her quite well.

"You're so grown up and beautiful" She said through sniffles. "My baby is all grown up" She added, and I involuntarily took a step back. I scrunched my face up in confusion at her statement, not exactly liking how she's acting.

After leaving me alone all this time, now is the time she realizes she has a 'baby' that's all grown up? Oh no.

My expression seemed to snap her out of her daze, as she invited us in. Lincoln tensed all of a sudden, as if he saw something.

"Everything okay?" I asked, concerned by his sudden change in stance. He shook his head, as if he was clearing his thoughts then smiled at me.

"Yea, I'm just use to being on high alert around humans." He stated calmly. I wasn't convinced, but I brushed it off nonetheless.

I took the opportunity to observe my mother's house. It reminded me a lot of Velma's home, having that same cosiness about it. Pictures were all over the walls, but I couldn't see them properly from where I stood.

She led us into a small neat dining room, where Lincoln and I sat side by side.

"Can I get you guys anything? Tea, water, coffee?" She asked sweetly.

"Tea sounds fine" I replied, while Lincoln nodded in agreement. She left shortly after telling us to make ourselves at home.

I looked around the dining room, loving how cozy and family-like it felt.

"Why don't we ever use the dining room at home?" I asked Lincoln as the thought popped into my mind.

The kitchen was quite spacious and had more than enough space for us to eat, but the dining room just sat there.

"We do" He chuckled. "On Christmas" I simply shook my head at the wasting of a good dining room.

Daisy, which was what my aunt said my mother's name was, returned shortly after with three cute tea cups on a tray. She got comfortable in her chair across from us, beaming happily at me.

Nobody spoke for a while, but eventually she started talking.

"How are you?" She asked quietly.

"I'm fine" I replied as I awkwardly looked down.

The whole situation felt so weird.

"How's life? Are you happy?" I picked up a hint of guilt in her tone as she asked. I simply nodded, still not looking at her.

"Is that an engagement ring? It looks beautiful" She attempted to sound motherly but my heart wasn't having it. Everything she uttered made the elephant on my chest feel heavier.

"No it's a promise ring" I cleared my throat as I pushed my hands under the table. She smiled brighter at us, giving Lincoln a proud look.

"When do you plan to propose young man? I'm sure you've already found all you needed" She tried to joke, but the feelings of annoyance and embarrassment were flooding me as we both shook our heads roughly.

"No I'm not the man of her dreams Miss Deslandes, I'm simply a friend" He corrected politely. She laughed at her assumption as her cheeks turned red.

"Oh my bad" She chuckled. "And you can call me Daisy" Lincoln nodded with a smile, but said nothing.

We fell into another moment of silence, which was slightly uncomfortable. Even Lincoln seemed uncomfortable.

I peered at her from across the table as the thoughts jumbled in my head. I didn't know what to say or ask, and I felt as if I was about to have a panic attack.

All my life I never gave much thought about if I should actually meet my parents, and what I would say or do, or how I'd react.

I felt uneasy, angry and annoyed that she was acting as if we were besties. I felt hurt that she knew I was out there but never checked in on me. I was an emotional mess, and the fact that my mood swings were all over the place especially today, didn't help the situation.

I wanted to cry, shout, scream, anything to ease the feeling in my chest. After minutes of pondering my thoughts, I came up with one simple word to say.

"Why?" I asked, fully meeting her gaze for probably the first time today.

"Why what dear?" She gave me a confused look as if this wasn't the first time she's seeing me in twenty years.

"Why, mother, didn't you come back?" I asked a little too harshly, but I wasn't playing dumb.

She knew we were bound to have this conversation. She sighed, looking down in shame and guilt.

"I couldn't" Was all she said, but I stayed quiet as I waited for her to elaborate. Lincoln quietly pushed back is chair and left, giving us privacy.

"From the moment I left, I wanted to come back but I couldn't Victoria, you have to understand"

"Understand what Daisy?" I asked as she flinched at me using her first name. Did she expect me to call her mom?

"Your dad wasn't....stable"

"Tell me something I don't know" I scoffed, knowing damn well that Michael was crazy. She looked shocked at my statement.

"You knew him?" I shook my head no, confused at the concern in her voice. Wow he was that bad?

"I know people who knew him, they didn't described him well" She nodded in understanding with a look on her face that spiked my interest. "What happened with him?"

She gave me a warning look, as if telling me that I didn't want to know, but I probed her to continue. She sighed before starting.

