Maya

Things were moving as swiftly as the wind. It wasn't unsettling for me, though I felt a twinge of nervousness. Yet, with Nate by my side and friends who were a bit shameless but whom I would gladly lay down my life for, I found contentment. Despite the whirlwind pace, I was happy—really happy indeed.

My certainty about Nate anchored me. I wanted to spend my days with him, till the end of time—I did not have any doubts about it, at all.

The pack bustled with activity, each member immersed in various preparations. Oh, I almost forgot to mention—the preparations were for our mating ceremony, scheduled just a week away. Still couldn’t believe it but yes, it was true, after one week, I was going to be Luna of this pack and a lot of responsibilities then would be mine to take care of. 

Even this brief span seemed destined to fly by, swift as the wind. Witnessing everyone brimming with joy, I hadn't realized until now how much they actually wanted this—my role as the Luna of the pack.

I'd never imagined myself worthy of such esteem; I'd been told I was worth nothing and I actually believed in it. Yet, it appeared these people saw something more. Now, I had reason to believe I wasn't just worth nothing; perhaps, I held great value. That's why someone like Nathaniel chose me.

To capture an angel's heart, one must indeed be special, wouldn't you agree?

"Mom, where's my red car?" Jackson's voice echoed from the bedroom, drawing me inside from the balcony.

"I distinctly remember telling you to keep your toys in order, Jackson. Didn’t I tell you to not throw them just anywhere? When are you ever going to listen?” I remarked with a chuckle, approaching him. His frustrated expression tugged at my heartstrings; the red car held a special place in his heart, gifted by Nate. Sure, most of his toys came from Nate, but this one was different—it was a token of solace given during a particularly tempestuous tantrum—so that made it special. Although Nate could give him a dry leaf, and it’d be special in Jackson’s definition.

"Mom, spare me the lecture, please," he grumbled, his accent just like Nate’s, slightly British, his tone irresistibly endearing. "Just help me find it, please."

"Ah, so I'm lecturing you now?" I couldn't help but laugh, pinching his cheek, eliciting another groan from him.

"Mom, this isn't fair. You can't keep doing this to me! I have basic human rights, you know," he protested, his vocabulary surprisingly mature for a six-year-old, “And this awful tugging and pinching without my approval falls under violence.”

"Is that so? This constitutes violence in your opinion?" I struggled to contain my amusement, tousling his curly hair. "You're becoming quite the handful, you know."

"Dad never says that," he retorted matter-of-factly, “So I'm not agreeing with you."

A smile tugged at my lips as he referred to Nate as Dad. Ever since that breakfast incident, it was clear he'd adopted Nate as his father figure for life. Nate had successfully secured that place and I knew none could take that away from him anymore.

"A chip off the old block, huh?" I playfully pinched his nose before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Consider yourself lucky this time, but no chocolates tomorrow if you don't learn to keep your toys in check. Here," I retrieved the car from beneath the bed and handed it to him.

"Got it! Now I've got to go, Mom," he attempted to dart away, likely to resume his favorite pastime of exploring the pack, running around like a puppy, or hanging out with Kael, Liam, or Tyrone, but I caught his wrist, stopping him.

"If you're not too busy, could you spare Mommy a few minutes of your day?" I asked softly. "You and I need to have a teeny-tiny conversation. I won’t take more than five minutes."

"About what, Mom?"

"Come here, let's sit," I lifted him onto my lap and leaned against the cupboard, releasing a soft sigh.

"What's up, Mom? Is something wrong?" His concern was evident in his eyes, always quick to notice any hint of distress, “Are you ill?”

"There's nothing wrong, sunshine, and no I am not ill,” I chuckled, planting a kiss on his cheek as I hugged him close, resting my chin on his small shoulder. "You know, now that Nate is your dad, and once Mommy and Nate get married, you can't just change your mind and pick someone else, okay?"

"Mom, that's silly. Why would I ever want to pick anyone else over Dad? He's the best dad ever—he listens to everything I say and he fights everyone for me.” 

I suppressed a smile as I responded, "I know it seems silly, but Mom just wanted to make sure you understand. Do you have any issues with Mom being with Dad?"

"You can have him for half of the day, and the other half when he's Mom, he spends time with me."

"I see…" I mused, "So, we split Daddy fifty-fifty? But is that fair to him, sweetheart?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"Like you and me, Dad could also use some 'me time', couldn't he? Just like you sometimes prefer to play alone or take a nap in your room, which you hardly use," I added with a small chuckle. Jackson had a habit of sticking close to either me or Nate; his own room rarely saw much activity. "And sometimes even Mom needs her own time, like when I go to the garden, cook, or read a book. So, just like us, Nate also needs some time to himself, right?"

"Oh…" His mouth formed an 'o' shape. "You're right, Mom. I didn't think about that."

"Exactly. So now that you understand, we should both give Dad his 'me time', shouldn't we? It wouldn't be fair to demand all of his time, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't!" He propped up his chin with his hand. "Plus, he has a lot of work to do. He'll be tired if he doesn't get any rest."

"My smart boy," I praised, planting a kiss on his cheek. "So instead of fifty-fifty, we'll give fifty percent of the choice to Dad. You'll take twenty-five, and I'll take the rest. Deal?" I extended my hand for a handshake, and without hesitation, he accepted, sealing the agreement.

"Deal!"

“Alright then, you can go hang out with Kael, but don't go overboard with the chocolates even if he offers you a lot. You don’t want cavities; they hurt a lot!”

“Okay, Mom,” he stood up, leaning in to kiss my cheek before darting out of the room. “Bye, Mom!”

I rose, heading toward my bookshelf to retrieve a book when I heard cautious footsteps.

It had to be Jackson. Sneaking into the room for chocolates, even after I'd forbidden it, was his specialty.

"If you dare to touch the chocolate box, you won’t get a single chocolate for the rest of the week, and I'll even tell your dad not to give you any. Now the choice is yours," I warned without looking, reaching for the book I'd left half-read. Suddenly, I felt strong arms slide around my waist, and a soft gasp escaped my lips as the book slipped from my hand.

“I'm not here for chocolates,” Nate's voice whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “I'm here for something even better—you.”