Chapter 179

Chapter 179
Freya's POV

Theo began to whimper from the disturbance, his little legs kicking beneath the blanket. Lyra immediately turned, smoothly lifting him into her arms, patting his back gently. "Shh, little one, it's alright," she soothed.

I watched this scene, feeling my heart clutched by an invisible hand. Theo quieted almost instantly in Lyra's arms, his small head nestling into the crook of her neck, completely trusting her presence. It was a connection I longed for but didn't yet have.

"He needs proper rest," Lyra said quietly, gently rocking Theo. "Perhaps tomorrow would be better?"

I fought back the surge of emotions. Ember growled inside me, unhappy about being asked to leave our pup. This is my child, I wanted to protest. I have the right to be with him.

But Ember's other aspect—protective motherhood—reminded me that Theo's peace and comfort came first. Seeing him settled in Lyra's arms, I controlled my wolf instincts.

"You're right," I said with difficulty, my voice harsher than intended. "Tomorrow, maybe I could come earlier? Perhaps we could... together?" The last word was almost a plea.

Lyra nodded, her expression softening slightly. "That would be good. But I should probably be present, at least initially. Theo is sensitive to sudden changes."

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and nodded. "Of course, thank you." Each step away from the room felt like leaving a piece of myself behind.

Back in my room, I closed the door and finally allowed my tears to fall. I slid down against the door to the floor, silent sobs shaking my body.

In less than a minute, Ethan burst in, obviously having felt my pain through our soul bond. He crouched before me, his palms cradling my face. "What happened?" he asked, eyes filled with concern.

"I'm his mother," I choked out, "but I feel like an intruder. A stranger peering into someone else's family."

Ethan pulled me into his embrace, his arms becoming my harbor in the storm. "I know how painful this is," he murmured, "but remember, Lyra risked everything to save Theo. Her protection isn't a rejection of you, but an instinct formed over months."

I nodded in understanding, but the hollow feeling remained. That night, we slept holding each other, my body nestled against Ethan's chest while my mind wandered into troubled dreams.

In my nightmare, I stood in a misty forest clearing, Theo's tiny form appearing just ahead of me. His little arms reached toward me, his face lighting up with recognition. My heart soared as I rushed forward, arms outstretched. But just as my fingers brushed his soft skin, he began to fade, becoming transparent like morning fog. I grabbed desperately, my hands passing through him.

"Theo!" I cried out, lunging forward as he drifted away.

He reappeared a few feet further, looking back at me with confused eyes. Again I ran, again he vanished at my touch. Each time he materialized farther away, his face growing less familiar, his eyes no longer seeing me.

"Please," I begged, my voice breaking as I chased the disappearing shadow of my son. "Please don't forget me."

The last time he appeared, he was in Lyra's arms, turning away from me completely. I woke with tears streaming down my face, Ethan's arms tightening around me as if he could physically hold my breaking heart together.

---

The next morning, I went to Ivy's apartment seeking my mother's advice.

"What's happened, darling?" Bella asked the moment she saw my face. Ivy tactfully left, giving us privacy.

I sat in the chair beside my mother's bed, recounting last night's encounter and my conflicted feelings. "The most painful part isn't that they took him," I finally admitted, tears welling again, "it's that he doesn't know me. He's formed a mother-child bond with someone else, and I'm... I'm just a stranger."

Bella gently took my hand, her touch so familiar, bringing a small measure of comfort. "Oh, my dear daughter," she said softly, understanding shining in her eyes.

"Motherhood isn't just biological, Freya," Bella said, her voice filled with wisdom. "It's day-by-day companionship and connection. It's countless smiles and embraces. It's responding to cries at night and welcoming the first smile in the morning."

Her words illuminated the darkness inside me.

"Don't rush to assume the mother role," she continued. "First, become a trusted presence in Theo's life. Let him get used to your scent, your voice, your touch. Connection builds on time and trust."

She shared her experience building a bond with me. "You know, when you first came to me, you didn't know me either. Though I was your birth mother, my scent and voice were foreign to you."

I looked at her in surprise, never having heard this before.

"I built our connection through small interactions—singing softly by your cradle, making eye contact during feedings, speaking gently during diaper changes. Bit by bit, we created shared moments until one day, you smiled at me, and that smile told me I had become your mother."

Bella squeezed my hand. "Understanding and respecting Lyra's feelings is important too. She's not your enemy, Freya. She's Theo's lifesaver."

Leaving Ivy's apartment, I felt a new strength. Mother's words had given me direction and hope. I didn't need to compete for or force a relationship with Theo; I needed to build it patiently.

I returned to my workshop. Silver and tools gleamed in the sunlight, waiting for my hands to give them life.

I began designing a special silver rattle, with a moon on one end and a small wolf on the other. When shaken, the moon and wolf would gently collide, creating a clear, melodic sound. I infused the silver with my scent, engraving Theo's name on the moon and my name on the wolf's back.

This would be my first gift to my son—an object that would familiarize him with my scent, a sound that could accompany him to sleep.

Hours later, I stood outside Lyra's door again, this time in broad daylight. The small silver rattle felt heavy in my palm, each engraved detail perfect. I knocked gently, my heart pounding until Lyra opened the door.

"I brought something for Theo," I said, forcing a smile as she let me in.

Theo lay awake in his crib, tiny fists waving in the air. My breath caught at the sight of him.

"May I?" I asked, showing the rattle to Lyra.

She nodded, though her eyes remained watchful. I approached slowly and knelt beside the crib. "Hello, Theo," I whispered, gently shaking the rattle. Its soft, melodic chime caught his attention immediately.

His eyes—so like Ethan's—widened with curiosity. I placed the rattle carefully in his reach, my fingers brushing his little hand.

Lyra moved closer, and when she leaned in to examine the gift, her nostrils flared. Her jaw tightened noticeably. Though she said nothing, the way her body stiffened told me everything—my scent on the silver disturbed her.