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Leanna Avery

Eight years later

“Finn! Finn Avery, you put down that box right now!”

My seven-year-old flinches before looking over his shoulder at me sheepishly. “Mom. You’re awake.”

I flick on the lights of the kitchen to see my son standing on a stool, the snacks cupboard open and a box of wafers in his hands. “Of course I’m awake. You knocked over two lamps on your way to the kitchen. You could wake the dead with how much noise you make.”

“I was hungry.”

“Oh, you were, were you?” I narrow my eyes at him. “Would this have anything to do with the fact that you shifted while I was out tonight and wreaked havoc in the house? Nice job trying to tape up the painting you ripped.”

His mouth moves like a fish’s before he finally mutters, “Saw that, did you?”

“Yes, I did. How many times do I have to tell you not to shift when I’m not home?”

I pluck the snack box from his hand, put it back in the cupboard, and close the door. Lifting him from the stool, I set him down on the ground. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Can we have meat?” he asks eagerly as I open the fridge.

“That’s what I was going to give you.” I take out some beef tenderloins and heat up the wok. I toss some frozen vegetables into the pan after the beef has cooked through, stir-frying it with some sauces. There’s a packet of pre-boiled noodles that find their way in there, as well.

My son perches on the kitchen counter, watching me. “You were out really late, Mom. You were supposed to tuck me in and read to me from the storybook. Maya doesn’t read it like you do.”

“I know.” I kiss him on the nose. “I had something to do. I figured you would be asleep by now. Didn’t Maya tuck you in?”

“I wasn’t tired.” He kicks his small legs back and forth, looking eagerly at the food.

“You didn’t shift in front of her, did you?” I frown at him.

He looks guilty. “She just wanted to see how fast I could run. We were careful!”

My jaw tenses. “Finn, I don’t want you revealing your form in front of her unnecessarily. I want you to be careful. You shouldn’t trust just anybody.”

“But Maya isn’t just anybody. She’s our friend,” my son argues.

I can understand his attachment to the human veterinarian and researcher. Maya was my roommate when I first came here. She had just graduated and joined a clinic. We were both tight on funds, so the arrangement worked well for us. And then it continued for three years, so Finn grew up around her.

I know Maya would never hurt Finn, but I also know how curious she is about our kind. Her favorite pastime is playing with my son in his wolf form. She likes to study him.

I stroke his dark hair, pushing it back to reveal his forehead. “Yes, she is. But you have to trust me. Maya may be our friend, but she’s not one of us. Next time, even if she asks you to, don’t shift.”

I pluck out one of the beef strips and blow on it before popping it in my son’s mouth. He nods as he chews on it happily.

“Now, go sit at the table. I’ll bring you your snack and something to drink.”

He hops down from the counter and scurries to the kitchen table. I plate the food before pouring him a glass of water.

Being a single parent is not easy. It has been an emotional rollercoaster. As I watch my child eat, though, I feel grateful. I glance out the window of our small house that I bought four years ago. The dark night makes me think about how I got here.

Eight years have passed, and never once have I taken my freedom and this life that I built for granted. The human world is so different from the other side of the Veil. Nobody cares who I am. Effort is recognized. Hard work gives you status and power.

When I came here, I had no form of identification. I simply did not exist in this world. I had no formal education of the human realm’s kind, but I could read and write. I had to look for a job. I had to find a place to live. I had to eat.

Yet even after everything I have achieved, I know I owe the foundations of who I am to Erik Wild. If I hadn’t run into him when I did, things would be very different now.

I owe Erik a lot. The king of the Human Wolf Kingdom had no reason to help me, but he did. He gave me identification documents and papers that showed I had the basic education required to work in this world. He didn’t hold my hand. He didn’t spoon-feed me. He simply gave me the tools to survive, and I did the rest myself. But even for that much, I owe him. There is nothing in this world that I take for granted. Not even kindness.

“I’m going to go wash up, Finn. Finish your food and then head to bed. I’ll come tuck you in. And we’ll read that story.”

His mouth full, he nods. I run my fingers through his hair before I walk away.

With his dark hair and amber eyes, my son is the spitting image of his father.

It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thinking of Cedric doesn’t cause that ache in my chest like it used to. I’ve made peace with my past. And I’m grateful for the one gift he gave me: my son.

In my bedroom, I strip off my clothes. My shirt smells of motor oil, and I frown when my sensitive nose twitches. I’m going to have to throw this in the wash.

Crawling under cars to remove trackers may not be the most elegant act, but it’s part of my job.

