The Alpha And His Rejected Fae Princess

Depths of Despair Part 2

Liam felt his mother's eyes on him, as she looked him over from head to toe, a thoughtful expression on her face. He gulped. Her eyes were narrowed on him. She c****d her head, her fingers beginning to move across the bedspread.

"What is your father up to?" she asked him hoarsely.

Liam tensed. "He was doing paperwork last time I saw him" he lied, even though he didn't know why he was sparing her the truth, doing it instinctively.

Her brows drew together. "Really" she mused "was it in the study Liam," she asked, her hands no longer clawing at herself.

Liam could see fresh scratches across her chest. His mother seemed unbothered by it.

"I um think so" he stammered.

She made a tsking sound. "He does love that study" she drawled "it's one of his favorite places to go," she said bitterly.

Liam gave a nervous laugh. "I guess," he said awkwardly.

She nodded. She got up and looked out the window, taking in the forest and watching the pack members walking and playing on the grounds. She felt a pang of nostalgia. She was the Luna of the pack but she was weak, she thought sadly. It had been eons since the pack had seen her leave the room. Sometimes it was all she could do to get out of bed, let alone bother to brush her hair or eat. Her husband didn't bother to visit her, in fact, he disliked it when Liam visited her as well, believing her to be a bad influence on their son. He thought she was pathetic. He hated her. Her body trembled. A cool breeze came through the window and caused her nightgown to softly billow around her ankles. She smelt the scent of pine and dirt coming from the forest and felt a small sense of longing. Her wolf was almost gone, she hadn't been able to shift in over a year. Tears pricked her eyes.

She sensed her son watching her. She faked a smile on her face as she turned to him. It didn't fool Liam at all. "Mum," he said, looking at her with those eyes that resembled his father's "what can I do to help you?" he was practically begging her by now.

Nothing, she thought morosely, there was nothing her son could do. No matter how hard her son tried he couldn't make her happy. Nothing made her happy anymore. Her son would bring a spark of happiness but when he left it was quickly distinguished until he came to visit again. Her life felt empty. She was just moving on autopilot. Merely existing for the sake of existing. Liam was the only good thing in her life. She was failing him, she thought with a hitch in her breath, he deserved a mother that could be there for him, guide him through life's journey, rather than the other way around. She felt her heart begin to thud painfully in her chest. A lone tear trailed down her cheek.

"Mum" Liam sounded anxious now.

She tried to give him a reassuring look, lost in her thoughts. She stepped out onto the balcony and glanced down at the ground below. It was so far. She leaned against the railing. Liam stepped onto the balcony cautiously, sensing something was amiss. There was such a look of pain on his mother's face. The pain he'd never seen before, along with desperation. She met his eyes. She gave him a tender smile.

"I love you Liam" she whispered as she slowly and carefully got onto the railing, her body swaying back and forth as she fought to keep her balance.

Liam felt panicked. His mother was going to jump. He rushed forward but she shook her head at him.

"I want you to be happy," she said with tears in her eyes "and I want you to find someone who loves you. Don't be like your father Liam, there is no worse pain than a mate who doesn't love you back" she whispered, her eyes swelling with tears.

"Mum, please, don't" he begged.

She began to hum, a lullaby that she used to sing when he was a baby. He glanced over his shoulder, frantic now. If he screamed for his father, would his father come?

"Mum, I need you," he said pleading with her "I need you, mum."

She smiled at him tremulously "I don't want you to see this. Close your eyes Liam and look away, okay. Remember that I love you" she said.

"I won't let you" Liam screamed, trying to pull at her nightgown as she ignored him, pulling her gown away.

Pack members, hearing his scream, began to look up and point. Liam heaved a sigh of relief. Surely somebody was mind-linking his father? He just needed to keep his mother here for another minute or two and give his father time to get here.

But his mother wasn't going to wait.

Liam glanced at the doorway and she blew him a kiss, before stepping off the balcony. Liam gave an agonized scream, rushing to the railing, as his mother fell to the ground, her body hitting it with a large thud and cracking sound. Blood pooled around her body as he continued to scream, unable to believe what his mother had just done. Why hadn't he stopped her? All he had needed was one more minute. Just one more and she could have been saved. He sobbed, sinking to his knees and putting his head in his hands.

"Carissa" thundered his father, rushing into the bedroom. He drew to a halt as he took in the rumpled bedcovers, the open window, and the image of his son sobbing hysterically on the balcony.

"You're too late" whispered Liam, pointing down to the ground.

His father approached with caution, looking over the balcony and then pulling Liam close to him. Liam felt his whole body heaving as he cried. Pack members began to subtly drag Carissa away, getting her prepared to be buried. Johnathon felt a spurt of anger. How dare she take her life in front of her son! The damage she had probably inflicted emotionally would never be undone. He knew that he was partially to blame, having had numerous affairs, but he refused to contemplate on that. Carissa had been weak, too tender for her own good. She'd been a useless Luna. Not capable of leading the Blood Moon Pack the way it needed to be led. Now he was rid of her for good. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder, as Liam wiped his eyes, pointedly glancing away from the balcony.

"I saw you," Liam said dully and Johnathon stiffened.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"With that woman. You were f*****g her" he said with a snarl "and not long after mother kills herself. Is it because of what you were doing?" he yelled, pushing and shoving his father, hatred in his eyes "are you responsible for her death?" he screamed.

His father held his hands up "calm down Liam. It's not unusual for Alpha's to have affairs" he told his son bluntly "your mother knew that when she married me. So stop playing the blame card. When you grow up, you'll do exactly the same thing, don't pretend you won't" he sneered. "A man that is faithful to his mate is weak" he growled.

Liam just stared at him, hardening his heart against his father. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father was wrong, he thought, as he ran from the room and headed to his bedroom, his heart hurting and tears streaming down his face, his father had to be wrong. How could loving someone completely, make you weak?

He flung himself onto the bed and cried. Later that night, his mother Carissa was buried, without any fanfare or fuss by Alpha Johnathon, a simple gravestone at her burial site. Liam watched with dry eyes, accompanied by his father as his mother was given her resting place, placing a simple bouquet of flowers from the garden, which he wished he had gotten her that day. His whole body was wracked with sobs that he fought to keep in. Alpha Johnathon was pleased with his son's show of bravery and courage. He didn't understand that it was sheer hatred for his father that was keeping his son from showing his emotions. He just thought that Liam was showing how strong he could be. Liam knelt beside his mother's grave and kissed his fingers, placing them on the gravestone.

"I love you mother" he whispered, as his father moved impatiently "and I will always remember you" he promised her, standing back up.

"Liam we need to go back now," Alpha Johnathon said coldly, without a backward glance towards his dead wife "I have important pack business to attend to" he added snidely.

Liam sucked in a breath and held it. He kept the tears at bay until they were inside the pack house and he was safely inside his room. Then and only then, when the door was safely locked and he was away from curious stares and prying eyes, did he allow himself to break down and cry into a pillow, so that the sounds would be muffled and nobody would hear him.