Elaris POV
"Please, miss, let me go." Mom screeched gently, pulling away. I pulled her back onto my arms, squeezing her tighter to my chest.
I looked past the smell of mustiness from her, the stale stench of sweat and rotten fish that she reeked of. All that mattered to me right now was holding her to me, feeling her body against mine, sharing in her fears, her hopes, and even her despair.
"Mom. It's me." I breathed against her shoulder again when she struggled. "It's your daughter, Elaris," I whispered.
She yanked me back from her, with a force I never knew her small, weak, and tired arms could possess.
She raised her eyes to meet mine, tired and weary from years of tears, sorrow, and exhaustion. They spread wide as they roamed my face and body. Her hands, holding tight to both of my arms, grounded me.
"Mom, it's me," I whispered again. But I didn't need to. Though I was wearing another face after the plastic surgery I had, another smile, she still recognized me. How could a mother not recognize her daughter?
Her face was a blast of charcoal and oil stains, making her look old and haggard, but when that face dissolved off the mask of curiosity and confusion she had on before, her eyes became the most beautiful pair I had ever seen, her face that of the most beautiful and lovely woman I knew.
"Ela." She breathed, voice low and hollowed out, that every syllable she muttered sounded like a scream, and yet also like a prayer. "Ela." She muttered again, the tears sliding down faster now. Her face was strung tight with sorrow for a while before melting into a smile despite her tears. "It's really you, my girl. It's you."
"Yes, Mom. It's me." I had barely finished the sentence when she pulled back onto her arms, pressing me against her chest.
"It's really you, my girl. It's really you," she kept muttering. "It's really you."
"Yes, mom!" I repeated continuously, trying to assure her it really was me, her daughter, her baby girl.
We stayed like that in the room for a while, her arms squeezing me tight to her body, my head resting on her chest, while I felt all her love, all her hopes, now her heart surged with them beneath my ears.
She had looked hopeless and lifeless before. Now, I felt hope and life in every inch of her.
When she finally pulled back from me, her tears had stopped, and now it was all smiles. I brushed my fingers over my cheeks, cleaning off the dried tears.
"How have you been, Ela?" Mom asked.
"I have been very fine. Very fine." I said, trying to clear off the guilt and the rest of the sorrow that still burned behind her eyes.
She wasn't at fault for what happened to us, nor was Dad. It was the fault of the bastard who killed Alpha Kurt Draven, and the council who refused to investigate thoroughly, and Torren and Karl's fault for not calling the council to order. It was all their fault, not hers or Dad's.
She spun me around gently, making me turn in a 360 for her, while she checked me out carefully, her lips curling in a happy smile. "I can see my daughter has grown into a woman," She smiled.
"Yeah. I have." I smiled too.
I cleaned off the rest of the dried tears on her cheeks and then her jaw with my thumb, all the while gifting her my best smile.
"I'd almost thought something bad had happened to you, Ela. I stopped receiving your letters from Darius three years ago. And when I asked Darius, he told me you were dead. I didn't believe, but—"
I pressed my thumb on her lips to silence her. "It was all our plan, Darius and I. We needed everyone to think I am dead so I can return safely."
Her face brightened more. Any more, and she would have powered up the room. "So you are going to stay here now."
"Yes, mom." I beamed. "I am a medical Doctor, and I am now working with the pack to treat the plague that fell on the pack."
I didn't think she heard the rest of what I said. Her whole body radiated with excitement at the mention of me being a doctor. The rest flew past her. "You are a doctor now, wow, that's exciting. That's great." She threw me into her arms again in her fit of excitement, pressing me to her chest tighter. "You have really grown a lot. Thank heavens…" She rambled on and on with prayers.
"All thanks to Darius, Mom. He made everything happen. He is a good man." I said. But then I remembered how excited she could be, and I said. "But don't go thanking and hugging him, we don't want anyone to suspect I am Ela or that he helped bring back an exile."
"Of course, I know, darling. I know what I must do. I wished I could pray and hug him endlessly, but I also know I cannot do that." She said. "He is a very good man. Hold him tight and love him very well."
"Oh, I do."
She pulled back now, and she lifted her eyes to mine again, excitement still burning in her orbs. "What about Nathan. How is he? Has he—" she was rambling again.
"He is in college, studying to be an engineer. I could video chat with him, so you can talk to him. He misses you very…"
"Please do," she breathed.
I smiled at her and was turning for my purse to fetch my phone when the door rang loudly from a knock. "Someone is here for you, ma'am." Alex's thick voice filled the room.
"And who is that?" I demanded. I noticed my fingers trembled as I still held onto mum's wrist, and I yanked my hand away. I didn't want her to feel my fear, to see me scared.
The few seconds before Alex's reply didn't do much for my nerves, nor did it stop the wave of coldness that stole up my spine at his answer. "Prince Torren, ma'am. Prince Torren is here to get you." he said.