My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 61

Lancaster POV

The days following our last battle were hectic, yet I somehow managed to rest more than I ever had since I was forced to become Alpha. There were a lot of details my mate and I had to take care of. Fortunately, I had amazing friends by my side who stepped in to help relieve the workload from my hands by sharing the tasks equally among them. Even my Beta, who had spent an entire day recovering at the hospital, joined them. They were adamant that Cait and I needed to lay low after the stressful experience we'd both gone through. Firstly, I wanted to make sure we had solved our bear problem for good. This time, my Luna was sure we didn't need to worry, but I insisted; weeds are prone to grow back, and I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Following my request, my Gamma led a group composed by our best scouts and trackers on an expedition. For three nights, they searched the vast area between Diamond Tempest and the closest wolf packs to ensure all threats had been eradicated.

Under my brilliant Luna's order, we also managed to capture three bears during the battle. Maximus proudly told me what was the reason behind the attacks while I was being held hostage, but there were a few other details we hadn't been able to figure out on our own. During the short interrogation sessions we conducted, we learned that the warlock working with the sleuth had used magic to understand how the bears at the cave had died, which is how they knew about our strategy when they attacked us a few days later. Once we had extracted every last drop of information out of our prisoners, we got rid of them, eliminating the last of our enemies for good.

My Delta helped me organize a funeral for the warriors who had given their lives in battle, which happened at sunset on the day following our return. While we were on the topic, my mate came to me with a rather unexpected request - she wanted to mourn the loss of her former mate, also known as my kidnapper. At first, I was hurt and confused, but as always, I listened to her. Once I learned about how the problematic Gamma had changed his mind at the last second, putting my mate's life before his own, I couldn't help but feel slightly grateful to him.

It was hard, but I could understand why Caitlyn wished to give her former mate a proper burial; they shared a bond before he stupidly decided to break it, and in the end, she saw him turn back into the man who used to be her best friend. Even if I didn't feel completely comfortable about the situation, I stayed by her side in silence while she prayed to the Moon Goddess in hopes she would help guide Caleb's spirit to the Lunar realm.

Once our main obligations had been dealt with, it was time for us to sit down behind closed doors with our ranked members and discuss the elephant in the room. It was a hard task to explain our origins, considering we were still extremely confused about the subject. However, we knew we had to be transparent with our friends. They were very understanding about my bear side, but they were shocked to learn about my mate's gift. We also decided she shouldn't use it anymore, both because we didn't know what effects it could have on her, and because we didn't want the information to spread. Goddess only knows what other power-crazy maniacs of the supernatural world would do if they found out about Caitlyn being the last Original wolf.

Five days later, most of the issues had been solved except for one, which was deeply bothering my mate; and considering how stressful the early stages of her pregnancy had already been, I didn't want her to worry anymore. Our ally leaders were coming to visit us to check on their warriors and congratulate us on our victory - the Alpha of Ninebark Pack was among them. Cedar was the first to arrive, and he had brought a very special guest. While he and his Beta were taking a stroll around the territory with Luke and Megan, we headed to the private dining room on the first floor to meet my Luna's mother.

"Should I even call her that?" My beautiful mate sighed as we stood a few feet away from the door. It was clear she was hesitant to walk in.

I immediately turned to face her, bringing both my hands up to cup her cheeks. The uncertainty in her hazel eyes was tearing me. "We don't know if what Maximus said was true. He could have been wrong, just like he was about your gift." My words seemed to appease her. "Even if he is right, nothing changes the fact that this woman raised you, whether you were her biological daughter or not. She will always be your mother, and if she lied, she must have had a pretty good reason to do so."

"I guess there's only one way to replace out." She turned away, gathering courage as she stared at the door.

"You sure you want me to come with you?" I would understand if she told me she needed to do this alone.

She nodded shyly. "Yes, please. I'm afraid of what I might replace out. I want you to be there with me."

I brought her hand up to my lips. "We'll do this together then."

Taking one last deep breath, my mate bravely pushed the double doors open. Her eyes instantly landed on the older woman sitting at the large table. I squeezed her hand reassuringly when she froze, encouraging her to keep going. The second Claudette saw her daughter, she jumped from her seat to wrap her arms around my mate.

"Oh, my dear! I'm so glad you are alright!" The woman hugged Caitlyn as tight as she could. "I was so worried when Alpha Cedar told me about what was happening. To think you could have gotten hurt, or worse... I deeply regretted my decision to not move her with you when you invited me." There were tears rolling down her face, but my mate was fighting back her own.

"This is something we can still discuss for the future," my Luna started, surprising her mother. "But right now, I would like to talk about the past."

There was shock in Claudette's eyes for a second, but it didn't take long for an apologetic smile to light up her face. "I suppose the moment has come for you to learn the truth."

Caitlyn gestured for her mother to sit down before she did the same, letting go of my hand. I stood right behind her, placing my hands on both her shoulders and giving her a gentle massage.

