Chapter 30: Away from the World

(CORRINE)

Eight years later…

“Finn! Finn Hale, you put down that box right now!”

My seven-year-old flinches before looking over his shoulder at me sheepishly. “Mom. You’re awake.”

I flick on the lights of the kitchen to see my son standing on a stool, the snacks cupboard open and a box of wafers in his hands. “Of course I’m awake. You knocked over two lamps on your way to the kitchen. You make so much noise.”

“I was hungry.”

“Oh, you were, weren’t you?” I narrow my eyes at him. “Would this have anything to do with the fact that you shifted while I was out tonight and wreaked havoc in the house? Nice job trying to tape up the painting you ripped.”

His mouth moves like a fish’s before he finally mutters, “Saw that, did you?”

“Yes, I did. How many times do I have to tell you not to shift when I’m not home?”

I pluck the snack box from his hand, put it back in the cupboard, and close the door. Lifting him from the stool, I set him down on the ground. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Can we have meat?” he asks eagerly as I open the fridge.

“That’s what I was going to give you.” I take out some beef tenderloins and heat up the wok. I toss some frozen vegetables into the pan after the beef has cooked through, stir-frying it with some sauces. There’s a packet of pre-boiled noodles that find their way in there, as well.

My son perches on the kitchen counter, watching me. “You were out really late, Mom. You were supposed to tuck me in and read to me from the storybook. Maya doesn’t read it like you do.”

“I know.” I kiss him on the nose. “I had something to do. I figured you would be asleep by now. Didn’t Maya tuck you in?”

“I wasn’t tired.” He kicks his small legs back and forth, looking eagerly at the food.

“You didn’t shift in front of her, did you?” I frown at him.

He looks guilty. “She just wanted to see how fast I could run. We were careful!”

My jaw tenses. “Finn, I don’t want you revealing yourself in front of her unnecessarily. I want you to be careful. You shouldn’t trust just anybody.”

“But Maya isn’t just anybody. She’s our friend,” my son argues.

I can understand his attachment to the human veterinarian and researcher. Maya was my roommate when I first came here. She had just graduated and joined a clinic. We were both tight on funds, so the arrangement worked well for us. And then it continued for three years, so Finn grew up around her.

I know Maya would never hurt Finn, but I also know how curious she is about our kind. Her favorite pastime is playing with my son in his wolf form. She likes to study him.

I stroke his dark hair, pushing it back to reveal his forehead. “Yes, she is. But you have to trust me. Maya may be our friend, but she’s not one of us. Next time, even if she asks you to, don’t shift.”

I pluck out one of the beef strips and blow on it before popping it in my son’s mouth. He nods as he chews on it happily.

“Now, go sit at the table. I’ll bring you your snack and something to drink.”

He hops down from the counter and scurries to the kitchen table. I plate the food before pouring him a glass of water.

Being a single parent is not easy. It has been an emotional rollercoaster. As I watch my child eat, though, I feel grateful. I glance out the window of our small house that I bought four years ago. The dark night makes me think about how I got here.

Eight years have passed, and never once have I taken my freedom and this life that I built for granted. The human world is so different from the other side of the Veil. Nobody cares who I am. Effort is recognized. Hard work gives you status and power.

When I came here, I had no form of identification. I simply did not exist in this world. I had no formal education of the human realm’s kind, but I could read and write. I had to look for a job. I had to find a place to live. I had to eat.

Yet even after everything I have achieved, I know I owe the foundations of who I am to Erik Wild. If I hadn’t run into him when I did, things would be very different now.

I owe Erik a lot. The king of the Human Kingdom had no reason to help me, but he did. He gave me identification documents and papers that showed I had the basic education required to work in this world.

He didn’t hold my hand. He didn’t spoon-feed me. He simply gave me the tools to survive, and I did the rest myself. But even for that much, I owe him. There is nothing in this world that I take for granted. Not even kindness.

“I’m going to go wash up, Finn. Finish your food and then head to bed. I’ll come tuck you in. And we’ll read that story.”

His mouth full, he nods. I run my fingers through his hair before I walk away.

With his dark hair and amber eyes, my son is the spitting image of his father.

It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thinking of Locke doesn’t cause that ache in my chest like it used to. I’ve made peace with my past. And I’m grateful for the one gift he gave me: my son.

In my bedroom, I strip off my clothes. My shirt smells of motor oil, and I frown when my sensitive nose twitches. I’m going to have to throw this in the wash.

Crawling under cars to remove trackers may not be the most elegant act, but it’s part of my job.

Being a private investigator is not easy work, but I’ve managed to create a niche for myself. A wolf shifter PI is very much in demand. It’s amazing how many of my kind have small problems like cheating spouses and disputes. Only when I came here did I learn that shifters are no different from humans when it comes to their problems.

My fees are ridiculously high, but wolf shifters are happy to pay to retain my services. Of all the things I expected to become, a private eye wasn’t one of them. But then, I never expected to become a mother, either. I never expected that I would be able to live independently.

Life has thrown a lot of curveballs at me, but I’m finally content. As I put my clothes in the hamper, my eyes fall to my bed. On one side, there’s a pile of pillows.

That’s one habit I haven’t been able to shake off. A habit that Locke created. I have a hard time sleeping without something to hold on to.

Eight years.

I wonder if he’s happy with Ravenna. They must have had some children by now.

A strange numbness spreads within me at the thought.

I’ve been very careful to avoid any conversations regarding the realm beyond the Veil. I try not to move in any circles that have wolf shifters. Humans are safer to interact with. They don’t know who I am, and they don’t much care. My bloodline doesn’t matter to them.

A part of me is still fearful that one day I will be recognized and my life will be stripped from me. I haven’t forgotten Bella’s threat against my child. Back then, she didn’t know I was pregnant, but if she ever finds out I was, I have a sick feeling that she will do something horrible to Finn.

I have taken so many precautions. I didn’t have to change my name because there were a lot of people called Corrine. Humans. But I did alter my hair. I chopped it off and dyed it a light shade of brown. I also changed my manner of speaking. I let it become more casual and less refined.

I tried to dye Finn’s hair, too, but the color never held. And I couldn’t exactly force my son to wear contact lenses at such a young age to disguise his prominent eye color. Once he is older and I’ve accumulated enough money, I plan to move us even further away, deeper into the human world.

I would never have taken on wolf shifters as clients if it weren’t for Erik. Initially, he asked me for a favor, and when the matter I looked into was resolved, he began recommending me. Every time I tell him not to, he nods agreeably, and then before I know it, I have somebody else at my office with a matter “that simply cannot have anybody else looking into it.”

I have a strange relationship with the king of the Human Wolf Kingdom. I don’t really consider us friends, but he thinks we’re close. He’s the only one who knows who my son’s true father is.

I’m lucky that Erik is determined to protect me. I don’t care what his reasons are. As long as I have his protection, nobody can touch me.

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