by Aspen Drake
“I lost my wife and children, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let another man suffer the same fate.” He dropped to his knees and began to pull tools and vials from his pockets. “We have to work quickly before—”
The demon teleported again, and I fell a couple inches to the ground. I looked up to see fairies being picked off one by one as he went straight to Lily. I sprinted the short distance and leaped onto the demon’s back, sinking my teeth into his throat, narrowly missing the jugular vein. To my surprise, he shook me off as if I were nothing more than a gnat.
Steve ran up beside me, holding a vial of swirling green liquid. “We have to inject this into him.”
“What is it?” I yelled over the noise of the battle that raged around us, and he sucked the liquid into a syringe.
“Think of it as an anti-venom. Once this hits his blood stream, he will transform to his real age.” Steve was looking off into the distance, and I saw a young woman with her children. They were all ghostly pale. “I wasn’t about to work with a demon without having a way out.” He stared at the woman and children. “I’ve wanted revenge for so long, but now I just want people to know the truth.” He ran forward then rolled closer to the demon’s location. He took one more look at his family then drove the needle deep into the demon’s leg.
The demon shrieked in agony, and he reached down and tried to knock the syringe away. Steve drove the needle even deeper as the demon placed his hand around Steve’s chin and twisted, breaking Steve’s neck. At first, I thought the drug wasn’t working, but then I saw the first lines form around the demon’s eyes. He began to age more quickly as he tried to reach Lily. When he fell at her feet, he was nothing more than dusty bones.
I rushed to Lily’s side with tears pouring down my face. She was so white that I could see her veins. They had managed to seal the wound, but I was afraid it was too late. I watched her chest rise and fall but it barely moved an inch. Willow was working as fast as she could to stop the bleeding. “You’re not going anywhere, baby girl. You hear me?”
I stood by helplessly. There was nothing I could do. I had no magic in my veins. That’s when I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder.
“What is it with you Americans and your bloody race issues?” I turned to see Logan and thanked my lucky stars.
“Eh, you know. We have to find something to fight about.” I chuckled weakly.
“Let’s save your girl.” He went to work immediately, and I watched over his shoulder, not wanting to get in his way. After a few minutes, Lily was stable enough to move. An ambulance had arrived, and they were loading her onto the stretcher. Her eyes opened, and she looked off into the distance. I turned to follow her gaze and saw Steve with his wife and children. They all gave us a wave before turning and fading into the tree line.
“I promise you, Steve, everyone will know the truth,” Lily’s raspy voice called out before she once again slipped into unconsciousness.
27
Anwell
I was watching her sleep when Walker came into the room. “Do you have a minute, Anwell?” I didn’t want to leave her side, but she was in stable condition and healing quickly. Logan had managed to reverse most of the damage, and Lily and the pups were expected to be fine.
We left her room and headed to an outdoor patio with wrought iron tables and chairs. “There’s something you need to know, Anwell. When I came to see Lily that first afternoon, I read her mind and saw that the two of you had been intimate.”
I felt my face flush.
“Believe me. It wasn’t exactly what a father wants to know about his daughter. I realize everyone enjoys different things, but anyway – that’s not the point. I saw there was something in her heart that went beyond sexual fantasies.” He touched my hand. “I saw that she loved you. Unfortunately, I also saw herself holding back. When I met with you to discuss having you watch over her, I’ll admit that I took the time to read your mind as well.”
“But you didn’t even touch me.”
“I didn’t have to. Most beings can’t hide their thoughts the way fairies can. I can read your mind without even touching you. The point is, I saw that you had feelings for my daughter as well. But again, you were holding back. You felt that you needed a werewolf to carry your children.”
“That’s true. I had deep feelings for Lily but was so afraid she wouldn’t be able to withstand carrying werewolf pups. A family is important to me, and I didn’t want that to stand in our way.”
“You must understand, I never would have let the prophecy play out if I hadn’t seen the love between you two.”
“And what exactly is this prophecy?”
“That times will change. Our society will stop the silent racism we pretend doesn’t exist. You and Lily will show Greywood that races can come together. Love doesn’t have to be overlooked simply because people aren’t from the same race. Werewolves can be with fairies, vampires can be with witches…”
“What about humans?”
“That’s the hardest bridge we’ll have to cross. Many in the paranormal community love to be with humans, but only for the sake of fun and pleasure. We need to move past that and show that all races can be together.”
It sounded easier said than done. “But people will argue that we’ll be diluting the blood lines.”
He laughed. “That’s because many people are simply stupid. When it comes to DNA, paranormal blood will always be the strongest. And, no, I’m not saying that to be racist against humans. It’s the truth. When a child is born to a human and paranormal being, the child will be a paranormal being.”
“So, how does this all work when it comes to paranormal beings?”
“You’ve seen it for yourself, Anwell. Lily carries werewolf pups. The dominant DNA will always win.”
“I can’t say I totally understand how this works. Biologists would tell us that we share the DNA of our parents.”
