Chapter 80
A few months have passed since the planning of our orphanage. I have named it Hilda’s Home, after my mother. I have placed a portrait of her that Harvey painted for me for our first wedding anniversary at the front door, and this is my home as much as it is the children that reside here.
Emily splits her time working with me, between being a mother to her two boys and working at the orphanage as a doctor. Beta Tom works as her assistant and bodyguard. Harvey and I do our best to split our duties evenly, but he is here as often as I am.
As long as phone is available, he can do his kingly duties here as well.
The King of the North died in disgrace four and a half years ago, succumbing to his illness and the wound sustained from Harvey and me. No one attended his funeral, not even his wife. The people he left next in line have no issue with us, or us with them, so it has been a peaceful life.
“Luna Queenie?” I hear a small little girl ask as she looks up at me.
She is about three, named June. Her brown hair is in a braid and the teddy bear she clutches to her body weighs more than her.
It is an anti-anxiety bear.
“Yes?”
“Wha’ was the other name to call ya? I forgot…” June whispers, looking away from me with soft eyes.
“June, you may call me Mother Elena. Every other kid does here.” I offer my hand to her and she takes it with a beaming grin.
“Mother Elena!”
“Yes?” I repeat as she twirls.
“That is a very nice name.”
“Thank you, dear.”
I allow June to guide me around the sprawling orphanage, as I check the bed of all the toddlers. They are all out and about playing, happily laughing and roaring.
They have made up a game, human and wolf. They must help one another survive the winter and make shelter and find food. The human children all carry baskets and the werewolf children help fill the baskets using their senses to check for poisonous items.
As silly as that thought is, it is playing to the strength of both parties and teaching them to work together. We are trying to create unity with these kids, and this is the best way.
June drags me off to my office and I see Harvey sitting there, with a teddy bear on his knee.
“Oh, yes, yes, you can be just like your daddy.” Harvey says to our nephew Jet, who is busy babbling and coloring every scrap of paper in sight.
June climbs up into Harvey’s desk and he playfully huffs, pretending to be annoyed. Even with a fake frown on his face, the smile that lightens his eyes and highlights his masculine face makes my heart clench.
I wish to give him a child of our own. If it is one thing I have learned since opening Hilda’s Home is that Harvey would make a spectacular father. In a way, I know we are mother and father to all these children, but…
I desperately wish to carry our baby in my womb.
I am still working very hard to be a qualified mother. It ends up my luna powers decide when I am ready to be a mother and works very hard at keeping me extremely fertile and ready.
My fertility must match my husband’s. Without my luna powers it would be impossible.
Harvey taps June on the nose. “What do you need, June?”
“Tell me a story!”
“Story!” Jet explodes into giggles as he hears that word.
Harvey heaves a real sigh. “Okay, okay. Once upon a time, I found a beautiful human woman named Elena….”
Harvey winks at me and I blow a kiss, knowing better. I need to check on Emily.
Three doors down Emily is sitting in the reading area, on a red plush sofa. She is reading a story from a popup book about wolves. Deciding not to distract her, or her audience of babies, I move off to the right.
Beta Tom is quietly at an oak desk, pouring over a treaty.
“Elena.” Beta Tom calls to me, so I take a seat across from him.
“Tom, what is wrong?”
“They wish to implement orphanages like this one on every corner of the globe. We will have to clear out some of the kids for the royalty that will come and study us.”
“Why? They should see us working at full capacity.”
Beta Tom nods. “King Harvey believes so too, Elena, but it may overwhelm them.”
“They are not human, Tom. The other royals can handle this.”
Beta Tom’s head bows for a moment as he takes in a deep breath. “The humans wish to start first, to see you.”
“Fine, let them!”
Beta Tom nods and returns to the treaty.
A stick hand on my foot makes me look down, I see one of the werewolf toddlers has escaped his crib. He babbles happily at my feet, crawling from one foot to another. We have him wear small little blue gloves that match his onesie, so he doesn’t scratch himself or anyone else by accident.
His name is Robin, having been given to us days ago. Both his parents got sick and passed on. Harvey and I are looking into the disease to protect our people.
“Robin!” I say happily and I scoop him into my arms.
The healthy weight of his body and chubby little face makes my heart sing. His soft light brown hair reminds me of Harvey, and when he happily dissolves into baby laughter, my heart breaks.
I wish we had our own.
He wraps his sticky little arms around my neck and dangles from me, giggling. I have learned to let the werewolf babies climb. It is simply who they are.
Soon, Robin is crawling on my back and ruffling my hair as if it is a nest and I allow it just because he is laughing.
Wandering through the orphanage, I see everyone is still either playing or with Emily. It is best if I go outside to check on everyone.
Doris has all the kids out, at all ages now sitting on the stone outside of the orphanage under the shade as she explains how to make a greeting card.
The point of this orphanage is to also teach them small skills that they can use, no matter if they werewolf or human.
When I slip out, every head turns at once.
“Mother Elena!” I hear all the kids yell at once as they dash off to greet me.
The werewolf children get to me first, but the human children push and shove their way through with the best of them. Soon, I am speaking to each kid over and over, asking how everything is. My heart starts to beat rapidly, and my head turns to the back door.
Harvey automatically appears, holding both Jet and June in his arms.
“Children, step back.” Harvey says firmly, cutting through the noise.
They all do as he says.
Gently, he puts the two kids down and places a hand on my stomach as a red orb starts to glow from it.
He says nothing, and I am too terrified to speak.
“Soon.” Harvey says so softly I am afraid only I can hear it.
“Soon?” I whisper.
“Very, very soon.” Harvey adds, then picks me up and kisses me.
“Oh!! Finally!!” I scream joyously as I bury my face in his neck to cry.
I hear the rest of the children cheering and it only makes me cry harder.
I will be carrying our first child soon.
This is all I have ever wanted.
