Chapter 573: Visiting In-laws
It was true that many believed Mooncreek carried some sort of curse that had caused its members to perish in a flood, despite being a powerful pack. Many had spoken ill of the children who survived, claiming they had grown up to be troublesome. Eleanor herself had once been swayed by people’s words, as the flood had been unusual, but that didn’t mean she would dislike her grandson’s Luna or make him reject her.
So far, Eleanor found the girl lovely. The elder she-wolf had taken a liking to her, not only because she had brought their family closer to Sebastian again but also because she had included Eleanor in their lives and welcomed her into the lives of her unborn great-grandchildren. None of that struck Eleanor as the behavior of a cursed she-wolf.
As though she hadn’t heard what Becky said, Eleanor held up the sweater she was knitting.
"How is it coming along? I am making it for the babies. The people of this time don’t get the value of knitting sweaters yourself. It used to be so much fun back in our days, when a mother made all her child’s clothes." Eleanor laughed heartily, being more excited about the birth of the babies than anyone in the pack.
Beth and Becky exchanged looks, not liking the fact that their stepmother had taken a liking to the Luna when they hadn’t. Though Eleanor was Sebastian’s mother’s mother, she had not given birth to Beth and Becky, having married their father after their own mother died. Even though they didn’t get along with Sebastian’s mother, they felt they should have a say in the boy’s life.
"You are knitting a boy’s sweater, mama, what guarantee is there that she will give birth to boys with the Mooncreek bad luck in her veins?" Scoffed Beth as she sipped the hot tea in her cup, and Eleanor stopped to look at the she-wolf.
"Every Silver Luna has given birth to twin boys as their first, so I don’t think there will be any difference with hers." She resumed her knitting. "It is the way it has been forever, because the twins are said to be bound together and are meant to carry the legacy of Silver’s ancestor."
"What happens if she doesn’t give birth to twin boys?" Asked Beth curiously, and Eleanor stopped her fingers. "It has never happened before, because the first twins carry the powers of the Supreme Alpha, and she has to give birth to them to carry on the generation."
"You will see, she will bring Silver the Mooncreek bad luck by giving us girls," Beth muttered, "and maybe then everyone will see that we are right."
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(Music Recommendation: On the Lake by Aaron Zigman.)
Viola was barely aware of where Sebastian was driving, her mind too occupied with everything that had happened. Her eyes remained on the scenery outside, though she wasn’t really seeing any of it as it swept past them like a blur of snow.
It wasn’t until she noticed they weren’t heading toward the High Tower that she began to pay attention. The car passed through a black iron gate, and she immediately realized where he had brought her.
Sitting up straighter, she rested a hand on her heavy stomach and turned to look at him.
"We’re at the cemetery..." she murmured, gazing at Silver’s imposing cemetery, enclosed by tall black iron fencing. Towering pine trees stood like a dark forest beyond the gates, their branches blanketed in snow, while the ground lay buried beneath a thick white layer that would have made driving nearly impossible without their four-wheel-drive SUV.
"You wanted to see my parents, so let’s see them together." He told her with a calm look on his face as he opened his door and came around the car to open her door and took her hand in his, helping her out as she mentally prepared herself for the visit.
Alex had been dropped off somewhere, and Viola hadn’t paid attention to it, but now that she saw it was just the two of them, she asked, and Sebastian told her Alex wanted to be alone for a while.
"Oh my, I’m really going to meet your parents." Viola said sheepishly, suddenly looking nervous, as though she were meeting his parents in person when it was just their graves. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Sebastian laughed a little at her reaction, taking the flowers they had brought from the backseat with them.
"Don’t worry, they will love you." He took her hand, walking her slowly through the snow-covered ground where their feet sank in, and he paved the way for her to walk easily.
"How do you know that?" Viola asked, watching her steps carefully.
"I know because... I knew them. My mom was a very considerate woman, and if she were here, I bet you’d be her favorite, even more than I was. She would spoil you rotten, sunshine, so calm down," he told her.
Viola glanced at a bird chirping in a pine tree before asking, "What about your father? What was he like?"
"My father..." Sebastian said, a reminiscent look crossing his face. "He was a very quiet man, more like Alex. Very gentle, and he laughed at almost everything, even the driest jokes anyone could tell." He paused before turning to look at his wife over his shoulder. "I think if he were here, he would love you."
At his words, Viola felt warmth spread through her heart. As she listened to him describe his parents, she couldn’t help thinking that Sebastian hadn’t really taken after either of them in character. Her husband was his own man, unique in his own way, and the thought brought a small smile to her face, leaving her feeling a little more at ease.
Viola glanced around at the snow-covered tombstones, some adorned with weathered flowers, before asking, "Do you know which tombstones are theirs?"
Since Sebastian had never been there before, she wondered how easily he could identify their graves without having to walk around checking the names, which would take forever in such a large cemetery filled with tall, towering trees.
Sebastian gestured ahead with his chin. "They’re further ahead. The clean ones. Zoe used to keep them clean when she was here, and now Alex does it himself every day. I guess he didn’t come with us because he’s been here plenty of times since his return."
They soon came to stand before two graves side by side, and Viola saw a rose on one and a sunflower on the other, half buried in snow. Sebastian went down on one knee, dusting the snow off the graves before he spread a mat and made her kneel next to him.
The wind howled softly around them, and for the first time Viola didn’t know what to say or do in front of her in-laws, until Sebastian said, "Mom, Dad, meet my mate, Viola." He introduced her quietly, and Viola took her cue with a little smile.
"Hello...Mom and Dad," she said, clearing her throat. "It’s nice to finally meet you." She realized how awkward it was to talk to a tombstone that held their names, and wondered if they could see and hear them like people believe.