Madeline:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five Years Later:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the award for the best research doctor goes to Madeline Sawyer\u201d The crowd erupted in cheers at the announcement.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled as I stood in my office, twirling a pen between my fingers while watching the replay of yesterday\u2019s ceremony. I did not attend the ceremony but I received my award later with gifts and bouquets.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t the same Madeline people once knew. When I first came to the human world, I was a hopeless teenager without a home. Now, I carried an empire on my shoulders. Some even called me the queen of the human land.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wore a gray suit with a pencil skirt and high stilettos. My hair was perfectly curled, my makeup flawless. I kept a stylist and makeup artist on standby both at home and at the office, not out of vanity, but because my schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings. People praised me constantly, and magazines never stopped putting my face on their covers.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
My personal assistant, the one I couldn\u2019t fire for many reasons, sat in front of me watching me smile at the TV until I shut it off and gave him my attention.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this, Mr. Bruno?\u201d I asked, pointing at the file on the table.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are concerns in the werewolf community. A disease is spreading, and they\u2019ve sent us emails and letters requesting your attention,\u201d he said, adjusting his suit.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was the tenth time we\u2019d had this conversation, and my answer was always the same.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd why do you have a file prepared for this? You know we don\u2019t work well with them. They cast us out. Every human here was once from a werewolf land, thrown out because we didn\u2019t have active wolves, because we were too weak to stay. And now that they want our attention, you\u2019re preparing files for them?\u201d I snapped, reminding him how much it angered me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeline, I\u2019m not saying you\u2019re wrong about their hostility toward those the alphas considered unfit, but there are plenty of those that weren\u2019t as harsh as the Pack officials or the council,\u201d Mr. Bruno said, shifting in his seat.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo don\u2019t think you\u2019re trying to help the alphas but those helpless creatures, those who were once our loved ones. I\u2019m pretty sure everyone here left someone behind who wasn\u2019t the reason they were leaving.\u201d he took a brief pause.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I want you to help the werewolf land,\u201d he said, point-blank. \u201cIn return, they are offering us a great deal of help,\u201d he added with a smile and I raised my eyebrows.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp? What makes them think we want their help? We\u2019re doing far better here than we were there. We don\u2019t need anything from them,\u201d I hissed, staring him in the eye.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget, Mr. Bruno, I\u2019m the head of the research institute for a reason. I know what I\u2019m doing. Take the file and discard it. We will not be sending them any help. Do you hear me?\u201d I slid the file back to him after delivering my decision.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned back in my chair, rocking slightly as I watched his face tighten. He did not understand the simplest thing. The last time they sent help, they sent expired goods that made our people sick. They\u2019d only changed the labels, falsely marking them \u201csafe\u201d and extending the expiry dates.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After that, we refused their help. It\u2019s been three years since we\u2019ve asked for anything from them. Humans have learned to fight back. When I arrived, I realized the stories about human suffering were lies. This place was much better for us, the weak ones, than the werewolf land.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he finally left, I sighed and stood, straightening my suit. My office was on the third floor, with a private door that connected directly to my condo. I opened it, stepped inside, and hurried downstairs. Someone special was arriving.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the door I stood with my hands resting on my abdomen, a wide smile on my lips. The maids and staff had gathered, holding refreshments and anything that might be needed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened and three little children rushed in, their school bags bouncing as they ran toward me, grinning from ear to ear.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knelt down in my stilettos and spread my arms. They crashed into me and I wrapped them in a tight hug.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, you look so good in grey,\u201d my daughter said, her bright green eyes shining.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled at them and then looked at all three. For a moment the same hesitation I always felt crept over me. They carried their fathers\u2019 features too clearly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even need a DNA test to know who their fathers were. It was a shock when they were born. Ellara, with her blue eyes, was Elgin\u2019s daughter, Gina\u2019s sparkling green eyes came from Graham, and Bodhi, with his grey eyes, resembled Baxter.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
None of that mattered; they weren\u2019t their fathers\u2019 children, they were mine. I would never tell anyone they were those alphas\u2019 kids, they\u2019d be called freaks for being born at the same time carrying different DNA\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I carried them to their shared bedroom on the second floor. For now I didn\u2019t want them to have separate rooms, I wanted them to grow close and build their bond.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girls\u2019 beds were in the corners and Bodhi\u2019s was in the middle, each bed beneath a large window. The room was spacious, filled with every toy they could ever want.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After they changed, Bodhi sat while I fixed his hair. That\u2019s when I noticed Ellara and Gina standing together, whispering.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going to share it with Mommy?\u201d I asked, smiling.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellara stepped forward. \u201cActually, Bodhi was in a lot of pain today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her meek voice froze me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy, what happened?\u201d I set the comb down and cupped his face. He looked pale, his usual energy gone. Normally, Bodhi was loud, playful, always carrying his sisters\u2019 school bags inside.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he kept hearing wolves howling. But Mommy! there weren\u2019t any wolves,\u201d Gina spoke softly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hit me like ice. My chest tightened, and all I could think about were the emails I\u2019d ignored. The werewolf council had warned me of a strange illness spreading among their young.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many were hearing howls before their wolves awakened too early, and then dying because of it.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fear clawed through me. For the first time, I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake by refusing to help them.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed my kids for every detail about Bodhi. After gathering what I needed, I helped them with food, tucked them in for a nap, and rushed back to my office.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After I called Mr. Bruno in with the file, I snatched it from him, shot him a look, and sat down to flip through the pages. The symptoms matched Bodhi\u2019s exactly. My chest rose and fell as panic set in.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of children who have died,\u201d I said quietly, trying to steady my breath.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, many,\u201d he confirmed, taking a seat. \u201cIs that why you\u2019re suddenly interested? Because you\u2019re a mother\u2014\u201d He stopped when I gave him a sharp look. At least he had given me a cover story.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they mention any treatments or a way to delay the deaths?\u201d I asked, watching him closely. He shook his head sadly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve found a temporary solution, but they refuse to share it with us unless we help them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Terror gripped me because that meant the only way was to help them now.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we will help them,\u201d I said, trying to cover the hesitation in my voice.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bruno studied me, clearly trying to figure out why my attitude had changed so suddenly, why my face had gone pale, but he had no idea.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
My children meant everything to me. If I had to work with the same people who ruined me, I would, as long as it saved Bodhi. I needed their temporary solution so I could create a permanent cure.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cActually,\u201d Bruno added, clearing his throat, \u201cthey don\u2019t want help from here. They want you to visit, stay there, and work with them on their terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my fists under the file. Bodhi\u2019s symptoms pointed to initial stage. How had I missed it? Tears stung my eyes and guilt hit me hard. What kind of mother doesn\u2019t notice when her child is slipping away?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a sharp breath, nodded, and straightened my posture.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPrepare the ships. We leave in two days,\u201d I announced, taking a bold step for my children.<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Madeline: \u00a0 Five Years Later: \u00a0 \u201cAnd the award for the best research doctor goes to Madeline Sawyer\u201d The crowd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19000\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}