Chapter 37: Her mother competes with her for her son.
The question caught Rose off guard. Was this the question her mother was supposed to ask her?
She had expected her mother to start by saying something harsh before moving on to anything else. Rose scolded herself, realizing how foolish she was for letting her past emotions resurface.
Even though she wanted to ignore the question with a hiss, she reminded herself that Mrs. Stella was still her mother. Ignoring her would serve no purpose. Rose already sensed that her mother wouldn’t let her leave easily—she would likely be stuck here for a long time.
Rose didn’t bother faking a smile. Instead, she answered in a tone that reflected the emotions in her heart.
"I’ve been doing a lot of things outside—better things than when I was here. Going outside was the best thing that ever happened to me... it was really better, Mother." Her eyes locked onto her mother’s as she spoke, her gaze firm and unwavering, her words forcing a cheerful front.
Her mother smirked before responding, "I can see the ’improvements’ going outside has brought you... those improvements brought you back here with a bastard son, I see."
The last part of her mother’s words wasn’t spoken aloud but was instead conveyed through the telepathic connection her mother’s werewolf side enabled. Werewolves could speak mind-to-mind when they wished to share private thoughts.
Rose silently thanked God that her mother hadn’t said those words aloud. If she had, Tobi might have become curious enough to ask about the meaning of the word "bastard," and that was a conversation Rose wasn’t ready to have.
Rose cleared her throat, her face turning more serious. She glanced at Tobi, who sat quietly beside her, and then looked back at her mother. "I am honored to have received good things from outside, Mother. Tobi is my blessed child—a gift given to me. I don’t care what you think or say about him. I came here assuming you had something important to tell me, but it seems I was wrong. I have no idea what game you’re playing."
Mrs. Stella laughed at Rose’s words, her laughter escalating until she stood up and moved closer, sitting beside Tobi. "Grandson, who is your father, hmm? Don’t you have one? Do you have no father at all?"
Tobi raised his tiny head and looked at the elegant older woman, who was as pretty as his mother. He didn’t respond. His mommy had told him that the older lady was like the wicked stepmother in Snow White and that he should never answer any of her questions. So, Tobi simply shook his head and remained silent.