+25 BONUS
My mother walked over to her dresser on the far side of the room, and she rummaged through an old antique box that I knew my father had gifted her for one of their anniversaries years ago.
After a moment, she pulled out a long golden necklace with a rare pink diamond encased in white diamonds. Next to the pendant was a small golden key.
“There it is,” she said, walking over to one of her drawers and pulling it open. I waited in the distance with Judy as she pulled out a gorgeous white box with engravings on it. I had never seen that box before, but it was clear it meant something to her by the way she handled it.
She placed the box down on the dresser and took the key in her hand.
“The gem is right in here,” she said, looking at me from over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t take it out unless necessary.”
I stepped closer to her, peering down at the box from over her shoulder.
“Open it,” I demanded it, a little too gruffly.
She frowned up at me.
“I’m still your mother,” she said hotly. “You don’t need to speak to me like that.”
I let out a breath; I was still on edge after she hurt my mate; kindness wasn’t a thing I wanted to show her right now, but she was right. She was my mother, and if I wanted her to do what I said, I needed to watch my tone with her.
“I apologize,” I said, lowering my voice. “But this is important.”
She looked at me for a moment longer before her eyes flickered to Judy. I wanted to growl at the dismissive way she was looking at my mate, but then, to my surprise, her gaze softened, and she sighed, almost defeatedly.
“Very well,” she breathed, turning back to the box.
She turned the key, and I heard it click unlock. She brushed her fingers along the seams of the open and pressed a button, allowing the top to open. Her eyes drifted into the box, and then her entire body froze.
As I stared at her, I saw the color draining from her face, and the confused look turned into utter shock and horror.
“Mom?” I asked, stepping closer to her to peer into the box. Her hands trembled, and when she looked up at me, I already knew … she didn’t have to say a word about it.
“It’s gone, isn’t it?” I asked, though I feared I already knew the answer.
“I…I don’t understand,” she whispered hoarsely. “I hadn’t taken it out of this box. It was here. It’s been here since passed away… how could it just disappear?”
your
father
“So, the Moon Gem is missing?” Judy asked, a nervousness in her fone as she looked up at me. I kept my eyes glued to my mother’s pale face; I knew she had no idea the gem had gone missing. She was learning about this at the same time were and it was frustrating because there was really nobody to blame for this situation.
“I don’t understand how it could be possible,” she whispered, staring between the two of us. “I…”
“When was the last time you saw it?” I asked her.
“I’m not sure… I hadn’t opened this box in years. I hadn’t needed to open it. The gem wouldn’t work for me. It had to be an Alpha born from your bloodline,” she explained. “There’s no reason it should be missing.”
“Did anybody else know about this?” I asked. “Somebody you told? Or somebody who found out?”
She thought about it for a moment, and then her eyes grew wary; she traced the necklace pendant, her mind clearly elsewhere.
I stepped in front of her, trying to get her attention.
1/3
Chapter 685
+25 BONUS
“Mom?” I asked her.
She blinked and looked up at me.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Only one… but I don’t see why she would take it…”
“Who is it, Mom?” I asked her, an urgency in my tone.
“She helped me remove this necklace from around my neck when she gifted me the other necklace for last week’s event…” my mother murmured, lost in her own thoughts, “She wouldn’t, though… would she?” It was like she had forgotten I was standing right there.
I put my hands on my mother’s shoulders to jostle her.
“Mom, who did you tell?” I asked her firmly and a bit louder. “Who gave you that necklace? Who else knew about this gem?”
She finally met my eyes, sobering slightly.
“Daisy Baldwin…” (1
