I sat on the large black couch, making faces at the little boy who sat in my lap.

After the incident with Knight, I had locked myself in my room and refused to let anyone in. This had gone on for a whole day before Frank finally coaxed me out, and since then he had become the one person I could trust in this palace. His wife was ill and he had needed someone to watch the trouble-making munchkin that now sat in my lap for today, and I had gladly volunteered.

"Amara." Adrian called out grabbing my attention, and I looked down at him as he looked up at me while rubbing his big blue eyes with tiny fists. I smiled at him patiently waiting for him to speak.

This morning I had been afraid to cuddle Adrian despite how adorable he was, as most kids his age didn't like to be coddled but he had surprised me by taking any opportunity he could to snuggle into me. It was absolutely adorable. The little munchkin had me wrapped around his little pinky finger.

"Are you Alpha Knight's mate?" He asked innocently, reminding me of the man I had been trying to not think about. It had been a whole two weeks since the incident and it seemed as if Alaricus Knight was trying to avoid me. I would barely ever see him, he had rearranged his schedule to avoid me and every time I would walk into a room he was in, he would flee. This had me thoroughly confused, grateful that I didn't have to see him but confused as to why he didn't just allow me to go home. I stayed silent in response to Adrian's question raking my fingers through his shiny curls, and he wiggled in my lap snuggling closer.

"I can't wait to find my mate, I hope she will be as pretty as you." Adrian said blushing and I laughed at him ruffling his hair playfully.

"I'm sure she will be, if you're so handsome she has to be absolutely beautiful." I cooed to him and he smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming with happiness. Werewolf children were taught from such a young age that they would find their mates, it was drilled into them and they looked forward to that their whole lives, most not focusing on anything but. Perhaps that why they were so possessive, a mate was something they were taught to want all their lives, their primal natures making the more dominant of the pair borderline obsessive over their mates.

"You hungry?" I asked Adrian and he nodded excitedly almost bouncing in my lap eagerly. I giggled getting up, setting Adrian onto the ground but he let out a whine and held his arms up pleading with his eyes for me to pick him up pouting, eliciting another giggle from me. I picked him up setting him on my hip, pressing a kiss to his forehead while he smiled at me contentedly.

We walked to the kitchen and I smiled at the few maids that were bustling about in there and had turned to look at Adrian and I. I had nothing to do all day, so for the last week I had been doing all my chores alone, including cooking and had befriended the chefs, and maids around the house. Of course the chefs rarely allowed me to do the cooking on my own, it was more like I'd tell them what I want, start it off and then horrified by the mess I was creating and calling food, they would heroically step in. Some days it was so bad they'd completely start over the dish, wasting what I had made when they thought I wasn't looking.

The chef greeted me, calling out a quick hello while bustling about. I grabbed a few ingredients to make a very simple supper for Adrian and I. The chefs hovered around us, ready to jump in whenever necessary and even though I could sense the dish was going a little wrong, I guess to help me save face in front of Adrian they let it be.

We cooked together happily, and Adrian was surprisingly dedicated, he would make his mate very happy one day.

Me and Adrian sat together, little Adrian was still clumsy with utensils and I soon found out it was more productive to feed him myself. We finished our food giggling and chatting with one another, trying to keep our voices down so as not to bother the chefs and maids that were trying to focus on preparing supper.

We had gone into the library for the evening and by now Adrian was absolutely exhausted and had once again crawled into my lap. He was snuggled close to me, and had rested his head on my chest yawning softly while I ran my fingers through his hair.

Soon there was a knock on the door and I looked up to see Frank walking in.

"Thank you so much for watching him." Frank said grabbing a sleepy Adrian from my lap, and pressing a fatherly kiss to his curls. A small smile coming on my face as I watched Frank ask Adrian how his day was.

Seeing Frank with Adrian reminded me of my own father, he'd always been such a diligent father too, even when I was young he'd patiently listen to my ramblings, never just brushing me off. I swallowed thickly as I saw Frank's concern at the bit of tomato sauce on Adrian's little arm, that Frank had mistaken for blood. I wondered how upset my father was, knowing he couldn't save his only child from what we'd all dreaded since I was born. In that last week I was in my home it had been so apparent that the thought was killing my father, I just hoped he would stop worrying about me.

"It's no problem Frank. Have a good night." I bid him walking up to Adrian and pressing a kiss to his soft cheek while he smiled sleepily at me.

I returned to my room, changing into pyjamas before climbing into bed, exhausted after watching Adrian all day. Breathing in deeply as I lay in my bed I tried to keep myself from thinking of my parents. I couldn't cry all the time, it's not what they would want. I was stronger than that. This was the fate of many other humans just like me, they'd learned to live with it, I would have to as well.