His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 85

I double-check the recipe from the book, but it should be ok... A couple more minutes and I can add the veggies. I turn back, dancing around to the little jazz music coming from the old radio. It's sunny outside, just like I love it. I sit down to check my texts when I

hear running steps. I did tell her a billion times not to run...

Suddenly, two small hands cover my eyes.

"Guess who!"

I smile immediately. I start patting the little hands as if I was wondering.

"Mh...Who could it be... Two smalls paws, a wild berries smell... Is it a baby bear?"

I hear the cutest baby giggling.

"No! Guess again!"

"Really? Let's see... Tiny fingers and small nails... Is it a baby monkey?"

"Hihi, you're wrong! try again!"

"Oh! I know that little laugh... It's my baby star?"

"Yes!"

She laughs and I grab her, sitting her into my lap to tickle her. She tries to evade me, but she is way too tiny to escape me! My daughter is the cutest thing in the world, of course. When I finally stop torturing her, she is still laughing, pushing her honey blonde hair back. She looks up at me, with her father's sky-blue eyes.

"Mommy, I'm hungry. What are you making?"

"Your favorite bolognese pasta, with auntie Nora's secret ingredient," I answer while pulling her hair into two little ponytails.

She turns her head to the stove, but then, I see her frown.

"Carrots? But I hate carrots!"

"Baby, you need to eat your vegetables. And I'm just putting tiny bits."

She frowns, but her eyes are observing the carrots with suspicion, thinking it over.

"You will make them super tiny?" She asks me

"Super, super tiny, I promise. So tiny you won't see them."

"...Okay then."

She is still pouting a bit. Moon Goddess, she is so cute I want to eat all of her instead of the pasta! I kiss her chubby cheek, making her chuckle again, and she immediately wraps her tiny arms around my neck to kiss me back. "What did you do this morning, my little star?"

"I draw bunnies! Wait here, mommy, I will show you!"

And off she is again, jumping off my knees, running to grab her drawing from wherever she left it. She probably played in the garden too, seeing how the bottom of her denim jumper is all dirty. When she comes back, she proudly shows me her drawing and starts explaining to me the names she gave each of her colored bunnies.

"Stella, baby, you remember how to say Bunny with your hands?" "Yes!"

She puts two fingers of each hand up her head, mimicking a bunny's ears. I clap and do it too.

"That's right, baby!"

"Mommy, I'm better than you at talking with my hands!" She says, looking all proud. "Look, I can do a lot of animals too!"

We start having a little contest, but indeed, she is even better than I am at sign language now. When she gets tired of it, she runs off again to grab her coloring pencils. Dad told me that I was a little energy pill when I was young too, so I guess she gets that from me... But Estelle is a really disciplined kid. She very rarely throws tantrums, and she doesn't really argue when I ask her something, even if she dislikes it.

The only thing I'm worried about is her insecurity issues. Sometimes, she asks for hugs all of a sudden and asks if I will leave her. I have no idea where she gets that from. Is it because she doesn't have a father? She asks about him, sometimes. She has a photo of Nathaniel, one she loved from my phone, so I had it print out for her to keep. I didn't want to lie to her and tell her she doesn't have a dad.

"Mommy! Is it ready? I'm really, really hungry now!"

"Yes, yes. Go wash your hands and we can eat!"

"Okay!" She says, running off to the bathroom

While I'm busy dressing up our plates, my phone rings. Before I can even move, Estelle is running again to grab it. She is too young to read, but she recognizes the picture. "It's Dada! Hi, Dada?"

She starts happily chatting with her godfather, telling him all about her day. She has never met him physically yet, but they talk so often it doesn't really make any difference. Daniel is crazy about the little star. Every time he calls, he asks when I am coming back to Silver City with Estelle.

I don't know if I'm ready yet. I miss Daniel, a lot, and all my friends too. I miss Silver City, the Artsy District, the Latino neighborhood. I know Nora woke up two years after I was gone, but... I wasn't ready to come back. Going back would mean seeing Estelle's father again, and I don't know if I can handle it. She looks so much like him, I guess he'll finally believe me once they meet...