Being a private investigator is not easy work, but I’ve managed to create a niche for myself. A wolf shifter PI is very much demand. It’s amazing how many of my kind have small problems like cheating spouses and land disputes. Only when I came here did I learn that shifters are no different from humans when it comes to their problems.

My fees are ridiculously high, but wolf shifters are happy to pay to retain my services. Of all the things I expected to become, a private eye wasn’t one of them. But then, I never expected to become a mother, either. I never expected that I would be able to live independently.

Life has thrown a lot of curveballs at me, but I’m finally content. As I put my clothes in the hamper, my eyes fall to my bed. On one side, there’s a pile of pillows.

That’s one habit I haven’t been able to shake off. A habit that Cedric created. I have a hard time sleeping without something to hold on to.

Eight years.

I wonder if he’s happy with Vivian. They must have had some children by now.

A strange numbness spreads within me at the thought.

I’ve been very careful to avoid any conversations regarding the realm beyond the Veil. I try not to move in any circles that have wolf shifters. Humans are safer to interact with. They don’t know who I am, and they don’t much care. My bloodline doesn’t matter to them.

A part of me is still fearful that one day I will be recognized and my life will be stripped from me. I haven’t forgotten Bella’s threat against my child. Back then, she didn’t know I was pregnant, but if she ever finds out I was, I have a sick feeling that she will do something horrible to Finn.

I have taken so many precautions. I didn’t have to change my name because there were a lot of people called Leanna. Humans. But I did alter my hair. I chopped it off and dyed it a light shade of brown. I also changed my manner of speaking. I let it become more casual and less refined.

I tried to dye Finn’s hair, too, but the color never held. And I couldn’t exactly force my son to wear contact lenses at such a young age to disguise his prominent eye color. Once he is older and I’ve accumulated enough money, I plan to move us even further away, deeper into the human world.

I would never have taken on wolf shifters as clients if it weren’t for Erik. Initially, he asked me for a favor, and when the matter I looked into was resolved, he began recommending me. Every time I tell him not to, he nods agreeably, and then before I know it, I have somebody else at my office with a matter “that simply cannot have anybody else looking into it.”

I have a strange relationship with the king of the Human Wolf Kingdom. I don’t really consider us friends, but he thinks we’re close. He’s the only one who knows who my son’s true father is. I’m lucky that Erik is determined to protect me. I don’t care what his reasons are. As long as I have his protection, nobody can touch me.

I walk into the bathroom, and I see the large scar across my back. It has never healed. Wounds received from the magical, mutated monsters roaming around the Veil can be life-threatening. They don’t heal like other injuries. I still don’t know how I lived through that night. Thanks to Freya’s bracelet, even though I was bleeding and badly injured, I managed to crawl through the Veil.

This scar is a reminder that I survived. Would I have struggled so much had I not known about the child in my womb? I don’t have the answer to that.

I step into the shower and wash off the grime of the day. I hate leaving Finn by himself. Maya always comes over when I need her to, but I worry about whether I’m neglecting my son. He seems pretty well-adjusted. He’s a happy child, and he doesn’t mind me putting in extra hours. But I’m all he has, and I cannot shake off the guilt when I come home sometimes and he’s already in bed.

I do make sure that I always pick him up from school myself. And that we have breakfast and lunch together. It’s just the other stuff that I have to miss out on occasionally. When he was very young, I would take him with me on stakeouts, and he would sleep in the car, completely comfortable. But as he grew older and more curious, I didn’t want to expose him to the darker sides of the world.

Finally clean, I put on my pajamas and open my bedroom door. My son is there, pacing the hallway impatiently with a book in his hand.

“Why do you take so long, Mom?” he complains before grabbing my arm and pulling me into his room. My hair is still wet, but I let it be.

Sliding into his bed with him, I hold him in my arms. “Come on. Let’s read you that story.”

He snuggles into me, resting his cheek on my chest, his arms encircling me, and I begin reading. It’s an adventure story about two heroes who go exploring the world to take down the mighty dragon. I’m only one page in when I hear soft snoring coming from the child in my arms. He is conked out and completely wrapped around me.

Sighing, I kiss his forehead. “You sleep like your father, all arms and legs.”

It’s easier to slip out of his grasp than Cedric’s, though. Once I’m sure he’s not going to wake up, I head to my room. It’s ten o’clock; I still have an hour to write my report. I secure my gun in my desk drawer and make sure all the doors are locked. It doesn’t take me long to send the report to the client. Closing the laptop—one of many incredible human inventions—I decide to make myself a cup of hot chocolate.

