The lost mate
Chapter 70: Little wolf

Chapter 70: Little wolf

Anne sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching the city pass by through the car window. The tension between her and Damien hadn’t completely disappeared, but today she had made a decision. She wasn’t going to press him about his thoughts on Jackson’s accusations. Not yet. Instead, she was going to take Emily’s advice and work on their relationship.

The next day, Damien insisted on taking both her and Ryan out for the day. Shopping, of all things. It wasn’t something Anne enjoyed, but the way Ryan’s face lit up when Damien suggested it made it impossible for her to refuse. As they arrived at the shopping district, Ryan bounced in his seat, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Are we going to get toys?" Ryan asked eagerly, his blue eyes wide with anticipation.

Damien chuckled, parking the car. "Toys, clothes, whatever you want, buddy."

Ryan cheered as Anne smiled at him, and for a moment, everything felt almost normal.

The first store they entered was a children’s boutique, filled with vibrant colours and shelves packed with clothes and toys. Ryan ran ahead, darting from one section to the next, pulling items off the racks and showing them excitedly to Anne and Damien.

"Mommy, look! I want this one!" Ryan waved a bright red jacket, beaming.

Anne smiled warmly. "It looks great, sweetheart."

Damien, who had been hovering close by, nodded. "Let’s get it." He reached over to take the jacket, his hand brushing Anne’s for a brief second. The touch sent a ripple of warmth through her, and she quickly pulled her hand back, not sure how to respond to the sudden flutter in her chest.

Ryan was in his element, picking out clothes and toys as they wandered through the store. Anne watched with a mixture of amusement and awe. Damien was a natural with Ryan—he indulged him but also guided him, helping him choose things he’d actually need.

"Are you sure this isn’t too much?" Anne asked when Ryan brought over his sixth toy.

Damien smiled at her, shaking his head. "He deserves it. Let him enjoy it."

Anne opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. Damien was trying to make up for lost time with Ryan, and it wasn’t her place to deny them this. She would let him have this moment, for Ryan’s sake.

After they paid for Ryan’s many purchases, Damien turned to Anne as they walked out of the store. "Your turn now."

She blinked, confused. "My turn for what?"

"To get something for yourself," Damien said matter of factly. "You’ve been looking after Ryan and running around. You should treat yourself to something nice."

Anne shook her head quickly. "I don’t need anything."

Damien raised an eyebrow, clearly not accepting her answer. "Anne, you haven’t bought anything for yourself since we’ve been back. Let me do this for you."

"I’m fine, really," she insisted, but Damien was already steering her towards a smaller, more private boutique at the end of the street. She sighed, knowing that once Damien had his mind set on something, there was no stopping him.

They entered the boutique, and Anne immediately felt out of place. The store was elegant, filled with designer clothes and luxurious accessories—nothing like what she would ever think of buying for herself. But Damien seemed completely at ease.

He gestured towards the racks. "Pick something. Whatever you like."

Anne crossed her arms, shaking her head again. "I told you, I don’t need anything."

Damien’s expression softened, and he stepped closer to her, his voice quiet but firm. "You deserve it, Anne. You’ve been through a lot, and you never ask for anything. Let me do this for you, please."

With a reluctant nod, she allowed herself to browse, though she felt awkward doing so.

Damien occasionally picked out things he thought would suit her. "What about this one?" he asked, holding up a deep blue dress.

Anne eyed it sceptically. "It’s a bit... much."

He smiled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "It’s perfect."

She shook her head but couldn’t help smiling as he handed it to the saleswoman to wrap up. Before she knew it, Damien had selected several outfits for her—things she would never have picked for herself, but each item was undeniably beautiful.

"Damien, this is too much," she protested as they left the boutique, bags in hand.

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Get used to it."

Anne couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking her head as they walked back to the car, Ryan skipping ahead of them, completely oblivious to the silent exchange between his parents.

As they loaded the car with their purchases, Anne glanced at Damien, a strange feeling blooming in her chest. He was trying. In his own way, he was trying to make things work between them, trying to build something for Ryan’s sake—and maybe for theirs too.

Later that evening, after they had returned home and put away all the shopping bags, Anne sat down on the couch, watching Ryan as he played with his new toys. Damien was nearby, flipping through a book, but she could tell he wasn’t really paying attention to it. The air between them had softened, the earlier tension from the past few days loosening, and it felt like a good time to bring up something that had been on her mind for a while.

"Damien," she began softly, looking at him. He glanced up, setting the book aside immediately, his full attention on her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I’ve been thinking... Maybe we should tell Ryan about his heritage. About what he is."

Damien’s brow furrowed slightly as he considered her words. "Are you sure he’s ready for that? He’s still so young."

Anne nodded slowly. "He is, but it’s better if we tell him now, before he starts school and things get more complicated. I don’t want him to be confused or afraid if anything strange happens."

Damien’s expression softened as he looked at her.

"We can explain it tonight, at the edge of the forest. Make it... special for him."

Later that night, as the sun began to set, Damien and Anne walked with Ryan towards the edge of the forest. Ryan skipped happily between them, clutching one of his new stuffed animals—a wolf, coincidentally enough.

As they reached a small clearing, Damien kneeled down, bringing himself to Ryan’s eye level. He placed a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder.

"Ryan, there’s something we need to talk to you about," Damien began, his voice calm. "It’s about who you are."

Ryan blinked up at him, his blue eyes wide and curious. "Who I am?"

"Yes," Anne said, kneeling down besides Damien. "There’s something special about you, Ryan. You’re not like all the other kids."

Ryan frowned a little, his tiny brow furrowing. "I’m not?"

Damien smiled softly, trying to make it easier for his son to understand. "You know how we’ve talked about animals, like wolves? Well, you’re part wolf."

Ryan’s eyes lit up with excitement rather than confusion. "Part wolf? Like in the movies?"

Anne chuckled softly, exchanging a glance with Damien. "Sort of. You see, your dad and I—we’re werewolves. And so are you."

Ryan tilted his head, processing the information. "Werewolves? Like, real ones?"

"Yes," Damien said. "You’re going to be able to do special things when you get older."

Ryan looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, as if accepting it as a simple fact. "That’s why I saw wolves in my dreams."

Anne’s eyes widened, surprised by his words. "You saw wolves? When did you dream about them?"

Ryan grinned, excited to share. "Yeah! I dreamed about them a few times. They were really cool and nice. They ran with me through the trees, and we howled at the moon together!"

Anne and Damien exchanged a look, astonished. Anne spoke softly, "And you weren’t scared?"

Ryan shook his head, still smiling. "Nope! They were fun. They liked me."

Damien pulled Ryan into a gentle hug. "That’s because they know who you are, Ryan. You’re one of them."

Ryan giggled, squirming. "Does this mean I get to turn into a wolf too?"

Damien chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Someday, yes. But for now, let’s just focus on being the best little wolf you can be."

"Daddy can you show me how you turn into a wolf ?" Ryan asked.

Damien ruffled Ryan’s hair, a proud smile on his face. "Of course, buddy."

He stood up and nodded at Anne. Then he walked behind a tree to take off his clothes. Anne was curious as well. She had never seen Damien’s wolf.