I watch my little star, still on the phone. I wonder how would my life be without her... Estelle is so well-behaved, sometimes I wonder if I really raised her alone. Well, Reagan did come often, too. My mentor never stays around, but she's never too far either. She drops by when she feels like it, or lives her omega life as a wolf most of the time.

We live in a large forest, miles away from Silver City. I can't remember how long we walked until we got here. Sylviana knew about this old abandoned house, and within a few days of work between the three of us, it became perfectly fine for us to live in. It's even a bit too big for a woman and child...

"Mommy, it smells bad again..."

Holy s**t! I turn around and jump on the casserole. Damn it, I let it burn again... How come I can never get even the simplest ones right? Estelle walks up to me and frowns, looking at my half-burned bolognaise.

"Sorry, baby. Don't worry, mommy will eat the burned parts."

"It's okay, mommy, I like the crunchy parts!"

Moon Goddess I love this child of mine. She even loves my overcooked pasta. She sits down to eat, grabbing her fork and eagerly waiting. Like any werewolf kid, she's an energy pill and a big eater. I fill her plate, but everything's gone in a few minutes, and she smiles, satisfied, l*****g the leftovers of tomato sauce on her lips.

"Mommy, can I get a magic cake for dessert? The one with pink sprinkles!"

I smile. The only thing I never fail at, her favorite magic cake.

"Okay, baby but you..."

I stop talking, uneasy.

I have an odd feeling. My wolf is unsettled too, looking around for a threat.

"Mommy?"

After a few seconds of complete silence, the branches from the trees on the terrace all begin crackling at once. Holy crap!

"Estelle, come!"

I grab my daughter and run across the house, grabbing her little backpack from her room and mine.

"Mommy, what is it? Mommy!"

I don't have time to explain. We need to leave this place and run.

It's Sylviana's signal. She said the trees would do this if the bad witch was near! I didn't think she would really replace us! Estelle is scared and struggles to keep up with me, but I keep running until we're out of the house, a few meters away, and get on one knee in front of her, to help her put her backpack on. "Stella, listen to mommy, very carefully. We need to leave the house and run, baby. We are going to run very, very fast to the east, okay? We don't make noise, and we keep running until mommy stays stop."

"Mommy, why are we running? Why are we leaving home? Mommy, I'm scared..."

Seeing the tears in my daughter's scared eyes breaks my heart, but I really don't have time to explain! Every second matter now. I shake my head.

"Estelle, don't cry baby, okay? Just trust mommy, you will be okay. You run very, very fast, like we did with Reagan, okay?"

She nods, a bit distraught, and I encourage her with a little smile.

"Alright, let's go, baby."

I start running, and Estelle does her best to run after me. She's fast, for a four-years-old, but after a while, I have no choice but to carry her to keep the speed up. I hear her cry silently in my neck. My poor baby... I can't stop and comfort her, though. I know we don't have much time, and we absolutely can't stop if I want to outrun the dark witch, or at least reach Silver City in time...

I can feel her. It's like a dark shadow, some evil presence behind us. A cold wind chasing me every step. As I keep running across the trees, I also her water stream nearby. I need to avoid sources of water while keeping my way to the east.

My wolf wants to shape-shift, but if I do, I won't be able to carry Estelle! I keep running, thinking of what to do, how to get out of there. I still can't see Silver City, how far are we? I feel like I've been running for hours!

I try to focus and reach out to Nora, my cousin. She should be the first one I can reach out to, as soon as I'm close enough... Back then, she could mind-link people from miles away. I really hope it works backward too. I keep calling her with my wolf, while holding on tightly to Estelle, running and watching out for nearby water sources.

Elena!

Finally! She heard me. We are close enough.

Right when I think things are getting better, I feel a sudden rumbling on my left. Crap, crap... The Witch is catching up on us! If only Sylviana was there, or at least Reagan so I could give her my daughter! Where is she at a time like this...? I stop, looking around. "Mommy?"

I finally replace it.

