༓･*˚*･༓☾ NOW ☽༓･*˚*･༓
YOU SPENT THE REST of the evening in front of the fire talking.
They asked you questions about your village, about your life with Mithun and your family. You, in return, asked about their pack.
Olympia was the Luna - a female alpha, you learnt. Despite her more diminutive stature, Harmony assured you she was twice as strong.
There was something so pure in her voice as she spoke of her lover. It was the first time you found yourself craving that kind of love.
Soon the fire and moon were the only light source, and you dragged Mithun to one of the cabins. He wanted to stay up and talk to Andreo, who was on watch, but you used your Mom voice, and he backed down.
There was no way you were willingly letting him out of your sight, even if they weren't likely to hurt him.
(you wonder if it was a way for you to hold onto him just that bit longer)
With a full belly and warm bunk bed, you drifted off into one of the more comfortable sleeps you'd had recently.
༓･*˚*･༓☾ THEN ☽༓･*˚*･༓
Screams.
That was what greeted you as you hurried toward Frederick's house.
Heart in your throat, you repeatedly banged your fist against the door until a very frazzled Terese answered, her long blonde hair plaited and resting over her left shoulder.
"You're not the guards." She appeared puzzled.
You ignored her. "Why were you screaming?" Jessa stood behind you.
As if remembering, her face fell, and fear washed over her features. "There was a shifter here! It almost attacked Frederick! He's chased it off into the woods-"
No.
Panic bubbled inside of you. "Which direction?"
"Back of the house- what in gods name are you doing?" she questioned in disbelief when you barged past her, through the familiar front room, to the kitchen, and out of the back door.
You didn't look to see if Jessa was keeping up.
You crossed the garden and jumped the waist-high fence before sprinting across the stretch of grass which separated you from the forest.
You forced your thoughts away because your mind flashed you images that would haunt you forever.
You simply ran and hoped.
༓･*˚*･༓☾ NOW ☽༓･*˚*･༓
Before you knew it, morning had arrived.
It was too quick, you thought.
You weren't ready.
But this wasn't about you and your fears. Instead, it was about Mithun, who would meet the most important man of his life today.
"All set?" you questioned as you stood outside.
The women had already shifted and were scouting ahead. They'd be back soon. Andreo remained with you, carrying a wooden bucket full of water over to the dying fire.
You'd taken the last of Harmony's pain-killing herbs, so hopefully, it'd be enough to see you through the journey.
Mithun was bouncing on the heels of his feet. "Yes. Do you think he'll like me?"
"He'll love you, baby. Just like I do," you reassured him.
Or he better. If not. . .Well.
You'd be punching a bitch.
"Are you shifting, pup?" Andreo asked, pouring the water onto the fire. It went out with a hiss and cloud of smoke. He waved it out of his face.
You avoided looking lower than his neck as the man was naked again.
Mithun puffed out his chest. "Yes. I can protect my Mom better that way."
Andreo threw him an impressed smile. "Atta pup. You might want to chuck your clothes into the cabin. They'll rip otherwise." He paused, reconsidering his words. "When I say 'chuck', I mean 'neatly fold them and put them back into the draws.'"
Mith nodded once. "I can do that!" he raced inside.
"He's a good kid," Andreo commented after a beat. "You've done a good job with him."
Pride swelled in your chest. "He's the best thing I've ever done with my life."
Andreo analysed you, a smile lifting the corner of his lips. "You really mean that, don't you?"
You frowned, wondering why wouldn't you? "Of course."
"Just. It's weird. For all of us. You have an incredibly short life span, and you gave a chunk of it up for a kid who isn't even the same species."
"Would you turn away a child who had nothing? Abandon him in the woods to fend for himself? Because that would have been the only alternative."
Just the thought of it, of leaving him there, made your stomach roll with sickness.
He raised his eyebrows at you. "If that child could wipe out my entire pack once it'd grown a few inches? I mean, yeah, I'd have thought twice about it, at least."
You smiled wryly. "Well, I never did like my village anyhow."
At that, he barked a laugh. "You're something else, Tiny."