When I came home two hours ago, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep without even changing my clothes or cleaning up the mess I had walked into. But that hour-long nap has me feeling more like myself, and while the hot chocolate is heating, I straighten up the living room.

After starting a fire in the fireplace, I settle down in the armchair, warm cup in hand, my legs tucked under me. Another rarity in the human world. They prefer their heaters to fires. Safety hazards, they claim.

They’re right. I would never let Finn sit near the fire like this at his age. But I love it. I don’t know why it comforts me. I stare at the flickering flames as they blend with each other, shades of blue, orange, and yellow. Maybe I’m still holding on to parts of my past.

I don’t want to sleep yet, my mind buzzing with the contents of the report I just sent. The client who hired me is madly in love with her husband and mate. But she has become suspicious of his relationship with her younger sister. Tonight, I removed the tracker from his car. He has been visiting the sister’s house multiple times a week. My client is going to be heartbroken. According to her, her mate had been in love with her younger sister, but she rejected him. He then pursued my client, who fell in love with him. And now, her sister wants him because—

I don’t even know why she wants him. But I can understand how my client must feel.

I felt the same way, knowing my fated mate chose another over me, going so far as to order my death. The agony of learning how worthless I was in Cedric’s eyes never really went away. I moved on, but the memory is painful. The torture that he ordered and his hatred for me still cut me deeply. The bright side is that I’m no longer Princess Vivian’s shadow. I am Leanna. I am a mother. I am a PI. I have friends. I don’t have to bow my head in front of anyone or lean on anybody for survival. I am enough.

My hot chocolate is going cold, and I’m about to sip it when I hear a knock at the door. Frowning, I look at the time before going to check the security camera. When I see the person standing there, I let out a sigh. Of course it would be him at this hour.

I open the door. “Your Majesty.”

Erik Wild is not as tall as my mate. But he’s bigger than me, and he has an imposing presence that commands respect. He eyes the hot chocolate I’m holding. “I see you were expecting me.”

Plucking the mug from my hand, he enters the house with the ease of a person who has been here several times before.

“That was mine,” I mutter.

He takes a drink of the hot chocolate and looks displeased. “It’s cold.”

“Let me make you a new one,” I say reluctantly.

“Coffee, please.” He follows me into the kitchen. “Where’s Finn?”

“Sleeping. Surely you didn’t expect him to be awake at this hour?”

“This hour?” He checks his watch and looks surprised. “I thought it was before nine. I guess I got caught up with work.”

As I start the coffeemaker, I ask, “What brings you here?”

“There’s been another kidnapping.” His voice is low, and a shiver runs down my spine. I was afraid of that.

Lately, there’s been a string of wolf shifters going missing. At first, it was assumed that they had simply taken off, but no one could come up with any explanation as to why they would have done so.

“This would be the fourth case since—”

“Since Harold,” Erik finishes. “Yes.”

“Who is it this time?”

“A couple of juveniles. They were on their way to meet some friends. Never showed up. This was three days ago. I just got the information this afternoon and ordered a search of the general area of the path they should have taken. We found their belongings. Phones and wallets.”

“Teenagers,” I murmur, feeling sick to my stomach. “And you’re sure they didn’t just run off on their own?”

Erik shakes his head. While I process this new information, he opens the fridge and peeks inside. “Finn told me you had lasagna yesterday.”

“Stop talking to my son when I’m not around,” I say irritably. “And focus on the topic at hand, please.”

Erik takes out a hunk of cheddar cheese and bites into it. The man has the weirdest tastes. When he looks at me, however, his eyes are tense. “We wouldn’t even know about these kidnappings if it weren’t for Harold’s case. If word spreads, chaos will follow.”

I silently agree.

A year ago, one of Erik’s advisors went missing. Nobody noticed his absence till a few days had passed. He was an important part of Erik’s internal circle, and his disappearance sparked a massive manhunt. Unfortunately, not even Erik’s best trackers were able to locate him. It was almost as if Harold walked out of his house one evening to go get something to eat at a local diner and simply disappeared. He never reached the diner, according to the staff there. And since Harold was single, with no romantic partner, it took a while for anybody to figure out that he was missing.

I watch Erik munch on the cheese, my brain working in overdrive. I was the one who ultimately found Harold, and then, I stumbled upon the case of another missing shifter. And then another. All after Harold’s disappearance.

I cross my arms over my chest. “Surely, you didn’t come here to tell me about the missing teenagers.”