“Biologists haven’t considered what we’re capable of. They only deal with humans or individual paranormal races.”
I shook my head. It was a lot to take in. I was about to ask another question when Willow walked into the courtyard with Logan. “Anwell, Lily’s awake and asking for you.” Walker and I stood. “Actually, Mr. Noble, she said she wants to see Anwell alone.”
Walker just laughed and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Tell her I’m always around whenever she’s ready to talk.”
28
Lily
I woke up in a panic. I didn’t know where I was or why there were so many tubes attached to me. A nurse rushed into the room and began trying to calm me. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re alright.” She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Let’s see if the doctor is ready to remove the breathing tube and then we can see about getting you something to eat and drink.”
I reached up and felt the tube sticking out of my mouth. It was hard to swallow around it. My insides hurt, and I was hungry enough to eat a horse – okay, maybe not a horse but I was starved. When the doctor came in and removed the tube, my throat was incredibly sore. “We’ll start you out with something to drink,” the nurse said. “But it may be a little while before you can tolerate any food.”
“But I’m so hungry,” I croaked.
“I know, sweetie.” She fluffed my pillow and handed me a cup with a straw. “I’ll heat up a cup of soup, so we can get some nourishment to those babies. With all those growing pups inside of you, you must be starving.”
I began to choke on the ice water. “Um, just how many are we talking about?”
She turned and smiled at me. “Are you sure you want to know? I can tell you right now that they’re all healthy as can be.”
Before I could think about it, Willow walked in with Logan and started crying as soon as she saw me. “Oh, hon. I’m so happy you’re okay.” She pulled me into a hug, and I thought I might suffocate in her boobs.
“Air. I need air.” I gasped.
She pulled away and then pulled a chair next to the
bed. She sat down, and Logan perched on the edge of his chair. She filled me in on everything that had happened. I had almost died. My eyes swelled with tears. Not just for myself, but for all the lives that could have been lost.
I sighed. “I can’t remember much from that evening, but I know you saved my life, Logan. I could feel your magic repairing the veins and stopping the bleeding.”
“It was my pleasure, Lily. You’ve made Anwell such a happy man, and I wasn’t about to let anything happen to you.”
Just hearing his name made my heart beat a little faster. “Speaking of Anwell…”
“He’s downstairs, talking to your dad. He hasn’t left the hospital since you were admitted.”
That was a comfort, but I figured he was only there to make sure his kids were okay. A strange look came over Logan’s face, and he shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. That was weird. He was a warlock, which meant he was more powerful than a fairy when it came to magic. I looked him in the eye and sent him a question without speaking aloud. Are you reading my mind?
His face became flushed and he looked away.
That’s what I thought.
We sat and talked for a few more minutes before I asked to see Anwell.
“Should we send in your dad, too?” Willow stood up, still holding my hand.
“No. I’m not ready to see him.” I was being childish, but I wasn’t ready to forgive him. I needed time to process everything that had happened.
Anwell walked into the room looking tired but sexy as ever. I started to get distracted by his scent and the pull between us before reminding myself that I needed to focus. My hormones were all out of whack from the pregnancy. “Hey, beautiful,” he said as he brushed the hair from my face.
“Hey.” I smiled, though my heart was breaking at what I was about to say. “Look, I want to be upfront about something. I would never stand in your way when it comes to seeing your children.” His expression turned to one of confusion. “I know we weren’t planning this pregnancy, and that’s why I want you to know that you’re free. I would never hold you down just because we weren’t careful. I respect that you want a werewolf wife, and that will never be me.” I motioned to my already growing belly. “Regardless, I want to make this easy on you.”
“Easy on me?” He towered over me, his eyes hardening as they focused on mine. “Dammit, Lily. I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. The more time I spent with you, the more I wanted you. Not just your body, but your heart. I wanted to learn everything about you – your favorite ice cream and what you do for fun – everything. I was so afraid to fall for you though.”
“Because I’m not a werewolf,” I said with sadness.
“Because I wanted a family. I didn’t think you’d be able to carry a litter. I’m still scared to death that your body won’t be able to handle the size that comes with having so many babies. We’re only a week into the pregnancy and your belly is already growing. Thankfully, the pregnancy will only last eight weeks, but—” He stopped for a minute to run his fingers through his hair. “I would be heartbroken if anything happened to you.” He leaned his head against mine. “So, yes, I was afraid to start anything with you for fear of what would happen. I wanted a family and didn’t want us to be doomed from the start.”
I let his words sink in. He cared for me.
“You think you’re this woman who is weak and submissive, but you’re actually a powerful, strong woman who goes after what she wants.” He held my hand in his. “Don’t you want me?”
“Of course, I do.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek. “But not just because I’m having your babies.”
“I feel the same way, Lily. I’d want to be with you no matter what. Even if my sister called you a bimbo.”
