DELPHINA

SIX YEARS LATER

"So, what do you all think about wolves?"

I posed the question with a playful smile, leaning slightly against the edge of my desk as twenty little faces looked back at me. Kids chatted softly as pages flipped and pencils scraped. We were in the middle of our storytelling unit, and today, the task was for each student to pick and retell a classic fairy tale. The latest presenter, Kayla, had just finished her version of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a red hoodie and an over-the-top wolf impression

Hands shot up in the air

"Wolves are cool!" said Marco, eyes wide. "They can talk and wear grandma’s clothes!

Tessa giggled. "They’re sneaky, but I think they’re just lonely.

"They're fast and strong," added Jonah with a serious nod. "But maybe the one in the story was just really hungry.

I laughed softly, my heart squeezing a little at their innocence. "So, we agree that wolves can be smart, scary, misunderstood… and maybe even a little lonely.

If only they knew.

The bell rang sharply, echoing through the halls. Immediately, the chairs screeched across the tile floor as my third graders leapt into motion.

"Don’t forget your homework! Page eighty-six in your workbooks. Highlight where the main character shows courage, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Arden!" they chorused in unison before grabbing their bags and streaming toward the door like a flood.

In moments, the room was quiet again. I stood there for a moment, letting myself feel the quiet.

It had been six years.

Six years since I’d left everything behind, my old life, my pack, the world of wolves. Since Helio’s rejection had broken the bond and my wolf had gone quiet. Since I’d fallen into the cold night and woken up in a place I didn’t know, barely alive.

I didn’t think I’d get this far, but I did.

A teacher in the human world.

Hiding, adapting, whatever people wanted to call it. I was just surviving.

I began tidying the classroom, stacking books, brushing glitter off the tables, and collecting stray worksheets. Then I grabbed my lesson planner, slid it into my bag, and headed to the teacher’s lounge. A quick chat with Ms. Riley about next week’s library schedule, and I was out again.

The hallway was quieter now. Most of the students had gone home. I turned the corner leading to the daycare center, where my heart waited for me every day in the form of two tiny humans.

As I approached, a voice rang out…

"Mommy!"

I smiled instinctively and crouched just in time to catch two small bodies barreling into me with laughter and open arms.

Their giggles filled the hallway as I wrapped my arms around them.

Mason and Cara. My children, my whole world.

I held them tight for a few seconds longer than usual, letting their tiny arms remind me of everything that still mattered. They were why I kept moving forward.

Cara’s curls bounced as she clung to my neck. Mason’s wide smile was missing a front tooth, and his little hands wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Where are you two going, huh? I was just coming to get you," I said, brushing a kiss onto Cara’s temple.

"We wanted to surprise you!" Cara beamed. "We missed you!"

"And we were waiting really good," Mason added proudly. "Miss Tessa said we could come out early."

"I always come for you, don’t I?" I smiled, standing up and holding each of their hands. "Let’s grab your bags and head home."

We walked back into the daycare center, where their cubbies were stuffed with drawings, books, and snacks. Thank the stars, and the school board, for this job.

When I first arrived here, unsure and clutching my resume like a lifeline, I hadn’t expected to land a position as a schoolteacher so quickly

It gave me everything I needed. A stable paycheck. A routine. A chance to breathe again

And best of all, it came with a daycare center just a few classrooms away. Knowing they were close, that at any point in the day I could walk down the hall and peek through the window to see them coloring or singing or curled up on beanbags with books, made all the difference.

"Okay, all set?”

"Yup!" They chimed together.

We stepped outside into the early evening sun. I hadn’t realized how stuffy it was inside until we stepped out. The breeze felt good on my skin. Cara and Mason skipped beside me, swinging our arms as we walked.

Then….

"Uncle Jaxon!" they shouted in unison.

I looked up to see a tall man leaning against his SUV, arms crossed, a grin already spreading across his face. He opened his arms, and the twins ran straight into them.

He lifted them with ease, one on each arm, spinning slightly before setting them down again.

"There’s my team! I missed you two."

“We missed you too!” and Mason echoed, still clinging to his arms like little monkeys.

Jaxon laughed, giving each of them an exaggerated kiss on the top of their heads. “So, how was your day? Anything fun to report to your favorite uncle?”

The twins exchanged a guilty look before Mason puffed out his cheeks and sighed. “We were gonna surprise Mommy…”

“But she picked us up before we could!” Cara finished, her lips forming a small pout.

“A surprise, huh?” Jaxon tilted his head. “Maybe we should do it together next time.”

Without a word, Jaxon raised his hand. Mason didn’t even blink—he slapped it fast, like they’d done it a hundred times. Cara was right behind him, her high five a little gentler but just as excited.

Jaxon gave me a warm look as I reached them. "Hey, you."

"Hey," I said, smiling. "Aren’t you supposed to be working?"

He shrugged. "Never too busy for lunch with my favorite people."

As we started walking toward the café down the block, I let the peace of the moment settle over me.

Jaxon had been the first person I saw when I woke up in the rogue hospital six years ago. I didn’t know who he was then, just that he’d carried me out of the forest and told me I was safe. That I didn’t have to run anymore.

It turned out he was an Alpha of Duskridge Pack. A pack unlike the others. One that believed in giving rogues a second chance. In building instead of tearing down. In healing instead of punishing.

He’d created a haven. And he’d given me a home.

More than that, he stayed.

He stayed through the pregnancy, never asking questions I couldn’t answer. He was there when I screamed in pain, when I held the twins for the first time, when I collapsed in fear and doubt.

He didn’t need to be their father. He didn’t claim that title. But he was family. To me. To them.

Cara adored him. Mason idolized him. And I…

I looked at him now, laughing as Mason showed him a crayon drawing, and felt that ache in my chest. The warm kind.

My wolf may have been silent, dormant after all this time… but my heart still beat. Still remembered how to feel safe.

And Jaxon made it feel safe.

"What’s that look for?" he asked suddenly, catching me watching him.

I smiled. "Just thinking."

He didn’t press. He never did.

And that was why… I trusted him.

Maybe this wasn’t the life I planned. Maybe it wasn’t the one the Moon Goddess wrote for me.

But it was the life I built.

And for the first time in six years…

I was okay with that.