"Your father wasn't always a bad man, he was actually very sweet and loving" She started with a longing look on her face. I got comfortable as I got ready for story time.

"He was a great husband, and when we had you, he was a great dad too" Yea like I would know. "One day, a couple months after you turned one, he saw something..." She trailed, looking at me carefully.

"What did he see?" I asked, even though I knew what it was already.

"He said he saw a man change into a wolf, but I never believed him" She sighed.

"Sounds crazy to me" I mumbled as I took a sip of my tea.

"That's what I said!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Anyway, from that day forward he was just obsessed with wolves. He would research them, disappear in the woods for hours searching for one, he tried to come up with different theories. It was just crazy.

"He was still a good husband and dad, but he was slowly going over the edge. One day, he claimed he saw a wolf again, and he was convinced that he struck a eureka moment. That's the day he decided to go closer to the woods for a few days to investigate." She sighed, placing her cup on the table.

"He rented an old cabin on the border of the town a little into the woods, and he begged me to come with him, saying he needed me. He promised we'd be back in a week tops, so I called Sophie to watch you while we were gone.

"I never supported his craziness, but he was still my husband. I thought that- that maybe if-" A sob broke through her lips as she attempted to finish the sentence. "I thought that if I was with him, that maybe I could pull him back in, talk some sense into him. But two weeks passed, then three, then two months, and I decided that I had enough" She paused for a moment as she collected herself.

"I told him that I was going home with or without him, and I left. He told me that I would regret it, but I left anyways. The cabin was a good distance into the woods, so I had to walk back to town. But then, I saw it." Her eyes glazed over as if she was remembering the very day.

"I saw a wolf, bigger than any I've seen before, and he didn't look happy. He seemed to have followed me and I assumed it knew we were watching it, but I never believed it was a human too. He chased me all the way back to the cabin, where Michael heard my screams and shot some poison at him. I knew the wolf could've caught me if it wanted to, but it was like it was giving us a warning."

By now I was already invested in the story. I'm not sure if what ever reason she gives me will ease the pain I felt for years, but I still wanted to hear.

This was also my confirmation that this man that she's describing, and the one in the grave are the same person. It can't be just a coincidence.

"Michael convinced me that this was the danger I'd be putting you in if I came back for you because where ever I go, he would follow and he was taking his wolf business with him. We were trying to protect you Victoria"

"Bullshit!" I shouted as I jumped from my seat. "That's the lamest excuse for ruining my childhood I could ever hear".

"Victoria please try to understand. I knew werewolves weren't real but that wolf wasn't normal either. I didn't want to pull you into danger's path" She tried as I shook my head at her audacity.

"You could've left his crazy ass! And Sophie said after two months, you completely cut off communication from her. How was that 'protecting me?'" I used air quotes to exaggerate my point.

"Please just sit down, let me explain"

I reluctantly sat back down, crossing my hands over my chest.

"He was my husband, I couldn't find it in me to leave him. You're inlove I assume, I'm sure you can understand" I rolled my eyes at her attempts to get me to accept the horrible thing she did to me and Sophie.

"And what about after he hit mega crazy? Why didn't you come back then?" I asked, knowing there was no way she could get away from this.

I'm not any genius, but I knew she didn't get this house with him.

"Ten years ago I finally left him. He got more and more impatient over the years when he couldn't find anything, and he was a totally different person. He started to get verbally abusive and mean, and he would always blame his failures on me" She started crying again, but I barely felt any sympathy towards her. Call me a monster.

"On many occasions I wanted to come back, but I couldn't bare the guilt I would've felt when I faced you and my sister, I-I just couldn't"

It was my time to cry as I thought about how different my life would've been if she just had the balls to leave my sorry excuse of a psycho dad.

"So basically you gave up on me?" I whispered as my eyes filled with tears. She didn't answer so I took that as an answer as my tears flowed.

All my life I hated my parents because I thought of them as horrible people. I always thought that they didn't want me. But I still held onto that little bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a really good reason why they left.

After I heard a part of Michael's story, I knew he was a lost cause. But I still held onto that hope that my mom had a good reason, but now that's all gone. Crushed.

I guess that was the reason why I've never wanted to meet her, because I was scared that my little bit of hope would've be crushed.

And now it was. My own mother didn't want me.

That hurt like hell.

