EXTRA: Quinn Isabelle Adenhart

'MOMMY like to call me Isabelle... while Daddy loves to call me Quinn.' The little girl pat her dirty dress. Annoyed when the mud clung on the hem without no sign of going away. She was disappointed when the patch of dirty cloth had spread on her dress. Isabelle bit her lips in distress. 'Oh, my lord. Mommy will tear my ear!'

"What are you doing?" Ryan, the son of her mom's friend, Yeon-hee, squat by her side. "Ow, that's a huge part."

Isabelle squinted. She eyed Ryan's clothes, an idea sparkling in her mind. "Ryan, my good friend Ryan!"

The boy, older than her by a year, blanched. "You spoke like Uncle Daniel when he asks for my lollipops."

Isabelle pouted. "I'm not going to get something from you, okay?"

Ryan hesitated. "Fine. What do you want?" He stood and put his hands on his waist. "Tell me. Mama said, I should take care of you."

Isabelle clasped both of her hands. "Please, please, please! Let me borrow your clothes!"

Ryan stared at her face. He look down on his clothes. 'Mama didn't say boys shouldn't wear girls' clothes. And Mama always wear mommy's shirt all the time. It should be okay.'

"Okay, okay. But let me take off my clothes first. Mama said, I can't take off my clothes when someone is looking."


Isabelle nodded her head solemnly. They had a tacit understanding to change their clothes in different location. Ryan took of his clothes behind a tree near the playhouse where Isabelle waited. "You done? Throw it here!"

"Yes! Throw your dress after, okay? It's really cold in here!"

After swiftly changing her clothes into Ryan's, she smiled widely. Now she's no longer wearing a dirty dress.

Ryan's clothes smells like baby powder. Isabelle shrug her shoulder and waited for Ryan to finish.

"Wow, you're really small." Ryan rolled his eyes. The dress reached an inch above his ankle. For him, it's already unbearably short.

"It's okay. It looks good on you." Isabelle found out she's more comfortable in Ryan's pants and polo shirt. Though she couldn't assemble the small belt. She chose to wrap it around her neck like a stethoscope. "I look like a doctor now."

Ryan snorted. "No. You're a cowgirl."

Isabelle raise her brow knowingly. "You're mistaken. I'm a rabbit girl, not a cow."



__________




"HOW WAS the coven, Jeffrey?" Max uncapped the orange juice for his wife. Dolly fanned herself. "Let me do that. Don't exert yourself."

Jeffrey watched his uncle and aunt display their affection for each other in front of him. Happy inside that he won't feel the pain of pregnancy and all. His hands were full because he's tasked to handle the coven.

He assisted Cedric while the man stabilized the pack. He's now training a kid to be his successor once he planned to retire.

Cedric didn't want to rule the pack for long anyway.

"Who would have thought that you're going in for a second child now, Uncle Max? You're really blessed. My mom and dad only has me."

Janette pursed her lips, still upset whenever Isabelle is the topic on the table. "I don't want to try for a second headache anymore. I just want to spend every day with your dad."

Uncle Max eyed Janette. "Sister, stop pouting anymore, okay? I'm going to name my second child after you. I promise."

Every guest on the garden stiffened. They all knew that the seven month old baby in Dolly stomach is a baby boy. Dolly planned to keep the baby's gender for herself alone but the secrets went on the open when her physician inevitably divulge the secret to Yeon-hee who then passed it to Daniel and to everybody else— except the father himself, Max.

Janette smiled with triumph. "Everyone is a witness of Maximilian's promise to me, okay? He will not back down from this."

"Sure!" Maximilian patiently nodded. "Whatever you want, sis."

Dolly held her forehead in exasperation. She swatted Max's shoulder but she didn't speak. Dolly wants Max to suffer from his own actions.

'I will be there to laugh on you!' her expression says.

"How was your morning, your grace?"

Jeffrey turned his head to answer the guest coming in. "It was lovely so far, Idrik. You're done with your work?"

Cedric earned himself a beared while they were apart. Jeffrey was pleasantly surprised. He felt the ticklish sensation when they kissed.

The man winked at him. He can read the heat in Jeffrey's eyes. "Yes. I can now be as free as the wind."

The regent coughed. Erasing the thought of feeling Cedric's beard on his thighs this evening. They have aplenty of time for that later.

"Where's Daniel and his mate?" Max cracked a peanut open and eat. "He should be here so I can grill him alive. He's not yet acquited with what he had done to my daughter."

"Max, it was just a few shoes—"

"He told my daughter to decorate my shoes with nail polish, Janette. Assorted neon colors. On my leather shoes. Ten of them. Can you imagine not being pissed with that?"

"Oh..." Janette sighed faintly. "Thank god, Jeffrey grew up without any malevolent spirits influencing him."

Kael smacked his lips. "Your son still ended with a rogue, black belied wolf though. The influence came in late."

Janette's eyes flickered with a rare flash of appreciation. "At least he's handsome."

"Damn, wife. What about me?"

"Mommy! Daddy!"
"Auntie! Your grace!"

Two children called simultaneously.

The elders turned their head in the same direction. Everyone went silent for a moment. It was Dolly who laughed first.

"Little Janette, what are you wearing?" Janette couldn't help herself and sneak a look towards Max.

Max soon forgot about Isabelle's clothes. He spat, "It's Quinn for you, sis."

Jeffrey shook his head. He patted Isabelle to come closer. "Why did you swap clothes with Ryan, baby?"

"You calling me?" Cedric smiled. Jeffrey gave him a reprimanding glance before wiping the dirt off Isabelle's face.

"Don't listen to your Uncle Cedric, he's not a baby." Jeffrey nodded. "He's a big daddy."

Janette and Kael spun their head towards his direction. The poor regent could only hide his head on Cedric's arm to ward off the glare from his parents. Cedric laughed. "Yes, yes."

Little Isabelle's eyebrows wriggled in confusion. Ryan held her hand. She heard a snap of a camera and noticed Uncle Daniel from afar.

"Smile, Isabelle! I'm going to make this a bargaining chip in the future for your dad! Grin, baby!"

She smiled helplessly, tugging the boy beside her with a boastful expression. Like a damsel who saved the knight in distress.

The birds in the garden was disturbed when a raucous laughter from the people below rang.

It was the sound of infinite bliss.