Freya’s POV
I woke the next morning feeling strangely light, as if a decision had been made while I slept. Selene stirred within , her presence stronger than it had been in years. I went through my morning routine chanically, eating a quick breakfast before heading to work as usual.
The offices of SF AI Solutions were becoming a sanctuary for —a place where I was valued for my mind rather than my status as Luna or mother. My colleagues nodded respectfully as I passed, so stopping to discuss ongoing projects. Here, I wasn’t defined by my connection to the Shadow Pack Alpha.
Around noon, while I was eating lunch in the break room and reviewing so diagnostics on my tablet, my phone vibrated. Isabella’s na flashed on the screen—the first ti she’d called since sneaking away from the hot springs resort.
"Mom..." her small voice ca through, a hint of uncertainty in her tone.
"Hmm," I answered neutrally, keeping my voice even. "Have you eaten?"
"Just finished!" Her voice imdiately brightened, relief evident in her tone.
As she chattered away, I could piece together what had happened. That morning at the resort, she had received a call from "Auntie Aurora" saying that her father was with her and asking if Isabella wanted to join them. My daughter had jumped at the opportunity and slipped away while I was distracted.
Isabella went on about how much fun they’d had, only returning to the city yesterday afternoon. They hadn’t co ho last night. She’d called from school this morning, clearly worried I might be angry about her disappearance.
My wolf growled softly at the thought of Aurora calling my daughter behind my back, but I pushed the anger down. *Not worth it*, Selene reluctantly agreed.
I sensed Isabella’s surprise at my lack of questioning about where she’d been or what she’d done. The truth was, I simply didn’t have the energy to fight battles I couldn’t win. My daughter had noticed the change in —how I no longer called her multiple tis a day or constantly monitored her whereabouts. She seed pleased by this developnt, interpreting it as newfound freedom rather than my gradual withdrawal.
After discussing her schoolwork for a few minutes, I ended the call without asking about her weekend adventures with Silvano and Aurora. What would be the point?
Back in my office, Johnny knocked on my door, poking his head in with an excited expression.
"Tomorrow’s the tech expo," he reminded . "Everyone’s eting here first and heading over together. You’re still joining us, right?"
I smiled genuinely for the first ti that day. "Of course."
The next morning, I dressed carefully in a sleek gray pantsuit that I hadn’t worn since before Isabella was born. It felt good to wear sothing that represented my professional identity rather than my roles as mother or Luna.
I had barely driven ten minutes from my house when my car suddenly stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. Before I could restart it, a vehicle behind crashed into my rear bumper, triggering a chain reaction of minor collisions.
Horns blared as frustrated drivers shouted obscenities. My car wouldn’t move, completely blocking a lane of traffic during the morning rush. After apologizing to the drivers behind , I quickly called ergency services and waited for help to arrive.
The situation was going to take hours to resolve. Anxiety blood in my chest as I realized I might miss the expo entirely. I was reaching for my phone to call Johnny when a tall figure approached from the pedestrian walkway.
"Car trouble?"
I looked up to see Alpha Xander standing beside my disabled vehicle, his powerful fra unmistakable even in business attire. My wolf imdiately tensed, rembering our past encounters.
"Hmm," I responded noncommittally, turning away to call Johnny. I explained my situation, asking the team not to wait for .
"This kind of traffic incident can take forever to sort out," Johnny said sympathetically. "Let see if I can get soone to help you, but it’ll probably take at least thirty minutes for them to reach you in this traffic."
"It’s fine. I’ll make it even if I’m late," I assured him, though we both knew missing the opening would be a significant setback.
As I hung up, preparing to negotiate with the other drivers, Alpha Xander spoke again.
"I’ll have soone handle this for you," he offered, his deep voice cutting through the traffic noise. "Where do you need to go? I’ll give you a ride."
I stared at him, montarily speechless. Was this the sa man who’d barely acknowledged my existence for years? The sa Alpha who’d seed annoyed by my very presence at the race track?
Five minutes later, I found myself sitting in the back of Alpha Xander’s luxury car, as far from him as the seat would allow. The tension was palpable despite the spacious interior.
"Thank you," I said stiffly, breaking the silence.
"It’s nothing," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "Just a small gesture."
*A small gesture*. I frowned slightly, wondering about his sudden helpfulness. Alpha Xander had consistently treated with cool indifference in the past. Our encounter at the race track had been downright unpleasant. Though he’d surprised by being civil at our last eting, this level of assistance seed out of character.
Fortunately, he spent most of the forty-minute drive on his phone, making calls that sounded important and urgent. I was grateful for the distraction; sitting in such close proximity to an unfamiliar Alpha made my wolf restless.
When we finally arrived at the expo center, I exited the vehicle with as much dignity as I could muster.
"Thank you again," I said formally, eting his eyes briefly.
He nodded once. "Sure."
I gave him a polite nod in return before walking away, my heart rate gradually returning to normal as I put distance between us.
Johnny and the rest of the team were waiting by the entrance, looking relieved to see arrive on ti.
"You made it!" Johnny exclaid, then leaned close to whisper in my ear. "The Professor is here today."
I froze, my eyes widening in shock. "Dr. Ramirez is attending?"
Johnny’s eyebrows lifted in amusent. "Good thing you found soone to help you get here on ti. If the Professor saw his star student showing up late..." He made a slicing motion across his throat.
I imdiately understood what he ant. Dr. Ramirez had exacting standards and viewed tardiness as a cardinal sin—a sign of disrespect and lack of commitnt. He’d already been disappointed enough when I’d gotten entangled with Alpha Jasper after graduation, then seemingly disappeared into married life with Silvano. If our first reunion in years had been marked by my late arrival, I could only imagine his withering gaze.
My skin prickled at the thought. The Professor had been my ntor, the one who had recognized my talent when no one else had. His opinion still mattered deeply to , even after all these years.
"So it’s a good thing you weren’t late," Johnny concluded with a knowing smile.
I exhaled slowly, feeling a strange mixture of relief and gratitude toward Alpha Xander, whose unexpected kindness had just saved from professional embarrassnt. "Yes," I agreed quietly. "A very good thing."
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