Chapter 117: Chapter 1

ADELIE

I meandered through the gardens, a stunning labyrinth of roots, vines, trees, and bushes. Overhead, an arch of intertwined branches stretched out, creating a natural canopy. The sun’s rays filtered through the gaps, casting golden streaks across everything in sight.

Eventually, I reached the heart of the garden. The reason I had created this place. I stood before him, my bare feet sinking into the soft grass, the energy of the roots pulsating beneath me. He was my necessity, my air. My pride in creating such beauty was matched only by my fear of living without it.

I felt less human than ever before. I was a delicate creature of nature in all its splendor.

My gaze fell upon my beautiful root creature, Bloom. He was woven into the rest of the garden maze, each piece contributing to the overall magnificence. Towering over me, he lived in his own little kingdom.

As he bowed his head to me, I noticed tiny root pixies clambering up his shoulder, their heads also bowed in respect. Despite their lack of faces, their expressions were clear.

Their rough, brownish-gray skin was devoid of features, but their arms and legs moved with a speed I could never match. These curious little beings were no bigger than my hand.

“Where is he?” I asked. Without hesitation, the pixies pointed toward a giant arch of maple leaves. A devilish smile spread across my face. “That little devil,” I murmured under my breath.

I moved toward the soft branches. With a swift gesture, they parted, allowing me to step into a clearing. In the center stood a dome-like structure.

The pixies scampered ahead, but paused at the entrance, waiting for me to lead the way. I pushed open the doors and stepped onto a smooth floor made of tightly woven roots.

The building was entirely constructed from wooden roots. It was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear. A place that only opened its doors for me.

For me alone, but if someone small enough could squeeze through a hole, they could enter.

I quietly circled around to approach him from behind. He was perched on a vine swing, engrossed in a book.

“Elias,” I said sternly, causing him to jump. “I’ve warned you time and again not to wander into the gardens without supervision. You’re always pushing my patience. If you injure yourself again, you’ll have to let it heal naturally. I won’t heal you again.”

I didn’t keep a constant watch on him; he was free to do as he pleased. But the garden was dangerous. I had designed it to be a peaceful haven, but it was also home to the deadliest plants.

Each one served a purpose. I knew Elias was smart enough not to touch them, but his clumsiness was a concern. Many of the plants here could be medicinal if prepared correctly, but lethal in their raw form.

He rolled his dark eyes at me. “I’m okay with that,” he retorted, his gaze shifting to the pixies hiding behind my legs.

He pointed an accusing finger at them. “You snitched!” he exclaimed, his brow furrowing in anger.

“They wouldn’t have to if you behaved! They wouldn’t have to keep an eye on you if you played with the other children.”

He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Mother!” he whined. “You know I can’t play with them; all they care about is…is…”

“Doing what children are supposed to do?” I finished for him.

“I don’t enjoy their games,” he explained. “If they played what I wanted to play…”

I shook my head. “You don’t play, Elias. You disappear without telling anyone, come home injured, and get into trouble. It’s fortunate that most of the rogues are kind enough to bring you back by your collar.”

I had earned enough respect that no one dared harm my son. Instead, they returned him to me, and I offered them something in return. It seemed they hoped he would run away just so they could bring him back and receive a reward.

“It’s called exploring,” he retorted. His eyes seemed to be permanently rolling.

“You’re just a child, Elias,” I tried to reason with him, but I knew this would continue. I noticed his knee was scraped and bleeding, but I chose to ignore it.

I soon realized after his birth that he was different from other children. A five-year-old shouldn’t be this wise. He should be playing and learning about the world from his surroundings, not venturing out on his own to explore.

He wasn’t born with any extraordinary powers, he wasn’t even a werewolf. But he was intelligent. His wisdom was beyond his years, sometimes even surpassing that of teenagers. I often found myself conversing with him as an equal. Sometimes, I forgot he was just a child.

I wasn’t sure what his gifts would turn out to be. I wasn’t sure if he would develop anything else. But I knew that even now, he was a unique creature.

