Fifteen years later,
Ruby:
“Alex!” I screamed, my eyes scanning every corner of the house.
“Where are you?”
My heart pounded in my chest as fear gripped me tightly, squeezing the air from my lungs.
“He couldn’t have just disappeared,” I muttered to myself, trying to push back the rising panic. Desperately, I continued to search, my mind filled with terrifying possibilities. What if something terrible had happened to him?
No, he can’t leave me again for the second time.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realised how much I missed him, even though I had seen him not too long ago. He was my everything and my reason for living. Of course, my two daughters, Abigail and Addison, were also my reasons to live, but Alex was different. He would always have a special place in my heart.
I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.
Suddenly, I felt a comforting presence behind me, and I instantly knew it was my grandmother.
“Ruby, don’t tell me you are looking for him again. Take it easy on yourself,” she said softly, her voice calming my nerves.
“Of course, I’m not,” I lied through gritted teeth, but my grandmother could always see through my facade. It wasn’t the first or the last time this was happening. She gently tapped me with her walking stick, and I winced in pain as I watched her take a seat.
“Your son is training with his father and the other young warriors,” she assured me, and instantly, relief flooded through me. “And Ruby,” she paused, and I met her gaze.
“His name is Adrian, not Alex. You must stop making that mistake, especially in public. It’s been fifteen years since he left us, and I’m sure his soul, wherever it is, is resting in peace,” she scolded gently. I nodded, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, Grandma. I’ll try to remember,” I promised, making a mental note to stop this bad habit of mine.
Although everyone who knew Alex could see that there was no difference between him and Adrian, it was a sensitive topic they all avoided for my sake.
Yes, Adrian had Damian’s face, but with the same enchanting silver eyes Alex had once possessed, which brought me a huge amount of comfort the day I cradled him in my arms for the first time while his two sisters cried.
Damian had later taken him away from me so that I could attend to our baby girls the same way I had attended to our son. Yes, we had triplets-an unexpected miracle all because of the miraculous full moon that might never happen again.
“Alright, Grandma, see you later. I need to assist Mrs. Smith; together, we are training the girls on how to be perfect Lunas. You know, ever since her husband died of his sickness, the poor woman and her stepson decided to dedicate themselves to serving the pack,” I explained as I hurriedly walked out of the door, not waiting for her reply.
As I made my way to the pack grounds to check on Adrian, whom I often mistakenly called Alex, the warm sun beat down on my skin, but I barely noticed. My mind was consumed with worry for my son. I approached the training area, and I saw the younger warriors, around Adrian’s age, sparring with each other.
They paused when they saw me, their faces breaking into smiles as they bowed in greeting.
“Good morning, Luna!” they called out in unison, their voices echoing across the grounds, gaining everyone’s attention. I gave them a half-smile as my eyes searched for one person in particular.
Then, amidst the group of warriors, I spotted him-my son, Adrian. His silver eyes lit up when he saw me, and he broke away from the group, jogging over to where I stood.
“Mum!” he exclaimed, wrapping me in a tight hug.
“What are you doing here?” I hugged him back, relief flooding through me. “I came to check on you, sweetheart. I was worried when I couldn’t find you.” Adrian grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Don’t worry, Mum. I’m fine. Dad and I were just training with the others, so don’t miss me too much.” I glanced over to where Damian stood, watching us with a smile. He nodded in confirmation, his eyes filled with warmth and love as he stared back at me.
“See, honey,” he called out. “Our boy is right here, safe and sound with Daddy. You need to stop worrying about him all the time.” I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and I couldn’t help but smile. I was happy that my son had a good father in his life, while I also had a caring mate.
“Mummy’s boy,” some of Adrian’s peers teased us as we stood together, and his face flushed with embarrassment, but before I could scold them softly, something extraordinary happened.
With a flick of his wrist, Adrian sent his peers flying backward, their bodies crashing to the ground. Everyone watching gasped in amazement, stunned by the display of power. I looked at Adrian, my heart filled with pride and awe. He still had the chief spirit’s strength in him.
“Wow, Adrian!” I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement.
“That was incredible!” Damian added, clearly taken aback, and Adrian grinned sheepishly, his cheeks still flushed.
“Sorry, mom and dad. They were being rude.” I shook my head, unable to wipe the smile from my face.
“No need to apologise, sweetheart. You were just defending yourself.” I said this as the other warriors picked themselves up from the ground. With the smile on their faces as they glanced at Adrian, I could tell that they now looked at him with newfound respect. He had proven himself today, not just as my son but as a powerful, soon-to-be alpha in his own right.
“Alright, that’s enough chit-chat. Let’s get back to training, everyone,” Damian said, walking up to me. He planted a kiss on my cheek, and I smiled in response. With a quick glance back at Adrian, who was now surrounded by his peers, I made my way to Mrs. Smith’s house to meet our daughters.
********
Damian and I, along with our triplets Adrian, Addison, and Abigail, sat down for dinner, gathered around the table. Damian made sure that we all ate breakfast and dinner together as a family. It had been our routine for fifteen years, creating an atmosphere filled with warmth and love. My grandmother couldn’t join us for dinner as she went to bed early due to her old age.
“Mom, why didn’t the moon goddess bless me with awesome powers like Adrian?” Abigail piped up, and Adrian smirked, clearly enjoying the attention.
“Yeah, Mom, everyone in the pack thinks I’m super cool.”
I chuckled, ruffling Abigail’s hair affectionately. “Well, sweetheart, everyone has their own special talents. You’re amazing just the way you are, Abigail, and besides, you and Addison get to inherit my healing powers.”
“Besides, girls, unlike Adrian, you won’t need to train or do hard jobs. You’ll live like princesses all your lives,” Damian said reassuringly, trying to comfort our daughters.
“You already treat us like princesses, dad,” Addison said just as the sound of a knock at the door broke the momentary peace.
Looking at Damian, I saw confusion on his face, mirroring my own, as we wondered who would be knocking at this time of the night. Before we could speak, Abigail rushed to open it, and thanks to my werewolf vision, I could see a young woman standing by the door; her face looked so familiar.
“Who are you?” my daughter asked with curiosity as the young woman nervously brushed the hair out of her face.
I’m Anna, Alpha Damian’s long-lost daughter,” the young woman at the door announced.
Hearing that, I choked on the water I was drinking, and my heart skipped a beat as I watched Damian’s reaction. The plate in his hand shattered, the pieces clattering to the floor as he froze in shock.
Recovering from my shock, I smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Finally, after searching for her for years, she was back, and our family was now complete.
“Come in, Anna. Your father and I have been waiting for you.”
Even though I was betrayed and suffered so much hardship, I wouldn’t have wanted my life any other way because all the pain I had passed through made me into the woman I am now.
And this is the end of my story-a woman who was betrayed yet given a second chance at love and life.
or maybe not the end?