A little opening in a large tree, just big enough for Estelle to hide. I take her there and have her sit inside the trunk. She is terrified, but I take her hand. We don't have much time...

"Estelle, listen to mommy very carefully. You stay here, and you stay hidden, baby, okay?"

"W...Why?"

"Mommy has to go a different way, but don't worry, I won't leave you alone, okay? I will be back. Estelle, you remember how you talk with your wolf, right baby?"

She nods, her eyes still teary. Thank Moon Goddess, she's already able to mind-link, since a couple of months ago. Maybe it's her royal blood, but she's a precocious one. I see her frown a bit, and I finally feel her inner wolf, like it's waking up. Yes, mommy.

Good girl. Now I want you to not talk, Estelle, not at all. Just use your wolf's voice, like mommy, and call auntie Nora.

Auntie Nora?

That's right, baby. You call auntie Nora with all your heart, okay?

Can I call Dada too?

I shake my head, desperate. Estelle doesn't belong to the White Moon Clan, she doesn't belong to any Clan! I don't think she can mind-link other Alphas or wolves like Nora and I do, she can only call her kin... Oh Moon Goddess, I didn't even think of it earlier! Baby, you call auntie Nora or Daddy with all your puppy heart, okay?

Daddy too?

"Yes, baby," I say while putting my jacket around her. "You call Nora and Daddy with your wolf until mommy comes to get you, okay?" Why can't I call you, mommy?

Oh, Moon Goddess, how could I explain to her? But if I run away, this might be the only chance to drive that witch away from her!

"Mommy knows where you are, baby. I have to go away, but... It will be okay, but promise me you will stay here, okay? You'll be a good girl and stay here, okay?"

"I promise..." She whispers.

I take a deep breath and hold my daughter one last time, very tight against my heart. Moon Goddess, I love her so, so much... We are both crying silently. She's four years old and a bright girl, but I don't know how much of this she really understands...

With a heavy heart, I give her one last glance and run in the opposite direction, towards the North. I stop calling Nora for help and pray Moon Goddess she can replace my daughter instead.

I try to take the west direction, shape-shifting as soon as I can. I'm faster, and letting my Alpha aura out, hoping the dark witch will take the bait...

Finally, I hear it. A rumbling coming after me. That's right, b***h, follow me. Let's see how fast your damned water can be. I fasten my speed, trying to mind-link Reagan at the same time.

Kid! Where are you!

Headed North, Reagan!

Okay, I feel you! On my way!

I keep running, praying for my baby to be okay. Nora will replace you, baby, don't worry.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck me. I'm thrown several yards to my left, before violently hitting a tree. Holy s**t, it hurts... I'm dizzy from the shock, but my shoulder is painful as f**k. I look, and my fur is covered in red. Damn it... "Are you done running, dog?"

I turn my head, but my vision is all red and blurry. The woman walks up to me, I can hear her annoying laugh. Damn her...

"You... You're not the one I want. What are you, a halfling? Interesting. I've never seen a half-werewolf before..."

I feel her walk up to me and grabbing my neck. I try to bite, and she takes her hand off.

"Feisty. But lucky you, I need you alive, so you can talk, and tell me where you left your offspring..."

A sharp pain again, in my shoulder as she stepping on it.

"Where is it? Where is the Royal?"

f**k you! I growl back.

Elena!

From the corner of my vision, I see the old grey wolf jumping in, and the witch screeches. I hear something like a fight, but I struggle to get back on my feet and retreat. I can't stay here. I'm too injured to fight. If only I could... "Enough!"

I hear a yapping, and a wolf's body falls in front of me. Inert. No, no, no, Reagan...

Something suddenly drags me from behind, while I struggle to stay with my mentor. I feel trapped, a pressure on my body like a huge rock.

"I'll make you talk, wolf. You'll talk!"

A horrible pain pierces my legs, something sharp pinning them to the ground. I growl, furious and blinded by the pain. Moon Goddess, I swear she could kill me a hundred times I'd never, ever give my daughter to that b***h! "You damn stubborn...! Fine! I don't need you anyway, I only need the child..."