Eero's perspective.
I closed the door behind me and bit my lower lip.
"I'm here. It's okay, you can cry. You don't have to fake a strong facade. I know what you're feeling," my wolf said to me.
Within a snap, the emptiness that's been consuming me for quite some time lightens up as I see Perseus sleeping peacefully on our bed with his animal-printed pairs of pajamas. I dropped my bag on the dresser, then removed the stilettos I was wearing, and slowly walked closer to the bed.
I placed a feather-light kiss on his forehead, which caused him to wake up from sleep.
"Mama?" Perseus gently called.
"Hey, did I make you wait for too long? I'm sorry. I just got home, baby," I said to him.
From lying down. Perseus suddenly sat up to hug me tightly. At that time, I realized that no matter how heavy the problem that the world gives me, I can handle it, and it will always seem to be nothing as long as I am with my son
"Claudius and you didn't end up together, but you'll always be thankful to him for giving you Perseus. Our pup gave us a new reason to continue living, to thrive, and be a better shifter," my wolf commented, which I immediately agreed on.
"I'm sleepy, Mama," Perseus whispered. I smiled at him, then let him go back to bed to sleep.
"Good night, Perseus, I love you," I whispered to him even though he wouldn't hear it anymore cause he was back in dreamland.
The next day came, and I woke up earlier to get ready to return to the realm.
I stopped applying my make-up to pick up my cell phone when it suddenly rang—an unknown number registered as the caller's ID. Before Perseus woke up because of the sound of my cell phone, I answered it and walked to the balcony.
"Hello?" I asked, frowning
"Eero, I'm waiting in the parking lot of your condo." My forehead furrowed. I moved the cell phone away from my ear to look at the cellphone's screen again, then put it back to my ear again.
"Claudius?" He chuckled from the other line, and I almost choked.
"How did he get my number? When and from whom did you get my number?" I demanded to him.
"Also, how did you find out that I live here? What the? Have you been stalking me?" I asked him angrily.
Capsian suddenly crossed my mind. Caspian already knows that I lied about Perseus's death."Could it be that Caspian told Claudius about the truth that Perseus is still alive, and that is the reason why he's here? Because he wants to see his son?" I asked my wolf.
"If that annoying shifter did tell Claudius, I'll fucking stitch his lousy mouth and kill him!" I added.
I hung up and almost tripped in my haste to leave the condo.
When I reached the basement parking lot, I didn't know where Claudius was or which car he was using now among the many cars parked there, so I had to look around.
My eyes stopped at a black Maserati after the front passenger seat door opened. I breathed in deeply and took a cautious step towards the luxurious car that was screaming how well his lifestyle was now, ten times better than how it was before.
"You were fast. I thought I'd have to wait more than an hour for you to get ready," Claudius commented.
I rolled my eyes at him, "As if you'll wait for that long. I know you. If there is one thing you hate the most. It's waiting," I said, recalling how he was in the past.
I settled myself on the car's leather seat and closed the door.
"Why did you come here?"
Claudius put his hands on the car's steering wheel, then made a strange low sound that indicated his mockery of me.
My eyes remained on a particular spot, not wanting to look and make eye contact with him. It'll do me no good.
"I picked you up to take you to the realm. To make sure that you'll be at your adoptive father's funeral. Miguel wouldn't mind, right?" Claudius said in a very offending manner.
I looked at him, shocked and disgusted, but when our eyes met, I immediately regretted what I did.
Like before, his stare is like a scorching sun melting me, like how the ray of that heavenly body melts a block of ice effortlessly.
"Migs will surely don't mind, but Adeline? Your fated mate will surely do!" I spat at him. Claudius gave me an insolent smile.
"Did you think that I had claimed Adeline as my mate? And that we are in a relationship now?" Claudius mocked me.
"We are not in a relationship. We are just friends, Eero." Claudius lifted my chin, guiding me to look at him, but I hit his hand, which made him chuckle.
"Why? Did you get jealous when you saw us together the other day?" He asked.
"Why would I be jealous? Of course, I'm not! Plus, I'm married!" I said, showing him my ring.
Claudius revved up the car's engine, but before maneuvering the steering wheel, he turned to me.
"Oh bloody hell, I forgot how you love to play around," I whispered.
He was sporting a teasing smirk. Claudius took my breath away.
"What did you say?" Claudius asked, but I remained quiet.
"Stop talking as if you know how playful I am based on your experience. Of all the girls I've been with, you have no right to talk like that because I took you seriously," he said.
"Seriously? That's why you're here—just left me and our pup like that, huh? You said you'll never leave me alone again, that you'll be by my side, but you left. I needed to be, but you ran away like a coward." I mocked him. Claudius's jaw tightened, and I saw how his grip on the steering wheel of his Maserati got tighter.
"You left and let me fend for myself, you selfish cunt!"