Chapter Three: A snake of a woman

Four years later

Ember

Maybe I didn't die, but a part of me did.

I smiled warmly as I stirred the pot of stew, the aroma filling the kitchen.

A boy about three years old burst into the kitchen, his little face scrunched up in a pout. He rushed to me, his chubby legs moving as fast as they could.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, his tiny arms reaching up for me to carry him.

That's my son Kai.

I scooped him up, spinning him around in a circle before planting a kiss on each cheek. He giggled, his pout has now been forgotten.

"Where's Aunty Lyra, sweetie?" I asked, setting him down on the counter.

He thought for a moment, his brow was furrowed, then, he shrugged his tiny shoulders and said, "I don't know."

"Then who bring you back?"

He spread his little hands and said, "I walked by myself."

Of course he did, I could hear the sound of the door opening. It was undoubtedly Lyra. I mean my son walked from the grocery store back home, what an expert he was. I pinched his cheeks and chuckled at his adorable response. "Well, maybe we'll find her later, okay?"

He nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Okay, Mommy!"

I smiled, hugging him tight. "I love you, little one."

"I wuv you too, Mommy!" he replied, snuggling into my embrace.

Just then, a warm, exasperated voice spoke up from behind us. "Well, he wouldn't know, would he? He kept me busy in the grocery store, playing with a puppy, and then...!"

Lyra walked into the kitchen, she was in her mid-sixties, and a head scarf covered her hair. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and continued, "And as if that wasn't enough, look what he did to my hair!"

She dramatically removed the scarf, revealing a hairdo that resembled a bird's nest. I burst out laughing at the sight.

Lyra feigned annoyance, as she crossed her arms, staring at us. Then she continued to say hurtfully... Ahem, a pretending kind of hurt.

"I spent a fortune on this hairstyle, and then this little scamp got his hands on it...!"

Her voice trailed off as she ruffled her hair, trying to restore some semblance in order. But

Kai giggled, clearly pleased with himself, and I couldn't help but chuckle along with him.

Kai looked up at Lyra with wide, innocent eyes and said, "I only played with it and made it beautiful!"

Lyra chuckled and teased, "Oh, what a wolf you are! You've ruined my hair, and now - no more chocolate bars for you henceforth, young man!"

Kai's face fell, and he quickly asked me to put him down.

As soon as his feet touched the floor, he ran to Lyra and wrapped his arms around her legs, begging, "Sorry, Aunty Lyra! Sorry!"

He gazed up at her with those big, innocent eyes, and asked, "is aunty Lyra still mad at me?"

Lyra's expression softened, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you little scamp... I'm not mad, but you have to promise to be gentle with Aunty Lyra's hair from now on, deal?"

Kai nodded eagerly, still clinging to her legs. "Deal, Aunty Lyra! I promise!"

I couldn't help but briefly close my eyes and take a deep breath, it was just like yesterday.

Flashback

"Look at her being locked here for two weeks without any family members coming to speak for her except that kind woman." A man in a police uniform nodded in my direction.

"Who would come to look for her? She killed the last standing member of her family, looking at her people would assume she's just as harmless, unknown to them, that she mercilessly killed her own father because of his company!" Another police officer viciously said gawking at me.

I laid in the cold cell. I didn't really care what they were saying, but the thought of my father's death shook me to my utmost core. I felt angry at myself for not being able to stop that snake of a woman.

She even had the guts to come here to sympathize with me the day I was locked up, she came with Rowan, but she later came back acting as if she forgets something.

"Between you and me, Ember, you shouldn't have gone out that night. It's not as bad as it seems. Although I was unable to kill you, you can take this fall and go to jail. It's not the end of the world." I could never forget those words she said to my face.

End of flashback.

It was exactly that day when the sheriff came to me and asked the officer to set me free, the fingerprint didn't match mine, so I was declared innocent.

I knew someone had helped me, and that someone was Lyra, a friend of my mother who saw the incident on TV and flew over from Florida to Arizona.

Fortunately for me, her husband is a feared Alpha who owned a pack in Florida.

With her influence I was proven innocent and released. She asked me if I would go back with her. I didn't want to in the beginning but I have nothing left in Arizona. Even if I wanted revenge on Astrid, I will do it as soon as I gain my feet.

Who could've thought I would be pregnant from that night with that stranger?

It also came as a surprise to me when I learned about it.

I stirred the soup once more and turned off the gas.

"I have to redo my hair, I'm just so tired." Lyra plops herself on the sofa and yawns, "And shouldn't you also be preparing for the design exhibition instead of making breakfast?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

Right, I was going to a design exhibition today. During the four years I've been growing, I joined an architectural design academy for two years, and for a year now I have my own workplace. And the company grew really fast.

Alpha Jordan, Lyra marked mate, also helped me to secure a place so I could participate, and I've been working for over a week to go there with my best design. The project is interior design.

"I guess I should go and have my bath..." I said. But Lyra called me back and said, "Since you were only going there to submit your design, take him with you, I'm going for a hair redo, you won't have him ruining it again will you?"

I rolled my eyes playfully at her and said, "The boy likes you, he was only playing with you."

"Of course he is, but I need to look good for Jordan, he will be back today." She said as a layer of blush covered her cheeks.

"Fine... I will take him with me." Even though they were this old, their love was so strong, I always loved to see them, and sometimes I just couldn't help but think a love this deep, it was truly rare. Would I ever find something like that?

******

"You don't run around alright? Stay close to mommy." I said to Kai as soon as we got out of the car and walked into the huge building before me.

"Okay mommy."

I just have to reach the secretary and submit it then go back. It was that easy.

I did everything I had to do quickly and fill in the required information. The moment I'm done, I turned to look at the boy standing beside me, but the place Kai was standing at was now empty.

A feeling of dread came over me as I bolted away from the secretary, frantically looking everywhere, calling his name, shouting but no one answered.

"Please have you seen a little boy, this tall and he has golden eyes, curly black hair, he was in a blue shirt and black pullover jacket."

The woman I was asking a question from shook her head, "No."

I kept asking, running around, until I saw a man, I went to him and asked the same question.

"Yes I've seen him that way... I saw him go that way, if you're quick enough you should find him."

"Thank you."

I ran as fast as I could towards the place pointed to by the man. The moment I turned the corner, I was in a restroom hallway, and there he was, my little boy, just that he wasn't alone.

He was hugging the legs of a man, not just any man, I could still remember his face like I saw him just yesterday, and the moment he lifted his head. His golden eyes looked into my black ones.

It was really awkward but I walked up to them and pulled Kai away from him, "I've been looking for him, I'm sorry for the inconveniences."

I turned to walk away but he pulled back my hand, "Little bunny?"

I stiffened, biting my lips, my posture was a little slouch as I peel his hand off me and respond with a smile, "I'm sorry sir, but you got the wrong person."

"How could I got the wrong person? Even if you don't remember my face I'm sure you haven't forgotten about our steamy night right bunny?”