Chapter 8 Little Man

• I woke up the next morning having Sander, not in my arms. I panicked and got up from the single bed where we both slept.
• "Sander?" I went to the dining room to see brown-colored bread, made from barley flour with rye, on the table. Then I heard a hissing sound coming from a pan and saw Sander's small back and messy golden hair locks inherited from mine. "Sander..." I called when I found out that he was cooking.
• My son named Sander stiffened before he turned around and smiled. "Good morning, Mama!" He instantly hugged me.
• I hugged him so tight and carried him in my arms. "You're cooking for Mama again, little man." I checked what he was cooking and saw that he was cooking some salmon. Upon finding it out, I couldn't help kissing his forehead as I felt a little bad that he was doing this for me. I must be the one who must do this to him but it turned out to be otherwise.
• "I woke up early, Mama, to catch a salmon in the river for our morning meal!" He beamed.
• I lifted him down and knelt before him. "I must be the one doing this work as your mother, not you, Sander," I said softly.
• He was always like this. Ever since he easily learned to cook, he would always wake up early and cook for me.
• And the fact that he was just six years old that would turn seven in the next few months.
• "Mmm." Sander shook his head which made his hair locks go along with him shaking it. "Mama, I want to help you. Mama is always tired when she goes home so late. I want to do something for Mama."
• I sighed, teary-eyed. "Sander..." I hugged and kissed his cheek. "My little man... You're too mature for my own good." I felt like I did not deserve to be his mother. I also couldn't believe that I carried this little man for three months and gave birth to this world. He was really too mature.
• "I will protect you, Mama," my son said and hugged me back.
• Sander... Sander was a child who learned everything with just one glance. He learned to speak before he reached a year old. He even knew how to sew even though he was only just watching me. He even knew how to clean even though I didn't teach him. He even knew how to catch a fish by using his wolf form even though I taught him to use a fishing rod.
• Yes, Sander had his wolf form by the age of five.
• Supposedly, an average person could only transform to his or her wolf form at the age of eighteen. However, Sander was different.
• There was also a reason why he could transform so early.
• Sander has the blood of... an Alpha... that runs in his veins. That was the reason. There was no doubt about that. He really was the son of... Desmond.
• And my son didn't know that. He didn't know that he had that blood running through his veins. I only told him that he was a child prodigy that could surpass the limit of an average werewolf and that we were peasants or simply we were rogues that do not belong to any pack.
• Sander had no idea that he was a son of an Alpha. I hadn't told him about how I absconded from the Rising Diamond pack because of the painful experiences I had because of Desmond's action.
• "You're such a sweet boy, my little man. Let Mama handle this and make amends with you, alright?" I winced his hair which made him "Also, today is my day off," I informed him.
• Sander gasped. "Really, Mama?" I nodded. "I-I want to go out with you, Mama!" He hugged my thigh and looked up at me with his pleading look. "Pretty please..." he pleaded.
• "Amusement park or seaside? Pick and we shall go out to eat there." I flipped the salmon before I faced my son with a smile.
• He was about to answer when he suddenly remembered. "B-But Mama... How about the money you will use for it? Can we not pack our food?"
• I inhaled sharply when I got teary-eyed because my son was thinking about the money that I was going to spend. It ached my heart that my son had to think this way.
• I would try to sell a few of the jewelry I had. I already decided that we must live in a decent flat. But before doing that, I must be careful because those jewelry were one of a kind. It meant that Desmond personally made the designs just for me.
• That was... how he expressed his love for me. That was how Desmond showed his devotion to his mate.
• I knelt on one knee and gently poked his nose. "Do not worry about it. We only go out once in a while. I can use the one I am saving in my reserve fund."
• There was a worried expression on his face. "Mama... I am selfish. Let's not go out anymore." He hugged me.
• I smiled that he was being considerate. "Sshh... Perhaps, I haven't told you about the other reserve funds I got." I lifted him again in my arms before I finished frying the salmon and placed them on our platter.
• "Other reserve funds?" He blinked.
• "Uh-huh." I nodded. "I never touch it because I want to save it in case you get sick and Mama does not know what to do about how to treat you." I put him down in his seat before I took the sorrel leaves, water, and sugar to make some sorrel sauce for our fried salmon.
• Sander only had a perplexed expression. It also meant that he didn't expect I would ever have one. I only chuckled while I was grinding the three ingredients before I used a linen cloth to squeeze it into the salmon.
• "Eat up, little man." I urged him.
• "Mama..." He looked at me, looking worried.
• I sighed and smiled again. Should I tell him a fairy tale? "Do you want to hear a story?"
• He tilted his head. "Story?" I nodded. "What story, Mama?"
• I clasped my hands together when I put my elbows on the table. "It is about the Luna who found her prince charming and ran away," I started.