Love Among Shadows

by Smokey Moment

“This is your home?” Valentina asked. “Yes,” Legend replied. Valentina let go of his hand and walked to the house. She opened the door and looked back at Legend. She was beat. She needed to lie down. She shut the door and looked around then went into his room and laid in his bed. She could smell him on the pillows. Her heightened sense of smell would be her best and favorite feature. She loved his smell. And now she could take it in deep as she fell into a deep slumber.

  “I will go back with you once I heal,” Aesir said. Blake looked at Legend. “Go back where?” he asked. “To the cave. To prepare my father, Darr and Lou for burial in the morning,” he said. “We will take care of that,” Blake said. “Come on! We got something to do,” he shouted. Osimi and Eshram walked with him. The men walked into the forest headed to the sacred land.

  “You alright?” Legend asked his brother. “No…But I will be,” he said, as he exhaled sharply and looked around. He hadn’t seen Cedar Falls in a few years. He looked over at his old cabin adjacent to Legends. He built it himself and it was unoccupied. Reed walked towards it slowly. His head down. His feelings of guilt consuming him. His beloved Phoebe was dead because of him. He couldn’t live with himself. Legend feared him harming himself. He chanted to the spirits for a sign. But the doors of communication were quiet. The spirits were not revealing anything. Legend looked up at the bright blue moon. He turned and walked to his house. He could hear Zen talking to Aesir.

  “Oh honey! What happened? Are you alright? This will teach you. I told you to stay home more. There is nothing in the streets but trouble. Now look at you,” she complained as they walked. Legend shook his head. Aesir had his hands full.

  Legend wanted to stick around and answer the packs questions and ease any concerns they may have had. But he was tired and he wanted to check on Valentina. Many of them had received word of Darr and Lou’s death and had come out of their homes. They gathered in small groups as word spread, talking among one another. Eshram told them everything he had heard up until that point. Legend waved at the medicine woman. She smiled and bowed at him. A sign of his power and leadership. He hadn’t thought about it. He realized her was now king of the eastern world. A duty he found overwhelming. He had to send a messenger to alert his uncles of what happened.

  A lot would happen within the next several days. He needed his rest. He had to bury the dead. And he would need to be ready to fly to Africa and be crowned the new king. The crowning was usually a grand but small private ceremony and was essential to his claiming his seat at the throne. Doors would open. The world was now at his fingertips. He had his queen. She had a lot to see and lot to learn. And it would all come from him.

  He was glad she was comfortable at his house. There was nothing in the city for either of them. Not anymore. She would grieve and he would give her the time to do so. He loved Phoebe too. And he would need to be there for Reed. The most devastated of them all.

  Legend walked into his home and shut the door. He walked to his bedroom and stood in the doorway listening to Valentina snore. Turning from into a wolf was exhausting. She had been through a lot. He needed to prepare for when she awoke. She would be different. She would remember things and be distraught. He walked away and went downstairs. He heard someone at the back of the house. He walked to the window. “Hey. I’ll have this fixed in no time,” Ashe said, holding a large piece of perfectly cut glass and wood for the frame.

  “Thanks. I owe you,” he said. “Naw. You’ve done enough to last a lifetime. You saved Aesir. My buddy. And you showed us how to hunt. We owe you,” he said. Legend smiled then pulled his arm across his body, stretching his back. It felt better. The pain was gone even though it had not healed completely. “I need another favor,” he said. “Yep. Anything,” Ashe replied. “I need you to go into Anchorage to this address,” he said, as he wrote it down on a small piece of paper and handed it to him. “There is the body of a woman. Take her to the sacred grounds. Have the medicine woman prepare four burial cloths. Then go to Aesir’s house and get askew, peppermint and choka leaves from Zen. Deliver everything to the sacred grounds and leave it for me in the morning.”

  “Yes sir. I will go as soon as I put the window in,” he said. “Go now. Valentina is asleep. And the sound of pounding will wake her. That will give her more time to rest,” he said. “Yes sire,” he said, the reality of the word sire, gave Legend strength to face his responsibilities. Ashe stopped and stared. Legend was in a trance. He had no idea that one word had transformed Legend at that moment. Ashe sat his tools down and walked towards the trees to do as his leader requested.

