The whole room was quiet after what they had just heard. Francis was beside himself with shock. What had just been confessed before him sounded absurd, leave alone impossible. For the first time in a long while, he felt other emotions different from anger. He looked at his lovely twins then back at the mother. "It is not possible!" He said calmly, but loud enough for all the people in the room to hear him. He did not look up but sat still with his head bent down and one hand on the posh well-shined dining table. "I do not understand." He added, his voice breaking from the energy it took to put his emotions in check. It was as if no one heard him for everyone was still trying to make sense of the information unraveled before them.
"Mommy, what does that mean?" Anthony broke the silence. The adult looked at him worriedly and then at Natalie, who stood behind Dylan's seat. She sighed and moved to where her children sat and sat next to them.
"Anthony," Natalie began and hesitated. She looked back at Dylan who gave her an encouraging look then at Francis, whose head was bowed down. "We hope that it would not come to be true. We did not think of the consequences and only focused on saving your life. Do you understand mommy?" Natalie asked and looked at her son, hopefully. He nodded and smiled at his mother sweetly. "You were dying and we could not get human blood in your system and I believe your Aunt Flora has taught you and your sister why that is dangerous for any of our kind."
"Because once we get fresh human blood into our system we develop a dangerous thirst for it that it is impossible to stop." Anthony replied.
"And also because we have a treaty to protect." Kyla, who had been awkwardly silent added. Natalie nodded and looked at Flora, who smiled at her.
"Yes. You are both correct. So we had to look for blood to save you, Anthony." Natalie said and caressed her son's face. And I was still human and was dying for I had lost a lot of blood so I could not help. So your Uncle Dylan came up with an idea. We were unsure whether it would work but we had to try. I had to save you. You know mommy would do anything for you, right?" Natalie asked and looked at her twins, tears balancing in her eyes. They nodded at her. She felt so happy to have such outstanding and understanding children. "And, there was no one else to help since that time I was all alone. I only had your Uncle Dylan. And so he became my only hope of saving you. His idea was very dangerous for you but we had to give it a shot. You remember what I told you?"
"He had to donate some of his blood to me." Anthony answered. Francis clenched his fists.
"Yes. And do you know why that was dangerous?" Natalie asked.
"Because our treaty protects us from harming them and so their blood is inedible to us. It can harm us." Kyla answered. Natalie gave her a kiss on the cheek and looked at her son. She caressed his face again.
"Yes. So when your Uncle Dylan transfused some of his blood to you, you reacted badly at first. You did not take it well, and considering you had just been born, we were unsure whether your immunity could take it. And for a while, I watched your immunity fight it and I thought I was going to lose you." Natalie said and broke down for a bit but she pulled herself together.
"Then you stopped having the terrible reaction. You stopped crying and convulsing. You started doing okay and your heart beat grew stronger and steady. You survived it." Dylan helped Natalie.
"But?" Anthony asked.
"But then, after a while, your eyes briefly had a red glare then stopped. And I knew what had happened." Dylan answered. Anthony looked from Dylan to his mother.
"Honey, it seems your immunity fought with the blood transfused into you and they eventually bonded and blended. Do you know what that means?" Natalie asked her son, who shook his head. "Do you remember what happened recently with your sister?"
"What happened recently with his sister?" Alice asked.
"Yes. I almost hurt her." Anthony answered and looked at his sister lovingly.
"What?" Alice asked again. Francis looked up for the first time. Everyone who knew nothing of the story looked at them confused.
"Yes. That is because of what happened when you were born. You see, immediately you and your sister were born, your fast growth rate accelerated by a hundred times more and when you received Dylan's blood, your body's immunity fought it but with the first growth rate you were experiencing, blended with it and made it part of you. And it is part of you now." Natalie did her best to explain.
"What does that mean, mommy?" Kyla asked. Everyone looked around, uncomfortably.
"It means, that your brother is not only a vampire, but a werewolf too." Natalie said after a long while. Francis stood up and turned his back on the table. "Anthony, you are a hybrid. A mixture of a vampire and a werewolf." Kyla looked at his brother surprised.
"Does that even make sense? It is impossible!" Francis shouted though he was struggling to remain calm. A resolution he had made earlier on but was finding it difficult to stick to it.
"And why not?" Gregory asked and looked at his son.
"Because…because it is not!" Francis answered then sat down. Tapped his foot then stood up again. "Then again, aren't the eyes of a normal werewolf white?" He asked.
"Not unless he…or she is an alpha." Matthew noted out and they all looked at Dylan. Natalie was even more surprised. She stood up and walked to him.
"Is that true?" She asked. Dylan did not answer. "Is that true?" She went louder.
"Yes." Dylan answered calmly.
"So does that mean you are an alpha?" Natalie asked. Dylan looked down then at Anthony, who looked back at him. He then looked down again. "Dylan!" Natalie shouted. Dylan raised his head and to everyone's surprise, his eyes were no longer black but reflected a bright red in them.