Sometimes, he was too wise for his own good. Other children didn’t like him, and even adults didn’t. Sometimes, he said things that made me reconsider my decisions.

But I often wondered why he didn’t have any powers, given that I was his mother and his father was a werewolf.

Even if no one else noticed anything unusual about him, I knew his mind was his strength. No one would guess he was only five.

I extended my hand to him. “Let’s go back to the pack. If you’re so bored, maybe Anthony can teach you archery.”

He didn’t argue with that. He had a fascination with sharp objects and anything dangerous. It was better for him to learn about what interested him rather than getting hurt trying to figure it out on his own.

We finally reached the exit, making our way toward the center of the pack.

I noticed Esty approaching. “Little devil went astray again?” she asked, earning a scowl from Elias.

He held a finger to his lips. “Zip it!” he snapped at her. He never liked her much. That was one thing he and his father had in common…unfortunately.

We continued walking. Soon, Nathan approached. “Luna,” he greeted quickly, bowing his head. “The beta is waiting for you in your study. He asked me to inform you when I saw you.”

I rolled my eyes. Elias took the hint and went off to find Anthony.

I didn’t want to talk to her. I had been avoiding her. She had been pestering me about something I didn’t want to do.

But I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t avoid her in my own pack. I turned to Esty. “Can you make sure he finds Anthony?” I asked.

She nodded and followed him. He needed to find Anthony. If he didn’t, he would get bored and go on another exploration mission. There was no way to make him understand the dangers, but I did everything I could.

I made my way to my house, climbed the stairs, and as soon as I opened the door to my study, I spoke before she could. “I am not going to meet the king. That is final,” I declared to Maeve. “I’ve thought it over like you asked. I don’t care for it.”

She stood up to approach me but stopped in annoyance as I walked past her to sit in my chair. “You’ve been cooped up in this pack for the past five years. You haven’t seen anyone; you haven’t gone anywhere.”

I pulled out my pipe from its case. A bad habit I picked up from late-night conversations with Esty. I lit up her mix of dried plants. I never knew what she put in there, but it made my mind comfortably fuzzy.

I leaned back in my chair, inhaling the smoke and staring at her.

“I don’t need to go anywhere. Everything I need is right here,” I told her. “And if I need someone, they come to me. I think it’s kind of beautiful to let them think I never leave my territory.”

She had no argument for that. I had made my position clear. They knew the power I held. And I had become quite adept at negotiation.

They always liked a woman who could sweet talk.

“Do you enjoy the power you have?” she asked. My eyes slowly scanned the room before landing on her. “They will get used to your power and they will realize that you’re not as invincible as you seem.”

“I’m always striving for more. When have I ever not made the decision to learn more? To do more?” She was getting on my nerves. “They don’t know that I learn every single day, train every single day.”

She crossed her arms in front of her. “Fine,” she conceded. “If you’re so afraid of confrontation, you shouldn’t go,” she said.

“What?” I snapped at her. My lips parted, half in shock at her words and half in annoyance. “Don’t try to manipulate me with your words.”

She slumped into the chair opposite me and shrugged. “The king knows your past. He will ask questions. And when he sees you have a child…he will ask more. You’re afraid to explain to him what happened.”

I simply stared at her, waiting for her to continue. Would she dare to say more? She didn’t. But she didn’t drop the subject either. I let my gaze wander over the table in front of me, resting my elbows on it and leaning in.

“Anyone who asks will get the same answer. Kairos is history. Now, I have a child. That’s all anyone needs to know about me and my kid,” I told her, maintaining my composure.

“And the inevitable question will be, who’s the child’s father?”

“Why should he care?”

“They were friends. He might think he’s the father.”

“Well, he can think whatever he wants. I’m not afraid of his questions. He can ask, but he’ll only get the answers I choose to give. If you’re so keen, you can tell him yourself,” I told her, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

“You’re lying…,” she began, but I wasn’t about to have this discussion with her.

