Genovi:
Why the hell was I holding her so tight? Of course, she wouldn't be bothered by my secret. For years I would transform with any ounce of stress I experienced, my lips pressing into a thin line. Why was she being so nice about this? Rolling her underneath me, the moonlight bathed her features masterfully. Her stunned eyes watched me while I kissed her bump, her black bags telling a tale of not sleeping well. The bite marks had sealed themselves shut, my fingers tracing the scars. So many faint scars covered her skin, her numb expression haunting me.
"I am sorry for freaking out." I apologized sincerely, a fit of laughter bursting from her lips. "Wait a minute, what's so fucking hilarious? I am pouring my heart out to you." Cupping my face, our lips locked with a fiery passion. Time stopped, all of my frustration dissolved in a matter of seconds. My heart nearly beat out of my chest, her heart rate matching mine. How the hell did I get so lucky? Guilt ate at me about the events earlier today, the sex situation having gone too far. She wasn't ready but she didn't tell me to stop. Why didn't she tell me to stop? I would have within a heartbeat.
"You don't have to worry about earlier." She assured me lovingly, always reading my mind. "Did you like the cooked venison? I have been craving it for a while." That checked out, most pregnant werewolves wanted gamier meat. Stella cleared her throat, picking up her backpack. Crimson colored our cheeks, an apologetic smile dawning on Celly's face. Squirming out from underneath me, a blast of golden water put the fire out. Leaving the leftover meat to feed the animals, she scooped up the deer fur. Confused looks dawned on our faces, her tongue sticking out adorably.
"I am going to tan it myself and make a couple of things out of it. We really shouldn't waste things." She explained serenely, my breath hitching at her raw beauty. Too stunned to move, my cousin punched my shoulder. Low growls rumbled in my throat, a wicked grin spread cheek to cheek.
"Pay attention, lover boy. I don't think you realize the firecracker you are married to." She taunted playfully, my shoulder aching from the out of moon cycle shifting. "It's been a while since you have done that." Nudging her shoulder, a sly grin passed between us. Leading the way back, our ears perked up at her singing random songs. Seeming to be in a good mood, her body tensed up. Golden energy built up around her palms, the energy swirling into a blade. A flash of black blocked her way, her bare feet smashing the attacker into the tree. Charging at him, her feet barely touched the dirt. Leaping into the air, the shadowy blur launched into the air. The two of them looked like balls in the sky, trees crashing down with each jump. Skidding to a stop in front of us, her chest puffed up and down. Horror widened my eyes, blood flowed from her nose. My lips parted in protest, a gray aura took over the forest. A cloaked figure marched towards her, clammy sweat drenching her skin. Spinning an ash gray blade in his gloved hands, his tattered robes fluttered in the harsh wind.
"Celeste! This simply isn't fair." A raspy voice taunted cruelly, her body trembling. "I killed all the hunters for you. Don't be relieved. You will have every demon imaginable coming at you. Today was supposed to be a warning but you had to fight back. Death is the only solution." Wicked laughter rumbled in Celly's throat, the flowers we gathered spun in her palm.
"I won't be needing these anymore, and I wanted to save a few hunters." She barked venomously, knowing every word was true. "That simply makes you my main villain at the moment. Thanks for clarifying the whole hunter thing. It was becoming rather unclear. Are you ready to die?" Cocking his head back, his hood fell back. Ash gray eyes twinkled with malice, his black lips curling into a crazed grin. Crumbling them in her palm, her sword solidified into an actual weapon. Tracing the golden blade, her blood dripped down the sharp edge. A rush of cool air blew her hair up, a golden circle swirling around her. Raising her blade into the air, my eyes fell on his own silver circle. Two energies clashed with each other, a piece of hair falling in front of his face. Chanting their spells, something told me to protect my cousin. Knocking her to the ground, a raise of my hands creating a dome. A wave of the mixed energy blinded me, the light died down to reveal a large crater. Blackened trees smoked, a busted up Celly sinking to her knees. The other guy fell forward, blood pouring from his eyes and nose. Struggling to her feet, she limped over to him. Towering over him, she coughed up blood.