  D

  ay turned to dusk. Legend walked back to his bedroom and laid next to Valentina. She turned over, facing him. He gently touched her hair as he tried to resist the urge to kiss her. He closed his eyes. The weight of his eyelids felt heavier. He was just starting to wind down from being on heightened alert. He fought it, opening them again and looking at her. Soon he closed them again.

  “Oh Phoebe,” Valentina said, her eyes still closed. She let out a low whimper. Tears fell from her eyes. “Shh. Shh. I’m here. I’m here. It’s okay baby,” Legend said, as he kissed her cheek and held her tight. He wiped her tears then kissed her again. “Don’t cry,” he said, as he rubbed her back. “Nooo,” she cried, as she pushed away from him and buried her face into the pillow.

  Legend felt bad. He couldn’t fix this. It was heartbreaking. Theirs was a brutal world. Werewolves had a capacity for things most humans would find ghastly. Valentina would see a lot. And she would need to filter out the bad and see the good in her new life. Because good came with the bad. She would need to seek her own purpose. The reason why it happened. And then find the courage to live her new life to the fullest. But for now, she needed support. She needed him.

  Valentina moved closer to him, then laid her head on his chest and fell asleep again. She awoke several times that night, in tears, sometimes screaming out. Legend laid with her and soothed her back to sleep. He stayed up half the night. Watching her sleep. Waiting to comfort her. Soon he fell asleep. He planned to take her to Phoebe, in the morning, so she could say her final goodbye and pray over her body in private before the ceremony.

  Legend heard a light tap on his door. He looked at Valentina. She was sound asleep, exhausted from the trauma from earlier. Legend eased out of bed and went to see who it was. He was now responsible for many nations. Messengers had been sent out and he expected their replies and letters of concern would start pouring in. He opened the door. Ashe stood before him with a look of surprise on his face.

  “What’s wrong,” he asked. “I went to that address as you asked. There was no body sir. I looked out the window and there were neighbors pointing and talking. I looked all around just to make sure then I left as quickly as I could,” he said. Did you see police or ambulance?” he asked. “No sir. Just the neighbors,” he replied. It made sense. She had to have screamed and the neighbors must have heard her. Legend wondered if cops came and found her. If so, she was at the morgue. “Then the humans have taken her body. I need you to keep that information between you and I.”

  T

  he bodies were wrapped in linen and sprinkled with oils and herbs, then placed in wood coffins and buried. Legend had gotten there early and buried the bodies himself. He decided not to tell anyone that Phoebe was not among them. Reed hadn’t spoken a word to anyone and Legend continued to fear what he would do. He knew his brother blamed himself. Things had gotten out of control and there was no stopping their father.

  The small intimate gathering of villagers bowed their heads as Reed spoke of his wife. A select few allowed to partake in the ceremony. Among those in attendance were; Legend. Valentina. Aesir and Zen. Blake and Trinity. Osimi and Sheeba. The medicine woman. And Storm. Reed stood next to his family. Aesir and Zen on his left and Legend and Valentina on his right.

  Reed kept his head down as he reminisced on how he met her and how easily he fell in love with her. Valentina stood next to him. Legend at her
side. She reached over and grabbed Reed’s hand. She looked at him. Tears flowed down his face. They were both missing Phoebe terribly. She had planned on speaking but was unable to. Her pain was deep. It silenced her. Every word took her back to that day. The day she was snatched from behind, and knocked unconscious, while her sister was at home suffering the same fate, she had a few years prior.

  “You ready?” Legend asked in a low voice. Valentina nodded. She wiped her eyes and kissed a yellow rose then laid it on the grave. She turned and walked away. The women of the village followed behind her, as the men stood around. Legend hoped he could count on the women to teach her everything she needed to know about being a female wolf. They seemed comfortable with her. She seemed relax with them She would need them. He couldn’t teach her what they knew. What life was like from their perspective. His job was to love her and provide for her. And he planned on doing just that.