"Well I guess I have no real reason to be here" I said as I dried my eyes. "I got the answers I came here for. You can just forget I ever came"

I tried to move away but she grabbed my hand over the table, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"No please don't go like this. We can get to know each other, I can introduce you-"

"What's the use? If you weren't interested then, why now?" I yanked my hand from her a little too rough, and of course, me and my soft heart felt bad.

"I'm sorry I robbed you of growing up with a mom, and I never really called Sophie to tell her how grateful I am. But please don't leave like this, cant you find it in your heart to forgive me?" I sighed, knowing damn well that I'll forgive her, but maybe not talk to her.

Forgiveness is good for your peace. One thing I've learnt, never fill your heart with grudges against people.

"I'll forgive you Daisy, but this mother-daughter relationship that you want to have is a few years too late" I stated sternly.

"We can-"

"Momma?" She was cut off by a small voice.

I turned my head to see where the voice came from, when I was met with a cute little girl around the age of five. She was such a gem.

Wait, did she just say momma?

I whipped my head towards Daisy as she smiled brightly at the little girl, gesturing for her to come towards us.

"Victoria, this is Zoey. Your sister"

A gasp escaped my lips as I stared at the little girl in awe. I knew from the moment she called Daisy momma, but I didn't process it.

"This is sister Victoria?" Zoey asked in a sort of shy excitement as her big brown eyes widened.

"That's me" I said as a couple tears rolled down my cheek with the brightest smile on my face. "Oh my gosh I cant believe I have a sister" I pulled her little frame into a hug, squeezing the life out of her.

I pushed her back gently so I could take a good look at her. It was quite obvious that our mom's genes were strong, since she looked like a minnie version of both of us.

Her eyes were the same as mine, and so were most of her features. Her complexion was darker than mine and Daisy's, and I could see that she was a mixed baby.

Her hair was full and fell in long, luscious almost coily curls. It wasn't the same chestnut brown like mine, but it wasn't black either. It was somewhere in the middle.

No bias shit, but my sister was the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen.

"You are so gorgeous" I whispered in amazement as I ogled my sister. A light blush formed on her face as she held her little teddy to hide it.

"Thank you. You're pretty too" She mumbled shyly as I resisted the urge to squeeze the life from her.

"Zoey sweetheart, can you give us a minute to talk please?" Daisy asked, and I shot her a pout.

"But I just met her" We both whined simultaneously, which made us laugh at the cute sister moment.

"You can spend more time with her later. I just need to talk for a while okay?"

She simply nodded as she headed for the exit. I watched her little frame retreat, and I knew I was already inlove.

"You told her about me?" I asked, still looking at the exit as I remembered that she knew who I was.

"Yes I always do. I knew she would find you one day"

"She would find me.. not 'we' would find me" I sighed as my mind drifted to the conversation we had earlier.

I didn't feel that awful again knowing that she actually told my sister about me. I guess I could be grateful. Even if Daisy didn't search, I'm holding on to that little hope that Zoey would've. But she doesn't have to anymore, because I know about her now.

I still couldn't believe I have a baby sister.

"How old is she?" I asked, suddenly feeling the urge to know everything about her.

"She's six" She smiled. "Her father died when she was three though, so it's only been me and her since"

"Maybe I can join that equation" I suggested shyly. I know I sounded like a hypocrite, but no way was I gonna stay out of Zoey's life. I can't wait to tell Luka.

"That's all I ever wanted" She beamed, but her smile was immediately replaced with a frown.

"I have something to tell you " She whispered, meeting my eyes. "Victoria, I might not have long left. I can't say because it's unpredictable and uncommon, but it's not impossible. I was diagnosed with epilepsy last year" She informed me sadly. A gasp left my mouth as I processed what she told me.

I haven't seen it much in my few years as a nurse, but I knew it was indeed dangerous. And the worst part is, you don't even know when or if you're gonna have a seizure.

My heart broke a the thought. Just the thought made me want to cry even though I didn't know her, and even though I hated her my whole life.

"It'll be okay. I'm a nurse I can give you direct care. You won't have to worry" I whispered as my eyes burnt with tears. I knew I couldn't stop it, but I just felt helpless. Knowing myself, I knew I won't just sit around and do nothing.

She shook her head with a small smile, grabbing my hands over the table.

"I'm so proud of the woman you've become. My little Victoria is a nurse" She beamed, wiping a stray tear.

I didn't say anything, I just sat there making my thoughts wonder. When I didn't say anything, she continued.

