Dancing with Shadows ✔

The New Normal

Dancing with Shadows

Chapter 33

Time had flown by, and it seemed like only yesterday that the twins, Zander and Esmé, had been born. Now, at the age of four, their emerging werewolf heritage was becoming increasingly apparent, especially in moments of frustration when their small growls and bared teeth hinted at the duality of their nature. The first time Emma noticed this in public was a moment that sharply brought home the reality of raising children with a mixed cultural background in a world still adjusting to the presence of werewolves.

"Mama, can we get this too?" Zander asked, his mismatched blue and brown eyes wide with pleading. Esmé stood beside him, her expression mirroring his silent request.

"No, remember we agreed on one treat each?" Emma gently reminded them, hoping to avoid any disappointment.

"But we were super good todayyy," Esmé protested, her bottom lip trembling in a way that always tugged at Emma's heart.

"I know you were, and I'm very proud of you," Emma replied, her tone soft but firm. "But too many sweets aren't good for you."

The twins' disappointment quickly turned into loud sobs, their distress causing their small canines to elongate slightly—a subtle but clear sign of their werewolf heritage. Nearby shoppers began to notice, and Emma could hear the disapproving murmurs rising around them.

One woman, in her mid-50s, pushed her shopping cart up to Emma's. "Honey, do you think it's wise to raise werewolf children?" she asked, her tone laced with condescension.

Emma stiffened at the woman's words. "Excuse me?" she replied, wanting to give the woman a chance to reconsider her comment.

"I mean, I know they're among us now, but raising their kind as if they were our own? They may look like us, but they're not," the woman continued, her gaze cold as she assessed Zander and Esme. Around them, the low growls of other werewolves echoed through the aisle, a clear sign of disapproval at the woman's remarks.

"Madam," Emma began, her frustration simmering just beneath the surface, "these are not 'their kind' that I adopted; these are my biological children, my own flesh and blood."

The woman's expression shifted from surprise to outright disdain. Zander and Esmé, sensing their mother's tension, quieted their cries and clung to her legs, hiding their faces in her skirt.

"You actually had a child with one of them?!" the woman's voice rose, drawing even more attention from the other shoppers.

Before Emma could respond, another woman stepped forward, her presence immediately commanding attention. "I don't believe this family is any of your concern," she said, her voice calm but firm. As she glanced at Emma, her eyes flashed briefly with a yellow hue—a subtle but unmistakable warning. The older woman blanched, retreating quickly without another word.

"Thank you," Emma said, her voice filled with relief and gratitude. She managed a smile at the woman who had come to her defence.

The woman returned the smile kindly before continuing on her way, leaving Emma to gather her thoughts and her children.

**

"Emma, are you okay?" Logan's hand brushed over her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. She blinked a few times before meeting his concerned gaze.