Chapter 26

Claire’s POV

I saw Nova pout, it could move mountains. She sat on the edge of her bed with her arms crossed, her lips pressed tight, refusing to look at me.

“You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” She asked softly, I saw her tears threatening to spill.

I sat next to her and sighed. My hand reached instinctively to brush back her hair, soft as silk, falling across her face. “I am not leaving today,” I answered as I pressed down the guilt in my heart. “Today, I’m all yours.”

Her head turned slowly, her eyes round and full of cautious hope. “Just us?” I nodded “yes, today it will be just us,” I promised.

The pout finally disappeared from her face and changed into a blooming smile. Then, without warning, she flung her arms around my neck.

“Yay! Mommy’s staying with me!”

The way she said it—so simple, so certain—pulled at every part of me I’d tried so hard to harden. For a second, I wanted this moment to never end. Just me and my daughter.

I took her to the meadow that stretched far and wide under the sky, there were wildflowers everywhere. I looked at Nova as she ran ahead, her laughter was like a beautiful song. She ran towards the butterflies giggling happily and chased after them.

“Look at these flowers mommy.” She called, sprinting back to me with a fistful of daisies, their stems uneven and crushed from her grip. “For you!”

I knelt, smiling through the ache in my chest. “They’re beautiful,” I said, my throat tight. She tucked one into my hair, her little fingers careful. “Now you’re pretty too!”

A genuine laugh escaped my lips, it's been a while since i laughed like this. It startled me how easily she could bring it out.

We played the game of tag as we chased each other happily through the flower field, after we got exhausted we laid on the grass to watch the clouds drifting across the sky. Nova pointed at the cloud excitedly “That one cloud looks like a white wolf and that one looks like a castle!”

For a time, it was perfect. I finally felt like a mother as I looked at Nova’s happy face. But I knew every perfect moment has its end. It never lasts forever.

I looked at the sunset, the sky's color turned orange and gold. It was time for me to wake up from this beautiful moment. My other child was waiting somewhere else. A child who calls me Miss Warrior instead of Mommy.

I swallowed the ache and stood, brushing grass from my clothes. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”

Nova hummed a tune happily, she felt tired but content. We talked back to the pack house holding hands.

Then I froze.

Two figures stood by the steps of the pack house.

Gideon stood there with his arms folded across his chest confidently, it was hard to ignore his presence. His eyes locked onto me the moment I appeared.

Leo stood beside him pale, but he held the railing for support. His gaze sought me instantly, his gaze brightened as he saw me.

I felt uneasy. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this.

Nova slowed her pace as she saw I had become tense, she looked up at me curiously. She tugged on my hand.

“Mommy, who are they?”

I felt like the world had stopped.

Gideon’s POV

Her voice–sweet, innocent– but her words felt like a punch in the gut. Mommy.

That little girl called her Mommy, I sensed no lie in her pure eyes. She hadn’t stumbled. She hadn’t faltered.

And she’d said it to Raven.

I kept my face calm, but there was a storm brewing in my mind.

My gaze cut to Leo. He looked at Rave and the girl confused, he opened his lips to speak but no words came out. Then he looked at me, searching, lost.

Raven stood still and tense, she held the girl's hand tightly. Her silence was telling me everything.

The girl tugged at her again, tilting her head with innocent curiosity. “Mommy?” Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong.

I looked at Leo.

I saw disbelief in his eyes. He looked at them wide eyed.

That girl really called her Mommy. The same woman Leo called Miss Warrior.

My chest squeezed as I saw my son’s expression. He was trying his best to process. Leo stumbled a bit as I quickly grabbed his arm to steady him.

He kept looking at his Miss Warrior trying to control my breath, I saw something in her eyes. Regret. Pain. Maybe even love.

“Miss Warrior?” his voice trembled, fragile. “What… what does she mean?”

She opened her mouth to speak but she spoke nothing. She just stood there, staring at me like the truth was on the tip of her tongue but locked away.

Why wouldn’t she answer? Why wouldn’t she tell me?

I just stood beside Leo, my gaze was sharp. My fists clenched tightly. I was unsettled. And Leo? He just felt… broken.

I looked at Raven there was a panic in her eyes.

Leo kept on looking at her confused, I can tell he had many questions and so did I.

The little girl tugged at her hand gently and asked again “Mommy, who are these people?”

Raven forced herself to stop panicking and answered gently, “These people are very important to me.”

Important people..yes she wasn't lying but I was able to tell she was answering carefully. I looked at Leo who was sad by that answer for some reason.

The little girl hid behind Raven as she observed Leo and asked softly “Mommy, is he sick?”

Raven nodded and answered gently, “Yes, he is healing.” The way Raven looked at Leo was different, it was a gentle feeling which I was not able to understand.

Then our eyes met but she quickly looked away as if she was hiding something from me. I was silent and I didn't move. I simply watched.

She looked tense, her shoulders were stiff.

Leo was still in shock but even he realized that as he whispered “She doesn't want to tell us everything.”

I rubbed my temples. He wasn’t wrong.

But now wasn’t the moment. My boy needed rest, not a storm, the little girl needed protection too if she really is Raven’s daughter.

The silence was tense between us, I can tell it was affecting Raven greatly as she finally caved in.

She looked at the little girl who was very sleepy and gently leaned down to kiss her forehead “Come on,Sweetheart,” she whispered gently. “Let’s get you inside.”

She gently picked up the little girl and slowly walked past Leo and me.That time I wanted to stop her and demand answers but looking at the sleepy girl I decided against it.

I realized Raven had left the door open and understood she was not kicking us out.

I looked at my Leo who was exhausted and sleepy and gently picked him up and went inside the house.

One of the pack house maids showed us to a room, I quickly tucked Leo into the bed. I looked out of the window thoughtfully.

I silently swore that I will find out the complete truth about Raven.