"What do you think." He answered looking at Natalie. Francis could not take these revelations anymore and walked out of the room, then rushed back inside after a bit.
"Dylan, take the twins upstairs. Now!" He ordered. "We've got unwelcomed guests." Dylan did not hesitate and rushed with his super speed to the twins and took them upstairs. The Gregory family had only one unwelcomed guest, other than the werewolves, The Law.
The door was opened from the outside and several footsteps were heard moving to the dining area. They stopped at the dining area. "It seems we have interrupted some family time." A strong sophisticated voice was heard from the door of the dining area.
"It seems so." Gregory answered and put a card at the table. "That is how you play poker." He jested. The other three men complained. It seemed the family was playing poker in pairs- Gregory paired up with Alice, Francis with Natalie and Matthew with Flora.
"Father, I think you cheat. You and mother!" Francis said, seconded by Matthew and the two ladies.
"You are such sore losers!" Alice jested even more. The family completely ignored the guests in the room for a while. Then as if suddenly realizing the guests, Alice looked at them and said: "Would you want to join?"
"I don't think so mother. They are too sophisticated for this." Flora mocked.
Natalie observed the guests. She had only heard rumors of them from Flora but had never seen them. The Law consisted of three top members and two top guards. The three top members required one strong vampire, one strong wolf and any other specie with extra power and the third spot had been reserved for a witch to ensure the two other kinds maintained their treaty in peace. But the witch species had been extinct for years now since the last witch made the pact and disappeared. Since then, either a werewolf or a vampire could hold the spot, but it was the vampire's turn now. That made two vampires; one female and one male and one male werewolf. The two guards were both vampires. They were of super soldiers for the council, who preferred vampire soldiers who could easily come back to life. Natalie found it unfair for the only wolf in the council. Flora had told her of the strictness of the council to ensure both supernatural species stick to the treaty for anyone in breach would be immediately killed. They did not enjoy any turning of humans to vampires without their consent either, like what happened with Natalie. The guests looked back at her for a while.
"You must be Natalie. The new member of the Gregory family." The only woman in the pack said to her. Natalie nodded. "Well, I am Dinah, a werewolf. That is Eden." She took a step forward and pointed at the man standing in the center. "And that is Ryan." She pointed to the other top member of the council. "The guards are Jerry and John." She took another step forward and the members of the Gregory family immediately stood up.
"She knows." Flora said. "I made sure of that."
"Cleary so, even though you did not make sure that proper procedures were made in order to turn her. As per our rules." Eden said.
"It all happened so fast." Francis said briefly and sarcastically.
"How? We are here to seek that explanation." Eden replied and looked at Natalie.
"Can't be explained in words." Francis replied.
"Then paint a picture." Eden retorted. The room was quiet. The Gregory family could not let the council know about the twins, especially about Anthony. They would do their best to get rid of them. They had ruled for a thousand years unchallenged and they held on to that power, ridding themselves of any challengers or usurpers.
"Why do I smell werewolf?" Ryan asked suddenly.
"Maybe it is our very own Dinah." Matthew answered and the Gregory family chuckled.
"Matthew, behave." Alice said after she had chuckled.
"Not her. Another new scent." Ryan clarified after seeing Dinah's dangerous eyes. The Gregory family looked at each other for a while.
"Oh. That was me." Francis suddenly said and took a step forward. "I got into a fight with one of the do…wolves. It was nasty."
"Why is it so strong? It is as if he or she is still here." Eden questioned.
"Because." Francis took steps towards the council and stretched out his hand. "Smell that." He said as he put it close to Eden's nose. "My hand was in his chest. As I said, it was nasty." It was lucky that Francis had not taken a bath since his fight. He could smell Dylan's concentrated smell on his hand.
"But I also smell Natalie's scent on the same hand." Ryan pointed out. "Threesome?"
"Well, yes." Francis said. "You see; my hand was in the do…" He paused and looked at Dinah's warning glare. "Wolf's chest and sweet Natalie had to break it to ensure I did not break anything that could have been unfixable. Total misunderstanding." He said and smiled. Then leaned in to Ryan and whispered: "She has a vicious temper that one." And they both looked at Natalie, with Francis smiling.
"And what was the argument about?" Dinah asked.
"He said he could beat me. Same old things." Francis lied and went back to the side of his family. Natalie was amazed by Francis' acting. She had never seen this side of him. The council seemed unconvinced but it all made sense since wolves and vampires constantly got into fights to prove their strengths, so they did not push it.
"Since you did not answer for Natalie's change, we shall have to punish you. And you know how we do it." Eden said with a smirk. He then gestured the guards to grab her even before the Gregory family could react. The guards reached out to grab her but they could not get past an invisible barrier between them and where the Gregory family stood defensively to protect Natalie. They tried but no one could breach the barrier. It seemed another secret was about to come to light.