Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy

Chapter 294: Like A Withering Flower (V)

Kael would stand by the lakeside at dusk every day to wait for his son’s return. He’d prepare dinner beforehand, so Jojo could eat immediately after a long day in the faerie land.

"Daddyyyy!" Jojo waved his hand as usual when he got escorted by Sebek, the guardian of the lake, and finally stopped at the lakeside.

Kael would open his arms and then allow his boy to jump into his embrace as he lifted him up. Jojo had always been a talkative boy, so he’d recall everything that he did in the faerie land and tell his father about it.

Though Kael rarely listened and simply nodded until Jojo mentioned Sisi.

It had been three months since Kael hadn’t met his wife, and to say that he was lonely was an understatement.

His nights felt so cold and desolate, and his heart couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to Sisi while they couldn’t meet.

Sometimes, the loneliness got the better of him that he howled in frustration towards the moon, angry at the Moon Goddess for making them fated mates, yet separating them because of Sisi’s identity.

However, he also couldn’t get too angry at the Moon Goddess, because he couldn’t imagine having someone else as his wife, or seeing Sisi end up with another man.

"What’s the crystal in your hand, Jojo? Is that a gift from the faeries?" Kael asked as he carried his son to the hut where he had prepared dinner for them.

"Oh! This is for you, Daddy. It’s a gift from Mommy!" Jojo said happily as he handed the crystal with a flower frozen inside. Then Jojo tried to recall what his mother said, "Uhm... this flower’s name is As... Astil—Oh—Astilbe! Mommy said it’s because Daddy has always been patient and dedicated to Mommy. She said that you need to sleep tonight with it, and you will have a good dream!"

It actually sounded strange for Kael that his wife suddenly gifted him something after three months of being separated.

He had a lot of questions in mind, but those questions were pushed to the back of his mind when he held the crystal, simply because he was happy that Sisi still remembered him.

Three months had passed, and Kael hadn’t done anything to disturb the faeries because he knew that his wife was pregnant, and he didn’t want to distress her just because he was angry at this whole situation.

Thus, he held the crystal carefully while putting Jojo in front of the dinner.

Jojo ate with relish, but Kael didn’t even touch his food. His eyes were glued to the crystal with the Astilbe flower frozen inside.

He had a foolish grin, thinking of how his beloved specifically used Astilbe to signify his dedication and patience.

’Even if you don’t give me this, I will still dedicate my life to you, my love,’ Kael said in his heart while staring at the Astilbe. ’I am as patient as a man can be. But I too have my needs. So please, come back safely. As long as you’re alive and healthy, then nothing else matters to me.’

**

Jojo fell asleep immediately after having his dinner. He slept right next to his father, who was still holding the crystal like it was his most prized possession—after the cloak that his wife made, of course.

Jojo told him that he needed to fall asleep tonight to have a good dream, and Kael pretty much wanted that. All of his dreams had been plagued with nightmares of seeing his beloved die during labor.

It was horrid, so Kael rarely slept for the past three months. Luckily, he didn’t need sleep at all as the Dusk Star, nor did he ever get sleepy.

However, today felt really... strange.

He was usually very much awake and spent the entire night watching over his son, or went out to stare at the moon’s reflection on the lake.

Sometimes, he fantasized about his wife coming out of the waterfall with their child, smiling at him before they could finally embrace each other.

However, he got very sleepy whenever he held the crystal, as if the crystal had been imbued with magic to make him fall asleep.

Kael didn’t resist this time. He closed his eyes, and soon enough, he fell into a deep sleep while still holding the crystal tightly, hoping to see his beloved healthy and alive in his dream.

Then, right after Kael fell into a deep sleep, Jojo’s pendant suddenly shone brightly, and the boy was awakened because the light hit his eyes.

"Umm..." Jojo rubbed his eyes, thinking that it was already morning. But as he opened his eyes, he realized that it was still midnight, and his pendant was shining bright!

"Wha—!" Jojo quickly shook his father’s shoulder. "Daddy! Daddy, look! My pendant is shining!"

"... "

Kael was in a deep sleep, so deep that his son’s excited voice didn’t wake him up at all.

But Jojo wasn’t worried, because his attention was completely on the pendant. Then he remembered what his Mommy said about this situation.

Thus, he held the shining pendant tightly and closed his eyes, excited to see what kind of surprise his Mommy had.

Though Jojo was actually praying in silence. What kind of prayer, you asked?

’Please let me go and see Mommy tonight. I really... really want to see Mommy! And sleep with her!’

Right after he wished for that, he felt a surge of warmth around him, before it slowly dissipated.

Jojo finally opened his eyes once the warmth around his body was gone, and the first thing he saw was a beautiful garden with a beautiful starry sky—but that shouldn’t be possible, because Jojo remembered that the sky was cloudy when he was about to fall asleep before.

Then, he saw his mother sleeping near a pond, with a blanket made out of water covering half of her body from the waist down.

Next to his mother, there was an old lady that looked frail, who was silently weeping.

"Mommy?" Jojo called her as he walked towards his mother. "What’s wrong with you, Mommy?"