Selene
I’m beginning to think my mother told me the wrong secret. Granted, she chose the most important – not to mention scariest – one, but talk about burying the lead! Sure, my blood can give eternal life, but that doesn’t help me while it’s still running in my veins. Learning that I can hypnotize people, on the other hand, could have really come in handy before now.
Odette’s history books aren’t exhaustive and half of their claims sound more like fairy tales than fact, but there’s enough empirical data included to persuade me regarding other matters. For example, I seriously doubt that any Volanas discovered how to become invisible the way one thirteenth century zealot insisted, but I believe the hundreds of contemporary accounts describing the way Volana wolves could harness moonlight to increase their own powers.
I can’t believe I never knew any of this. I marvel, scanning through ancient censuses listing the names of my ancestors.
I can. Luna rolls her eyes, I mean when would we have had the opportunity to learn this stuff? It’s not like Garrick gave us library privileges.
I know, but mom never taught me any of this! I answer. I was too young to understand some of it, but not everything. Why wouldn’t she have wanted me to know our own history?
We’re an endangered species, Selene. My wolf reminds me. She probably thought you’d try to use your powers if you knew about them – and that could get you noticed.
Luna makes a fair point. Hundreds of years ago Volanas were required to register with their elder councils, as they were considered so powerful that they needed monitoring to ensure they posed no threat to their packs.
For the most part I think this was just a lot of small-minded men being intimidated by any woman who defied their expectations, but I have to admit their fears weren’t entirely in vain. In one case, a Volana wolf overthrew her Alpha and went on to conquer an entire continent, becoming the first (and last) woman Alpha in history.
Well, they certainly left that out of the textbooks. I snort. Admittedly, I missed out on half my education, but I worked very hard to make up for lost time after I escaped Garrick and I’ve never heard of half of the events detailed in these volumes.
That’s because history is written by men. Luna quips.
Continuing to read, I can feel my eyes growing wider and wider all on their own. If even half of this is true, I’m much more powerful than I ever imagined. The documented Volana abilities go far beyond power surges like the one I triggered in the restroom, or even harnessing moonlight.
According to these books, I can not only hypnotize people with my eyes, but bend shadows to make them see things that aren’t there, navigate the most starless night, summon light, give sleep, slow time and control the tides – in addition to simply being extremely hard to kill. I would probably find this more comforting if it weren’t for the fact that these powers don’t kick in until you’re grown, which means Lila has a long way to go before any of this helps her.
Another problem is that knowing about the powers and using them are two very different things. I still have no idea how to tap into any of these abilities, or even how many of the powers listed here are legitimate. I do know – at least I’m fairly certain – that all of this cycles with the moon itself. I’ll be strongest when it’s full, and weakest when it’s new.
Shaking my head, I turn the page, delving into an analysis about the bloodline’s decline as time passed.
“Mommy what are you reading?” Lila pipes up next to me. She’s been napping beside me for the better part of an hour, but now she’s sitting up, rubbing her eyes and looking so adorably sleepy I could eat her right up.
“I’m reading about our bloodline.” I explain gently. I haven’t ever talked to Lila about this subject before and I have no intention of getting into the details, but I don’t intend on hiding it from her either. While I understand my mother’s decision and desire to protect me, I can’t help but feel that keeping me in the dark about all this set me at a disadvantage.
It makes sense that knowing about the powers would encourage me to use them, but I’d rather use them and be able to defend myself, than not know they exist and remain helpless against threats that are inevitable either way.
“Our what?” Lila chirps.
“Our bloodline.” I repeat slowly, brushing a lock of dark hair back from her face. “Our family history. My mother and her mother, and her mother’s mother, going back hundreds of years.”
“That’s long.” Lila assesses with raised brows.
“It is long.” I agree with a laugh, “but it’s also powerful. Everything we are, comes from our ancestors. It’s the reason your eyes are blue and violet, the reason you look so much like me.”
“What about Daddy?” Lila’s dark head cocks to the side.
“It’s the same for everyone.” I share, “We all have different histories, but everyone is shaped by the past – including Daddy.” The door opens behind us and I can hear Bastien coming inside, as if our conversation conjured him. “And you and I have a very special bloodline, one that means we have to be extra careful.”
Her little brow crinkles in confusion. “Why?”
“Because you two are the most important things in the world.” Bastien’s deep voice rumbles over our heads, and we both crane our necks back to look up at his smiling face. “And when other people figure that out, they might want to take you for themselves.”
I want to roll my eyes. I’m doing my best to raise Lila with both of her feet firmly planted on the ground, and telling her the world revolves around her is absolutely not going to further that cause. Still, it’s hard to explain such complicated matters to a toddler, and Bastien’s words do hit the nail on the head. Besides, I know he’s speaking the truth – his truth, at least.
To my immense surprise and amusement, Lila is rolling her eyes in my stead. “Daddy, you wouldn’ let ‘nyone take us.” She says, as if the suggestion is preposterous.
It takes all my will not to laugh, and I can see Bastien fighting the same impulse, “Is that so?” He asks her.
“Course!” She exclaims, standing on the couch cushions and raising her arms to him. “Wouldn’t you?”
He immediately plucks her from the sofa, kissing her soft cheeks one after the other. “I would never let anyone take you from me, Lila bean.” My daughter flips upside down, dissolving into a fit of giggles as Bastien leans over to kiss me hello, “Or my little wolf.”
“Daddy, why d’you call Mommy that?” Lila asks once she can breath again, “She’s not liddle.”
“She’s little to me.” Bastien reasons, carting her off towards the kitchen, “Now tell me all about your day. I want to hear everything.”
________________
Bastien
“It even said I could harness moonlight.” Selene exclaims, so preoccupied with sharing her discoveries that she doesn’t seem to notice me kissing a path down her flat tummy. Lila is finally asleep, and we’re safely ensconced in our bedroom. My wife is splayed over our bed like a beautiful feast, even if she seems unaware she’s about to be devoured.
“That’s great, baby.” I praise her, truly meaning it but not having the brainspace to focus on her powers at the moment. Instead I busy myself with stripping off her bra and panties, baring my stunning mate to my questing hands and mouth.
“The only problem is that it was all theoretical – describing what Volanas can do, not how they ah, Bastien!” Selene arches off the bed, looking down at me with sudden need.
I chuckle darkly, pinning her hips to the mattress while I swipe my tongue up her center. “Yes my love?” I ask her with a cheshire grin, continuing to tease her plump, pink flesh.
Selene wines wordlessly, squirming beneath me, “I’m trying to tell you about the books.”
“So what’s stopping you?” I question, adding my fingers to the mix. Circling her swollen clit and delving my fingers around her soaked entrance, I relish her soft cries. “I’m listening.”
“You’re not playing fair.” She complains, tangling her fingers into my hair.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” I lie, sliding two long, thick fingers into her slick channel. “Do you want me to stop?”
Selene’s hips jerk, and she whimpers so sweetly I almost take mercy on her – almost. Instead I crook my fingers inside her, feeling a rush of pure fire when her eyes roll back in her head and her tight muscles clench around me.
“No.” She murmurs, “I’m just trying to tell you what I learned.
“And I want to hear all about it.” I assure her, “as soon as I’m done with you.”
Selene flops down in exasperation. “Are you ever going to be done with me?”
I consider her question for one long moment before deciding. “No.” I announce firmly. “Never.”
