The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 170: Her choice.

~Dahlia’s POV~

"Mommy, are we really going? Today?" Amara’s sugary voice jolted me back to reality and I sighed softly before turning to ruffle her already messy hair.

I do not know what games she must’ve been playing earlier or whatever she was doing with the ’other’ kids but by the time I sent for her, she was looking like a mess. Her hair was everywhere, clinging onto everything like a bird’s nest, and her eyes—those wild green things— were shining with the most light I’ve ever seen on them these past few weeks.

And now, I’m about to take her from it all over again.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I am sorry."

Now, that made Amara cock her perfect perfect eyebrows at me. I almost chuckled when she planted both her hands on her hips, a look of defiant indignation in her eyes. "Sorry for what?"

"I know you already like it here, and now, I’m trying to get you out of... you know, just like I always do."

She shook her head even before I finished my statement, an array of emotions flashing across her face— and boy, I could swear I saw anger at some point.

"I do not like it here." She flat-out said, her voice serious.

For a moment, I was stunned into stillness, and then I choked on my saliva, my eyes widening. "You’re lying."

She giggled at that. "Yes, I am. I like it here. I like the other kids. I like the games they let us play and the fact that they let me study with them. But I miss Zareeq."

Oh shit.

Something about her words played on the strings of my heart. My body zinged with emotions I tried to keep at bay. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes too but I indignantly blinked them back, whilst leaning forward to cup Amara’s face in my hands.

"But you know we’re not going back to Zareeq right?" I asked slowly, my tone soft. I feared for her reaction to my words, feared for her reaction to finding out she may never have to see Zarek ever again.

Contrary to what I feared she would do, she sighed. A deep long one, and then dropped her gaze to the floor. "I know."

"I’m sorry."

"I know too. I also know that you like like him. And I still think you like like Alpha Kai too."

"Oh, Amara!" My face heated up as embarrassment from the bottomless pit of hell spread across every fiber of my being.

I slapped my hands over my face but that didn’t stop Amara from talking. Instead, she seemed to revel in my shame, saying; "I like Zareeq more though. I think he’s my daddy."

"No he’s not. I told you, your daddy is dead."

"I know. But my wolf says he’s my daddy."

Now, that made me freeze. My eyes widened, even my breath hitched as I turned to face Amara skeptically, my eyes roving the length of her body as I questioned; "Your wolf?"

She nodded almost immediately and very enthusiastically. "Yes mommy. There’s a voice that talks in my head sometimes. She’s fun. She told me her name is Chiara."

Now that sounds real.

"And she says when it’s time I can turn to a wolf just like you. And I can carry you on my back just like you did for me that day!" She squealed, excitement evident in her voice.

I stared at Amara for a long time. And hard, trying to decipher the words she was saying to me, but the more I thought about it, the realer it felt.

Hell, I had even seen her in a state of mid shift one time. That one time I had brushed off as an anomaly.

But goddess, she’s four! Maybe soon to be five! But still too young to have felt her wolf!

Gosh, what the heck does this mean?

"Mommy... Mommy?" My baby called out to me, snapping me out of my reverie, and in response, I turned to smile at her, putting her into my arms as I began to speak;

"Do you usually feel..."

"Hi Dahlia," A voice suddenly interrupted me mid sentence, and I looked up just in time to see a mass of hair peeking from the door. I frowned.

Elodie.

Not now please. Read the room!

"I’m sorry to... you know, bother you. But I really wanted to talk to you."

"I think we’ve talked about everything we’re meant to." I spat quickly, acutely aware that I do not want to have this conversation with her.

But Elodie did not back down. She continued; "I know that you probably do not want to see me right now because of what happened, and that is why you do not want to speak to me either... but still, I would feel really bad if you leave the house, especially since I know that you don’t have anywhere else to go."

"Elodie, I’m not mad. And where I go or if I have no place to go is none of your business, so I’d appreciate it if we don’t talk about it." I drawled in the calmest quietest monotone I could muster.

Frankly, I had half expected her to give up now, I had expected her to roll her eyes and leave, or to say something snarky altogether; But she didn’t. Instead, she slipped into the room, her eyes latched on the floor as she fiddled with her fingers; And then turning to Amara, she continued;

"Plus you have a daughter... Think about her! You can’t possibly make her homeless simply because you’re mad at me! She deserves a roof over her head!"

"I deserve to always be close to my mommy." Amara snapped even before I could think of what to say, and as soon as she spoke, we both—I mean, Elodie and I— turned to her in surprise, my eyebrows shooting into my hairline as I took her in.

"Amara, this is an adult conversation... don’t—"

"I know mommy, but it’s about me and you right?" She asked and I nodded. "Then I am supposed to be able to speak too, right?"

"No you’re not—"

"Yes, you are."

Elodie and I said simultaneously and I paused, raised my eyes to meet hers and shot her the most murderous glare I could muster before dropping my gaze to Amara. "Don’t worry about our conversation, I can take care of it. Okay?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"But mommy, Martin told me that he saw her, I mean, this lady, shouting at you earlier. So if you want to leave, then I want us to leave too."

Elodie gasped at that, and fuck me, I did a mental fist pump. But deciding not to let my excitement show, I fixed my face, stood up, walked over to where Elodie stood, and in a low voice which was just as cold as the one she’d used in scolding me just a few minutes ago, I drawled;

"Now, you know exactly how my daughter whom I am supposed to ’think of’ feel. So I guess you have your answers right?"

Elodie gulped. A flash of guilt flickered across her face. "But Dahlia, I didn’t mean it. I was mad.... I thought—"

"You thought I had something to do with Orion, didn’t you?" I gritted out and she nodded, "...and you didn’t wait to find out what it was before proceeding to slut-shame me, did you?"

"No. And I am sorry."

"You’re only sorry because you found out you were wrong. It wouldn’t have been the case if I actually had something to do with him, right? Even though I never knew about you both! Even though I always thought his wife was dead until two weeks ago."

She gasped. "You did?"

I dragged my eyes over her body as slowly as I could before snagging them on her red swirling eyes, and then I scoffed. "It doesn’t matter anymore... but I think you should have a long and deep conversation with your so-called husband before coming back to accuse me or something. Maybe by then, we can have this conversation."

"Dahlia please, it’s not like this. You’re blowing this tiny matter out of proportion!" She yelled exasperatedly while I could only pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Goddess, I was tired. Incredibly so. And I wanted her out of here as quickly as possible.

"Please leave now, Lady Elodie," I drawled slowly, intentionally using her title, andI didn’t miss when she flinched as soon as I spoke, or how she gasped in surprise and... was that hurt?

Well, I don’t care.

"I have some packing to do." I spat, and with that, turned away from her to join Amara who was so busy packing the rest of our stuff into a cloth bag.

Something about her attitude told me she wanted this move more than I did, and maybe this time, I’ll make sure to put her choice over mine.