Do you know what is the most consistent moving forward thing?
That's right. The answer is time. Time never wants to stop, it does not wait for anyone, and never does it want to come back for anyone.
Time goes on and doesn't stop. It shows itself when the old leaves on a tree start to age and fall down, while the young leaves grow and are ready to replace the old leaves, in order to continue the maintenance of the tree's survival.
However, before the young leaves become really ready for the task, the old leaves need to maintain themselves from all storms.
Similar to the leaf cycle in a tree, the family cycle is also the same and not much different. Children are needed in order to keep the family tree alive, but what if the young leaves come from another tree? Is that possible?
Of course. But how does it happen? The answer is through grafting. It will be difficult for the tree to accept it but not impossible.
***
<Three years later>
The twinkling stars and moonlight illuminated the night sky which overshadowed the Land of Frisia.
The clear sky tonight seemed to represent the feelings of the beautiful blue-eyed woman who was currently standing by the window as she gazed at the moon that emitted golden light.
A gust of wind moved a few strands of her gray hair with soft pinkish streaks, which were neatly tied up to reveal a very beautiful neckline.
"Oh, Nic...." The name came out softly from her small lips while she was lost in her thoughts. Sophie unconsciously imagined Nicholas' face smiling warmly at her.
"Oh Nic, are you looking from up there? Today is Jan and Luciel's fifth birthday. I can't wait to see their faces when they turn into humans. Will they be handsome like you?"
Sophie couldn't help but smile as she gazed up at the sky. Her heart was filled with happiness and warmth and she no longer beat herself for thinking about Nicholas.
However, a moment later, her smile faded as worry suddenly appeared and came in as an uninvited guest that spoiled the atmosphere.
Around this time, a number of pack members kept gossiping about Jan and Luciel, who were not the children of Alpha Leland but the children of another lycan.
Sophie was worried that her children would be bullied, humiliated, and looked down upon once they gained their human forms.
No, no, it was more than enough for her to stop feeling that way. It was not her children's fault either.
Even though Leland had repeatedly told her not to worry, there were times when such thoughts came to haunt her, and she couldn't shake them off.
Sophie took a deep breath, but then she was startled by someone suddenly hugging her from behind.
"Le-Leland? You startled me." She turned her head to look at her mate and held his hands on her stomach.
Leland smiled seeing Sophie's rosy complexions and her beautiful face looking so healthy. Every since Silver, the son of the Great Shaman, came to visit them last year and treated Sophie, her weak body had improved significantly.
Silver was truly a talented healer and Leland was grateful for his help.
"What are you thinking?" The Alpha asked as he gently kissed the nape of his mate. He inhaled the sweet scent that emanated from there.
"Nothing, I… I'm just worried about Jan and Luciel,"
"Worried?" Leland raised an eyebrow.
Sophie immediately shook her head. "I'm afraid that–"
"Won't you trust me, Sophia?" Leland cut Sophie's words quickly.
He knew what his wife was going to say. Usually, when Sophie started to worry like this, Leland became a little sad because it meant he failed to make Sophia believe that Jan and Luciel would always be safe under his protection.
The light from Leland's blue-green eyes dimmed slightly, obscured by a light mist of sadness, and Sophie noticed it immediately.
The woman in the black dress with golden floral accents on the collar turned around to face him and she cupped her husband's face. Five years had passed, but Leland's habit of always blaming himself for every bad thing that happened to his Sophia had not changed at all.
"It's not like that. You know I trust you one hundred percent. However, this is just… Uhm, let's just call it a mother's raw feeling. Mothers get anxious very easily. So, don't blame yourself for my anxiety, I trust you more than myself." Sophia smiled warmly.
It was so warm that it touched Leland's heart. The man looked at her deeply. "Is that the truth?"
"Hm. Of course." Sophia winked and jokingly said, "You'll know for yourself when you give birth to a child."
"..."
"Come on, let's go!" Sophie took Leland's hand and pulled the man's hand up. She started to drag him back to the venue. She felt very excited. "I really can't wait to see Luciel and Jan transform. I also can't wait to talk to them and hear them call me mom and then I— ahh!"
"Sophia!" Leland swiftly caught Sophie's body. The moment she suddenly had difficulty breathing, she might have fallen if Leland hadn't caught her quickly.
"Sophia!" Leland wanted to carry her in his arms. He looked very worried, but the woman shook her head and stood back up.
"Huffff." Sophie rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, relieved that she had regained her breath quickly and had not lost consciousness. Recently, she had been experiencing shortness of breath and sudden fainting.
"I'm fine," she said when she saw Leland's tense face.
"Sophia, are you sure?"
"Yes. Please don't worry too much about me. I'm fine. Come on, everyone must be waiting for us." Sophie put her arm around Leland's then walked over while she held on to him for support.
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
We just had the time skip and now the boys are five. I can't wait for them to shift! Soon, the family would also move back to Riga. Ahh, there will be so much going on!
PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support. "The King's Wife is The Alpha's Mate" went up to #9 in the Golden ranking last month. It's amazing!!
Thank you to everyone who has voted your golden tickets to this book. You made me feel over the moon.
I would like to give the shoutout to the Top Three Golden Ticket Contributors in January 2022. Kelly Goodwin, Maude Fluckiger, and Rhona (ZZgirl). Thank you, thank you..!
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com