In the Southern Spring We Stopped Waiting
Piper Hayes · Completed · 6.4k Words
Introduction
A month ago, Mom was eight months pregnant. We were walking by the river when Dad's childhood friend Melody shoved her straight into the rushing current. The cold water took my unborn brother. When they pulled Mom out, she was covered in blood, her magic all but gone.
Dad, Maxwell, is the youngest Alpha of the Silver Wolf pack and runs a family conglomerate. That day in the hospital hallway, his eyes went red and he swore through gritted teeth that whoever did this would pay for it, hard, in front of the Tribunal.
Mom believed him.
Then came the trial. The second Dad saw that the woman sitting in the defendant's seat was Melody, he went quiet.
Right there in front of the judge, he took it back. He said Melody never meant to push her, that Mom's magic had gone haywire from the pregnancy and she'd slipped into the river on her own.
Melody walked free. Mom got community service.
The day we left the courthouse, Melody buried her face in Dad's chest and sobbed, but the second no one else could see, she shot Mom a cold little smirk. Dad kissed her forehead like her tears were breaking his heart.
Mom just watched them, one hand over her empty belly. Those eyes that used to be so full of love were calm now.
She let out a slow breath. "Maxwell, let's break the mate bond."
Chapter 1
Junie's POV
My name is Junie. I'm six years old, a half-werewolf. My mom Juliet is a human witch, the gentlest woman alive.
A month ago, Mom was eight months pregnant. We were walking by the river when Dad's childhood friend Melody shoved her straight into the rushing current. The cold water took my unborn brother. When they pulled Mom out, she was covered in blood, her magic all but gone.
Dad, Maxwell, is the youngest Alpha of the Silver Wolf pack and runs a family conglomerate. That day in the hospital hallway, his eyes went red and he swore through gritted teeth that whoever did this would pay for it, hard, in front of the Tribunal.
Mom believed him.
Then came the trial. The second Dad saw that the woman sitting in the defendant's seat was Melody, he went quiet.
Right there in front of the judge, he took it back. He said Melody never meant to push her, that Mom's magic had gone haywire from the pregnancy and she'd slipped into the river on her own.
Melody walked free. Mom got community service.
The day we left the courthouse, Melody buried her face in Dad's chest and sobbed, but the second no one else could see, she shot Mom a cold little smirk. Dad kissed her forehead like her tears were breaking his heart.
Mom just watched them, one hand over her empty belly. Those eyes that used to be so full of love were calm now.
She let out a slow breath. "Maxwell, let's break the mate bond."
Back at our penthouse downtown, the air feels ice-cold.
Mom sits on the couch, both hands over her flat stomach, tears falling without a sound. I press close against her, trying to warm her up.
"How long are you gonna keep this up?" Dad throws his coat over a chair, done with all of it. "You know how you looked in that courtroom today? Like you didn't have an ounce of class. You humiliated me."
Mom stares at him like she can't believe it, at the man who once swore he'd love her forever.
"Maxwell, you know the truth." Her voice shakes. "You know it was her..."
"Enough, Juliet." He cuts her off, frowning, every word an accusation. "Don't let your feelings do your thinking for you. Melody's had panic attacks since we were kids. Why are you so dead set on destroying her? I lost the baby too, but we don't get to pin it on someone innocent over one accident."
There's nothing but despair in Mom's eyes now. "Maxwell, our baby died. And you stood there and lied to a judge's face to cover for the person who did it?"
"I already told you, it was an accident!" His voice spikes, and the Alpha pressure rolls off him so hard I can't breathe. "Melody's barely holding herself together. She's even talked about ending it! Can't you be the bigger person for once? We can have another baby. But if you drag Melody into the Abyss Prison, that's you killing her."
"The bigger person?" Mom lets out a hollow laugh, tears sliding down her pale face. "So that's how it is, Maxwell. Our lives, mine and our son's, aren't worth as much to you as one of her tears."
That's when the doorbell rings.
Melody's face shows up on the entry screen, soft and pitiful, a carefully wrapped gift basket in her hand, her eyes rimmed red.
Dad goes straight over and opens the door.
"Maxwell... am I interrupting something?" She stands in the doorway, timid, looking at Mom. "Juliet, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't lost control of my magic, none of this would've happened. I waited in line forever for this sleep potion. I just want to make it up to you, even a little."
She steps closer and reaches for Mom's hand.
"Don't touch me." Mom knocks her hand away, and the basket hits the floor and shatters.
Melody throws herself backward like she's been struck, landing right in the broken glass.
"That hurts!" She clutches her arm, blood already welling up, tears bursting out right on cue.
Anyone with eyes can see how bad the act is. Mom can barely stay on her feet — there's no force behind that swipe at all. And Melody's a werewolf, built tough. No way a light touch sends her sprawling like that.
But Dad sees it and lets out a pained growl.
"Melody!"
He whips around and shoves Mom, weak as she is, down onto the couch, his face full of disgust and fury.
"Juliet, have you lost your mind? She comes here to check on you and you put your hands on her?"
Mom slams into the arm of the couch and lets out a low sound of pain.
I break into tears and throw myself in front of her.
Dad doesn't even look at us. He sweeps Melody up into his arms, careful, gentle, like she's some priceless treasure.
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