“A bimbo?” My face shrunched up in confusion. “What’s that all about? I could understand being called a bitch, but why a bimbo?” I looked down at my hospital gown and less-than-a-handful breasts. “I don’t even have big boobs,” I mumbled more to myself than to Anwell.
He chuckled. “Your breasts are just fine. More than fine actually.” He turned serious. “My sister said that before she knew why you stabbed Matt. It’s funny. Just a week ago, she wouldn’t look twice at him, and then I gave him the key to getting her attention.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter now.”
“How is she holding up?” It must be hard to fall for a guy and then have him turn out to be psycho. “And how are you holding up? Weren’t you good friends with Matt?” I pushed up on the bed to sit up straighter.
“Careful.” He touched my arm to make sure I wasn’t moving around too much. “She’ll be fine. There are plenty of eligible men in the area. As for me, it hurts knowing I let someone into our pack who was the enemy. We’d become best friends.” He sighed. “But it’s all over now. It’s time to start focusing on those pups.” He gave me a grin that showed how much he cared not only for the pups but for me too. It melted my heart, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
29
Lily
I’d put it off long enough. I’d been home from the hospital for over a week, and I couldn’t avoid it for any longer. I picked up the phone and called my dad.
“Lily. It’s so good to hear from you. How are you feeling?”
I placed a hand on my ever-expanding stomach. “I’m good. Do you think you could come over for a little while?”
“Of course, pumpkin. I’ll close up the office early and be there as soon as possible.”
He arrived sooner than I thought, and I was quite surprised to see my mother with him. Just one look at her, and I could tell she was nervous. I watched as she tried to walk away, but he kept her moving. There was no fighting, but my dad seemed to be persuading her to do something that made her uneasy. She looked like a person boarding a plane who was scared to fly.
“Mom. Dad,” I said as I opened the door. “It’s good to see you.”
My mother gave me a forced smile, but there was unease and a touch of sadness in her eyes. I stepped aside and let them into the house. Anwell was doing paperwork at the office and would be home soon.
“Thanks for inviting us,” my father said as they sat down at the kitchen table.
“You’re both always welcome here.” I poured glasses of sweet tea as Dad pulled some things from his bag.
“Brought you your favorite ice cream,” he said in a singsong voice as he held up a pint of Chunky Monkey. He then pulled an old photo album from his bag and placed it on the table.
I took the ice cream and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome, princess. Now, we need to have a talk that we should have had years ago.”
I glanced at my mother and saw her concentrating on her hands, busying herself with a hangnail. I pulled a spoon from the drawer and sat down before removing the lid off the carton.
My father opened the album to the first page. There were pictures of my mom, but she looked so different. She was wearing casual clothing like was carefree, and she was smiling or laughing in all the photos. In each photo, I saw a man who wasn’t my father. He turned the page and there were pictures of my mom and the guy kissing in one of those photo booths you’d find at the mall. I stopped with the ice cream halfway to my mouth and put the spoon back into the container. I looked at my mom and saw her eyes swelling with tears.
“Was this an old boyfriend or something?” I asked.
“Or something…” My mom choked back a sob and tried to laugh. The sound was heart-wrenching. “He was the love of my life.” This time, she did sob. It was a deep, guttural cry that broke my heart in two. My mother never showed emotion of any kind. I often joked that she was a well-crafted robot.
“This,” Dad pointed to the man in the photos, “was John. A human. Your mother and John—”
“I’ll tell her,” my mother said as she wiped away her tears and patted my father’s hand. “John and I met when he transferred to the area in middle school. We were in the
same grade but went to different schools. One summer, we were both working at the used bookstore down on Fifth Street.” She stared into space as she watched her past play out in her mind. “It was love at first sight. He had gorgeous sandy blond hair, the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, and was tall and broad.”
I glanced at Dad, wondering what he thought about all this. He smiled encouragingly at my mother and she continued her story. “We spent every minute together that summer and got together as often as we could during the school year. Our senior year, he proposed, and I accepted.”
“What happened?” I had to ask, oblivious to the fact that ice cream was dripping onto my hand.
“My father didn’t accept him. He told me it was fine to date a human, but that a respectable fairy would marry one of her own kind.” Her skin paled and it took a moment before she could continue. “I still saw John with every intention of leaving Greywood as soon as I finished school. But the night of graduation, John was found dead. It was ruled as suicide by the human police force, but anyone with magical powers would know that he had been driven to do what he did by the powers of another. I knew it was my father. Half the town knew it was him. I never spoke to my father again. It hurt him deeply and probably led to his early death, but I have no regrets.” She dabbed her eyes, and I grabbed a wet napkin to clean my hand and the table.
“Mom, I’m so, so sorry.” I pulled her into a strong embrace. “I’m so sorry for all the times I said you were uncaring or showed no emotions. I can’t imagine going through such a thing.”
“Now you understand why I wanted the prophecy to play out,” my father said.
I turned and looked at him. Actually, I didn’t. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I don’t. How do you play into all of this?”
