"Where could you be coming back from?" Sydney was caught in the foyer red-handed, tiptoeing into the house. Her heart began to bang rapidly, almost ripping out of her chest from hearing someone's voice behind her all of a sudden.

She slowly turned around and took a peek, of course, it was her Mom. The overprotective woman who doesn't let her out and watches her every footstep. 

"Hi Mom," Sydney waved with a coy smile and then bit her bottom lip, she knew she was in trouble again already.

"I asked you a question young lady, where the hell are you coming back from this late at night again?!" Miley raised her voice this time to let Sydney know she was not up for jokes. The only time her daughter likes to take her seriously is when she gets yelled at.

"Nowhere, I just went to take a little walk outside. I have been sitting indoors throughout today, Mom. I was so bored" Sydney made up a lie she knew that her mom could see through. The woman wasn't the type to believe her so easily like that.

This isn't the first time nor the second time nor even the third time, but many times that she has been sneaking out late at night to go meet Barry and has always been caught by her mom. Her dad barely has the chance to keep his eyes on her every day as her mom does.

"You were so bored because you were sitting indoors all day and then decided to go for a walk late at night?" Miley didn't buy Sydney's lie. She knows where the girl went to but Sydney will never tell her the truth.

"Of course, mom" Sydney stood strong with her lie. "Where else could I have been?" She thought this conversation with her mom was over and tried to leave.

However, she was dragged back and halted in her tracks by her mom to hear her out, "You do know that I can smell Barry on you right now, Syd!" Miley became mad that Sydney lied to her, even though she was pretty used to it already. 

Sydney had no words to say at the moment. Werewolves do have a superior sense of smell than humans, but her mother's scenting ability was top-notch. 

"Even if I didn't smell Barry on you, I know you sneaked out to go see him, Syd. What the f**k is wrong with you?. Haven't I warned you enough already to stay away from him and you still don't listen? Now you sneak off at night to go see him. Do you even have any idea how dangerous it is at night?" 

Miley began to get mad at Sydney, She doesn't think about her safety when sneaking out to go see Barry, that stupid mate of hers.

"Seriously, how do you all expect me to stay away from Barry when he's my mate, Mom? Don't you ever get that?" Sydney scoffed in annoyance. 

"And out there isn't dangerous at night like you think it is, I just went out there and nothing happened," She walked out on her mom with a pissed face and Miley followed suit immediately. This conversation wasn't over yet till she said it was.

"Yeah, tell that to Julie, who got attacked two days ago and almost got killed and no one was able to tell what or who attacked her. Not even Julie herself," Miley followed Sydney's footsteps, still talking to her with her not looking interested anymore. 

"Mom is only trying to keep you safe and you know that, Syd. That boy Barry is dangerous and won't do you any good and you just keep on getting closer to danger by hanging out with him," Miley held Sydney, stopping her from continuing up the stairs. It was tiring panting and huffing while walking up the stairs at the same time.

"Well, I don't need you to keep me safe, Mom," Sydney faced her mom to give her a little piece of her mind.

"I'm eighteen for f**k's sake and I know my right and wrongs, I don't need any goddamn protection from you. Barry is my mate! Henry and Shane have their mates too. But mine seem to be the only problem around here all the f**king time!" Sydney didn't mean to use the 'f' word on her mom as she respects the lady very well even though they fight almost all the time.

But sometimes, she got to use the word. Trying hard to act like the good daughter she knew she wasn't, wasn't paying much these days. 

"I don't have any problem with your brothers because they both have noble mates, Syd. Henry's mate, Skylar, her parents are among the richest elites in this town, and Brittany, Shane's mate? Her mom is the mayor. Yours? A dirty little boy from the trenches that nobody knows in this town who lives with his what…again?"

Miley intentionally pretended to have forgotten who her daughter's mate, Barry lives with, to make fun of him. 

And Sydney did the honor of reminding her, sternly. 

"His grandparents, mom. Barry lives with his grandparents and he's not dirty," Sydney's tone was low and taut with tension. The fact that her mother looked down on her mate annoyed her. 

Miley ignored the gloomy look on Sydney's face and moved closer to her, clasping her face in her palms as she tried to speak some sense into her. 

"I know how much you love Barry, he's your mate after all, so it's only right that you guys are together. But then, Sydney, the both of you are way leagues apart." 

Sydney rolled her eyes towards heaven. Here comes her mom with her lectures again.

She continued, "Mates don't matter anymore, the moon goddess is gone from our lives. We are free to be with anyone now. Can't you just find someone else? someone much better? Someone nobler? I mean there are lots of guys out there that deserve you, hmm?" 

Miley let out a hopeful smile at the end of her statement which irked Sydney to the core.

So she retorted, "If we are that free to be with anyone else now the moon goddess is gone, why then are you still stuck with Dad, Mom?" Sydney's brow lifted with scorn, dealing her mother a low blow.

Sydney didn't stop and went on to say to her, "You know how many women he f**ks with. He even brings them home straight into your matrimonial bedroom, and you just keep quiet about it, you act like nothing happens because all you care about is his money and your stupid reputation. At least I have someone who loves me, please don't try to take that from me just because Dad doesn't love you any…"

It was wrong of her to say that but Sydney didn't exactly care, not when she was so angry with her mother right now trying to decide what was right for her. And yes, she did see it coming, so when the hot slap landed on her cheek, she welcomed the pain and didn't react. 

Moreover, this wasn't the first time her mother hit her. No, they keep going in circles. 

"Don't ever make me regret why I had you" Miley said through gritted teeth and walked away, leaving Sydney to think about her action. But then, Sydney's dark side rejoiced over getting the best of her mother. 

Again and so she smiled with victory.