Chapter 134. Take Your Time: pt. 2

Caroline’s POV

My heart clenched as I saw the glint in her eyes, the pain in her voice. It was the first time that I had heard such a vulnerability in my mother’s voice. A woman who was always so proud and unaffected, almost untouchable…and yet, today, she stood before me, not as the Beta’s mate, but as my mother, as a woman who was asking her daughter for understanding and yet…my throat felt parched, my chest tight.

Tears stung my eyes, and I looked away, ashamed. “I didn’t know how else to handle it, Mom,” I admitted. “You’ve always wanted what’s best for me, but sometimes it feels like what you want and what I want are two very different things. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my independence, of losing… me.”

It was difficult to get the words out, and I knew that it may be hurting her, but I had to say it…I had to tell her what was wrong and why I had kept things from her. The weight of her gaze weighed heavily on me, but even heavier had been the w