༓･*˚*･༓☾ THEN ☽༓･*˚*･༓
"Mithun!" you shouted, heart in your throat. "Mithun!"
You were in the woods.
Running.
Stopping. Searching for any signs of him.
Running again.
Crying. Begging it to be a bad dream.
"Please, Mith," you choked out, hands on your knees as you tried to catch your breath. "I'm supposed to protect you. Please be ok."
You couldn't bare it.
Your son.
Your pup.
Your life.
You needed him back right now. In your arms where you could wrap yourself around him and never let go.
You had one job: keep. him. safe.
And now he was nowhere to be found. He could be getting hurt.
He could already be-
You flinched.
No.
He was fine.
You'd know it if he wasn't. You would feel it in every atom of your being.
"What are you doing out here?" Fredericks's voice sounded from behind you, and you spun around.
A bow and arrow sat in his hand, string pulled back, ready to fire at any moment as he aimed it at the ground. His tone was suspicious.
Not that you could blame him.
"We were looking for an injured rabbit, and I lost Mithun. Have you seen him?" the lie fell from your lips quickly.
You'd spent so many years lying now. You were a natural.
"Shouldn't be out here. A shifter's nearby." Dark eyes stared at you, calculating. "You know. There's always been something off about you. I never liked Jessa spending so much time around your house. I knew from the first day I met you- you were trouble."
You? You raised your eyebrows at that.
Sure, you were harbouring a dangerous shifter who had apparently developed a taste for terrorising the townsfolk but other than that, you were good as gold.
You mainly kept to yourself. Never been stopped by the guards. Never stole or harmed anyone.
Ok, so maybe from his perspective, you were his (ex) wife's promiscuous friend who'd given birth to a secret love child born from an affair with an unknown father.
But still.
You were a good person.
Frederick, however. . .
"You're gonna act like you care about Jessa after you left her for a younger woman and got her pregnant after she struggled for years with her fertility?" you scoffed. "couldn't have kids of your own, so thought you'd marry someone young enough to be yours and get her pregnant? Stay classy, Frederick."
This was good.
The longer you kept him with you, the less he was chasing after Mithun.
His eyes narrowed at you. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
You stepped forward.
Not just furious for him chasing Mith with a loaded bow, but angry for the pain he'd caused your best friend.
"No, no. I do. How is it fair you judge me, but everything you've done is perfectly acceptable? Why? Because you're a man?" you shook your head in disgust. "from what I've heard, you're not much of one, and I've probably got a bigger dick than you have." You eye his trousers pointedly.
His fingers twitched on his bow. "You shut your mouth, wench-"
It didn't phase you. You've been called worse.
A laugh escaped you, mocking. "You going to shoot me, Frederick?"
"Walk away, and we won't have to find out, will we."
"I'm not stupid enough to let someone with a loaded weapon walk behind me," you told him. "So, you go first, m'lady."
༓･*˚*･༓☾ NOW ☽༓･*˚*･༓
Hours into your trek and the painkillers were beginning to wear off.
You were back to limping, shooting pains in your thigh every time you took a step. Mithun noticed first and stuck closer to your side.
A little while later, the trio in front came to a halt.
Olympia was the one to shift, the others staying behind her in wolf form.
"Nico is on a moon cycle retreat," she told you. Then, seeing yours and Mithun's shared confusion, she elaborated: "It's where a shifter stays solely in wolf form for a whole moon cycle. To be at one with nature and nurture the connection with their wolf."
Sounds peaceful. You nodded at her.
She continued. "His pack is a treasured ally, and we take turns using this area. We respect each other's time here and won't disturb one another if it's being used. It is a tranquil place to be embraced in total isolation. . .so this is where we leave you."
"Hang on." You held up your hand. "You make it sound as if us walking in there and disturbing him is going to be a problem."
"We'll stay close by. Watching," she assured you. "He might be agitated at first, but-" her eyes trailed to Mithun. "His wolf will recognise his young. He won't harm you."
That made you feel better.
"Ok," you took a deep breath, turning to Mithun. "Are you ready?"
He nodded firmly in response. "I couldn't be more ready, Mom."
At least one of you was.
You couldn't believe you were saying this. "Then let's go meet your father."