Erik studies me intently. “I know you’ve been looking into the other cases, even though I told you not to.”

I turn my gaze away guiltily.

He sighs. “I’m forming an investigative task force, Leanna. I want you to head it.”

My head whips back to face him. “No. I have a child to think of, Erik. You can’t drag me into this. You know what happened to the two shifters you had looking into these matters, and they were from your own intelligence unit.”

“You’re already looking into these matters,” Erik points out. “And we don’t know that my men were killed because of their involvement with these cases. They were working on other investigations, too.”

I shake my head. “I can’t risk it. Helping you unofficially is one thing. I don’t draw attention. But if you drag me into this in an official capacity…Finn has no one in this world but me, Erik.”

“He has me.” Erik arches his eyebrows. “If anything happens to you, he won’t be abandoned.”

I stare at him. “So, you do think something’s going to happen to me if I investigate this matter?”

A flicker of a smile crosses his lips. “No, I don’t. But I do want you to lead the team. You’re the only wolf shifter who works as a private investigator. My intelligence team is gathering information, but they’re used to dealing with intra-kingdom relationship investigations. I can give you as many people as you need to do your ground work for you. You don’t have to be at the forefront of anything.”

I shake my head. “I can’t. I can’t take the risk.”

His eyes tighten. “You owe me.”

My blood turns cold. “Do you plan to use that every time you need something from me?”

He shrugs. “If I have to. This is serious, Leanna. I wouldn’t come to you if it weren’t.”

I hesitate, knowing what I’m about to say next is definitely going to piss off the man looking at me so expectantly.

“Erik—Your Majesty—”

His brows knit together at my formal tone. “I don’t think I’m going to like where this is going.”

“You’re not.” I try to keep my voice firm. Erik has a wolf’s nose for weaknesses, and if I give him any leeway, he’s going to make sure he corners me until I give him what he wants. “I’ve paid my dues to wolf society, to the Human Wolf Kingdom. I have already made my feelings clear to you about being involved in your world. I don’t want to belong to this realm of shifters. I just want to live with my son in the human world, where I can protect him.”

I press my lips together as Erik’s eyes narrow. When faced with the king, I feel slightly intimated. Eight years of clawing my way to where I am has been good for my confidence and self-esteem, but I can’t shake off who I was for so long.

“If you drag me into this, Sire, you’re dragging me back into a world where I can be hurt, where my son can be harmed. There are people who would do anything to get their hands on him and kill him simply because of the mixed blood running through his veins. I already have more visibility among my own kind than I would like. You can’t ask me to jeopardize Finn’s safety.”

Erik studies me, his fingers drumming a beat on the table. The stretch of silence that follows my words makes me tense.

“What if I guarantee his safety?” he finally says. “What if I guarantee that Cedric Raine, or his mate, or even the noble families working for the Northern Wolf Kingdom will never be able to touch you or your child? What if I give him imperial protection?”

My heart thunders in my chest. Imperial protection? Why would he go that far? “How can you even do that? Even if you say he’s under your protection, it doesn’t mean those who want us gone will stop. There are assassins and—”

“I can adopt him.”

His simple words have me clutching the edge of the kitchen counter. “What?”

He shrugs as if he hasn’t dropped a huge bombshell on me. “It’s something I’ve been considering for a while now. I don’t have a mate, and I need to secure an heir. If I don’t have a child, I will have to nominate somebody as my successor. It has been years since Griffin disappeared. If he doesn’t return, then I need an heir, Leanna. Why not a child who is already of royal blood?”

Griffin Wild.

Erik’s older brother, the true king of the Human Wolf Kingdom. He went missing a year before my first visit to the human world as Vivian. It’s been close to fifteen years now. I know Erik has never stopped looking for him. But what he’s suggesting has me reeling.

“You want to adopt Finn?!” I gape at him, still not able to fully comprehend the idea.

“Where’s the harm in it?” he asks, his eyes glinting. “He’s already somewhat attached to me.”

“Because you gave him your personal number—” I begin.

“And he’s a smart kid, he’s got potential, and he doesn’t have a father figure. Let’s face it, Leanna.” Erik gets to his feet and approaches me. “Cedric is never going to claim the child, and you know it. If Finn’s true parentage is revealed, he will be in danger. If I claim him as my own love child—”

I visibly shudder at the idea, and he looks amused.

“Now you’re just hurting my feelings.”

I run my hands over my face. “This is definitely not a conversation to be had at midnight.” Lowering my hands, I gaze at him. “You’ve clearly thought about this in detail.”