“Enough!” I snapped at her. “You don’t get to dictate my life or my choices. If and when I do something that harms Elias, then—and only then—will you have a say in what I do. But I wish you’d stop obsessing over a past that isn’t yours.”

She seemed completely unaffected by my harsh tone. “Then stop dwelling on the past and do what’s right.”

“King has invited me to his ball. How is that a life or death situation?” I was growing frustrated, and it was barely past noon.

“Do you really think he’s just inviting you to his ball? Just like that?”

My interest was piqued. “So, I’m not a mind reader like you pretend to be. I can’t possibly think of anything else,” I said, each word clipped. “But please, enlighten me. And I’d appreciate it if you’d stop withholding information instead of trying to convince me to attend a ball like a fool. Speak!”

“They’re hunting nymphs in their pack’s territory,” she finally said, capturing my attention. “They’re killing them, draining their blood, and tossing them over a cliff. All in one spot. In the king’s forest.”

“Why doesn’t he relocate the nymphs? Many live there to maintain his natural side. Why isn’t he moving them to safety?” I asked.

“That might be the issue. There hasn’t been a single murder of his pack nymphs. They kill from afar and bring them there.”

“Could they be performing some sort of ritual?” I suggested.

“Unlikely. If they were, they wouldn’t do it out in the open. They want someone to notice.”

“Well, has the king consulted anyone who could help? There must be powerful shamans, witches. Can’t they assist?” I asked.

She looked down. “That might be the problem. He thinks they’re trying to lure you there.”

“What would they want with me there? Why not hunt me in my pack?”

She shrugged. “Maybe they want to draw you out of your protected land. Or get you closer. Perhaps negotiate with you?”

“But why me? What can I offer them?” I asked. “Why would the king even think they want me?”

“Because you’re the strongest nymph of all. They know it.”

I was just invited to a ball. Why did Maeve know so much? “Who told you this?”

“I have a contact in the king’s land,” she said bluntly. I never knew everything about her; she was a mystery. She made it clear that she’d have to die before revealing all her secrets. So, she remained useful to me, but in her own secretive way.

“Leave me alone for a while. We’ll talk later.” I picked up a file from my table and pretended to be engrossed in it.

She left, clearly annoyed. After she closed the door, I put the file down. I looked at my burned-out pipe. I hadn’t even had a chance to smoke with all the talking.

She was right. I was terrified of confrontation. I had changed so much after he left, becoming independently powerful, but deep down, my insecurities never faded.

I always portrayed my life as a small island that I ruled. But what I didn’t show them was that the island was much larger beneath the surface. And my fear was breaking down in front of the questions that hurt me the most.

The things I loved the most…Kairos.

~Flashback.~

~“Adelie. He wouldn’t have left without a reason,” Maeve said, supporting my arm, helping me rise from the chair. This pregnancy was taking a toll on me. I visited the forest daily to replenish my energy. I felt weaker each day. I wasn’t sure if this was normal.~

~“Maeve, I told you never to bring it up again,” I said. “I won’t shed tears over him. Or anyone. I don’t need anyone else.”~

~“But you need answers. If only you had listened to him, maybe he had a reason.”~

~“Not finding a good enough reason to stay is reason enough.”~

~“He didn’t know you were pregnant.”~

~“And then what?” I yelled at her. “He’ll resent the child that made him stay when he wanted to leave the most?”~

~She shook her head at me. “When that child grows up and asks about his father…you’ll be the only one who had the chance to change that and didn’t. Is your child’s hatred worth it?”~

~It might sound foolish, but it’s love. “I can and will provide everything my child needs. He won’t lack anything. And if he needs a father, he’ll have one. Someone who will love him as his own. Love doesn’t come from blood. But if it’s necessary, I’ll find someone who loves him.”~

~And right now… I can’t trap Kairos into loving me because I’m pregnant. Who would do that to someone they care about? Who would deceive someone they love so much…?~

~He left because he wanted to. He made a choice…~