His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 104

"Mamaaaa..."

"Give me five minutes, James, baby, I need to finish this."

"But Mama..."

The little boy's pout and teary eyes are no use; his mom is too used to him acting a bit whiny like this. His father's at work, so he can't go and ask him either. How is he supposed to get those cookies!

Nora is busy at something he can't see, so James keeps pulling on his mother's skirt, acting up a bit. For a two old toddler, this wait is impossible! His little stomach is too empty! Suddenly, he pulls once more, abruptly, and Nora suddenly cries out. "Aoutch... Damn..."

Panicked, James lets go of the fabric. Did he pull too hard? Did he hurt his mom? Nora holds her arm, frowning, and two seconds later, Bobo barges in the kitchen.

"Nora, are you ok?" He asks, visibly worried.

"I burnt myself..."

"Water, put it under the cold water."

The huge man helps Nora to the sink, running water on her injury. Next to them, James is so confused and shocked that he starts crying for good. Because of him, his mom is hurt! It's red, it must be very painful! "James, it's okay baby, it's okay. Mommy is fine."

He keeps crying, unable to hear his mother talking. His tears flowing, he runs out of the kitchen to his bedroom. How could he injure his mom! Dad is going to be super mad at him! Dad hates when mom is in pain! And what if his little sibling in mommy's tummy is injured too? James keeps crying loudly in his room.

He can't hear his mom or Bobo from there, but he's too afraid to go out and see if his mom is really hurt! What if mom has to go to the hospital because of him! He doesn't deserve mommy, he's such a bad boy!

He looks at the window outside, all blurry because he's been crying a lot. Should he get a present for mommy to forgive him? Dad always gets presents for mommy, will she be happy if James gets her one too?

He walks to the salon, trying to be quiet. He can hear mommy and Bobo talking about going to the hospital! Mommy doesn't want to, but Bobo insists. So mommy is really really hurt! James runs out to the entrance of the house, but remember he can't get out this way by himself... The veranda! Bobo leaves the veranda door open when he sleeps, and Bobo naps all the time. Turning away, James sneaks out to the terrace and only has to push the door a little to get to the garden.

He walks down the little path, wiping his face messily with his shirt. What should he get mommy? There are a lot of flowers here, but Mommy has a lot in the house already, and auntie Sylviana doesn't like when he picks out flowers...

A shop! Mommy always buys him stuff in the shops on the street. And he knows the way to the market too! Confident and not too crying anymore, James speeds up, remembering how he walked there on the last Sunday with his mom. He recognizes this blue house and that little white porch with the birdhouse on it... But once he gets there, something is wrong. There are no stalls! Confused, he looks around, but it's the right place, just no stalls! He wanted to get mom a pretty necklace...

"Are you looking for something, boy?" Asks a nearby lady.

"The... The market..."

"There is no market today, honey. Is your mom nearby? Or your daddy? Are you on an errand? You seem a bit young to be alone!"

Is he going to be in trouble because he went out alone, without Mommy or Bobo? James just nods, a bit unsure. He just doesn't want the lady to call his dad!

"Where is the market?" He asks.

"There isn't one today. What are you looking for?"

"Mh... Nothing. Thank you!"

He turns around and runs away, the nice lady behind him yelling at him to go home. But he is not going back, he should replace a present for mommy first! Maybe he could ask uncle Liam to help him? Or auntie Sylviana! She always has pretty and nice-smelly things... But where is her house?

He walks around, thinking he might replace it soon. Last time, they went there by car, but it was really fast! So her house should be close. But as he keeps walking for a long time, he can't replace the white house with lots of trees... He stops in a small, narrow street, a bit worried now. He doesn't recognize his surroundings. Mom always said, if he's lost, he should ask around because people know Daddy. That's right! Everyone knows his daddy... "Mister?"

He finally found someone, a big man with small eyes. The mister looks funny, but James doesn't laugh and asks.

"Mister, do you know where is Daddy?"

"Your daddy? Who is your father, kiddo?"

"Mh, Alpha. He's very strong!"

"The Alpha? Which Alpha?"

"Hm... Damian?"

James tries to think, but usually, people don't ask so many questions! The man frowns, looking confused.

