"There is something sticking to your chest." The man had taken a step back, shocked and confused at the sight of his close friend. She was the same one who had not spoken to him nor visited him for months, and yet she had suddenly came knocking at his door. He could not decide who to look at, the woman or the recently born infant resting in her arms. "Dalnim, are you aware of that?"

The Goddess giggled, her cheeks becoming a gentle pink as she revealed her teeth through a wide smile. And, that was all that was needed. The world quickly lit up around him, and as though he was facing the moon itself, she had started to emit a radiant glow. The moon had always sparkled, but the woman behind it was the true beauty. "You have always been the funny one, out of all the Gods, Morpheus."

"Well, I am not quite trying to make you laugh during this very moment, and rather, I am hoping that you will explain to me exactly why there is a tiny child feeding off of you?" His hand hovered over the handle of his door, and his mind had started to clog with questions. 'Should I invite them in? Is that her baby, for sure? Who is the father, oh my God, who is the father?'

In a single movement, Dalnim swiftly tugged at a piece of fabric that was resting over her shoulder. The soft animal hide from a successful hunt was a prized possession of the infant's father and was one of the many things gifted to him before and after his birth, the fluff of the fur was completely draped over the child and even some of Dalnim herself. His heart pinged as he watched the natural born mother, and a pinch of regret followed close behind. "It is a bit cold out today," she told him, and a visible chill shook at her arms.

Morpheus fumbled, clasping the handle and turning it, pushing in his front door to reveal a much warmer temperature. The scent of lavender and chamomile tea lingered in the air, enveloping the powerful beings instantly. He rushed out his words as he motioned for her to come in, doing everything but grab her by the shoulders and shove her through the entrance, "Yes. I am so sorry. Please, do come in."

She whisked herself in as though she was a trained ballerina, delicately spinning, and she basked in the warmth of the home. Sighing contently, she said, "It is the same as I remember it."

"It is not like you have been gone for hundreds of years, Dalnim." Morpheus shoved the door back into its place, closing it as quietly as he could to not upset the baby feeding. If he knew anything about young children, it was to not wake them up when they were peacefully sleeping. In his defense, most of the time when he appeared, the nearby mortals were already asleep. "Maybe if you were gone longer, then more things would have been changed, but everything has mostly stayed the same. Although, I have gotten new bedding."

"Oh, have you?" She asked, removing the cover and Morpheus noticed how she was lightly shaking the baby in her arms as she breastfed. And, Morpheus watched as a minuscule arm slithered up and gripped at her shoulder, or at least tried to. The tiny fingers fell against the skin under her collarbone, and flicked frenetically as they tried to wrap around something. Dalnim brushed the hand gently with the pad of her finger, and soon she was holding the small fist in her much larger hand.

"You have a baby," Morpheus' voice came out low, just above a whisper.

"I do." She looked up at him, and they locked gazes. Dalnim had an ocean for eyes, and the waves were pushing and racing as Morpheus stared into them. He was growing lost amongst the captivating shade of blue. Nobody would expect less from the woman of the moon.

Loss was the perfect word to explain what he was feeling. That, and perhaps, regret? Envy?

"Who is the father?" He questioned, gulping down a lump that had started to grow at the back of his throat as soon as he realized what the bundle situated in her arms was.

"He is from the mortal realm," she answered slowly, unsure of what his reaction was to be. A flash of guilt overcame the feminine features of her face. "However, he is not actually human. He is the Alpha of the Ventus pack, a very powerful one, in members and status. Živa helped me, of course, as there would be no other way."

"I thought that they could only be with their mates." Morpheus' dark eyebrows pulled together, and he ran a hand loosely through his black hair. Pausing, before his next words, "They go mad without them, don't they? Živa brags about how devoted they are to each other. She claims them as being her greatest pairings of love, because of how they do not falter in their relationships with the bond."

Images flashed before him, as though he was dreaming himself. Memories from when Dalnim had first created her beloved creatures had distracted him for just a moment. She had moulded them into beings of strength and resilience. They were the most prosperous and promising, since they respected everything that breathed and took care of the land they lived on. In return for their adoration, Dalnim proposed a request to Živa, which was to offer them true soulmates. And, being the Goddess of all things love, she happily obliged.

At least, that's how the story goes.

Dalnim could clearly tell that Morpheus was not paying attention, as his face was glossed over and his eyebrows were now lifted almost to the sky. And so, she waited patiently, as she would usually do.

This had only lasted a few minutes, and when he was done, she explained, "I know, which is why I needed her again. King, his father, has never found his mate. The bond between them will never be fulfilled, it is not possible. I can assure you that, because his mate had been dead years before he could even sense his own wolf."

Morpheus knew enough about werewolves and their lives. After all, he was with their Goddess for every step of the way. At Dalnim's request, beginning at the very first werewolf to be created, he had started to plant dreams into their heads. And, more often than not, the main feature of their sleeping habits would always be their mate, whether they had already met them or if they were anticipating the day they would.

"Oh," he sighed. And, he spoke a silent reminder, 'you did not want children, not at all'. "That is understandable. I am sure he must have also wanted a child. But, Dalnim, are you not afraid?"

She smiled, huffing slightly, politely, as she waved the mention of fear away. "No, no, no. There is not a single bone in my body, nor a gut feeling, that tells me he is an unsafe father for our son."

"You must know how feral they can become by now, especially without a mate. And, an Alpha? Even I have seen your werewolves turn animalistic at the mere thought of never being with their mate. It is a common nightmare." Worry etched itself onto his face, and his hands instinctively reached out to clasp hers in a tight grip, but he immediately retracted at catching another glimpse of the baby occupying her attention.

"Dipping into nightmares, are you?" She joked, carefree as she laughed at him, but he could barely fake a smile.

"Oh, no. No. Nope. I am not going down that path. I will forever let my brother deal with that, and I am more than confident when I say that he definitely enjoys his job." Morpheus turned his head, frowning playfully. The way her face brightened nearly made his knees give out. "But, you know that."

A faint whine slipped past the lips of the infant, and Dalnim slipped the thin sleeve of her dress back over her shoulder. Her hand gently caressed the side of the boy's face, the natural tan of his skin being a significant contrast against the glimmering, pale shade of her own. Her loving actions hidden beneath the fabric he was wrapped in, covering the young child's face from everyone but his mother.

Dalnim looked up, her expression still one of awe at the sight of her devotion. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Babies are not much of my strong suit, and I cannot imagine them ever being so. They do not do much for sleep. And, their dreams are mostly bland. Voices, shapes, colours, and what not. Just basic stuff, really." Dalnim could not tell if he was trying to convince her, or himself.

"Here," she placed the baby in his arms while he stared wide-eyed at her, shaking his head. As soon as the baby was comfortable in his hold, Morpheus stood painfully still, frightened. Until, her son peeked up at him with a squished smile, and he memorized the baby's face, right then and there.

"His name is Morpheus. After you."

💕