"I will kill you if you don't join my side." She wheezed, attempting to catch her breath. "Don't you dare try to kill yourself." Kicking his blade away from him, her fingers curled around her neck. Lifting him off the ground, she pinned him to a tree. Pressing her blade to his throat, he spit in her face. Fury burned her eyes, a tinge of sadness hiding underneath the stern gaze.
"I am offering you a chance to live but you have to be my servant." She snapped hotly, banging his head repeatedly against the tree. "I will paint this tree with your blood and send the head back to your current boss. Your insides are melting by the second. Tick, Tick! Tick goes your life clock." Dropping her blade, she offered him her arm. Her expression softened, her fury dying down. My heart fluttered at the sight of her being a gentle soul, this Celly is the one I loved with all I had.
"I am sorry for being so rough." She apologized sincerely, catching his hand mid stab. "Your boss can't be that great. What do you benefit from his employment? Does he give you a place to stay? Does he allow you to have friends? Most importantly, does he value your opinion?" Clearing his throat, her grip loosened.
"No and why would I need any of that shit. That shit kills you." He protested with an impressive eye roll, probably willing to die. "I'll bite since I don't want to die. I demand freedom in a sense." Biting her arm, his long gulps sickened me. Slapping him off, he dropped to the ground. A bright light blinded me, a fully healed idiot stood tall in the dying light. Spinning his blade in his palm, a swing was seconds from hitting her. Catching the blade in her palm, it snapped in half. Donning a twitching Cheshire Cat grin, a swift kick sent him up into the sky. Kicking him into the air repeatedly, she caught him by his cloak. Stepping back in fear, neither one of us wanted to intervene.
"You kill me and we both will die. Do you have a death wish?" She chastised him with a sickly sweet tone. "Play nice or I end the bond which results in you crumbling into a pile of ash. Do I make myself clear!" Bowing his head in shame, he examined the wolf tail band around his left thumb. A steady stream of curse words flooded from his lips, a haughty sneer spread cheek to cheek.
"You fucking tricked me!" He yelled vehemently, his fist heading for her face. "You dirty r-" Catching his fist, the ground quaked the moment he hit the blackened dirt. Digging her heel into his chest, wicked laughter exploded from her lips. Please don't go too dark, my dear Celly!
"Damn, you hit the nail on the head." She sighed triumphantly, sitting down on top of him. "My plan is to free you all. Once he is dead, you will all be your own person. How does that sound? Take this." Snapping her fingers, a carbon copy of his weapon rested in her palm. Accepting it cautiously, he watched her get up. Jumping out of the crater, dismay dulled her eyes at her destroyed outfit. She was probably thinking why do all my clothes keep getting destroyed, a soft chuckle escaping my lips
"I expect to see you tomorrow around lunch time." She ordered sharply, flashing him a bright smile. "Hopefully our partnership works out the way I want it to." Marching ahead of us, he pulled himself out of the crater. Sprinting up to her, he held out hand. Cocking her brow in response, he bowed in her direction.
"I am Smokestack, your new humble servant. You bested me fair and square. I vow to protect you from now on." He introduced himself humbly, her head shaking. "Will you please accept my offer!" Seeing the wheels turn in her head, she forced him to stand up straight. Grabbing his shoulders, curiosity twinkled in her eyes.
"I am fine with that. Please don't bow in my direction again. I view you as an equal." She agreed sympathetically, watching his face light up. "I find that most people can redeem themselves if they take the right path. We will find you a place to stay if you do one thing for me. Put up one of your demonic masking spells over my town. Can I count on you?" Attempting to bow in his direction, her dainty hand stopped him. A stern gaze shut that down, her polite smile warming his soul.
"Blood of my sins, protect all those who live within my hometown." He chanted confidently, silver circles appearing everywhere. "All done, master." Patting the top of his head, we began the walk back home. The silence was deafening, my cousin sinking into her car. Smokestack seemed simply happy to take the couch for now, Celly rushing straight to the kitchen. Sinking to her knees, her head rested against the cabinet. Lifting up her dress, nasty bruises covered her skin. Scooping her up, my feet pounded up the stairs to our room. Setting her down on the bed, silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" I inquired stupidly, instantly regretting my decision. "Let me h-" The abruptness of her grabbing my hand threw me off, a serious expression meeting mine. A quiet panic flashed in her eyes, harsh words waiting on the tip of her tongue.
