Episode 8
1274 Words
Clara’s pov
Caleb’s hand froze around his phone.
He turned his head toward me, and I pretended I didn’t notice a thing.
He muttered, voice low and muffled, “We’ll talk later,” and set the phone down.
I felt the tension rolling off him like cold air.
“Who was it?” I asked.
“Beta Logan. Pack business. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” His voice was low, tired in a way he tried to hide. “Time to sleep.”
I nodded and lay back down, closing my eyes. I could feel him next to me, but he stayed stiff. Still. Like he didn’t want to move a single inch.
About an hour later, the sheets finally rustled.He sat up slowly, careful, trying not to wake me.
I heard him reach for his phone, then footsteps rang. He tiptoed out into the hallway, the door creaking open.
He spoke so softly, like he thought no one could hear him. But he forgot I was the strongest Luna wolf, even if I lost contact with Lyra now, I could hear everything.
“I’m coming now babe.”
The door closed, and I stared into the darkness wide awake until the sky turned gray.
When the morning light finally came, I pushed myself up, tied my hair, and headed downstairs. I tied on an apron and started breakfast.
Eggs sizzled in the pan. Toast warmed the air with its soft, buttery smell. Everything felt so… normal. Especially after everything that happened yesterday.
I poured two cups of orange juice, picked up a tray, and walked to the room across the hall. Stepped up to the closed door, I breathed in, raised my hand—
And froze.
Ethan’s voice came from inside.
“Mommy, I was so happy to see you last night. Can you pick us up again tomorrow and take us to play? I don’t wanna go home and see Clara. She’s so annoying!!”
My heart dropped so hard it almost hurt to breathe. I told myself it wasn’t what it sounded like. That Frost must have fed them something sweet and poisonous.
But the words hit me again and again.
Frost’s syrupy voice floated through the call speaker. “Mommy misses you too, sweetheart. But Luna is back now. I can’t see you all the time anymore. She’ll get mad.”
Ethan giggled. “Then I’ll tell Dad to make you Luna!”
“Oh, that would be wonderful! I’ve always wanted to be Luna and your real mommy.” Frost’s laugh was pure triumph.
Be their mother? Over my dead body. I clenched my jaw as the call ended.
“Ethan!” Emilia’s voice rang, she sounded so serious for her age. “Aunt Frost isn’t our mommy! And you can’t call Mommy by her name. That’s rude!”
“I DON’T CARE!” Ethan yelled. “Clara pulled out Mommy’s favorite tulips! Mommy cried! She’s bad! She can’t be my mom!”
“Emilia?” Ethan asked, with a tiny smugness he didn’t even try to hide, “Who do you like more? Clara or Frost mommy?”
Silence.
I could hear Emilia swallow. Her heartbeat fluttered like a trapped bird.
“Frost is good, but…” she murmured. I pushed the door open!
Ethan rolled his eyes at me so hard his whole head moved, then he dove straight under the blanket, burying himself like I was some monster he needed to hide from.
Emilia looked up at me, nervous and anxious, clutching the corner of the blanket.
I sighed insidely, crouched down and touched her small shoulder gently. “Emilia… Mommy didn’t really hear what you two were talking about. Do you want to tell me again?”
Her shoulders loosened. She let out a breath, relief washed over her face. “Nothing. I’m just hungry.”
“Okay, little pumpkin. Breakfast is ready.” I gave her a soft smile. “Can you give mommy a hug first?”
She didn’t move.I stayed crouched until my legs burned, but she still kept a little distance.
I tried to smile anyway. I set the tray down and got ready to leave, then something warm wrapped around my finger.
“Will you disappear again?” she asked, eyes big and shiny.
I almost broke. “No,” I whispered, pressing her hand to my cheek. “Never again. Mommy will never leave you.”
Never. I promise.
When I returned to the kitchen, Caleb finally came back. “Morning,” he mumbled, unbuttoning his shirt collar. The bite mark on his collarbone was impossible to miss.
“Morning,” I looked away, handed him a glass of orange juice. “I’m coming with you to drop the kids off at pack school.”
He blinked, surprised. “But your leg—”
“I’m fine now.” I cut him off. “And I’m thinking…maybe it’s time I get back into pack management. What do you think?”
He frowned. “I told you to rest.”
I leaned back, setting the cup down. “I just… I feel like I’ve been away from pack work for too long. I haven’t carried my share. You look exhausted every day, and it makes me feel guilty.”
He watched me carefully. “You’re sure?”
“Of course,” I said with a small smile. “I may not see well, but I can still understand what’s going on in the pack. And I’d like to know how the warriors are doing.”
He drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. Doubting me. But then his expression softened. “Alright.”
“Don’t worry, Caleb. I’ll recover fast. I’ll fight for you again… just like before.” The taste in my mouth was bitter.
But he smiled. Like this was exactly what he wanted.
After breakfast, we drove the kids to school together. Ethan made a demand the moment we turned the corner near the gate.
“Park back there! I don’t want my friends to know you’re my mom. You can’t even see. And you don’t have a wolf.”
“Ethan, you can’t talk to Mommy like that,” I said. He jutted out his lip, rolled his eyes dramatically.
“He’s just a kid,” Caleb muttered, tapping the steering wheel impatiently. “Go on, Ethan.”
Ethan stuck his tongue out at me before hopping out.
Caleb started the engine again. I stared out the window.
I needed to move faster. Frost and Caleb were ruining my puppies.
Friday morning, after me nagging him endlessly, Caleb finally gave in and agreed to take me to the pack office.
When we stepped into the main building next to the training ground, core pack members immediately surrounded us.
Beta Logan pushed his way to my side. “Luna! Are you alright? I heard you were bitten by rogues.”
I gave him a calm smile. “Just a scratch.”
Caleb went unfocused for a second, someone was mindlinking him. Seconds later, he blinked and patted my shoulder. “The Alpha Alliance sent an urgent message. I need to deal with it. Logan will help you.”
He left too quickly. I didn’t even want to know who had linked him.
“Luna, where would you like to go first?” Logan offered me his arm and guided me forward.
“Who’s been training the pack warriors now?” I asked.
“Alpha appointed…” Logan’s voice dropped. “Gamma Frost. Starting today.”
His eyes were full of sympathy.
Of course. The perfect power couple.
- Writer
