Chapter 8

I woke up the next morning having Sander, not in my arms. I panicked and got up from the single bed where we both slept. "Sander?" I went to the dining room to see brown-colored bread, made from barley flour with rye, on the table. Then I heard a hissing sound coming from a pan and saw Sander's small back and messy golden hair locks inherited from mine. "Sander..." I called when I found out that he was cooking. My son named Sander stiffened before he turned around and smiled. "Good morning, Mama!" He instantly hugged me. I hugged him so tight and carried him in my arms. "You're cooking for Mama again, little man." I checked what he was cooking and saw that he was cooking some salmon. Upon finding it out, I couldn't help kissing his forehead as I felt a little bad that he was doing this for me. I must be the one who must do this to him but it turned out to be otherwise. "I woke up early, Mama, to catch a salmon in the river for our morning meal!" He beamed. I lifted him down and knelt before him. "I must be the one doing this work as your mother, not you, Sander," I said softly. He was always like this. Ever since he easily learned to cook, he would always wake up early and cook for me. And the fact that he was just six years old that would turn seven in the next few months. "Mmm." Sander shook his head which made his hair locks go along with him shaking it. "Mama, I want to help you. Mama is always tired when she goes home so late. I want to do something for Mama." I sighed, teary-eyed. "Sander..." I hugged and kissed his cheek. "My little man... You're too mature for my own good." I felt like I did not deserve to be his mother. I also couldn't believe that I carried this little man for three months and gave birth to this world. He was really too mature. "I will protect you, Mama," my son said and hugged me back. Sander... Sander was a child who learned everything with just one glance. He learned to speak before he reached a year old. He even knew how to sew even though he was only just watching me. He even knew how to clean even though I didn't teach him. He even knew how to catch a fish by using his wolf form even though I taught him to use a fishing rod. Yes, Sander had his wolf form by the age of five. Supposedly, an average person could only transform to his or her wolf form at the age of eighteen. However, Sander was different. There was also a reason why he could transform so early. Sander has the blood of... an Alpha... that runs in his veins. That was the reason. There was no doubt about that. He really was the son of... Desmond. And my son didn't know that. He didn't know that he had that blood running through his veins. I only told him that he was a child prodigy that could surpass the limit of an average werewolf and that we were peasants or simply we were rogues that do not belong to any pack. Sander had no idea that he was a son of an Alpha. I hadn't told him about how I absconded from the Rising Diamond pack because of the painful experiences I had because of Desmond's action. "You're such a sweet boy, my little man. Let Mama handle this and make amends with you, alright?" I winced his hair which made him "Also, today is my day off," I informed him. Sander gasped. "Really, Mama?" I nodded. "I-I want to go out with you, Mama!" He hugged my thigh and looked up at me with his pleading look. "Pretty please..." he pleaded. "Amusement park or seaside? Pick and we shall go out to eat there." I flipped the salmon before I faced my son with a smile. He was about to answer when he suddenly remembered. "B-But Mama... How about the money you will use for it? Can we not pack our food?" I inhaled sharply when I got teary-eyed because my son was thinking about the money that I was going to spend. It ached my heart that my son had to think this way. I would try to sell a few of the jewelry I had. I already decided that we must live in a decent flat. But before doing that, I must be careful because those jewelry were one of a kind. It meant that Desmond personally made the designs just for me. That was... how he expressed his love for me. That was how Desmond showed his devotion to his mate. I knelt on one knee and gently poked his nose. "Do not worry about it. We only go out once in a while. I can use the one I am saving in my reserve fund." There was a worried expression on his face. "Mama... I am selfish. Let's not go out anymore." He hugged me. I smiled that he was being considerate. "Sshh... Perhaps, I haven't told you about the other reserve funds I got." I lifted him again in my arms before I finished frying the salmon and placed them on our platter. "Other reserve funds?" He blinked. "Uh-huh." I nodded. "I never touch it because I want to save it in case you get sick and Mama does not know what to do about how to treat you." I put him down in his seat before I took the sorrel leaves, water, and sugar to make some sorrel sauce for our fried salmon. Sander only had a perplexed expression. It also meant that he didn't expect I would ever have one. I only chuckled while I was grinding the three ingredients before I used a linen cloth to squeeze it into the salmon. "Eat up, little man." I urged him. "Mama..." He looked at me, looking worried. I sighed and smiled again. Should I tell him a fairy tale? "Do you want to hear a story?" He tilted his head. "Story?" I nodded. "What story, Mama?" I clasped my hands together when I put my elbows on the table. "It is about the Luna who found her prince charming and ran away," I started.