Chapter 10: Heart-Stopping Moment
Fiona’s POV
My heart nearly lunged out of my chest.
One second, Jamal was racing ahead toward the amusement park gates, his laughter echoing through the air. The next, his foot caught on a loose stone, and everything slowed. His arms flailed, his little body tilted dangerously forward-and I swear, time froze.
“Jamal!” I screamed, already surging forward, Alpha Xavien at my side in a blur of motion.
But just before my pup could hit the pavement, he caught himself, dropping to one knee like a damn superhero landing from a rooftop. He popped back up, brushed off his jeans, and threw us both a dazzling grin like nothing had happened.
“I’m Superman! Nothing can hurt me!” he announced proudly, puffing out his chest.
I dropped to my knees, nearly collapsing from the flood of adrenaline. My wolf was still pacing in my chest, hackles raised, heart thundering. I cupped his cheeks gently, brushing away the dust and a rebellious curl from his forehead.
“You scared me to death, Jamal,” I said, my voice trembling. “Even Superman has to watch where he’s going.”
He nodded solemnly-well, as solemnly as a five-year-old with a grin plastered on his face could manage. “Okay, Mama. I promise.”
Then he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, and just like that, the fear melted away, replaced by the kind of warmth only he could give me.
Alpha Xavien crouched beside us, ruffling Jamal’s curls with a fond chuckle. “You gave us a scare, little man. But you handled it like a true wolf.”
His hand found my shoulder, warm and grounding. That simple touch was enough to steady the wild thrum of nerves still fluttering beneath my skin. I looked at him and exhaled a shaky laugh.
“I swear, this pup’s gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.”
Jamal giggled and twirled toward the gates again, eyes shining with wonder. “Can we go now? Daniel’s waiting for me!”
I stood up and reached for his hand. “Alright, Superman. Let’s go find your partner in crime.”
But just as we were about to head in, Alpha Xavien’s phone rang.
His jaw tensed when he looked at the screen. I didn’t need to ask who it was-I knew that look. The pack. Business. Crisis mode.
“Yeah, it’s me,” he said into the phone, his voice already shifting into the calm, commanding Alpha tone that made even Alphas pause. A brief silence, then, “Now? Can’t it wait?” More silence. His free hand clenched slightly. “Alright. I’ll be there right away.”
He hung up and turned to me with an apologetic smile. “Something came up at HQ. I have to go handle it.”
I tried not to let the disappointment show too much. I’d long accepted that being mated-or almost-mated-to a high-ranking Alpha meant sharing him with the entire damn territory.
“I understand,” I said with a soft shrug. “You go save the world. We’ll be fine here.”
Xavien leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, tender and lingering. Jamal, catching the tail end of it, squealed in embarrassment.
“Ewww! You’re kissing again!”
Xavien laughed and crouched down beside him. “Alright, Superman. You’re in charge while I’m gone. Keep your mum safe, yeah?”
“I will, Uncle Xavien. Pinky swear!” Jamal stuck out his tiny pinky, and Xavien linked it with his own like it was some sacred pact.
Then, with a wicked twinkle in his eye, Xavien asked, “And what do you say if any man tries to talk to your mum while I’m not around?”
Jamal puffed up like a baby wolf guarding his den. “Lay your hands off my mummy, nigga, or else Uncle Xavien will beat your ass!”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
“Jamal!” I gasped, then turned to Xavien and swatted his arm. “Alpha Xavien! What the hell are you teaching him?”
He just threw his head back and howled with laughter, unrepentant. “It’s just a joke, Fiona.”
“Not when my son turns into a tiny gangster in front of the Alpha Council, it’s not,” I muttered, trying not to smile.
Navien gave Jamal one last bear hug, then stood and gave me a look-one of those lingering, intense looks that made my knees feel suspiciously
weak.
“I’ll be back before sunset.” he promised.
And then he was gone.
Jamal waved so hard he nearly lost his balance again. “Bye, Uncle Xavien! Be a superhero at work!”
I watched Navien go, my chest full of that bittersweet ache. Life with him wasn’t always casy-but damn, it was full of heart.
“Mama!” Jamal called, already racing toward the park. “There’s Daniel!”
Sure enough, his best friend had spotted him and was barreling forward like a pup possessed.
“Daniel!” Jamal cried, and the two of them collided in a whirlwind of limbs and laughter, hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in years- even though it’d only been a day.
I watched them run off into the park, their joy infectious, their energy boundless.
