Mother-in-law ?

Lilith's thoughts turned to her wolves as his stomach rumbled. She knew they were probably hungry, and with one of them already by her side, she decided to head down the corridors to feed them. However, she realized that she needed to find her second wolf as well. Making her way to the garden, Lilith began her search.

Amidst the lush greenery of the garden, Lilith's footsteps were hushed by the soft earth beneath her feet. She looked around, calling for her second wolf, but there was no response. Instead, what reached her ears was a piercing scream followed by a voice that made her heart skip a beat.

"Ahhh!" the voice exclaimed, and Lilith instinctively followed the direction of the sound. As she arrived at the scene, she saw a woman running and one of her wolves chasing after her. It was a comical sight, and Lilith couldn't help but chuckle at the scene before her.

"Luna, come here," Lilith called out, her voice a mix of amusement and command. Her wolf stopped its pursuit and trotted back to Lilith's side. She approached the woman, her smile a mixture of apology and curiosity. "Sorry for the inconvenience," she said, her gaze focused on the woman's distinctive features.

This woman had an air of elegance about her, with striking red hair that cascaded over her shoulders like a fiery waterfall and mauve eyes that seemed to hold a depth of experience. She wore a delicate lace dress that matched the color of her irises, and a string of pearls around her slender neck. Despite the wolf's antics almost ruining her dress, she remained composed and gracious, smiling gently at the animal as if it were a mischievous child.

"Don't worry, you're my daughter-in-law after all," the woman replied with a warm smile. The words echoed in Lilith's mind, a reminder of the complex connections and relationships that intertwined her with Ava's world. The woman before her was none other than Ava's mother.

"Daughter-in-law," Lilith repeated to herself, the reality of her situation sinking in. The woman standing before her was not only the mother of the woman she had betrayed but also someone who held her own secrets and history. The tension in the air was palpable, but Ava's mother seemed to take it in stride.

Lilith smiled nervously, her cheeks slightly flushed as she knelt down to her wolf. "I'm really sorry, your majesty," Lilith said, a mix of sincerity and awkwardness in her voice as she gestured to her wolf. Despite the situation, a soft laughter bubbled from Ava's mother.

"It's nothing, don't worry, and you can call me Mum if you want you don't have to be formal with me," she said with a warmth that caught Lilith off guard. The suggestion seemed innocent enough, but Lilith's emotions were a tumultuous mix of gratitude and resentment. How could this woman, who was Ava's mother, ask her to call her "Mum" when she was the reason Lilith's mother was no longer with her?

"Thank you, but I prefer to continue to call you 'your majesty'," Lilith replied, her voice polite but guarded. She brought her wolves closer to her, focusing on them as a way to avoid the weight of the conversation.

"I have to feed them, so I think I'll leave you here," Lilith said, a touch of formality in her words as she bowed slightly.

Ava's mother, however, stopped her with a gentle touch on her arm. "There's no need to bow, and I don't mind going with you. It would be interesting," she said, her gaze full of curiosity and a hint of mischief.

Lilith hesitated, her wolf looking up at her with an expectant gaze. She conceded with a nod, guiding Ava's mother to the palace kitchen where they both selected food for the wolves. Once the wolves were content and fed, they made their way back to the garden.

The garden was a haven of tranquility, the fading sunlight casting a warm glow over the surroundings. Lilith watched as her wolves played with a newfound companion, the tension between them easing with each playful interaction.

As Ava's mother sat down beside her, Lilith couldn't help but study her. There was a sense of familiarity in her features, a mix of Ava's looks and something uniquely her own. They talked about trivial things at first, discussing social life and fashion, topics that seemed so distant from the complexity of their personal histories.

But then Lilith found herself asking a question that had piqued her curiosity. "You're a demon, and yet you don't have horns on your forehead or claws. You look more like a human, and the same goes for Ava," Lilith ventured, her gaze fixed on Ava's mother.

Ava's mother smiled gently, as if she had been expecting the question. She lay down on the grass, and her expression seemed to soften as she gestured for Lilith to do the same. "Where do we start?" she mused, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgia.

Lilith obliged, lying down beside her. "Well, you see, it's been 40 years since there was peace between humans and demons. So there's started to be a mix," Ava's mother began, her words drawing Lilith's attention.

"The demonesses have fallen in love with human women, finding them to their liking," Ava's mother continued, her gaze distant as if lost in a memory. "I have two mothers, one human and one demon," she added with a smile.

Lilith listened intently, her curiosity piqued. This world of intermingling races was foreign to her, but the complexities fascinated her. "I'm a hybrid, half human and half demon, so I can decide to show my horns to whoever I want," Ava's mother explained, a touch of mischief in her tone.

As if on cue, two large horns appeared on her forehead, a demonstration of her point. "It's really impressive," Lilith admitted, genuinely awed by the display.

Ava's mother's hand brushed against Lilith's cheek, a gesture that held a mix of tenderness and melancholy. "I remember when me and your mother were best friends," she said, her voice carrying a blend of happiness and sorrow.

Lilith's heart clenched at the mention of her mother, a sudden rush of emotions flooding her. She wanted to ask questions, to demand answers, but Ava's mother's smile was too bittersweet, her face too haunted by the past. With a gentle movement, Ava's mother sat up, shifting the conversation away from herself.

"Enough about me. How's your relationship with Ava?" she asked, her gaze fixed on Lilith, waiting for her response. The question hung in the air, a reminder of the complexities of emotions that Lilith had been grappling with since she had met Ava.