The World isn't as Ugly nor Beautiful as You Think

Chapter 1: The Forgotten Dinner

LUMINA

The grandfather clock that was in the dining room struck seven. Ollie sat at the table, his small fingers busy with tracing the patterns on the tablecloth as he stared at the empty chair across from him.

His father's chair. Again.

"Is Daddy coming home for dinner?" he asked, his voice sounding so pained that it nearly broke me.

I forced a smile on my face, it was a smile that I had perfected after five years of being married to Xenois Blackwood—Alpha King of the Silver Creek Pack, CEO of Blackwood Enterprises, and the city's most beloved mayor.

Also known as my mate. The man who had been absent for most of our son's life.

"He texted that he's running late, sweetheart. Let's start without him."

Ollie's shoulders slumped down in disappointment, but he nodded his head, used to the fact that this has become a normal occurrence for him.

I placed his plate in front of him, it was a dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, which happened to be his favorite and ruffled his dark hair.

He looked so much like Xen it hurt sometimes. They shared the same blue eyes, and looks, even at his tender age.

As I sat down as well, my phone buzzed with a message. Xenois.

Can't make it. Sophia called. Riley is having a rough night and needs me. Don't wait up.

My fingers tightened around the phone. Sophia. Again. His ex-girlfriend who had reappeared in our lives a year ago with her son Riley with her.

Riley, who was the same age as Ollie. Riley, who got more of Xenois attention than his own biological son.

"Mommy, is something wrong?"

I looked up to find Ollie watching me carefully with concern in his eyes.

At almost five years old, he was already observant than usual, and he was used to reading my facial expressions to check for signs of distress.

"Everything's fine," I lied, as I dropped my phone aside on the table and gave him a small smile.

"Daddy just has to work late again."

"With Riley's mom?"

The innocent question felt like a slap to me..was it that obvious now. Even Ollie knew. Everyone knew.

Here I was, the Luna of the Silver Creek Pack, who got married to her true mate in an arranged marriage that never turned into a marriage of love and was forced to watch as my mate devoted himself to another woman and her child.

"Eat your dinner, sweetheart. Then we can watch that new dinosaur movie you've been asking about." I deflected as he nodded his head and focused on eating.

Later, after putting Ollie to bed and kissing his forehead, I sat alone in our bedroom-well it was my bedroom now as Xenois barely spent time here.

Our bond that we shared with each other felt pulled to the limits due to the distance. I could feel him across the city, his emotions filled with concern and affection for someone else. Emotions that weren't directed at me or our son.

I opened my laptop and resumed my research, scrolling through medical journals and pages on the internet.

Ollie had been sick for months now, ever since Sophia and Riley arrived. The doctors were confused at the sickness—his symptoms weren't matching any known werewolf or human illness.

He had fatigue, fever that came and went, occasional dizzy spells.

My phone rang. I immediately got hopeful as I snatched my phone until I saw it wasn't Xenois.

"Hi, Dr. Martinez," I answered taking a deep breath as I felt a crushing sense of despair.

"Mrs. Blackwood, I have Ollie's latest test results. I'm afraid they're still not useful at all. We may need to start looking for specialists outside the pack."

I closed my eyes, trying to make sure that my breathing remained steady as I nodded my head.

"Whatever it takes. Money isn't an issue."

"I understand. There's something else... has Ollie been exposed to any kind of unusual or unsafe magic or artifacts recently?"

The question caught me off guard as I sat upright on the bed feeling alarmed and on edge.

"No, nothing like that. Why?"

"Some of his symptoms are similar to those of magical interference. It's rare, but I've seen it once before."

After ending the call, I sat there in silence, thinking.

Magical interference, was that really what was going on with my son.

The timing with Sophia's arrival couldn't be coincidental.

I'd had my suspicions about her, from the very start but Xen always shut me down every time I tried to tell him.

My phone buzzed with a calendar reminder:

"Ollie's Birthday - 2 Weeks." My chest felt a bit tighter seeing the notification.

Last year, Xen had missed it because Riley had a soccer game.

"Not this year," I said shaking my head as I took a deep breath . "This year will be different."

I texted Xen: *Ollie's birthday is in two weeks. He's asking if you'll be there. Please don't disappoint him again.*

Three dots appeared, disappeared, then reappeared.

*I'll be there. Promise.*

I wanted to believe him when he said this but I had gotten to learn the hard way that promises from Xenois Blackwood were never to be trusted.

He would promise and still manage to break every single one of them trying to justify his reasons as well.

Shaking my head, I dropped my phone on the bed and went outside.

Outside, the moon was right tonight as it lightened everything in its part.

As Luna, even bearing the name Lumina as well because of the circumstances surrounding my birth, I should have felt its power strengthening me.

Instead, I felt hollow, as if it was draining me instead.

"Please," I whispered to the moon, our goddess, "help me save my son."

I stayed like that for some hours until I got extremely tired and headed to bed, still worried about my son until sleep came thankfully.