"Alright, stay here, I'll ask my Alpha if he knows of a guy named Damian."

"You don't know my daddy?" Asks James, confused.

"Huh, no, sorry. I'm new in town, you know. But don't worry, I'll ask!"

James nods, and the man walks away. It's weird, every werewolf knows his dad! When he asks, there is always someone who knows! Maybe this man is not a werewolf? So disappointing! He waits for a couple of minutes, but he's been gone from home for a long time now, mom is going to get worried! So James walks away, trying to get back to where he came from. But after a while, it doesn't look like the street he knows at all...

"Hi!"

He turns around, surprised. A little girl, a bit older than him, is smiling at him. She's cute, with her big green eyes, brown curls split into two ponytails, freckles, and an orange dress. A bit shy, James looks at her, confused. But the older girl walks to him, looking around.

"Are you alone? Are you lost?"

This time, James nods, because yes, he is lost! He can't replace his way back or his Dad. The older girl sighs.

"Oh, I see. Your mommy or daddy is not with you?" "No..."

"Okay. Then you can come to see the teacher with me!"

She takes his hand and takes him away. James, a bit confused, doesn't protest. This big sister looks beautiful, and a teacher is friendly too! They know a lot of things, so maybe he will know his dad! They only walk for a few minutes, James already feeling better. The older girl's name is Mary, and she is seven years old. James tells her his name, but not his age, because he's a bit embarrassed to only be almost three years old...

Mary takes him to a big bricks house, where a lot of other children are busy playing. From toddlers to teens, all kinds of kids are playing together what looks like a game of tag. James even sees a few werewolf pups, making him feel reassured. "Mary! Who is that?"

The groups suddenly focus their attention on James, asking him a lot of questions at the same time. About twenty other children are all trying to talk to him until Mary protests.

"Stop it! You guys are all talking at the same time you know? And his name is James! He is my friend!"

"Mary, is James like us?" Asks a little girl.

"No, he has a mommy and a daddy, you know. But I think he's lost."

"You should take him to Teacher, then," says an older boy.

"I know! I wanted to take there, but all you guys came at the same time!"

"You don't want to play with us?" Asks another toddler to James, pulling his hand.

"Okay!" Says James.

After all, they seem nice, and he wanted to play that game with them! Pulled by two or three children, James joins them despite Mary's protests.

"But he has to see the Teacher, you know! He can't stay, you know!"

"Come on, Mary. Let him stay here, you can come with me, and we can go talk to the Teacher."

And with that, Mary and the older boy walk inside the house while James joins the other kids to play. A few minutes pass and James forgets entirely about replaceing his way back. He's having so much fun! Everyone's nice, but there are so many kids and pups that he can't remember all their names. However, the children all brutally stop playing. James, a bit surprised, realizes some of the older children, the teenagers, are arguing loudly with some men who entered the garden a bit further.

James frowns. Those men are not werewolves, but they are holding one of his friends by his neck! Only mommies can carry the puppies like that!

"Let her go, you stupid human!" Growls one of the teenage boys.

Next to him, another teenager, in her wolf form, is growling. But the adult men ignore them, and instead, are observing the little pup female.

"So young and already a shapeshifter! Look at her fur! She would be worth a few hundred on the market..."

The older children start growling and try to push the men to take their friend back, but the adults are still stronger than young werewolves. "Let her go! Let her go!"

"Stop yelling! You're just orphans, who do you think is paying for your food, huh? You should be thankful to even be alive!"

The kids keep protesting, and James, angry, comes forward to growl all his might at the men.

"Let her go! Let my friend go, or I'll bite you! I'll bite you very, very hard!"

The men laugh at him, and James goes red with anger. A older girl holds his arm, but James fights her off until she lets go. Those men are bullies! But just when he's about to attack, someone suddenly stops him. "Children, stop this! What are you doing!"

A skinny man just appeared, one with a werewolf smell this time. Behind him are Mary and the older boy. The adult in simple clothes takes James hands to pull him away from the intruders, but when he finally looks at the toddler, his eyes grow big in surprise. "J...James? What are you doing here..."

Who is this man? James doesn't know him! The thin man looks shocked to see him, but before he or James can say anything else, the teenagers run to him.