He moves his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, his eyes still sharp. “I’m not completely unaware of the events on the other side of the Veil. I know Cedric took the real Princess Vivian as his mate. The very first time you came here, I knew you weren’t Vivian. I know the real princess. Before he disappeared, Griffin had been considering sending a proposal of marriage to her, to unite the two kingdoms. So, when I met you back then, I knew you were not her. But you were an ideal candidate for queen. You had received all the training, you had the necessary education, and—”

“And I’m somebody else’s mate,” I point out, quietly now. “Erik, are you proposing to me? Because let me tell you, I will not live in her shadow anymore. In the eight years I’ve lived here, you haven’t once asked me what happened. You asked me my real name. That’s it. It makes sense now that you were never curious. You already knew.” My fingers tighten on the edge of the marble counter as I look at him and try to stay composed. “Since you know what happened to me, you should know how I would feel about what you are suggesting. I consider you somewhat of a friend, so don’t try to use me like I’ve been used before. I’m grateful to you, Erik, but I will not let you or anybody else put me in that same position again. I am Leanna. I’m not Vivian. I will not pretend to be Vivian again.”

Erik gives me a small smile when I run out of steam. “Are you done?”

I narrow my eyes at him.

“I don’t need another Princess Vivian.” He puts his hands on my shoulders. “I don’t want you to be her substitute or a copy. I need an heir, and your son needs someone to protect him. It would be very strange if I were to bring an unknown child into the palace and declare him the heir. If I reveal his true heritage, I’m sure the elders will accept him since he is of royal blood, but it will start a war between the Northern Wolf Kingdom and the Human Wolf Kingdom. But if it’s revealed that he is the result of an affair, not only will it be easier to protect him, but you will also not have to worry about his true identity ever being revealed.”

I consider his words. He’s making sense. If I pass Finn off as Erik’s child, I can guarantee my son’s safety. “What about me then? If you do this, where do I go? I won’t leave Finn in the palace alone. I—”

Erik tightens his grip on my shoulders, his eyes intense. “That’s your choice to make. You can either be known as my former lover or we can officially become mates—which would be convenient for me since I’d be able to shut the elders up about my single status. Plus, Cedric would never be able to touch you.”

His words send me reeling.

“Your mate?” My body feels cold, my wolf rejecting the notion completely. “Erik, after what I’ve been through, I don’t think I can—”

“It will just be in name,” he coaxes. “You won’t have to work, and—”

“I built this life, Erik.” I shake off his hands, my heart quivering. “I worked hard to get where I am. I won’t be locked in some palace again. I can’t be.”

“That’s fine.” Erik pacifies me. “We don’t have to do that. Honestly, an heir is enough. But I will have to claim you as a former lover.”

If I agree to say I’m his former lover, my son will be protected, and I will never again have to worry about Cedric or Bella or even Vivian harming him.

“You don’t have to make a decision today,” Erik says gently. “Come to the palace in a week. Bring Finn. I’ll explain everything more clearly. But if you accept, then you have to join the investigative team as its leader.”

I place a cup of coffee in front of him, trying to organize my thoughts.

On the one hand, it is my son’s guaranteed safety. But on the other hand, I will have to get involved in the wolf shifter society. Something I’ve been very reluctant to do.

My heart tightens in my chest, anxiety budding up within me. “If—If I say yes, you’ll have to swear to keep Finn safe if anything happens to me. No matter what.”

Erik’s eyes turn warm. “Of course. But nothing is going to happen to you.”

“And what if I ask you to keep my identity a secret?”

He stares at me and then bursts into laughter. “I never took you to be a negotiator.”

I’m silent.

When his laughter fades, he gives me a considering look. “Do you want your identity to be kept secret?”

I nod.

“Then it can be done.”

My shoulders relax. “Okay. Okay, I’ll think about it.”

He picks up the coffee and sips it before scowling. “This is disgusting.”

“It’s black coffee.”

“Why is it bitter?”

“Because it’s coffee, Erik!” I make a face.

He clicks his tongue. “I don’t like it. I liked the other one.”

“That was hot chocolate! You asked for coffee!” I protest, following him out of the kitchen.

“I’ve never had coffee before. Everybody keeps raving about it, so I thought I should give it a try. Nasty shit.” He walks over to the door. “I’ll see you in a week. Nice doing business with you, as always.”

His grin has me blinking.

Wait, what?

As he leaves through the front door, I stare at it, dazed.

What did I just get manipulated into doing?