Chapter 96

Lionel’s POV

Things are difficult.

In the eyes of the law, Katya is my mate. My wife. We are supposed to be bound together for life.

Her ‘death’ had changed things.

I blamed myself for a long time. A lot of if’s pained me in those first few months. I was a widower and single father in one night.

Everything that went wrong in our relationship had felt like my fault.

If I had tried hard enough, maybe I could have loved her.

If I had not played in to her games, maybe she would have given up on me.

If I had defied our engagement, maybe we both would have been happier people.

If I had not argued with her, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten into that car.

If…if…if…if…if…

Vera never stopped crying the first few weeks after Katya’s funeral. It was only because of her that I had a small glimpse of joy in the dark period. Only she provoked anything in my other than guilt or apathy.

Then came Nan and Patti. They blazed into my void of indifference with loud happiness and shining love like the breaking dawn of a winter’s night. My family was complete.

It was not perfect. Nan and I argued. The girls were always into mischief when we weren’t watching.

None of that mattered.

Only that we were happy. Together. A family.

But finding out that Katya is alive…it ruined that.

Nan was no longer her feisty, outspoken self. She was careful with her words now. Quiet, her grey eyes as dark as a summer storm.

Vera was happy. That brought me some comfort. Knowing Katya was up to something only soured that feeling.

Even Patti was out of sorts and distant. Her sunny personality sullied by her distain. A rare hostility to her actions in every interaction with Katya.

I am filled with resentment and guilt. It is not right to wish Katya was truly dead. But I can’t help it.

How could she have faked her death?

How could she have deprived our sweet Vera of a mother? Why couldn’t she have mentioned Patti? I lost years of Patti’s life.

Her first word…her first step…her first transformation…all stolen from me.

If her story was true…I would have protected her. My sense of duty would demand nothing less of me.

I somehow could not bring myself to send that woman away despite my resentments and reservations.

“Use the ruler like this. It will allow you to create perfect lines.” Katya advises Vera.

The girls are at their usual homework spots. Nan was delayed at work. So Katya offered to help until Nan got home.

Vera nods and follows her directions. Her hands are sprawled flat against the paper and ruler. A look of intense concentration on her face as she intently drags the pencil along the plastic.

Vera grins widely at the result. I note a slight gap in her teeth. The sight of her slightly chubby cheeks and toothy grin adorable to my eyes.

‘She’s lost a baby tooth…Nan will be so happy to hear.’ I think bittersweetly. Not ready for my little girls to grow up on me.

“You’re right. That’s so cool!” Vera chirps.

Katya lightly taps her nose. “Mother knows best.” She teases.

My hands flex slightly. ‘She’s not wrong,’ I think. ‘You may share blood, but you aren’t their mother.’

The image is all wrong. It should not be Katya sitting with my daughters. It should be Nan.

Patti’s frowns. “You are not my mom.” She grumbles.

Katya smiles at Patti serenely. But I sense a brief flare of anger to her scent. A protective instinct awakens at the same time.

I subtly move closer to the table.

Patti’s misbehavior gets worst. She has stopped trying to do her homework. Opting instead to sing a new song she had learned in school as she doodles.

An obnoxious one. Her tone is off-key. Loud.

Katya tries to get her attention back on track.

“Patti,” she says sweetly, “are you having trouble with this?”

“No.” Patti simply replies.

Katya tries once more. “If you don’t understand, I’d be glad to help.”

“That’s okay. My mommy can help me.” Patti rejects her again.

I resist the urge to grin at Patti’s stubbornness. ‘That’s my girl,’ I muse. ‘Unyielding…like me.’

I am secretly relieved that at least one of my daughters might not be so easily manipulated by Katya insincere façade of motherly kindness.

“Nan is busy at the moment. But I’m here.” There is a tight undertone to her words now.

“I’ll wait.” Patti replies.

Katya’s eyes darken slightly. “She might not have time. I’m sure she’ll be tired after a long day of work.”

Patti openly glares at her now. “Mom always has time for us.” There is a conviction there that leaves no doubt in her belief in Nan.

Katya’s temper wins out this time.

“Clearly not. Where is she? Oh yeah…not here.” Katya growls lowly.

Vera flinches. I smell a hint of fear in Patti’s scent despite her brave face. I yank Katya’s chair back and spin it around to face me.

I lean into Katya’s face. Allowing my alpha eyes to show. A warning.

“Do not talk to her like that again.” I say barely above a whisper. “Don’t you ever frighten my child like that.”

Her eyes narrow fractionally. The cat-like slant making them appear haughty. I growly deep in my chest at the disrespect.

“I apologize.” She says insincerely. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I repeat angrily.

“It’s won’t happen again.” She reassures me.

I lean away and take a step back. “See that it doesn’t.” I threaten.

It is only when my back is turned to check on the girls that she speaks up again.

“I’ll get better at this as I get used to this. Practice makes perfect.” She calls out.

My back stiffens. But I do not turn around. She is not worth my attention at that moment.

Vera looks disturbed. Patti is still upset. I am incredibly displeased.

But I will hold my silence…for now.

Third Person POV

Patti does not like that woman.

Everything was great. Patti had a daddy and a sister. She lived in a big, fancy house with lots of toys.

Creepy people that smelled like beer and cigarettes no longer bugged her mommy. Patti was relieved. She did not like how they grabbed her.

Her mommy had more time for her. There was no more naps in the back of a kitchen or table. Her mommy actually had time to do homework with her and play.

The tiredness under her mommy’s eyes and pale face had slowly changed. Her mommy looked happy now. Rested.

Like a fresh flower. Patti loved flowers. They are pretty like her mommy.

Patti also became stronger! No more nasty medicine. She could not change into her wolf form when she wanted to.

It was great.

Her daddy was being stupid for a while. Her mommy left for a while…which was not okay. But she and Vera fixed it.

Patti had everything she ever wished for!

Then she showed up.

Patti did not like her at first sight. She already had a mommy. Why was everyone trying to make this woman be her mommy?

Vera started acting weird. All giggly and cow like. She did not like the hold Katya had on her normally arrogant, cold sister.

Her daddy no longer had time for them. He was always busy. His normal scent…like campfire…now burned her nose from too many bad feelings.

Her mommy was sad again. Patti hated that. Nobody got to make her mommy sad.

Especially not strangers trying to replace her mommy.

It seem to Patti that this Katya is ruining everything.

They were all happy until she came along! Everything was okay. Now it wasn’t.

Patti refused to call Katya her mommy.

Mommy was kind. Mommy was funny. Mommy loved them to pieces.

Mommy was warm.

Katya was none of these things. There was something not right in those kitty cat eyes of hers. Something cold and slithering.

Like a snake. Patti did not like snakes. They scared her.

Katya was a liar. Patti detected that immediately. It annoyed her that no one else saw it.

Why couldn’t anyone else see the problem?

No, Katya would never be her mommy. She couldn’t. She was not Nan.

Patti did not like Katya…she might even hate her.