#Chapter 21: The Mother in Law

Elara Before Alaric could utter a word, his mother strode up to me, her sharp eyes narrowing as she circled me like a predator assessing its prey. “This won’t do... This simply won’t do...” she muttered, clicking her tongue with disapproval while she walked around me. My back stiffened under her scrutiny, every muscle in my body tensing as she began prodding at me. “Your posture is atrocious,” she snapped, tapping between my shoulder blades with her weathered index finger. “Stand up straight.” I lifted my chin, trying to comply without showing how much her words stung. Her gaze traveled down to my attire next, and of course, she had an issue with that as well. “And what is this you’re wearing?” she scoffed. “Casual clothes in the Alpha’s household? Unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable.” Alaric finally sighed heavily. He looked weary, as if he had dealt with this sort of thing far too many times before. “Elara, this is my mother, Grace. Mother, this is my wife, E