Chapter 111

Andy POV

I was in the Royal clinic for days, my body healing a little bit more every day.

And even though I had to stay in my room, and in my bed, it wasn’t boring.

Because Claire was there.

But it wasn’t Claire anymore.

It was Mom.

It made me feel all wriggly on the inside with happiness every time I remembered I could call her that now.

At least in private.

That was something she and Dad made very clear from the moment I realized who she reall was.

She was “Claire” or “Princess” in public, and “Mom” in private.

I was still confused about why, but that didn’t matter just then. What mattered was that I was feeling better and better. And I got to see my mother every single day.

“There’s the big man!” a voice said from the doorway, on my last day in the clinic.

Dr. Baldwin walked into the room, a big smile on his face. He held a bright red box by its handle.

“Hi, Dr. Baldwin!” I said.

I liked him. He brought me toys sometimes when he came to help Mom heal me, and always hung out for a while after a healing session.

It was so funny how different his healing felt from hers.

“How are you feeling today, good sir?” Dr. Baldwin asked, setting down the box and taking out his penlight.

He shined it in first one of my eyes and then the other. Then he began to take my pulse and listen to my heartbeat.

“I feel so good!” I said. “I get to go home today.”

And I couldn’t wait.

I wanted to sleep in my own bed, and wear my own clothes. I wanted to play with my friends.

I also kind of wanted to go to school. Just not as much as all the rest of it.

“Oh really?” he said. He finished with the stethoscope and stood back to study me.

“I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

His face was very serious, but I could tell by his eyes that he was just playing. Dr. Baldwin told a lot of jokes.

When he held up his hands to either side of my head, I closed my eyes and let him scan me. It was like a cool wave of tingles washed down my whole body, from my head to my feet. It was over in a moment.

I opened my eyes. Dr. Baldwin grinned at me.

“I’d say you’re all clear. Are you ready to go home??”

“Yes! I can’t wait!”

“I bet! Now, discharge paperwork can take a little while, but I believe your father’s working on that right now. In the meantime, I thought you might like something to help pass the time.”

He handed me the box he’d been carrying, and I opened it to find it full of brightly colored wooden blocks.

“Thank you! I like blocks.”

He chuckled. “Any time, kid. It’s been a pleasure seeing you get better, and getting to know you. You stay in touch, alright?”

I smiled at him as he waved goodbye, and promised that I would.

Dumping out the blocks on the bed, I decided it was strange that Dad didn’t like Dr. Baldwin. I thought he was really nice.

A little while later, I heard familiar footsteps coming down the hall, and looked up happily.

After a moment, Mom walked in the room. And she smiled at me.

Seeing her walk in and smile at me was the best part of every day.

“Hi, baby! Are you ready to go home??”

My smile widened, and I bounced up and down, sending blocks scattering to the floor.

“Yes! Is all the paperwork and stuff done? Can we go now??”

She laughed a little at my excitement as she bent down to pick up the spilled blocks.

“It’s finally time. You get dressed, and I’ll pack up all these toys.”

I hurried out of bed, to the suitcase that sat open and ready to finish packing. A new outfit was on the top, one Dad bought somewhere in the city.

The rest of the suitcase was mostly going to be filled with toys.

I took off my hospital pajamas and began to pull my shirt over my head. “Clai - Mom, how many suitcases do you have to bring? I only have one, and it’s all toys!”

I thought that would make her laugh, but when I pulled down my shirt I realized she was looking at me sadly.

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

Claire put the last of the blocks in the box and shut the lid, then she walked over and crouched down in front of me.

“Honey, I’m not going back to Silverfang with you. I have to stay here.”

“But…I don’t understand.”

“I have duties here, Andy. I’m a Princess, and the Royal Alpha is still ill.”

Her face got really sad when she said that, and I remembered the day we went up to the Royal Alpha’s room to see him. It was weird, going to meet the grandfather I never knew, one who was also very ill. I worried about what it would be like.

But he just laid there. It looked like he was sleeping. And nothing anybody did or said seemed to wake him up.

So I nodded. “I know Grandpa is very sick. So you have to do his job for him.”

“That’s right. And to do that, I need to be here, with the Royal pack.”

“So…does that mean Dad and I will come live here then??”

Mom shook her head. “No, darling. Your father has his own duties to see to as the Alpha. And he has a campaign to finish.

“But listen, your father and I talked about it. And we’ve agreed that you can come here to visit me, as often as your schedule allows.”

I frowned, sad and unhappy about having to leave her, and still not understanding the reason.

“But why?? I want to be with you. You’re my mother, we’re supposed to be together!

So why can’t I stay?!”

Mom took a deep breath, then took my hand. She led me over to one of the chairs, then sat down and lifted me into her lap.

“Do you remember our talk about only calling me Mom when we’re alone, or with certain people?”

I nodded.

“Okay. Now I need to tell you why, because it’s the same reason you need to live with your father:

“It’s because we need to keep the fact that you’re my son a big, big secret.”

“Because you don’t like being a mom?” I asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

Mom put her arms around me. “No! Absolutely not. Being your mother is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Never forget that.”

Then she sighed.

“Andy, it can be very dangerous to be a Royal. I was stolen from my father at a very young age, by people who wanted to take the Royal throne from him.

“And I won’t let that happen to you. Not again.”

My mind flashed back to the anger on Sabrina’s face, as well as the look of pleasure when she stabbed me.

I rubbed a hand over the scar on my chest. “People like Sabrina?”

Mom’s face was so serious, and her eyes so sad, as nodded. “Exactly like Sabrina. If they knew I was your mother…”

Remembering that night made me shiver, and I leaned harder into Mom’s warmth.

“It’s alright,” I said. “I understand. I’ll keep it a secret, I promise.

“I just wish we could live together again. I wish we could be a family.”

My eyes filled with tears, thinking about all the time I once had with Claire at home, when I was younger.

And how much I missed having her there, every single day.

Mom’s eyes filled as well, and she hugged me tightly.

“I know this won’t be easy, but you can come visit me here. And we’ll talk every single day. Okay?”

I sniffled and agreed, then got up with her to gather my things for our trip back to Silverfang territory.

Mom rode with us to the private airfield, and hugged me goodbye one more time.

I held on for as long as I could, trying to memorize every single second.

Dad and I got on the plane, and I hurried to the window to wave to Mom. We waved to each other until the plane lifted off, and she faded from view.

Then I sighed and sat down, facing Dad.

“I miss her already,” I said, feeling my lip tremble and my eyes fill.

Dad reached over and put his arm around my shoulders.

“I know, son,” he said.

“I miss her already too.”