The Beta’s Regret

(Eden's Pov)

As soon as the tent was empty, I made my way outside and slipped into my mother's tent.

It smelled of a strange mix of lavender and earth, which surprisingly had a soothing effect on me.

Mom sat on a makeshift chair, cradling my son in her arms while she rocked her body side to side, humming a slow tune to his ears.

As I watched, my heart melted at the kind of love my mother had for the infants. However, no matter how much of it she showers on him, I still want him in my arms, as I smell his wonderful baby scent

"Mom." I called out softly. She finally noticed my presence and looked up. At first, a worried expression crossed her face before she finally let out a small smile.

"Thank you," I said.

She nodded; her smile grew wider before she looked back at my baby.

"No need to thank me. They are my babies." She cooed softly at my son, who giggled, "He needs a name." She said,

My breath hitched. I knew that.

It wasn't because I had no idea what to name him; I did. But I found it so difficult to give him a name all by myself without Eros in the picture.

As if my mother heard my thoughts, she sighed and said. "Eros wouldn't want you to hold back because of him."

I nodded and moved forward. She handed him over to me while she attended to Lyra's child.

My mother adjusted the blanket wrapped around the baby as she slept soundly. Compared to my son, she was much easier to please.

My mom slowly took the baby girl in her arms, and just as she began to move outside, I stopped her with a quick shout.

"No!" I said. A sudden sense of protectiveness gripped me, and I watched my mother cautiously. "Please don't take her. Let her stay with me a little longer."

and nodded. Instead of dropping the child, she settled back down and

looked at her. She looked so peaceful, so serene, unaware

that would be filled with spite or being raised in an environment where she would not be loved or given the same attention like I would my

the people together, and they stayed together for so long- and according to Lyra, even imagined their little pup running around the palace... then Pison would

dead? Would

give up without a fight. She is

swallowed hard as I thought about my next words. "Mom, I want to adopt

gave me a quick look of

"Adopt?" She asked.

I nodded.

more questions. She understood exactly what

lovely." My

"Yes, she

shifted from the baby girl to my son, and my smile faltered. My

tiny detail reminded

he slowly closed as he fell into a gentle sleep, the shape of his nose, his hair. It was almost as if I held a miniature version of

name them." I

Tears stung my eyes.

placed one hand on my arm "I know it's hard,

upward, willing the tears that threatened to spill to

"I... I never thought I would do this alone, without Eros

lips trembled as tears fell down

difficult to move

I don't-" my voice broke, and

don't know how to iving like Eros is no

do it

here."

as her other cradled the child in her

are the strongest woman I know, Eros. I believe you can do whatever you