Chapter 45
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, very sure. Now, let’s focus, people.”
As the laughter died down, I noticed a fleeting look of sadness in Issca’s eyes from where he stood by the door. He quickly masked it with a grin, but I caught it. I didn’t dwell on it, though. There was work to be done, and I had to keep my focus. I was the alpha now, and my pack came first.
The meeting proceeded smoothly after that. We discussed logistics, future plans, and how we were going to manage resources now that we were independent. The pack members asked questions, and I answered them confidently, feeling the trust they had placed in me. By the end of the meeting, everyone seemed reassured, and I dismissed them with a sense of accomplishment.
As I stepped out of the room, Issca was waiting with Cyrus in his arms. The little one was giggling, his small hands clinging to Issca’s shirt. My heart warmed at the sight. Issca had always been great with kids.
“Ready for the playground, Cy?” I asked, reaching out for him.
Cyrus nodded eagerly, practically bouncing in Issca’s arms. “Playground, Mama!”
We headed foward the playground together, with a few of Issca’s pack kids tagging along. It was the perfect day for it sunlight streaming through the trees, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves, and the laughter of children echoing through the
air.
The playground wasn’t too crowded, just a few families scattered around, pushing their kids on swings or helping them down the slides. I could already see Cyrus‘ face light up at
tiny hand slipper of
the jungle gym and the santhox in the doors th
mine as he ran ahead, his excitement almost palpable.
Issca walked beside me, watching the kids scatter to their respective corners of
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Chapter 45
the playground. He leaned back against a tree, folding his arms with a content smile on his face. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?” he said, his voice soft, almost wistful.
I nodded, my eyes following Cyrus as he made a beeline for the sandbox. “Yeah, faster than we expect sometimes.” There was a peacefulness to watching him play, the way he carefully picked up a toy truck and started pushing it through the sand, creating little tracks as if it were the most important job in the world.
It was moments like these that made everything else–pack politics,
responsibilities, and the constant worry–fade into the background, if only for a
while.
As we were walking, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the
screen–Vesta. I answered quickly, motioning for Cyrus to go ahead and play. “Hey, Vesta, what’s up?”
“Doris, the kids at the kindergarten miss you!” Vesta’s voice was warm and teasing. “They’ve been asking when you’re coming back. Especially a certain Carlos…”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’ll come back soon, I promise. Just need to finish up some work here.”
Vesta’s voice turned mysterious. “Oh, and maybe Carlos misses you too. He’s been dropping by a lot lately… you know, to see the kids, of course.”
I raised an eyebrow. “oh I see, Is that so?”
Before Vesta could say more, a sharp cry rang out from the sandbox. I turned to see Cyrus, his small figure standing firm but trembling, facing off against another boy..had snatched a toy truck from Cyrus, holding it high above his head with a smug grin, daring Cyrus to try and take it back
My heart clenched at the sight. Cyrus, though younger and smaller, was glaring up at this boy
balled at his sides. with a mix of fear and determination, his little fiste
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