Chapter 104 Not Emptiness

Chapter 104 Not Emptiness
I sensed the movement, and before her bag could hit me, I ducked down and turned to face her. She froze, her eyes wide in shock.
“Y-you! How did you turn your back so fast!?” she exclaimed, staring at me as if I wasn’t human. “Do you even know who I am!? I am the first lady of this town and you—”
I shrugged. “Oh well. I’m sorry for what my son did to your child. But isn’t it more inappropriate that you hurt my child? He’s only four years old, while you’re almost forty.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “I could call my lawyer and sue you for harassing my son. Besides, there are plenty of nannies and children here who could stand as witnesses. If you push this any further, you can say goodbye to your husband’s political position.”
Her face went pale at my words.
Power recognizes power. Even in the human world.
She opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly, then grabbed her son’s hand and dragged him away. But before leaving, she turned to me with venom in her voice.
“I’m not done with you, bitch.”
Her words didn’t move me. Not even a little.
I was used to this kind of arrogance. People too full of themselves. People who thought they had all the power. I sighed. This was one of the problems of the human world, politicians abusing their positions. It reminded me of the Kingdom, back when I was still a Princess.
Oh, I am still a Princess. It runs in my veins.
But here in the human world, that crown means nothing.
Here, I am just a mother.
I looked down at my child, who held my hand tightly. He seemed lost in thought, his small brows furrowed like he was carrying a burden far too heavy for his age.
“What are you thinking, baby?” I asked softly.
He looked up at me with those same gray eyes as his father. Eyes that once held storms and tenderness at the same time.
“Mommy, am I bad?”
My heart clenched.
I knelt in front of him so we were eye to eye. The world around us faded... the chatter, the footsteps, the rustle of leaves. There was only my child and the fragile question in his voice.
I smiled gently, shaking my head, and cupped his little cheek. “No, baby. You’re not bad. Remember what I always tell you? Don’t let your guard down. You did great. You just protected yourself, okay?”
He nodded slowly, still pouting, but I could see he felt a bit lighter.
We began walking again, slower this time. Frost’s tiny fingers wrapped around mine, warm and trusting. Each step felt heavier than the last—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of the truth I continued to hide from him.
Frost doesn’t know a thing about werewolves and vampires. But he knows he’s special. He knows he’s different from the other children. He is strong, too strong for his age. And though he doesn’t understand it yet, he is more mature than I ever expected.
Because he is not just a child.
He is a Prince.
The path home stretched before us, lined with trees whose leaves whispered secrets to the wind. I watched him from the corner of my eye—his determined little walk, the way he lifted his chin as if facing an invisible enemy. He was trying to be brave. Trying to be the man he believed he should become.
Too soon.
And he carries the blood of his father... my mate.
Every time I look at Frost, I see him.
Froilan…
The way Frost’s gray eyes darken when he is upset. The way his jaw tightens when he is trying not to cry. The way his small fists clench before he throws a punch. All of it mirrors the man I lost.
My heart aches, my soul cries, but at the same time, I feel full because a part of him lives in my son.
Proof.
This bond, this child, is proof of our love. Proof of what we once had, and what I will always hold on to.
A breeze passed through the trees, and for a brief moment, I thought I caught a familiar scent, pine, rain, and something wild.
My steps faltered.
Impossible.
I stopped walking.
Frost tugged my hand. “Mommy?”
I blinked and forced myself to move again. It was nothing. Just my imagination. Just my longing playing cruel tricks on me.
Five years is a long time to hope.
Five years is a long time to wait.
Five years is a long time to pretend you are whole when half your soul is missing.
We reached the quiet street leading to our home. Modest. Safe. Hidden. A place where no one would suspect that a former princess of a werewolf kingdom lived among them, raising a child destined for a throne he did not know existed.
I tightened my hold on Frost’s hand.
I made a promise the day he was born: he would have a peaceful life. No wars. No bloodshed. No throne heavy with expectations.
But fate has a cruel sense of humor.
Because peace never lasts.
And blood always calls to blood.
Frost looked up at me again. “Mommy… will I have a daddy someday?”
The question stole the air from my lungs.
I forced a smile, though my chest felt like it was being crushed. “You already have one, baby,” I whispered.
He tilted his head. “Where is he?”
I looked ahead, my vision blurring for a second.
Somewhere out there.
Alive, I prayed.
Waiting, I hoped.
“Far away,” I said softly. “But he loves you very much.”
Frost seemed to think about this, then nodded, satisfied with an answer that held more truth than he realized.
We reached our gate. I pushed it open, the familiar creak echoing in the quiet afternoon. Home.
Safe.
For now.
As Frost ran ahead toward the door, laughter returning to his voice as if the pain from earlier had already begun to fade, I allowed myself one last glance at the road behind us.
The wind shifted again.
And this time, the scent was stronger.
Pine. Rain. Wild earth.
My heart stopped.
A shadow moved across the far end of the street... tall, still, watching.
My pulse thundered in my ears.
No.
It can’t be.
But my wolf... gone for five years, silent and lost, stirred like an echo in my chest.
And for the first time in years…
I did not feel empty.