h4Chapter 781: 781-Innocent Or Not?/h4

    strongNorman:/strong

    When I arrived home, Hnie had already packed her bags. She went to grab some food from the kitchen that she and Emmet had prepared for our journey. She didn’t want to eat on the way from outside, so she chose to prepare home-cooked food, and I was all up for it, whatever decision she made.

    But as soon as I entered my bedroom and came out after a shower, I found Jessica standing there, smiling at me and holding a mug of coffee.

    "Thank you," I said, taking it from her.

    As I sipped, I couldn’t help staring at her for too long. I wondered if she was innocent, or if she already knew that killing her brother, someone she loved, would help her with the ritual.

    "What?" she asked, probably taking my stare a little too long or too seriously, judging by the way she blushed.

    "Nothing," I replied, shrugging and taking another sip while looking around, thinking about how much I still needed to pack but then realized Hnie had already packed my bag. I would have toe back eventually if her stay got prolonged, and then someone else would take over. We were making really good progress in clearing the woods and wild from the Zharns, but it was like the minute we yed one, another spawned out of nowhere. We still didn’t know how much we had to do to get X-codex’s attention.

    "So Hnie is leaving," Jessica brought it up. I knew she would. Everyone knew at this point, and I also knew the other Fated Mates would be happy and excited, maybe even hopeful, that Hnie was leaving.

    "Yeah, she has to take care of some stuff. We always kind of forget she’s also Queen of the North. She’s just so adorable."

    The moment I said those words, I watched her smile fade before she forced one back and nodded. I couldn’t take that as proof she was evil. It was normal for mates to feel jealous. Even if it was a fake bond, it was still established now, and she was marked. She had also loved me deeply before, so I could tell she was jealous. I didn’t want to call her evil just because her smile disappeared.

    "By the way, can I ask you something? It’s been on my mind. Who do you love the most?" I asked her, curious. Maybe it was someone else and not her brother. If it was her brother, it felt like a rash decision. She would never have known he would attack Hnie in the end.

    She smiled, and then tears filled her eyes. "My brother."

    So it was her brother then.

    "Can I also suggest something?" she asked, and I nodded.

    "Sure, go ahead."

    I watched her bite her lip, almost like she was too scared to say it out loud. "Please be kind to your mother. I know she messed up because she’s a bit harsh when she talks, but she would never hurt anyone you love. She really, truly cares for all of you."

    Jessica went on, trying to convince me my mother wasn’t evil. Did she really not know? Or was she so naive she believed a woman who asked for blood from her hand for a ritual? Or was she just innocent?

    "Give me your phone, Jessica." I straightened my back and held out my hand.

    She looked worried. I could tell when she was, after all, we had been friends for a long time, and I knew her well.

    "Why?" she asked, swallowing hard.

    "Give me your phone," I demanded, this time in a firm tone. She lowered her head and handed it over.

    I lifted it to my ear and grunted. "You can’t help being nosy, can you? What did you say to convince her to call me and speak about you?" I asked my mother once I realized there was an ongoing call.

    "I’m just hurt that none of you took a stand for me," my mother replied.

    "You’re lucky we only kicked you out. With the things you’ve been doing, even if we had thrown you in prison, it would’ve been nothingpared to this," I hissed, hearing her gasp.

    "How can a son do this to his mother?" she asked, making me roll my eyes.

    "Since when have you been a mother to us? Giving birth isn’t what makes you a mother. But you wouldn’t know. It’s toote for you. You’ve already lost your children. And unless you want Jessica to be kicked out too, stop contacting her and asking her to do your bidding."

    As soon as I warned her, Jessica raised her head, fear shing in her eyes. She needed to know I wouldn’t hesitate to kick her out if it came to that. She had to stay away from my mother.

    With that, I cut the call and handed the phone back to her. "Next time I catch you doing something like this, Jessica, it won’t be good for you. The only reason I’m letting it go now is because Hnie cares a lot about you. She’s always concerned for you, and I don’t want her to worry while she’s away. I hope that alone shows you how good of a person Hnie is."

    I watched Jessica tear up and nod. She did look guilty, though.

    "I’m so sorry. I’ll never do that again. It’s just... your mother has done so much for me, so when she asked me to call and convince you to forgive her, I couldn’t say no. I have a lot of burden on my shoulders," she replied.

    And I knew my mother had managed to convince her. That was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

    "Thank you for not taking a harsh step against me and giving me a chance to redeem myself," Jessica said. I remembered how she used to be so full of confidence and even sassy at one time. Her brother’s death and his crimes had brought so much shame to her that she lost all her confidence, and I felt really bad for her.

    "It’s okay, just make sure my mother never maniptes you again," I replied in a calmer, nicer tone. She had been my friend for a very long time and had helped my brothers in their transition, so I carried a lot of respect for her, especially for the support she showed Hnie when she found out what her brother had done. No one else would have done that. They would never have believed Hnie, but Jessica stood by her side. That proved she was actually a good person, just a little too naive.

    "Since Hnie is leaving, I’ll take care of your needs," she said, once again trying to gain confidence to talk to me after being caught helping my mother with the call.

    "Oh, actually, I’m leaving with Hnie." The moment I said that, I watched her smilepletely fade.