Grinding the ingredients for the foods, I wake up early in the morning to make the kitchen busy.
It's not easy to move with a growing life in my womb within the months of its constant increase. My fingers slightly increased in size and my cheeks are a little bit plumpy from the usual. But that won't stop me from eating what my mind wants. After 2 hours of preparation, I lay every viand and dessert for a single consumer on the table. Oftentimes, I have been drooling over food since 4 months ago. This kind of feeling is phenomenally priceless.
I prepared spicy fries, boiled cabbage with sweet mayonnaise, and crunchy roasted meat that cracks whenever jammed in my teeth. And because of that sound, the dogs are watching me. Although I cannot catch their glances because they look away whenever I try. My peripheral view helps. I dip the fries in the sauce and eat and look at the dogs again, they avoid my glance. Every animal is naturally gluttonous. That's why I never share even though I'm half for the past 6 months!
I became my dogs' show during lunch. The next list in my daily life is to water my garden. I'm holding the skirt of my yellow long-sleeved dress fashioned for pregnancy as I water the flowers I've been nursing since my grandmother saved me from the paradox of my family. The dogs are dawdling on the lawn too. The minute they started barking, the choir of my dogs could be heard in the nearby houses. Another type of noise in my house is approaching.
"Aunt!" Linly is waving from the boat together with Manjiro. The dogs greet them warmly and loudly.
I kept doing what I do for the sake of my flowers until Manjiro snatches the sprinkling can from my hand. "Come on, you shouldn't weary yourself too much," he pleads and does my work.
"I'm pregnant, not disabled."
"You should be sleeping. That's what a pregnant woman needs, right?"
"You have no idea how sorely it is to sleep in one position."
"Maybe you need a big dog to sleep beside you," he suggests, ignorantly pricking my heart. He brags his biceps later on. "And you need someone to take care of you as strong as me."
I'd decided long ago to be as independent as a woman like me today. Albeit emotional needs will always be dependent on my relationships. I don't need my man, but I want him. My graceful dark niece gives me a gentle hug and flattens her hands on my bump. "It's nigh! I'm excited to meet my cousin!" she said. She's back to how lovely and lively she is. However, something worth pausing catches my attention.
I hold her hands and stare at her ring. "Hm, I think I know what's the sudden occasion that brought your guts to my island."
Manjiro stammers. "Y-Yes! We have an important discussion with you." And he holds Linly's hand. "Can we talk about that inside?"
These kids have grown. Not even my lips can stop smiling from the sight of the evolution of their friendship. Perhaps I'm jealous. I cannot have such a sweet romance. It was all but a fleeting moment. Or is it solely my fault? my infirmity?
"I would like to pledge, in front of the divine law to make a divine oath, that I will spend the rest of my life with Linly," Manjiro admitted in seriousness while my dog, One, is biting his right leg. In my whistle, all my 7 dogs in the living room behave. This could be the first time I saw Manjiro as nervous as cold ice, still a real man. Back then on the swing Hessuel prepared for me, he was the same.
"Easy to say, child," I commented. Reclining my weary back, I fold my arms. "How strong is your love? Are you lovers in good times and burdens in bad times? Is your love stronger than the bills? How far can your 'I love you' go? after your romantic experience in marriage? after sex? or after the birth of a mistake? This relationship will only work out between you two. These questions are for the both of you."
"Auntie, the suspense is the same as interrogation," my niece wryly complains. "We're still refining our love and that is possible in difficult times. We cannot use love as payment for bills, but we can make love the reason to work hard together and overcome those. I will love him until my life ends. And if I live again, I will still love the same man."
"With full honesty," Manjiro's turn, "I love her at all times. And those times are forever. I know I've already spent my prior years with Linly but henceforth, I'd love to spend it as her husband, the same woman from the beginning."
"Yes," I said and they were confused. I manifest the spellbook in front of them before an enchast appears above them and rain white petals of roses. "You have my blessing of approval. I wasn't planning to decline anyway... before this gets cheesier."
"Really, aunt? Then I can make you my bridesmaid."
"Not too fast. Make me your VIP guest."
"Thank you," Manjiro said, "for supporting us."