"So it's true. You are not my real mother," Cait stated coldly, trying her best to hide the emotion behind her voice.

The woman's face fell. "Yes, and no. I always saw you as my real daughter..."

"But you didn't give birth to me."

Claudette shook her head, unable to mask her sadness. "Your biological mother was a great friend of mine. We grew up together as Omegas in a small, peaceful pack. However, when I turned eighteen and found out I was mated to a warrior from another pack, I had to leave her." She couldn't look into her daughter's eyes as she explained everything slowly, searching for the right words. "As the years went by, we lost contact. I thought we would never see each other again, until one winter night..." A sob escaped her mouth before she continued. "She showed up at my door holding a tiny pup in her arms. She was worried, desperate... like she was on the run. In the distance, I noticed a brown wolf fighting against the Sentinels, holding them off. He did it so she could deliver a message... and a present."

"Me," my mate concluded with a shaky voice.

Her mother nodded. "She explained everything so quickly I could barely understand her. I only remember her final request. As I held you in my arms for the first time, she begged me not to tell you about your real identity until the time came."

"How did she- how did you know it would ever come?" Caitlyn furrowed her brows. "What if it didn't? Would you have lied to me forever?"

Shame washed over the old woman's face. "I would have done whatever it took to keep you safe. To this day, I have no idea who or what was after your mother, but I knew that telling you about it could put you in danger. I would rather you hate me forever than watch you get hurt."

There was a hint of anger in my mate's eyes, but it slowly softened into forgiveness. She had such a kind heart. She couldn't even hate the one who caused her to suffer the most; she was clearly still sad, but she would never turn against the woman who raised her. Claudette mimicked her daughter's gesture as she rose from the chair. The two met at the head of the table, sharing the most sincere embrace. I felt like an intruder, but witnessing the scene made my heart melt.

"I love you so much, my dear," her mother whispered in between sobs. "Please, forgive me."

"I forgive you, Mom," my mate quickly replied, finally letting her tears roll down. "And I love you too."

I remained silent as they shared a mother and daughter moment, lowering my head in an attempt to offer them the privacy they needed. As someone who hadn't met my own parents, I was so glad their relationship hadn't been damaged by the unusual situation. In the end, the two women turned to me smiling.

"You, c'mere too, Alpha Lance. You are part of this family as much as Caitlyn," Claudette insisted. For some reason, her words stunned me, yet I subconsciously found myself obliging. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. De Bruin."

"Please, dear, call me Claudette," she scowled.

"Only if you stop addressing me as Alpha," I retorted, causing my mate to laugh.

"Fair enough." The older woman eventually joined her daughter. As I pulled away from them, she held my mate at arm's length to look into her eyes. "Is there anything else you would like to know, my dear?" "There is one thing," she confessed shyly. "What was my biological mother's name?"

Claudette smiled sweetly. "She was called Esmée. She was a strong, determined woman, just like you are. And though I didn't have the pleasure of meeting your father, I'm sure he was equally as honorable." "Thank you," Cait said as she wiped away one last tear. "I have to go now."

"Of course. You are a busy Luna." Claudette chuckled.

My mate turned to me. "We have to welcome the leaders who have come to visit us, but I still want to spend more time with you later."

"We will have plenty of time, my dear. Focus on your work." Her mother's eyes shone with pride.

"Our Delta will accompany you to your suite, Claudette," I informed her, gesturing towards the double doors. "She is standing right outside. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."

"Don't worry about this old lady." She waved me off. "I'll be just fine."

The woman bowed her head respectfully at me, and after sharing one last hug with her daughter, she was off. As soon as the doors closed, I turned to my mate. I gently moved a strand of her wavy chestnut hair from her face so I could admire it. There was a new glow to her hazel eyes, but I could also notice a hint of worry behind them.

"Is there something else bothering you, beautiful?" I whispered cautiously.

She looked away, touching my hand. "You know... after everything, I feel like I have more questions than answers."

"I feel the same way," I confessed, pressing my fingers delicately against her cheek to bring her attention back to me. "But we will figure it all out together, like we always do. If you want to travel the world in search for answers, we'll do that. We can also pretend like none of this happened if you'd like. Just let me know."

She smiled so brightly I swear it lit up the whole room. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I just want to make you happy 'till my last breath."

My Luna slowly came closer, resting her head against my chest. I wrapped one hand around her head, holding her close to me as I closed my eyes to allow myself to enjoy the moment. As we stood in silence in the middle of the room, I could clearly hear the sound of her heartbeat - and of our little one. Having a family with the woman of my life was all I could ask for.

I was slightly surprised when she pulled away. "Let's go. Our guests are waiting."

"As you wish, my Luna." I bowed at her as I stretched my hand out, gesturing for her to lead the way.

And together we went, ready for our next adventure.