The Alpha King's Human Mate by HC Dolores

Chapter 35 Chapter 35 "a mother's love endures through all.” 7 Washington Irving For a moment, we were both frozen. Her eyes roamed overlike she was taking in every new freckle or strand of hair that had grown since we'd seen each other last.

And I was doing the same. She definitely looked older than the last t'd seen her, and yet, she didn't look quite as tired as I remembered. There was a youthful glow to her, a spark in her eyes that Pd never seen before. Although it was clearly her, the amount of life in her felt unrecognizable. This was not the tired, strung-out woman I'd spent the first eleven years of my life with. This was someone else.

"My God," she whispered, "You look...so grown up." Her eyes had been watery before, but now, she was actually crying. There was a tight feeling in my chest. Every part ofwas overjoyed to see her - and yet, a tiny voice continued to whisper in my head. She abandoned you, remember? She didn't even bother to call.

Still, that little voice seemed to fade into the background when she clasped her arms aroundand squeezed.

The warm feeling in my stomach spread all the way to my toes. I was hugging my mom. In the flesh. And she smelled exactly like I remembered - like the vanilla perfshe always wore. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," she pulled back and I saw the tears streaming down her face. She had missed me? The fear of rejection that I'd had about coming here, that my mom was going to turnaway, seemed to evaporate. I felt like I was a little girl again, clinging to my mother. She had missedas I'd missed her.

"Con, May," Steve interrupted, sliding a bowl of mac and cheese toward me, "Why don't you give the poor girl a moment? She's got to eat. She's been traveling all day." "Of course," mom said, smiling atwith teary eyes. She cradled my face like she was afraid I was going to disappear right in front of her. "I just can't believe you're here. I was worried that..." She didn't finish her sentence, but instead, looked away and pulled out a chair.

But she didn't need to, | knew what she meant. She was afraid she'd never seeagain.

But why was she afraid? All she had to do was pick up the phone or swing by for a visit.

Thad every intention to ask her, but after another stomach growl, my body remindedof its priorities. Food first, answers after. Ishoveled mac and cheese into my mouth and had to hold back a smile. How could something so simple and easy taste so good? "How was work?" Steve asked, taking the seat opposite my mother. She continued to stare atlike my poor table manners were the best thing she'd ever seen.

"Oh, it was fine," she tore her attention away to look at Steve, “Sas usual.” Just then, I noticed she was wearing scrubs. Steve had said she was coming from work, so she must work at a hospital or doctor's office that's defi When I used to live with her, my mom had bounced from job to job but she was usually too strung out to keep anything for too long. She certainly didn't look strung out now. She looked clean, and that was a way I'd hardly ever seen her before.

he hospital now "Oh, you'd be proud, Clark," Steve boasted, "Your mom went back to school a couple of years ago and got her CNA license. She's been working at the local hospital ever since." shly. "Oh, it's not "It is, May," Steve smiled, and I watched him take hold of her hand, "You should be proud of yourself. I know I am." I stared at their conjoined hands and a realization suddenly washed over me. Steve had said my mom was staying with him and that he was seeing someone ~ God, could my brain work any slower? (7 mom. 'My mom is see dating? I know that was nev Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that if you're not reading this book on 5s.com, you might be missing out on the complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter—it's all free! The confusion on my face must've been evident because Steve actually chuckled. "Oh, right,” he said, "This must look a little odd, huh?and your mom together?" |! his going on when I was around?" I wracked my brain, trying to remember moments and I didn't get together until about five years ago. It was af "But I'd had a thing for your mother much longer than that," Steve said, "I just didn't want to overwhelm her." "More like you were waiting forto get my life together," mom rolled her eyes. There was a lot to process here, but all I could think about was - ed. "And you're dating Uncle Ste All the anger and rejection that I'd been feeling earlier rose back to the surface. Clearly, my mom was doing just great on her own. She went to rehab, had a steady job, and was even dating Uncle Steve. She had – as she'd already pointed out - gotten her "life together."clean? Was I such a burden that she needed to discardso that she coul se tasted like I My mom sighed. She wasn't crying anymore but there was a sadness in her eyes that I hadn't seen

before. "Clark," she said, "There's a lot I need to tell you. There are things' G couldn't tellyou before, but now that you're here, I can actually be honest with you. I know you must be angry with-"

"Oh, really?" I spat out, "Look, I'm glad that you were able to get clean and ve pull yourself together. Really, I am. And if you had to dropoff at dad's for a little while to do that, I would've understood. But that doesn't explain why you never cto visit or bothered to call. You just disappeared from my life! You abandoned me." Now that I had opened ling these past seven years was pouring out of me. My mom sat there in silenc

Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that if you're not reading this book on ngels.com, you might be missing out on the complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter-it's all free! her figure tofor eleven years, and then you disappeared just like her. D forto go...that it might actually be good to see you after all this time," I said, "Bu if she was my mom. If that wasn't enough for her to pick up the phone for th "Clark!" She shouted after me, "Wait!" Her eyes were wide and pleadin mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1