Ivy and Audrey came to visit me the next day and both avoid the subject of Andrew altogether.

Xavier didn't come back after our fright yesterday. And even if he did I didn't want to see him.

"I thought that your mom was going to be like out of her mind sad and distraught," Ivy said changing the subject. "But she was the exact opposite. Like I'm pretty sure she was ready to strap on a bulletproof vest and beat up all those rouges herself."

"I think that Brad was scared was scared," Audrey cut in. "He was tasked with going to get her and bring her to the packhouse safely and I'm pretty sure he's going to be taking training lessons from her now."

That did sound like my mom. After my dad passed away she became overprotective of me. She was the one who taught me basic self-defense, and to always stand up for myself and what I believe in. I remember one time back in Arizona, not long after my dad died, I got in trouble at school for punching this boy who was making fun of me. When my mom got called to the school she was mad at them for letting the kid bully me. She gave them hell when they told her that they were going to suspend me for 3 days because of it. After my mom got down yelling at them, the kid I hit got suspension instead.

"Yeah that sounds about right," I laughed along with them.

I didn't want to think about Xavier right now. The fact that he didn't listen to me about Andrew really hurt, I mean I know he didn't like him, but he should believe me. I'm his mate. But right now I'm not even sure if that means anything anymore.

Before this whole mess, we were going to have a huge ceremony where he marked me and introduced me as his mate and Luna of the pack. But right now, I'm not sure if I can go through with it. I just feel like everything is happening so fast. I moved here and then found out that werewolves were real and that I was mated to one.

Maybe I just needed to take a step back.

Right now I was currently sitting on my hospital bed, waiting for my mom to come over and sign my discharge papers.

The girls had brought be a change of clothes. That just so happened to be a pair of leggings and one of Xavier's hoodies. Even though I was mad at him right now and didn't even want to see him, I wasn't going to say no to wearing his clothes. They just felt so comfy and oversized. But I wasn't going to give me the satisfaction of knowing that.

"Where's my baby girl?" My mom's voice ripped me out of my thoughts as she walked into the hospital room with her arms outstretched for a hug.

"Mom," I smiled brightly at her rushing from the bed and practically throwing my arms around her and squeezing her back. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby," she mumbled into my hair as she hugged me tighter.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered into her shoulder as I buried my face into her sweater. "I'm so sorry that this all happened, and that-"

"Addison," she pulled back from me and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I'm not mad at you. Not at all. All I care about is that you're safe and that you came back home in one piece. Of course, I was scared when Brad came bursting through our front door asking if you were home, but once I talked to Xavier I knew that he would do whether it took to get you back home. Everything else is irrelevant right now."

"I love you so much, mom," I said, my voice on the verge of cracking. "I never meant to scare you or anyone."

I don't know when, but Ivy and Audrey left the room to give my mom and I a moment alone. Something that I was very grateful for, I didn't want either of them to see me ugly cry. Trust me when I say it was not a pretty sight. My face got all red and puffy, and my nose would run.

"Baby girl believe me when I tell you that no one, not me, not Xavier, or any of your friends are mad at you. None of it was your fault. Now let's get you home and tucked into bed."

My mom let me lean on her and helped me walk down to the car. Even though I didn't have any broken bones, I was still sore and Dr. Matthews said that I still had some fractures that take a few more days to heal.

"Mom," I said after we pulled out of the parking lot. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything, Addy," she smiled. "You know that."

"How did you know that dad was the one for you? I mean," I hesitated. "Did you ever doubt your relationship and your feelings?"

"Of course," she answered right now. "Especially when we first started dating, after the rose-colored glasses came off."

"How did you get through it?"

"There was one time," my mom went on. "It was right after your father proposed and right before we got married that we got into the worst fight that we ever had. I was ready to pack a bag and just walk away from it all. Book a plane ticket to the first sunny place I could and never look back."

I had heard all the stories about my parents. The good ones and the bad ones. I used to ask my mom to tell me them when my dad passed away. It just made me feel closer to him.

"What we're you fighting about?" I asked. "I mean it must have been pretty major for you to think about leaving him."

"I don't even remember, Addison," she laughed. "That's the crazy part. I just remember that I was so mad at your father over something and felt like I was going to explode."

"What made you stay?"

"I was, and still am, and probably always will be, deeply in love with your father. I was just about to pull out a suitcase from the closet when he wrapped his arms around me and begged me to stay. Now, I only ever saw your dad cry twice, once on our wedding day and the second was when you were born and he held you for the first time."

I felt my heart swell. My dad was never an emotional guy while I was growing up. But hearing that he cried happy tears when I was born made happiness bloom inside of me.

"He told me that he'd do whatever it took for me to be happy. Even if that meant me leaving him, and at that moment I really, truly knew. Your dad was willing to let me go and be sad if that meant me being happy. He was willing to lay down and let me walk away if that was what I wanted. And I knew," my mom's voice bang to shake. "And I knew that he was always going to be the one for me. Just because we met and fell in love young didn't mean that we weren't in love."

"I'm worried about me and Xavier," I confessed. "I tried telling him that one of the people in the dungeon, Andrew, wasn't a bad guy. He was actually a good guy. He helped me get out of that battle alive and I promised that I wouldn't let him get hurt, but Xavier wouldn't listen to me and let him go. And if he won't listen to me about this, what will he listen to be about? I mean this is someone's life."

"Baby," my mom whispered to me. "After Brad took me to the packhouse I went and talked to Xavier, and that boy promised me that he would do whatever it took to keep you safe and bring you home alive. He told me that he would lay his life down if that meant you would be ok. And when he spoke I saw that same look of love in his eyes as I saw in your dad's all those years back when I almost walked away. He loves you with everything he has."

"Are you sure, mom? Because I don't want to get hurt and lose him."

My mom pulled the car into our driveway and shut off the engine. "Baby girl if he hurts you I promise that not only will I hurt him back, but everyone else will too. Ivy, and Audrey, and Cecelia, and those boys are your family now. I know you were scared about moving here, but look at us now! You have a huge family of so many people that love you."

"You promise?" I laughed willing away the few tears that had escaped.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," she pulled her car door open before looking back at me and saying, "why don't we order some pizza and have a girl's night. Just you and me. How does that sound?"

"Absolutely perfect."

--

Hey guys!

So, what do you think?

Should Addison stay

with Xavier? Or

should she break up

with him?

I'd love to know

what you all think!