"Mum!" I screamed her name, feeling so embarrassed as my mum dragged me like a baby past the school field. Both our junior students and those who came to practice ahead of the second phase of the contest were there laughing at me.
"Keep quiet, fool. I told you I don't want to see you near that Lycan boy. Is either you going back to Jeremy or you remain single," my mum's voice screeched like a grating sound.
"But mum, Jeremy rejected me, cheated on me, and could not even believe the fact that I didn't cheat on him deliberately," I raised my voice at my mum.
"Are you talking to me like that?" My mum resounded a slap across my face. My eyes tumbled. And like I was in a galaxy, stars were everywhere. Not real stars, but those illusionary stars you see when a Lycan like my mum slaps you.
I stumbled backward till I leaned against the wall of her office, and just as though my brain was reset in factory settings, I discovered I had just shouted at my mum. Not just my mum, but also, the pack doctor of my pack. It took me severe seconds to gather strength - not to utter any more words, but to shed tears. Then she moved closer to me and enveloped me in an embrace.
I felt a rush of hot tears threatening to spill, and I couldn't hold them back. The dam broke, my face cradled in my hands, and the tears flowed freely down my cheeks, while my shoulders trembled with sobs.
"Stop crying, Amaya. Please, stop. I don't mean to slap you. I was just upset you weren't hearing me out," my mother's voice, laced with concern, cut through the tears.
I pulled away from my mother's embrace, wiping the tears with the back of my hand.
"Why, Mom? Why did you slap me?" I choked out the words, my voice trembling with a mixture of hurt and confusion.
Her eyes softened, but the sternness remained. She responded, now calmly,
"I had to make you understand, Amaya. You can't let your emotions control you. You have responsibilities, and you can't afford to let personal matters cloud you."
"But it hurts, Mom. It hurts so much," I whispered, my hand instinctively reaching for the spot on my cheek where her palm had left its mark.
She sighed, a mixture of regret and determination in her gaze. She dropped her hands on my shoulder and said.
"I know, sweetheart. But sometimes, tough love is the only way to get through. I need you to be strong. There are reasons why I can not let that Lycan boy get too close to you."
"He cares about me, Mom. Why can't you see that?" I pleaded, the tears still streaming down my face.
"Amaya, there are things you don't understand. Things I have tried to hide you from. I can not let you get hurt, especially by someone who doesn't know the truth."
"The truth about what, Mom?" I asked, frustration tinging my voice.
"About your abilities, Amaya. The powers you have. They come with risks, and I can not let anyone get too close. Not until we fully fight the black rogues who are after you."
"But Mom, Lycan cares about me. He wouldn't use that against me." I hesitated, still finding it hard to understand what my mom was insinuating.
She shook her head, her gaze a mixture of sadness and hesitation.
"It is not about the Lycan using it against you, Amaya. It is about the danger it unleashes on both of you. I cannot let this happen."
A knock on the door interrupted us. My mum pulled backward and signaled for the person to come in. The school proprietor, Alpha Brian, and two elders walked into her office slowly.
"Who are you deceiving, Florida? We ask you if there is anything hidden about Amaya but you lied to us that there is nothing. If that's the case why are you stopping her from loving the Lycan boy?" One of the elders asked lethally, folding his arms.
My mom froze in place as well as me. Does that mean they heard all our conversations? My mom could not respond to his questions. She looked away and scratched her hair in what seemed like confusion.
"Florida, I have been the head of this school for the past 40 years and there has never been a case with the black rogues not until your daughter, Amaya, comes in. It was a thing of shame that the first phase of the contest we held was interrupted by the black rogues," The school proprietor said, his voice laced with an unwavering mindset.
"Now tell us the hidden abilities of Amaya, Florida. You are a disgrace to my pack!" Alpha Brian, Jason's father, said.
"Please spare me that, Alpha Brian. Where were you when Jason was secretly in a black rogue group? You could not even chastise your son," My mom gritted her teeth and yelled at Jason's father.
Alpha Brian growled, forming fists as he approached my mother. My mother also blew hot, her eyes turning red. The elders stood in their way, disallowing them to come in contact with each other, yet, Alpha Brian was panting harder behind them.
"Have you lost your senses, Florida? On no occasion should you talk back at the Alpha of your pack!" The school proprietor said, and the tension in the air dropped.
"Proprietor, Elders, I understand your concern about your school and my daughter. But some things are better left undisturbed," My mum said, trying to maintain a composed exterior.
The eldest among the elders, a figure with silver hair and eyes that held the wisdom of ages, said,
"Florida, it is time you share the truth about the abilities within us. This will help us to know what to do before the second phase of the contest kicks off."
My mother glanced at me, a silent plea in her eyes. I, in turn, offered a hesitant nod, urging her to speak. She stepped forward and said,
"I am sorry. This is personal between me and my daughter. I can't say anything about it!" My mum insisted.
"Florida, we know you to be a strong woman, but remember you are a woman. There is what a woman can handle and there is what a man can handle. I will tell you that this is what a man can handle," An elder added from behind.
My mum kept quiet for what seemed like hours but were just minutes before she sighed. Every one of us opened our eyes, paying more attention as she sighed. We thought she was ready to speak up, not until she parted her lips for words.
"I insist!!" She nodded her head in hesitation and said.
"Let the boy come in." The school proprietor looked at the door and said. The door blasted open, and Cena walked into the office innocently. I did not know why, but I felt smiles escaping my lips. And my mum noticed this.
"Cena, Amaya, it seems some matters need to be resolved. From this moment onward, you are permitted to date. Florida, you have no authority to interfere in their personal affairs."
Happiness swarmed me, and the knots in my belly were replaced with beautiful roses of butterflies. I could not compose my exterior as I glanced at Cena who was now blushing extremely like a fool.
My mother's eyes flashed with a mix of frustration. She widened her eyes and said,
"Proprietor, you don't understand the risks involved. I cannot let my daughter be endangered by something beyond her control."
The school proprietor, unmoved by my mother's pleas, continued, "Florida, these matters are beyond our control. We can't allow you to spoil the reputation of our school. The school will be held responsible for any unforeseen outcomes."
Cena moved to me and hugged me so tightly. My mother, though visibly distressed, turned to us, and said,
"I hope you both understand the risks involved!"
Cena nodded a sense of determination in his eyes. "We will navigate this together, Florida. Whatever comes our way, we will face it." He landed and looked into my eyes, and I nodded in affirmation.
"Now you can go, Cena. Amaya will meet you in no distant time we have a personal matter to discuss and it's between us, Amaya, and her mother," one of the elders said. Cena spared me a glance and moved out.
"Over to you, Alpha Brian" The elder paved the way for Alpha Brian to talk. Alpha Brian cleared his throat, and moved to the front of us, still glaring daggers at my mum as he was ready to speak.