"Teacher, those men want to take Cilia away! Please, teacher! Let us attack them!"

"No, no, let me deal with this... Stand back, children."

The teacher gets up and faces the men, holding back the older boys and James with his thin arms. The men look at him with an annoyed face.

"There he is. The coward. Are you going to have a problem with this?"

"Yes. Please let this child alone. Hand her to me and..."

"Those kids bit us last week! We had to pay hospital bills! And our taxes pay their food! Shouldn't they give back to us a little!"

But the man, very calm, shakes his head and answers in a peaceful but wary tone.

"Growing werewolves have many difficulties in adapting. This incident wouldn't have happened if you hadn't trespassed in the first place. That is precisely why this orphanage has fences," says the teacher, frowning.

"We don't give a damn about your werewolf problems! You take away our jobs, you control the city, now we even have to tolerate those little mutts growing up with our money!"

"Don't insult my friends!" Suddenly growls James, escaping the teacher's hand to run to the man.

"James, don't!"

But before he can bite the man, James his suddenly grabbed by his shirt, pulled in the air and yelling all his might.

"Let me go! Let me go, you mean ugly i***t!"

"Another one for the collection!"

"Enough! You are not selling those children!" Growls the teacher.

But the men laugh at him.

"How are you going to stop us? You? Look at you! We know you can't even shapeshift, you're just a pathetic Omega!"

"Trust me, I may not shapeshift, but I won't let you harm any of those children!"

With their teacher growling, the other kids all growl at the men, and suddenly, one of them takes out a knife, the silver blade shining scarily. Some of the younger kids start crying or run away inside the house in fear, but James keeps yelling. "I'm not scared! You bully! I'll bite your ugly butt! And my dad too!"

The man laughs at him.

"What dad, you are a..."

But before he finishes his sentence, a huge black shadow suddenly jumps at him out of nowhere. In a total moment of confusion, James is suddenly dropped, and study arms catch him. The men are terrified, as a dozen wolves suddenly jumped at them to attack. The one that was holding James is on the ground, crying out with his arm bleeding. The kids, excited by the arrival of bigger wolves, are either scared or cheering for the adult werewolves. The fight only lasts a couple of minutes, the difference in strength clearly showing. The children are still a bit confused, but James is the only one to recognize the big Black wolf who took the man down.

"Uncle Liam! Daddy!"

Damian, who grabbed James, is visibly furious and scaring everyone but his son with his Alpha aura. While Liam, in his wolf form, pinned the man to the ground. Damian growls at the same man, the one that was holding James a second earlier, his eyes as cold as steel.

"If you ever, ever lay a finger on my son ever again, I swear I'll kill you!"

The men, either frozen by fear or held down by the adult wolves, are all staring at him in pure fright. All of them were severely injured in the brief attack, yet they are way too terrified by his aura to even consider running away. "You... You're the werewolf... The werewolf King..."

"I told you my Daddy would bite you!" Says James, now totally fearless in his father's arms.

Liam growls furiously, his large canines open wide only a few centimeters away from the men's throat. Another wolf grabbed the little female pup that had been taken and is now standing above her while growling at the men.

Damian puts down James next to the big brown wolf, Bobo, and walks towards the leader of the human men. Grabbing his throat, he is way scarier than any of the other werewolves present, and the man is shaking in terror.

"If you come around here again, I'll kill you. If you take a single step on one of the werewolves territories, I'll kill you. If I hear of any child trafficking, I'll kill you. And keep in mind that the only reason I'm not killing you right here and right now is because those children are present. Are. We. Clear?"

The men nod very slowly, all of them petrified. Damian releases his grip, and so do the other werewolves, retreating to stand in front of the children. The men stumble to get up before finally running away, terrified but alive.

As soon as they are gone, the children cheer loudly, all of them either running to the werewolves to say thanks or to their scared friends. Meanwhile, James runs to his uncle and grabs his black fur.

"Uncle Liam!"

But the black wolf pushes him with his snout towards his father. Uh-Oh, he looks angry...

Indeed, Damian puts a knee down, and growls at James, as any very pissed werewolf father would scold his son.

