Within you I found home

twenty five

        YOU SPENT HOURS TOSSING AND TURNING.

        Thoughts plagued you. Old and new. In the silence of a strange house, Jessa's panicked face haunted you. Bloody. Weakening by the second.

        Between that and your fear of the future, sleep evaded you.

        What if they decided you were lying? You had no way to prove your innocence. Jessa was the only other witness, and she was long gone. Jessa. Her image-filled your head again, but you no longer flinched at it.

        You missed her. Tears stung at your eyes, but you still didn't feel safe enough to mourn properly. You were worried that if you started now, you'd be unable to stop, and you had so much else to deal with.

        Your door creaked open, and you lifted your head off the pillow, smiling when you recognised the dark outline of your son.

       "Can I stay here with you?" he questioned sheepishly.

       "Of course, baby," you told him, lifting your blanket. Luckily the spare room contained a double bed. "You never have to ask."

        He jumped in. You wrapped him up before pressing a kiss to his forehead. The both of you got settled, with you feeling much more content now he was within reach.

        "I was really scared when you were sick," he admitted after a moment. "I – I didn't wanna lose you, too, Mom. I've already lost Aunt Jessa."

        A pang shot through you, both because of his sadness and because you knew the feeling well.

        You placed your hand on his back. "I know it hurts. Losing her." You swallowed thickly, throat tight. "I hurt too. But I'm okay now, so we'll get through it together."

        Reasons like this were why you found it hard to be a mother. You didn't really want to talk about Jessa's death. You weren't ready for it. But you had no choice when it came to Mithun because you didn't want him to suffer alone. You had to be there for him. Of course, Nico said he'd speak with him, so you knew he had an outlet, but you didn't want him to feel like you weren't an option.

       "You're stronger now, though, right?" Mith said hopefully. "You're part shifter, so it won't happen again. You heal like me. You might not even age anymore!"

        You blinked into the room's darkness, highlighted only by the glow of moonlight.

        That honestly hadn't occurred to you.

        "Uh, yeah. Maybe," you stuttered out, pressing another kiss to his head. You had too much on your mind to add potential immortality to it. You'd get to that another day. "Get some sleep, baby. Tomorrow is a big day."

       "I'm gonna meet my biological mother." His voice wobbled from both nerves and excitement. "You know she'll never replace you, right? Not even Dad can do that."

        Something snapped inside of you. An internal dam piled up with insecurities. His words burst through it, soothing the dark voices which often told you were never enough for him.

        "Thank you," you whispered, trying not to choke on your words. You squeezed your eyes shut, and a tear slipped free. You were glad he couldn't see you. "I love you, Mith."

        He snuggled further under your arm. "Love you, Mom."

--

        After breakfast, Nico offered to show you around.

        He informed you that the cabins near his belonged to other high-ranked wolves. The one directly opposite his was Rian's. Although, he didn't use it much since he slept in the cave with the other single shifters.