  With death, came life. Many Harou females were expecting. They would be delivering their children soon. And Valentina wouldn’t be too far behind. She was with child. A boy. Her son would help her heal from the tragedy. “We will help you through this,” Zen assured, reaching over and grabbing her new sister in laws hand. “Thank you. Reed is the one. His pain is much deeper. I worry about him. Please check on him. Legend worries about him too,” Valentina said. “We will. He will be okay,” Zen replied.

  Valentina looked back. The men were close behind. Legend looked worried. It was in his eyes. She smiled to assure him she would be okay. He smiled back. She turned back around. She thought of him. His intense love for her. She was sure she would be okay. She had him.

  V

  alentina woke early. She had just an hour of sleep, but woke up ready to go. Legend finally told her and Reed, about Phoebe not being buried at the site. She was angry with him for keeping the news to himself for a whole week. She agreed with him, that the city of Anchorage had probably taken Phoebe to the morgue. She heard Legend walking around and talking to someone. She put her clothes on. It was probably Reed he was talking to. She was sure he was just as anxious to find Phoebe as she was.

  Reed had stayed up all night calling the morgue. He called them dozens of times hoping someone would pick up. He dialed several numbers, frustrated and anxious to see if they had Phoebe’s body. He was prepared to just go, when someone finally answered. Reed told the woman he was looking for his deceased wife’s body and the morgue had one woman fitting the description.

  Valentina was desperate to locate the body. She was trying to hold off on telling their mother of her passing until after the funeral. But now this was a new revelation and she needed to find her.

  “I’m ready,” she said, as she entered the living room. Reed and Legend looked at her. She could tell by the looks on their faces they wanted her to stay back. “We have to get to Anchorage quickly. It is an hour doing eighty to one hundred miles running. You’ve never changed. This is a lot to ask. I haven’t shown you anything. Are you prepared to runt that fast? To change? You should stay here. We can do this,” Legend said. He wanted her to relax. He worried she would slow him and Reed down. “Yeah. Why don’t you stay here Tee,” Reed chimed in. Valentina looked mortified. “Really Legend! First you just now told us. And now you want me to stay back. No way! I’m helping to find her. I am going to get a crash course in changing. And I’m probably faster than the both of you. I have to find her,” she said.

  “Alright,” Reed said, as he turned and walked out the door. Valentina kissed Legend then walked out. He paused then followed them outside. He was surprised how well she was holding it together. But she was a wolf now. And as string as she was before, she had an inner power that would see her through anything. She walked different. Held her head higher. She seemed more comfortable with her surroundings. And she had met with several of the women of the village and returned each day, slightly stronger and more informed. Legend wasn’t sure what all they taught her. Valentina had not said much. But she was always happy to go to their homes. Sometimes staying so long, that his own anxiety would build. But each time, she returned home happy and content. He wondered if they had taken her out. Showed her how to change. She seemed confident enough.

  “Did Zen show you?” he asked. “No,” she replied, then hesitated. “Trinity did,” she said, looking ta him. Legend looked off. He didn’t want to hear any more. He hoped Trinity didn’t go into anything more. She was with Blake. And Valentina didn’t need to know about their naked sexless bathroom fling that never happened. “Oh,” he said. Valentina smiled on the inside. She was blown away by the fact that he had eyes for her only and not even the sight of a naked woman in his shower, tempted him enough to indulge. She was flattered. And she loved him even more. If it were possible.

  “Where you going?” Aesir shouted. Valentina sighed. She was ready to go and didn’t want any more delays. Reed gave his brother a fist bump. He hadn’t seen Aesir in three days. He and Legend joked that Aesir had been kidnapped by his own wife. Zen finally joined the group. “Where you all going,” she asked, looking mostly at Valentina for the answer. “To look for Reed’s wife,” Legend said. Zen looked surprised then gave Valentina a look. “Oh. Um…And you’re running all the way to Anchorage?” she said, looking at Valentina. Legend and Reed waited for her response. They were glad someone else was there to talk sense into her.

  “Well yeah. I was. They could use my help,” she said. Zen shook her head slowly, side to side. “Stay here with me. Aesir will go. That’s three people. They will find her. You should stay back. You just learned how to turn. Women are not faster than the men. You will be slow while you get used to the speed and how to keep from tripping. You could hurt yourself,” Zen noted. “Oh! I didn’t think of it like that,” Valentina replied. “Ok. We’ll find her. We’ll be back in the morning,” Legend said, as he kissed her on the cheek. He gave Reed a look of relief and the men took of into the forest. Valentina watched as they turned after the got past the first set of trees.