It is fun during preparation. And scary during the ceremony, as a matter of fact. I was given the chance to experience the same. Although I wasn't given the chance to make it last. My selfish precept was to be aromantic by wishing despair for others. It only makes me even more bitter. I grieve on engaging myself in any romance for that reminds me of my own—hated—romance. This could be the least thing I can do when it comes to that, "I won't hinder your happily ever after."
"What about you?" Linly questioned. "What about your happily ever after?"
"Not all stories end with a happy ending, child."
"That may also mean it's not the end. How strong is your love for your mate? Is it stronger than the moon's will? Are you lovers in good times and strangers in bad times?"
"You dare—"
"How far your..."
I whistle as a signal for my dogs to bark consecutively to bury Linly's voice in the noise.
"Auntie! What if he's waiting for you!?"
Then I made the beat sign to silence the choir of barks. "Everything between us has already ended, Linly. Everything will never be the same. At least I know his wolf is alive. That will suffice to save my romance." I face down on my bump and touch it. "I prefer to look forward to what's coming than to seek endlessly for what I've lost."
Linly politely kneels in front of me and touches my hands. "Have you really given up on him? Yes, it ended, but it didn't end well. What will you tell your little one if he or she asks about your mate? Yes, Hessuel is just a wolf now, but wouldn't it be weird if your child thinks that you got pregnant with an ordinary wolf!?"
She almost ruined my imagination.
"If you're not comfortable with these questions, then how much more if your kid keeps bugging you about their father? I want you to be happy, aunt."
"You think you're alone?" Manjiro cheered. "Is that the reason why you're demotivated? I'm not good with magic but you can count on me if you need help."
"Me, too! I have the Moon Goddess in me. You saved me from death and slavery. I will reciprocate it."
I complain, "Is this about your upcoming wedding or me?"
"It's about how you'll apply your principle of strong romance to yourself," Manjiro clarified and that trampled my guilt!
"You, insolent... Seize him!" I ordered my dogs and they all cuddled with him restlessly. He sunk his face into a pillow and squirms like an egg. On the other hand, I hug Linly and say, "Thank you." These two have been by my side to help me both physically and emotionally sometimes dramatically withal. And now that they got my approval, they still continue to woo me to be a bridesmaid by doing the rest of the house chores.
I stare at my baby bump in front of the mirror. Sometimes, I see Hessuel hugging me from behind. Or it's just my hallucination in response to my longing. I touch the bite mark on my neck, reminiscing the night I had with him. Can he still remember even in his wolf? Can he recognize me? What if he's waiting for me? How shall I face him after leaving him behind? Will he still love me?
Linly excuses me for another uninvited visitor. I wear the enchanted belt I created to hide my bump and entertain the visitors outside. They are Omegas of the Vengeance pack and Elibur summons me urgently. "You know what to do," I counseled Linly before I left the house.
"We'll prepare dinner for you!" She volunteered.
Changes over the past 6 months in this city were progressive. A new Delta and Beta were elected among the Vengeance pack. Tanya remained a Gamma and the governor of the city. Along with the rise of the two new Alphas was the migration of the white wolves here. Some stay in Asfara and some black wolves migrate there. Heredity of the mixed breeds started. Elibur made it clear that the werewolves shall migrate to Plandreas or to Asfara, leaving the other cities in the hands of humanity to solve the issue of hunters.
He also predicts that this will be a great city of werewolves, several villages are under construction, and humans are still welcome to live here—that would possibly increase the number of hybrids.
Meanwhile, Matheo started to improve the intellectual skills of werewolves wherein he proposed a justice system for them to the priests. He elected Beta, Gamma, and Delta among the Moon's Order pack, he made Zaeramil the Fated Alpha, and Lanasia his human Luna—we've never seen each other since the fall of the two Alphas. Matheo is sustained in leadership by the pack albeit he came from the black wolves because of his loyalty to them. Issues regarding the previous nobles of their pack were solved roughly.
So many things have happened... It all became possible because of Hessuel.
I know it all as a servant of the moon. And I couldn't be more proud of him.
Inside the palace of Plandreas, the young male Delta named Chann is waiting for me. "Moon Priestess, a strange pureblood silver wolf trespassed the palace," he informed right away.