Page 54 of Alpha Claimed

Cherry growled. "If you had gone to Jape's like I wanted you to-"

"Then what? I wouldn't have a mate? Children. I'd never feel the touch of a mate truly meant to be mine."

"Trust me, those things aren't everything." Cherry's eyes flicked to Strider, and he walked to the window and looked out. "Just because someone is fated to be your mate doesn't mean they are right for you. Your dad was my fated mate, and my wolf wanted him, which meant I wanted him, but we were never right for each other. And we both knew it. I had my life, he had his, and we both had you. But…" She looked to Strider's back. "Loving someone is different. Yes, most fated mates fall in love and find never-ending joy. But it's not like that for everyone. Sometimes the one your heart wants and the one your wolf wants are two different people."

A strange sensation rolled over River, and she looked to Strider, who hadn't turned from the window. For the first time, watching her mom watch Strider, she saw it. Love. Her mom loved Strider. Really loved him. She'd never once seen her mom look at her dad like that. But in that moment River understood. Her dad had been Cherry's fated mate. But Strider had been the one she had chosen before her dad. There was so much she didn't know about them.

"I heard you have to choose between them," her mom said. "I can imagine how hard that is. But my question is, are either of them what you want? I decided to follow what my wolf wanted instead of what I wanted, and the only good thing that came out of it was you. If I knew I could still have you and Bianca, I would have changed my decision."

Cherry's words stunned River. She was the only good thing to come out of her mating? If someone ever told her that her mom said that, she never would have believed it.

A knock on the door pulled River's attention. Cherry looked at the door and growled.

River wanted to chastise her mom, but how did you chastise a woman who literally said you were the best thing that had happened to her?

River walked to the door and opened it. Ares stood with Apollo behind him, leaning against the wall across the hallway.

"Hey," said River.

Ares lifted his hand but then looked over her shoulder and dropped it. "The Council would like to speak to you."

"No," said Cherry. "River needs to rest. They can wait."

Ares looked from River to Cherry and back again. "If you would like to wait-"

"Let's get this over with."

River didn't like being summoned like a servant. And even more than that, she didn't like that they summoned her to see if Apollo had been the reason she'd been hurt. So if they wanted to talk, she'd sure as hell talk.

"I'll be back in a minute," River said to Cherry. "Do you two have a room?"

Cherry nodded.

"Good. I'll find you in a bit then." River stepped out the door.

"River?" Cherry called.

River looked back.

"Remember who you are."

River nodded. She knew who she was and sure as hell would make sure the Council knew as well.

River enteredthe same huge dining room she had days before. The entire scene mimicked the previous one. All Council members sat on one side of the table, and Ares, River, and Apollo took up residence on the other.

Ares and Apollo both pulled out her chair for her, and she sat.

The two groups looked at each other briefly, and then River spoke.

"Why have you summoned me like I'm your assistant?" She couldn't help the annoyance in her voice.

The Council looked at each other and then back at her.

"We heard about your attack, Highness, and we wanted to get some specifics on how that happened," said Osmodius.

"So you thought that gave you the right to order me and Apollo to return here so I could give you a play-by-play of what happened? Why? Are you four the King of the Lycans?"

"No. We are the Council," Osmodius said patiently.