Isabella’s POV
I stared at my phone long after Mom’s call ended, my fingers tracing the dark screen where her face had been monts before. The way her voice sounded different—strained but determined—bothered more than I wanted to admit.
She’s hurt. I whispered, clutching my stuffed wolf—the one Mom had given on my fourth birthday. She’d hand-sewn special silver thread into its fur that matched the unusual silver flecks in my eyes—a trait she said ca from Dad’s bloodline.
Since she left, I’d been sleeping with it every night, though I made sure to hide it whenever Aurora ca around. Aurora always wrinkled her nose at my "childish toys," saying a future Alpha needed to grow up faster than other kids.
The sound of the front door opening downstairs pulled from my thoughts. I recognized Dad’s heavy footsteps imdiately—he always walked with purpose, like every step mattered.
I jumped off my bed, racing down the hallway and stairs. "Dad!" I called out, excitent bubbling up despite my worry about Mom. Before he could even respond, I blurted out, "Mom hurt her ankle! She’s resting sowhere away from ho!"
Dad gave a simple "Hmm," as he removed his expensive tailored jacket and handed it to Marcus, our pack’s head housekeeper. "I know," he added, his deep voice filling the foyer.
"What?" I couldn’t hide my surprise, my eyes widening as I looked up at him. "Did Mom tell you?"
Dad sat down in the entryway chair, accepting the water Sara brought him. His face remained impassive as always. "No. I saw it happen."
"You saw it happen?" I repeated, confusion making my brow wrinkle. "You were there when Mom got hurt?"
"Yes."
Sothing clicked in my mind. "Oh, right! Because Mom works at your company, so you were there when she got hurt, right?"
"No." Dad’s voice remained steady, but sothing in his eyes shifted. "She doesn’t work for anymore."
"What?" This was news to . My wolf stirred anxiously. "Then where does Mom work now?"
"Sowhere she wants to be," he replied, his words careful and asured.
"Oh..." I felt lost, like I was missing important pieces of a puzzle.
Dad finished his water and stood up. Before heading upstairs, he paused to ruffle my hair with his large hand—a gesture that always made feel safe and loved. "Get so rest, pup."
"I will," I promised, though my mind was racing with questions.
After Dad disappeared upstairs, I wandered into the kitchen where Sara was preparing tomorrow’s breakfast.
"Miss Isabella," Sara said. "Would you like so hot chocolate before bed?"
I nodded absently, my mind still racing. "Sara, did you know Mom doesn’t work for Dad anymore?"
Sara’s hands stilled for just a mont before she continued arranging the throw pillows. "I believe your mother is pursuing so personal projects now, miss."
"But why didn’t anyone tell ?" I couldn’t keep the hurt from my voice. "I’m not a baby anymore. I’m five and a quarter!"
Sara gave a sympathetic smile. "Sotis adults don’t explain everything right away because they’re figuring things out themselves."
When she left to prepare my hot chocolate, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my recent calls. Mom had sounded different tonight—tired and maybe a little sad. She hadn’t even asked about my day with Aurora like she usually did.
*Sothing’s wrong between Mom and Dad*, Nova whispered, unusually perceptive for such a young wolf.
"Yeah, but what?" I muttered.
The screen of my phone showed the stark reality: Mom used to call three tis a day, but over the past month, it had dwindled to once every few days. Now she was injured and staying sowhere else instead of coming ho where Dad and I could take care of her.
I scrolled through my photos, stopping at one from last sumr—Mom, Dad, and at Lake Crescentia, all smiles and laughter. Dad had his arm around Mom’s waist, and she was leaning into him, her eyes bright with happiness. I was perched on Dad’s shoulders, ice cream dripping down my chin.
What had changed?
My throat tightened as a horrible thought occurred to : what if Mom was pulling away from us? What if she didn’t want to be part of our pack anymore?
Nova whined anxiously. *No, no. She’s our mother.*
"But she’s not coming ho," I whispered.
Sara returned with my hot chocolate topped with tiny marshmallows—just the way Mom always made it. I took a careful sip, the sweet warmth doing little to comfort the cold fear growing in my chest.
"Sara, is Mom going to leave us?" The question burst out before I could stop it.
Sara’s eyes widened. "Why would you think such a thing, miss?"
"She’s staying sowhere else. She’s not working with Dad anymore. She hardly calls." Each realization felt like another stone in my stomach. "And when we’re with Aurora, Dad seems happier."
Sara knelt beside , her expression serious. "Your mother loves you very much, Miss Isabella. Adults sotis need space to figure things out, but that doesn’t change how they feel about their children."
Her words were ant to reassure, but they only confird my fears. Sothing was definitely wrong.
After finishing my hot chocolate, I trudged upstairs to my bedroom. My wolf pup sensed my distress and tried to distract by thinking about tomorrow’s visit to Aurora’s. Usually, I’d be excited—Aurora always let do whatever I wanted, unlike Mom with her endless rules about my health and safety.
But tonight, even thoughts of Aurora’s freedom couldn’t cheer up.
I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars Mom had painstakingly arranged on my ceiling to match real constellations. She’d spent hours getting them exactly right, telling stories about each one.
*"This is Lupus, the wolf,"* she’d said, pointing to a cluster near my window. *"And this one is Androda. She was chained to a rock as a sacrifice, but Perseus saved her."*
I traced the patterns with my eyes, rembering how safe I’d felt with Mom beside , explaining the universe in her calm, confident voice.
Without realizing it, I reached for my phone again and dialed Mom’s number. It rang several tis before going to voicemail.
"Hi, Mom," I said softly after the beep. "I just wanted to say goodnight again and... and I hope your ankle feels better. I miss you. Maybe... maybe I could co see you tomorrow instead of going to Aurora’s? Just call back. Love you."
I hung up and hugged my wolf plush—the one Mom had given on my third birthday. It still slled faintly of her lavender perfu.
*What if she doesn’t call back?* Nova worried.
"She will," I whispered fiercely. "She has to."
But as I drifted off to sleep, my dreams were filled with images of Mom walking away, getting smaller and smaller until she disappeared completely, her scent fading like morning mist under the sumr sun.
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