Heart of the Moon

I woke just before dawn.. I heard fussing coming from our sons’ room. I jumped up, grabbing a pair of shorts and a cami.. literally jumping into them.. to reach the boys. They were both fussy, and burning up. I pulled them both into my arms and brought them with me, back into our bed.

Kieran rolled immediately to them.. touching them, he mindlinked me 🐺 we need to get them to the backyard. Their wolves have woken up. I quickly stripped them both, and he carried them both outside.

He told me to shift to Lenore and let her coax their wolves. He wouldn’t shift into Onyx until just before both their wolves arrive. Lenore laid on the ground and tucked her babies in close.. nuzzling and licking them.

The moon was just fading from the horizon, as the dawn began to lighten the sky.. and Kieran let Onyx out. He leaned over our sons, just as their little bodies snapped and contorted.. Ten minutes later, two tiny black as night wolf cubs lay between us.

Their coloring was the exact shade of their Daddy’s, with the blue glowing tattoos on their heads, like Lenore’s. There has never been two more beautiful pups to grace the earth. Yes, I am aware every mother feels the exact same way, but I can’t help feeling, in this case, it’s absolute truth. Onyx rolls his eyes at me, hearing my thoughts.

Within a few minutes, they found their paws and were bounding around the backyard.. pouncing on Onyx.. tugging his tail. Nipping at his ears. He just rolled onto his back and let them torment him for a good half hour.

Kieran shifted back, and coached the boys on how to shift back.. and within seconds, they were back in their little toddler bodies, complaining they were hungry. Feeding them was a circus.. their excitement at shifting so soon taking them over.

I brought them back to their room, and they were asleep within seconds. Shifting is hard on a teenager, their first time. For toddlers, it’s obviously exhausting. I walked back into oir room to shower and get ready for the day.. when Kieran says “Umm babe?” I glance up at him, as he walks out of our closet, and bust out laughing. He’s trying to button his shirt.. but lacks about four inches of being able to close the shirt. He says “I think this is a problem.”

I walk into the closet and grab him a tee shirt.. telling him “This will have to do, until we can go shopping!” And I proceed to grab a quick shower. I slipped on a maxi dress and flats, before heading out for some food!

By the time we had gotten some clothes that fit Kieran comfortably, and arranging a new nanny for the boys, I felt like I needed a nap. Instead, we are all sitting in Kieran’s office.. waiting for Cole to let us know what he has found out.

Cole was setting everything up to show what he had, on the TV.. and I snuggled into Kieran’s lap. Axel looked at us and said “I read the last entry about you, in the book of Legends. It talked about the traitors.. but it was essentially information we already possessed. The last line intrigued me.. it reads The Devil needs his heart, before he can take down a King.”

Kieran shrugs and kisses my temple “Well, baby, guess we’re going to take down a king.” I laugh and tell him “How is he a King, when he lives in shadows? He’s not even a deposed King.. he’s a homeless one!”

Cole claps his hands and tells us to focus.. which is hilarious.. since he can’t focus to save his soul, but okay. “The man who lead the rogues against the monarchy was named Beau Allen.. he had a daughter, with a sixteen year old girl.. who died in childbirth. He left the kid.. or somebody did.. at the front door of a pack hospital.. Golden Arrow Pack.. raised her in the orphanage there.”

I sit up straighter and ask “What a douchebag! He assaults a sixteen year old, then abandoned the child? She wasn’t adopted?” Cole shook his head and said “No.. Not only that, he must have left her name at the hospital or something.. because this poor girl was abused, her whole life. She was sold.. actually Sold!.. to Black Pine Pack and made a breeder.”

Kieran roared “A breeder!? Axel, this afternoon, ready volunteers.. we are visiting both those packs in the morning! I will not tolerate the injustice! Abusing and selling orphans!? Harboring breeders!? I will call the council this evening and let them know my intentions!”

I soothed him and whispered “We will get to the bottom of it.. they may not be practicing this, anymore.. it’s been a century.” He smiles and kisses me, then tells Cole to continue.

Cole clear his throat and says “She gave birth to three sons, before her death. One born to a warrior named Alistair Heines.. one to another warrior named Alexander Jenkins.. and the third was born to a Delta.. named George Cassius.”