Trailing behind Daniel was Chloe-my best friend, my sister in all but blood, and the one constant in my life that hadn’t shattered when everything else did.
She waved as she approached, that bright, familiar smile lighting up her entire face. Just seeing her made the tension in my chest ease a little. Chloe wasn’t just a friend; she was my tether. My rock through heartbreak, betrayal, and too many long nights curled up on the packhouse couch wondering if I’d ever feel whole again.
Daniel, bless his hyper little soul, didn’t waste a second. “Come on, let’s go play on the slides!” he hollered, grabbing Jamal’s hand and yanking him toward the playground like it was a battlefield they had to charge into.
The boys sprinted off, laughter trailing behind them, their little legs moving with the kind of speed only young wolves had. I watched as they scrambled up the jungle gym, all elbows and excitement.
“Careful, boys!” I called after them, my voice catching a little. My wolf stirred under my skin, uneasy. I couldn’t help it-last time Jamal had been up there, he’d fallen and split his lip open. It had healed within a day-werewolf genes, thank the Goddess-but the memory still made my stomach twist.
Chloe stepped up beside me, her hand finding my shoulder.
“You know they’ll be fine, right?” she murmured.
I didn’t answer at first. My eyes were locked on Jamal, who was already climbing to the top of the slide like he was scaling a mountain. His laughter rang through the air, light and fierce, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I know,” I finally said, voice soft. “But it’s hard not to worry. Just because they heal fast doesn’t mean it hurts any less in the moment.”
She nodded, squeezing my arm gently. “I don’t know how you do it, Fiona. You’ve been through hell and still keep standing.”
I turned to look at her, really look at her-and something inside me eased. She was right. We had been through hell. The late-night calls. The broken mate bond. The screaming matches. The silence that followed. And Chloe had been there for all of it.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I admitted. “You kept me sane when everything else fell apart.”
“That’s what pack is for,” she said simply. “You raised yourself from the ashes, Fiona. You just forgot that you had wings.”
I blinked, the emotion catching me off guard. We stood there, side by side, watching our sons run wild-two young pups who had no idea how much their mothers had survived just to stand here and give them a safe life.
“It’s wild, isn’t it?” I said, voice softer now. “All the things we survived, and now here we are. Raising two little maniacs like it’s nothing.”
Chloe laughed, her eyes sparkling with tears she didn’t let fall. “We’ve got each other. Always.”
Later, the sun had started dipping low, throwing golden light across the packhouse backyard and casting long shadows over the pool. The pups were still going strong, squealing and splashing like they’d just discovered water for the first time.
“Jamal, not so far!” I called from the edge, one hand shading my eyes as I tracked his little head bobbing deeper into the pool. He was a strong swimmer now-he’d inherited that from his dad-but it still made my claws twitch anytime he went near the deep end.
“I got this, Mom!” he called, water glistening on his dark skin, eyes wide with that fearless wolf pride.
I sighed and smiled to myself. Goddess help me, he had no fear. It was beautiful. And terrifying.
Just as I turned to help one of the younger kids with their floatie, I caught sight of Jamal clambering onto the pool’s edge again, standing tall like he was about to perform at the Pack Olympics.
“Jamal! Don’t you dare try that backflip!” I barked.
He turned and gave me the checkiest grin I’d ever seen. “But Mom, I practiced!”
I placed my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes. “You remember what happened last time? We spent an hour at the healer’s and you cried the whole way home.”
He groaned like I was ruining his entire life, then hopped back into the water with a splash that earned him a round of laughter from the other kids.
“Good choice, buddy!” I called out, flashing him a thumbs-up.
He responded with a sharp little salute before diving beneath the surface, his legs slicing through the water like he was born to it.
I glanced down at my watch and frowned. Still no call. No text.
Navien had been gone for hours now. He said he’d be quick-but Alpha business had a nasty habit of spiraling into all-night strategy sessions, especially with the surrounding rogue activity in the outer regions. Still… my wolf didn’t like the silence.
I scanned the pool again, Jamal was fine, still laughing, and walked over to where Chloe was lounging with a glass of lemonade, her sunglasses perched on top of her head.
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual, but she caught the worry in my tone immediately. “Can you watch the kids for a bit? I need to make a quick call.”
She sat up straighter and nodded without hesitation. “Of course. Everything okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just… checking in.”
But something in my chest had already started to tighten.
And deep inside me, my wolf began to pace.