"James! Where were you! Your mom was worried sick! And half of the pack went looking for you!"

"Sorry...."

Thinking about his worried mother, James suddenly starts crying, very sorry. He tries to explain himself, but his bawling out barely make any of his sentences understandable.

"Buuuut... Mommy was... And I... I wanted to... A present, but, but, but... I got lost... And..."

His explanation gets lost under a flow of tears, erratic breathing, and in the end, he just cries very loudly until his father gives up and sighs.

"Alright... Come here."

With Damian opening his arms to him, James runs right into his embrace, weeping in his father's shirt. With a warm hand on his back comforting him and his dad calming him down, he eventually reduces to a quiet crying, exhausted. Meanwhile, Damian gets up and turns to the teacher.

James, turning his head, replaces the teacher looking down.

"Sorry about... All this. One of them found James alone in the streets and just... Brought him here."

"I'll take care of the humans. And I told you to tell us if this kind of things happened."

His father's ice-cold tone surprises James. Is he angry at him? Why? Does he know the teacher?

"... But I don't want you anywhere near James. Or his mother."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Alpha. This will not happen again."

James feels Damian sighing, and his father looks around at the large house, the garden, and the children gathered around them.

"I guess you are doing something decent here. How many are they?"

"Currently, thirty-two. But that's ok, we have plenty enough with what the Black Foundation sends us."

"I see."

James can't hold a yawn, and his father caresses his head.

"And now you are sleepy, of course. You little... I know, I know, Liam. We're going."

They turn around, and the full group starts to leave, the children looking a bit disappointed to see the older wolves go. But James, over his dad's shoulder, sees the teacher hesitating. After a while, he sees him running towards them. Damian turns around, and before he can say a word, the teacher is handing him what looks like an old and wrinkled letter. His hands are trembling.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm selfish, but please... Please, can you give this to Nora for me? Please."

Damian growls, annoyed, but James takes the letter.

"It's for mama?"

The teacher smiles.

"Yes, James, it's for your mother. Can you give her this for me? Please?"

"Okay!" Says James, feeling all happy to be asked a little mission.

"Thank you, James," says the teacher with a sad smile.

Damian, still hesitating, decides to let James keep the letter, but growls at the teacher.

"This doesn't change anything, Alec."

"...I know."

And with this, they are off. James, a bit sleepy now that his dad is carrying him, dozes off while the scenery changes quickly. The wolves run on two or four feet, but he only sleeps until they are actually home.

His mother's voice suddenly wakes him up.

"James! Oh, Moon Goddess, James!"

"Mama!"

He switches arms from his dad to his mom, waiting for his mother's embrace, but Nora is between anger and worry. She puts him down and starts checking him all sides while still scolding him. "James Black! Where have you been! Do you know how worried I was! How could you go out alone! Without me, or dad, or Bobo! Or your uncle! You shouldn't have left!"

Once again, James starts tearing up under his mom's scolding.

"But... But mommy was hurt because... because of me?"

"...What? You silly boy! Mommy burnt herself while cooking, it wasn't because of you! It was an accident, James, not your fault, my baby! But don't you dare run out ever again! I sent three full packs looking for you! Even your uncle William!" "And here I thought you were going overboard...." Whispers Liam, who shapeshifted back, to Damian.

The rest of the wolves, aside for his parents, uncle, and Bobo, leave the house at that moment, leaving them alone.

"Liam, shut up! What if the Sea Moon hadn't seen you? Never do that again, James! You understand? I don't want you going out alone! Especially if you haven't told mommy or daddy! Do you understand?

"I understand... Mommy... Sorry, mommy, sorry...."

After a while, Nora's shoulders finally relax a bit. James tears finally put an end to her anger, and she opens up her arms. Behind her son, Liam and Damian are quietly smiling.

"Oh, James, come here... Wait, what is that you're carrying?"

Suddenly remembering his little mission, James stops crying and hands out the wrinkled letter proudly.

"It's for you, mommy! From the teacher!"

Nora frowns, and slowly takes the letter. She reads her name on it, but the writing, that she doesn't recognize, just leaves her confused. She looks at Damian, but her husband just sighs.

"You decide if you want to open it. It's from your brother..."