  “Does he know?” Zen asked. “No. Not yet. I haven’t told him,” Valentina said, staring at him and watching as he disappeared from view. “Running is brutal. That’s why the men do it. You would have lost the baby Valentina,” Zen said. Valentina’s gasped and held her mouth. “What! Oh my…I could have hurt my child,” she said. Valentina turned to Zen. “Thank you. You saved my baby. I didn’t know. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to find Phoebe,” she said.

  “I know. That’s why we came over so fast. You have to rest. You’ll have the baby within a few months. We do not carry offspring like humans. Two months tops. You will get weaker than human females do. They are able to walk around. I’ve seen them working out. Big belly and all. You will deliver before you’ve barely begun to show. The baby will sit deeper. You’ll be able to tell. You’ll feel it. In the meantime, the women of Cedar Creek will cook and clean for you. Any females who did not conceive, helps the ones who did. You especially. You are carrying royalty. A future king. It is your job to get that little prince here in one piece. Now go rest.” Valentina looked at Zen. She smiled then reached over and hugged her. Zen was due any day. “You get some rest too,” Valentina said. “I will.”

  L

  egend stood over Valentina. Zen waved a fan in her face. She was hot. Her temperature was much higher than even that of a wolf. She had begun to sweat profusely and the women worried about the baby. Valentina mumbled incoherent words. Legend hoped she would deliver soon. The birth of a werewolf baby was difficult. And she was new to their world. No one knew what would happen. It was a first. A ruid having a baby. A Valkan baby on top of everything that could go wrong. They were the most difficult. The babies were bigger. They were born with sharp claws and two small teeth. The women who delivered an alpha newborn always required intervention to help heal quickly. But Valentina’s delivery was risky. She could bleed out.

  “Are they here yet?” he asked Aesir. “No. I’ll keep watch,” he said. Aesir walked back out the room and out the back door.
He was awaiting the arrival of a special guest. Someone important to Valentina. Everyone was anxious to meet her. She was well loved by Legend, Valentina and especially Reed.

  Aesir stared into the darkness. He saw Reed in wolf form running towards him with a woman on his back. He stopped and turned into his human form and then grabbed the woman’s hand. Reed walked towards his brother. A huge smile on his face. Aesir ran to them. He stopped and smiled at the beautiful woman walking alongside his brother. Reed blushed as he looked admiringly at Phoebe.

  “Honey. This is my other brother Aesir. Aesir, this is my wife Phoebe,” he said. Aesir hugged Phoebe. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “Nice to meet you. Where is she?” Phoebe asked. “Oh. She’s there. That’s her house,” he said pointing to Legend and Valentina’s cabin. Phoebe looked around. It was dark but the full moon had it illuminated. Aesir looked at her eyes. They glowed red. He looked at Reed. He was happy for him. “You ready to see her. She is ready to see you. The baby is giving her a hard time. He’s not coming out and you can’t force it,” Aesir said. “Yes. Take me to her.”

  Phoebe walked into Legends home. There were villagers standing around. Some were talking and having a drink. Reed took phoebe by the hand and took her up to the bedroom. He opened the door. Phoebe walked in. She burst into tears at the sight of Valentina. She looked at Legend. “Is she alright?” she asked. “She will be. Now that you are here,” he said, hugging his sister in law. “Everyone out please. Everyone except the medicine woman,” he said. Zen, Trinity and Sheeba left out. Iris stayed in. She wrapped warm towels around Valentina’s stomach and sat on the side of her rubbing her lower back.

  Phoebe walked slowly over to the bed. Her hand over her mouth. Valentina was chanting, her eyes closed, and looking ill. Phoebe laid next to her and held her face. Legend and Reed looked at each other. Reed turned and left out and Legend walked over and kissed Valentina then left behind him. Iris continued to rub Valentina in an attempt to get the baby to come down. Phoebe was distraught. She had come back from the brink of death only to now have to deal with Valentina being there. She had no color. Her breaths were fast. She was weak. And it didn’t look good.