"I'm not sure what will happen, but I'm okay with it. I've had my fair share of life, so whether it's 20 more years or 20 days, it's okay. " She let out a light chuckle, but it still didn't calm me.

"But I am worried about one thing." She looked up and met my eyes. "I knew I needed Zoey to grow up with someone I trust, so I was going to beg Sophie but I'm afraid I took away most of her life already" She sighed.

I gave her a confused look when I noticed she was serious.

"You don't know, don't you?" I whispered, looking down.

"What don't I know?" She asked carefully. I sighed, giving her a sad look.

"Aunt Sophie died when I was sixteen. She lost a baby, and she didn't get over it. She committed suicide on my graduation day"

I summed up the story, not wanting to relive that moment again. She threw her hands over her mouth in shock, as tears ran from her eyes for the umpteenth time today.

I suddenly felt the urge to go comfort her. I knew we weren't on best terms and she was downright wrong for leaving like that. But out of the few people that knew, she was the only one who would've felt the lost directly like I did. They were blood after all.

"This was all my fault" She sobbed into my shoulder. "I drove my little sister to suicide. I put you both through so much pain" She continued, but I didn't make any move to deny or say otherwise. I just let her cry.

"I'm so so sorry Victoria. I never thought about how my selfish actions would've affected you both. You didn't deserve this" She added while her body shook violently.

I simply hushed her from time to time, occasionally drying the few tears that escaped my eyes too.

"But Victoria" She turned to face me, looking even more pained. "Victoria I know it's a lot to ask but-"

"I'll take care of her" I said before she could ask. I knew that she was hurting for the loss of her sister, but I also knew she was worried about Zoey.

I can't ease the pain completely, but I can at least take away her worries. Besides, I would never sit around and watch my sister grow up in an orphanage if something should happen while I was alive and well.

I'll need to have a long nice talk with Luka.

"Thank you so much Victoria. You don't know how much this means to me" She held me tighter, and my heart warmed at the moment.

I've never had a mother, but I knew this moment right here will change my life forever.

We spent a couple more minutes like that, until we migrated to the living room where Lincoln and Zoey were playing.

Daisy's mood didn't change back to normal, and she stayed in a corner looking at old pictures with Sophie from her photo album. She looked guilty and filled with regret, spilling tears occasionally. I could tell that she blamed herself for everything.

I could also tell she was actually a good person too, just made a lot of bad choices. Sighing, I decided to give her some time to herself as she dealt with all the new information.

I spent the next hours with Zoey, loving her more each second. I cant wait to get home and tell everyone.

I also needed to thank Lincoln for bringing me here. I knew wolves move on instincts sometimes, so I had to give him props for that too.

I also noticed that he was getting antsy and I didn't feel too well either.

The sun was starting to set so we decided to say our goodbyes. We told them that we'd be back tomorrow with Luka, since I knew he would insist.

I gave Zoey one last kiss, then walked to the car where Lincoln was currently standing against. He didn't look too calm at all. His eyes flashed from his wolf's amber colour to his normal blue momentarily.

I cautiously walked closer to him which made him seem even more tense. I knew he wouldnt hurt me, but I didn't understand what was happening.

I noticed that I was a little warmer than usual, and I was getting this unusual pain in my lower abdomen.

Wait a minute, did Daisy put something in our tea?

Was that all just an act?

But if it was indeed the tea, that didn't explain why Lincoln looked as if he was about to pounce at me any minute now.

"I thought it was the house, but it was you " He said through clenched teeth as he turned away from me. I suddenly felt offended, slightly sniffing my blouse to see what he meant.

"Wait Vic don't come any closer. Let me regain control" He muttered as he breathed heavily against the car.

He pulled out his phone and looked at it, lowly cursing at something.

"It's a full moon" He muttered. "I didn't even know this was possible"

"What's wrong Lincoln? What's wrong with me?" I asked as I felt beads of sweat on my forehead. A shock of pain ran through my tummy, making me clench it in pain.

Lincoln caught me before I could fall and tingles erupted through my body at the skin to skin contact, making an unexpected moan escape my lips. This took me by complete surprise, but I couldn't help how aroused I got by the second.

Something was definitely wrong with me.

"Shit your burning up already" He muttered as he helped me up in the car. He quickly jumped in the driver's seat, speeding off as he closed the door.

He looked really uncomfortable, but I knew it was nothing compared to how I felt by the second.

"Lincoln what's wrong with me? " I asked again, not at all impressed with this feeling.

"You're going into your heat"

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