During the afternoons, Leland occupied himself with the affairs of the Blood River Pack and it was during those times that Sophie took the chance to do some light reading in his expansive library or spend time with their children.
"So what do we have here?" Sophie smiled and gestured to the blackboard in the study. She drew a picture with some chalk and looked at her two babies. "We've gone with this word before, right?"
Luciel was a bit distracted by the book in front of him, while Jan paid attention like he always did. Although it was anyone's guess if Jan paid attention to the chalk more than the picture.
"Ah, maybe it's time for a break." Sophie massaged her temple.
Even if it was still a bit early for education in her initial assumption, Sophie saw that her two boys were far more intelligent than regular human children and soon began teaching them how to speak.
Once they could finally shift into their human forms, Sophie was excited to hear them talk with her. For now, Sophie wanted Luciel and Jan to further understand what she was talking about.
"Um, is it an apple, Luna?" a small voice suddenly said.
Sophie's expression perked up as she saw a child peek out from the door. Compared to her two children who couldn't shift yet, this one already had and apparently picked up on her lessons well.
"Yes, you've got it correctly." Sophie nodded pleased. "Jamie, right? Do you want to come inside?"
Before the boy made a decision, an older female lycan opened the door and bowed profusely. "My deepest apologies, Luna. My son likes to run around. I've told him so many times that this place is off-limits."
"It's alright." Sophie waved a hand. She didn't think that she'd be able to actually be like Katherine and teach kids, but she wanted to do it.
There were actually other Blood River Pack members who also had children who sometimes joined in, albeit shyly as most of their parents were too respectful when it came to their Luna like right now.
"We couldn't possibly impose on you, Luna." The mother tugged her child's hand. "Let's go, Jamie."
"Well, others have also—" Sophie winced as she felt a sudden faintness and wobbled for a second.
"Luna, are you alright?" the older lycan turned to her worriedly.
"Ah, I'm fine," Sophie reassured her with a small laugh. "I think the break was just for me more and not really for my kids."
"Would you like anything, Luna? Is there something I can still do for you? A cup of water? Do you want me to call for a healer?"
"No need for any of that." Sophie smiled. "As long as your son can join us next time I teach my boys, it would be a lovely thing."
"It would be an honor to have my son be instructed by the Luna herself." The mother bowed respectfully and made her son do the same.
Even though the pack was more known for its combat prowess and strong lycan warriors, there were still others who were left behind when Leland went to Riga.
Among them were mothers still nursing their children, those who had other responsibilities, and so on. The past months allowed Sophie to get to know them better.
Unlike the harsh treatment back in Riga, the other members warmed up to their Luna. It was something that she hadn't expected at all and it made her happy. It felt like Sophie was finally contributing as the Luna of the pack.
***
During the evenings, Sophie and Leland spent some time together before dinner with their kids. Sometimes, it was them talking about their day, but tonight, the Alpha took her someplace else.
Tonight, the Alpha surprised her with a nighttime picnic in one of the cliffs at the mountain. It was so beautiful. This was even much nicer than that one time when he took her to dinner at the castle's rooftop.
"What do you think of the view?" Leland glanced at his mate with a warm smile.
"The heights of the mountain certainly elevate us further compared to the flat land or even the hill in Riga." Leland cleared his throat. "I'm glad that you like it."
"I love it, Leland. Thank you for bringing me up here." Sophie grinned at him.
"It can get a little intense with staying and living in a pack. That is why I also enjoy having some time alone." Leland explained. "Heightened hearing senses, and such."
"I understand." Sophie smiled as she reached for her goblet.
"How was your day so far though, Sophia?" Leland asked.
Sophie glanced down at her wine and found the scent a bit overpowering that it made her head hurt. "My day has been…"
"Sophia?"
Sophie's surroundings dimmed again before she fainted.
The Alpha immediately carried his mate in his arms and rushed her back to their room and called for the doctors and healers. Leland looked at Sophie in concern. There was one thing on his mind.
He was not going to lose her again.
Leland's chest pained at the sight of his mate lying on the bed unconscious. He needed to do something to help her, but all he could do for now was try to understand what happened to Sophie.
Unfortunately, when the first healer from the Blood River Pack came, he spoke to Leland in a grave tone when he checked on her condition.
"I apologize, Alpha but the Luna's state is worse than we expected," the healer said. "It seems the doctors in Riga assumed that the Luna would be fine because the babies absorbed the poison but after a more thorough check, I found that the poison also affected her."
"She was fine. I could see that she was fine and it just seemed like she was forcing herself." Leland shook his head and looked at Sophia. "I thought that she was slowly recovering even if she was weak, but you're telling me that her condition worsened over time?"
"It seems the damage to her internal organs was done and even if you shared your strength with her, it's only slowing down the effect," the healer said. "It is too difficult. If she could survive this ordeal, maybe slowly her body could regenerate and heal on its own. But… I can't guarantee that it will happen."
"No!" the Alpha glared at the lycan healer. "There must be something we can do. That is what the healers of the Blood River Pack are for. If you cannot even treat my mate then how can I expect you to even handle the pack?"
"My deepest apologies, Alpha." The healer bent on his knees. "Our knowledge about poison is not enough. Lycans are quite strong on their own but it is our first time dealing with such a delicate situation."
He meant that Sophie's physiology was unlike that of a true lycan. She was too weak to handle this problem.
"I'm afraid Alpha that even another lycan would have succumbed to the poison, but she is only surviving because of your strength," the healer said. "I believe that is how she has managed to get by for the last months."
"The fact that my mate is in this condition is unacceptable." Leland shook his head and clenched his fists in frustration. He almost never lose his calm, so this sight was unusual to the healer. "Why are you so useless???"
"I am sorry, Alpha," The healer croaked a response.
"My strength isn't enough on its own it seems," Leland let out a long sigh. "Is there no other healer who can do a better job?"
Lucas immediately summoned more healers to check upon the Luna's health that night but their answers were all the same.
When the lycan healers couldn't do anything, Leland turned to the human doctors again and hoped that they could do something for Sophia. However, even the doctors that visited confirmed what the lycan healers said.
"Her condition is extremely fragile and it is our first time encountering a poison this strong, Duke Romanov," the first human doctor spoke. "If we could get a sample to study it… maybe we can find the antidote, but even then, the time that it would take to try and find a way to counteract such a poison would take a while."
Leland glared at him.
"I apologize, Duke Romanov." the doctor said. "It is better to be ready for the worst. Even our latest research cannot figure out how this poison is affecting your wife."
The Alpha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had hoped that the doctors would have an answer for them but it seems that there was only one thing that he could do. "I cannot accept it."
If the lycan healer said that it was Leland's strength that helped Sophie survive and if there was no doctor or healer that could treat her, then it only meant one thing.
It was up to Leland to grow in strength for his mate.
.
.
____________________
From Missrealitybites:
I adore Leland because he never gave up. No matter what happened.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on fre(e)webno(v)el.𝒸𝑜𝘮