Axel says “Okay.. there’s the doctor’s last name and the rogue’s. So they are direct descendants of the rogue who lead the rebellion. What else do we know?”

Cole says “Let me finish this time. Sheesh! The delta’s kid was named Alden.. and the warriors kid’s name was Abraham. Half brothers.. who both grew up in Golden Arrow.. they caused a lot of problems.. assaulting women.. beating omegas.. even killing humans. Two of the women they assaulted, gave birth to sons. Abraham’s son is Isaiah.. but he was born to a human.. so he didn’t want him. The mother raised him in Willow Creek.. a small town in Colorado. He knew nothing about being half were, until he shifted.. and tore through the town.. killing three people. He was locked up, in an institution.. until he was twenty. Worked his way through med school and joined Grizzly Mountain Pack as their doctor.”

I asked “Where does the Cassius boy come in?” And Cole rolled his eyes at me.. I grinned and said “Don’t roll your eyes at me” he interrupted “Or I’ll roll your head on the floor!” And we both cracked up. Axel was looking at us like we’re crazy and Cole says “That’s what Peter used to tell Callie when we were kids.. She had attitude.. who knew!!?”

Kieran says “Focus! I would like to get through this before dinner!” Causing me to laugh again.. “Holy shit!! You sounded just like a Dad! Good job!” *Crack* I jumped..”Did you just smack my ass?” He grins and rubs it.. whispering “Focus!”

Cole rolls his eyes again and says “Alden Cassius grew up in Black Pine.. he was a bit of a wild child.. using his father’s position in the pack, as delta, to bully his way through school. He believed he would be delta.. after George retired. Problem was.. George had met his mate.. after Alden was born. They gave birth to a son and a daughter.. that boy is Donald Cassius. And he is the Delta.. being the legitimate son. In a fit of rage, on his sixteenth birthday.. on being told he would not inherit the title.. he killed George’s mate and daughter.. severely wounding George. He ran away from the pack and wasn’t heard from.. for several years.”

We stopped for awhile, so I could feed the boys lunch and get them down for a nap. I arranged the dinner menu with the cooks and we all settled back in the office, for Cole to continue.

He has pictures up on the screen now.. I recognized the doctor right away.. but Alden Cassius looked nothing like him. Kieran mentioned it “Even as brothers.. there’s no resemblance that I can see in them!”

Cole shook his head “No.. but look at the picture…. This is Emory Cassius.. son of Alden.. born to a fifteen year old she-wolf from Ivory Mountain Pack.. she was abducted at the age of thirteen, on her way home from school. She died in childbirth.” And Emory looked a Lot like Isaiah!

Continuing, he tells us “Alden met Isaiah in a bar.. and one thing led to another.. they discovered they were brothers. Isaiah had met his mate.. however, she was barren. Alden struck a deal with Isaiah to raise Emory, as his own. It was easy to convince him.. since the kid looked like him. And his mate wanted a baby, so bad! Everything was good.. Emory was raised in the pack.. went to the pack school.. just before he turned sixteen… Alden reappeared.. telling Isaiah he had found a story about the heart of the moon. Emory became obsessed! And upon learning the truth of his genetic history, he left with Alden, and became rogue. Now, Isaiah loves that boy.. and would do almost anything for him. So, when the rumor mill ground out the idea that Dark Woods would be the keeper of the heart.. Isaiah had no choice but to transfer there. Emory had taken his “mother” in, because she didn’t want to be away from her child. And Emory.. by this time, had shifted his way of thinking to rogue mentality. Threatening to kill Isaiah’s mate if he didn’t comply. Her name is Gladys.. and no word if she’s even alive now”

I am stunned! “This is a lot! Do we know whether Isaiah is with Emory? Is Alden still living? Which one is calling himself the king?” Cole shook his head and replied “I can’t find anything more. It’s like they disappeared off the map, two years ago.. here’s the kicker.. Valerie’s father was the son of Alastair Heines.. and Cecil was the son of Donald Cassius.”

Kieran gasps “Holy fuck! That family was rotten down the the very first seed! Well… I guess that’s my in for visiting Black Pine Pack tomorrow. Need to let the Delta know about his kid!”