Rejecting The Alpha Twins - Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Fiona POV
It’s a headstone. A small, polished, grey headstone. My heart leaps into my chest, and then, unbidden, tears come to my eyes. It’s for my mother, Regan. My mother. Liam has put a resting place for my mother in my Favorite spot and all without my knowledge. I stare down at it in wonder, unable to express my raw emotions that continue to flood through me. I have never loved him more than I did in that moment. It was easy to see just how much time and effort he had put into doing this for me, and all in secret, too. I felt my chest tighten in response.
“You. You did all this for me?” I whispered, hand to my mouth and staring at him with love shining in my eyes.
He nods, a solemn expression on his face. “Yes, I knew you wanted something to memorialize your mother, and I could not think of a better spot than here, where you can talk to her in peace without being disturbed by anyone.”
It was the perfect spot. My haven. My sanctuary and now something of mine I could share with my mother, even if she were not here with me now.
I fling myself into his arms, sobbing quietly. My emotions are a mess lately, and this has just overfilled the dam that was already threatening to fall. I can't believe how thoughtful my mate is and how truly loving he can be. I am blessed to have a mate such as himself.
“Why don’t I leave you in peace?” he suggests, kindly glancing around and sniffing.
I knew he was sniffing for rogues or other threats before he chose to leave me on my own. I nod slowly. I want to spend some quality time with my mother, before all my time is taken again, organizing the accommodation for all the old pack members who are now transitioning to ours. I want this time to spend with my mother and just me. I appreciate his thoughtfulness.
“Yes, please,” my voice is hoarse.
I am overcome with emotion. He glances around one last time, before he lovingly kisses me on the forehead, while I close my eyes for a brief moment, and then reluctantly steps away.
There will be other times I will share this moment, or the time between my partner and me, but that is later. Right now, I am focused on being able to speak to her, even if she can't respond to me. I know she's up there, listening to everything I have to say, and the sentiment of that brings nothing but warmth to my heart.
“Come and find me when you are finished. Take your time,” he advises quietly.
I could spend hours at this spot, something he knew all too well. I nod at him, and then, as I hear the sound of his footsteps fading, I sink to the ground on my knees and trace my mother’s headstone with one finger, feeling the coarseness of the stone and the roughness against my two hands. He's kept the natural state of the stone, and it looks perfect against the backdrop of the lake and waterfall. It's heavenly. I knew my mother would appreciate the spot as well.
“Mother,” I whisper, breaking into tears, my shoulders heaving up and down as I begin to cry.
I had so many regrets when it came to Regan, the first one of course being that I had severed ties with her. Now that Celeste had come clean, I suspected that the majority of the trouble I had faced against my fathers and Regan had primarily been because of her.
“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed, feeling my throat tighten. “So sorry, Regan, I should have…” I trailed off, not sure how to put it into words.
How do you apologize to a person who has already left this earth? How could I put into words my remorse and my guilt? How could I beg forgiveness from somebody who was already gone? It was impossible. My tears continued to flow as I almost choked on them. So many regrets, and now it was impossible to make amends for them all.
“Child, don’t cry.”
The voice sounded from behind me. My eyes widen, and for a moment I am dazed. I could have sworn that the voice was Regan’s, but that was impossible. I slowly get to my feet, wondering who had the nerve to interrupt a special moment such as this one. My anger begins to curdle inside my stomach. I am angered, more than I have ever felt before, because I have been interrupted. This was my special moment and for a stranger to come to my special spot...I slowly shake my head, feeling as though I'm about to come undone at any given moment.
“Fiona, look at me, sweetheart.”
I slowly turn, feeling as though my heart is pounding a mile a minute. It’s impossible. It can’t be her, and yet as I turn, I see her. She looks whole. I stare, my mouth gaping open, and then another woman comes out of the shadows. The second woman is almost ethereal, with long white hair that cascades down to her ankles. She has a mark on her neck of a crescent moon, and she wears a crown, also possessing a crescent moon. Her dress is silky white, and her eyes are like big crystal pools. She possesses a powerful aura, the likes of which I have never felt before.
“Fiona.”
Regan’s voice again. Soft and gentle, a low murmur in the quietness of the forest. I stare at her in disbelief, certain that this is some sort of sick joke or trick. She's dead. Been dead for days. There is no way her body is standing in front of me in perfect condition.
“It’s not you,” I tremble, “it’s not you because you are dead.”
I refuse to believe. As badly as I want it to be her my rational mind states the obvious. It's somebody else who looks like her. It has to be.
“Child,” the other woman speaks, placing a hand against her chest, “the moon goddess can do anything she puts her mind to and I had a mind for the two of you to reunite, to speak about all your regrets and put them aside, to truly love one another as a daughter and mother should.”
“You’re the moon goddess?” I asked, unable to believe it and yet instinctively knowing she's telling the truth.
Nobody else would have the nerve. It also explained the powerful aura I had felt coming from her.
“Selena,” she smiled as Regan stood there, also nodding quietly “and the pain in your heart called to me child. It’s not often I am swayed to break my own rules and allow something like this to happen, but in your case I made an exception. Please,” she nodded to the both of us, “you should get reacquainted with each other while you can.”
Regan moved faster than I had ever seen, and before I could blink, she had me in her arms and was holding onto me so tight that it was difficult for me to breathe.
“Fiona,” she wept, real tears trickling down her cheeks, “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, “I saw everything from above. I saw what you had to do, I saw you win the fight against Celeste. I truly did not know what she was capable of, and even now, I still love her because she is my daughter. You don’t hate me for that, do you?” she whimpered.
I shook my head. Love was something that came unconditionally, and a mother’s love for her daughter was something that nobody could ever sever. I understood that now. You could hate somebody for what they were and still love them, as was the case with Regan and my fathers. They would never stop loving Celeste, no matter what,t simply because she was their blood. I no longer faulted them for it. Instead, I gave them my forgiveness.
“But I love you just as much as if you were my real daughter. I have never been so proud of you,” she breathed, moving back to look me in the eyes, “you’ve come such a long way since you left our pack. I have so many regrets, so many decisions that I made to hurt you, and I wish I could take them all back, that I could truly express how sorry I am.”
“You already are,” I sobbed, clutching desperately at her, fearful this was just a dream or that she could vanish at any moment. She felt so real, though. I could feel her flesh, her bones, and her muscles.
“I had to see you one last time,” Regan’s voice was quiet and contemplative, “I have to beg your forgiveness so that I can finally rest at peace.”
Was I the reason she had come back?