"You changed when you saw them cheating on you, didn't you?" She demanded boldly, her tears falling harder. "I need to know. If you only change when you are stressed, then why tonight? I am not worth s-" Seeing her this way shattered my heart, my hands cupping hers.
"Yes." I admitted shamefully, hoping not to scare her away. "I don't deserve you. I understand if you wish to r-" Kissing the top of our hands, her fangs hung over her lips adorably. Pulling me in for a warm embrace, her sweet scent relaxed my fraying nerves. Celly always knew when to comfort me, my inner wolf wagging his tail.
"I don't care about any of that." She assured me lovingly, every word seeming true. "I wolf you. We all make mistakes. Trust me, I have done way worse. The people I killed are actually dead and won't come back. Tammy came back and you let her stay. You fixed your mistakes. Do you mind giving me a bath? It hurts to m-" Crashing onto the bed, her snores echoed in the air. Smiling tiredly to myself, I tugged off her dress. Tucking her in, a groggy yawn flooded from my lips. Sweet slumber soon stole me away.
Jerking awake, her side of the bed was empty. Panic came over me, my bare feet pounding down the hall. The attic ladder was down, curiosity coursed through my mind. Climbing up slowly, my jaw dropped. A dozen paintings lined the room, each one in the same style. Every negative emotion showed, the depression one standing out the most. A single person sat in a sea of black and white shadows, my fingers tracing the splatters of a pale blue paint. Opening her cubbyhole, an exhausted Celly stared blankly at the ceiling. Holding her sketchbook in her arms, her tears shined in the light. Thankful for building her the cubbyhole, this allowed me to always know where she was.
"I miss my dad." She wept gloomily, passing me her sketchbook. "I can't seem to get rid of my nightmares of his death, and then Saint's death destroys me by the day. The death I feel the most guilt about is your mother's. She treated me nicely, and she just dropped dead. How could I not smell her damn cancer? The worst part is that I can't bring any of them back." Flipping through the pages, the image of a six year old Celly walking with her father gave me pause. Sitting down across from her, she crawled onto my lap. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she buried her head into my shoulder. At least she was talking about everything hurting her, my lips brushing the top of my head.
"Let it out." I whispered tenderly, her emotions soaking my t-shirt. "I miss my mother as well. She was my rug. When it got yanked out from underneath me, I was so lost. Do you know what got me through? You did." Hopping off of my lap, she pulled out a couple of paintings. My jaw dropped to the floor, two paintings of my mother hung off of her fingers. Passing me the one where she was holding a younger version of me, a bright eagerness glittered in her eyes. Tracing her flawless features, her youthful expression caused tears to well up in my eyes. How on Earth did she understand me so well?
"This one's for your father." She sniffled quietly, showing off the image of them the very first day she met them. "This is how I saw them." Fighting back tears, her warm smile sped up my breathing. The light even highlighted the shadows of her dress, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Dropping the painting to the floor, she collapsed to her knees. Keeping her strength during the funeral must have been hard, something else was up. Clammy sweat drenched her skin, a warm liquid dripped down her legs. Pushing the painting out of the way, low growls rumbled in her throat. Snowflakes fluttered outside of the window, panic gripping my face. Wasn't this a little early? Thinking back, my mind fell back on the flowers she crushed. Picking up my cell phone, I dialed Dr. Benston's number.
"I think the twins are coming." I uttered in disbelief, a groggy yawn echoed in my ear. Clearing his throat, my eyes fell on the worsening snowstorm. Waiting with bated breath, his next words shattered me. Celly cursed audibly, her fists banging on the floor.
"That's impossible." He groaned tiredly, picking up his car keys. "I am snowed in. This is an unnatural amount of snow. I won't be able to make it for at least four hours and that's being generous. I am so sorry. I am going to dig myself out right now." Hanging up on me, Tammy popped her head into the space. Dracula poked his head up next to him, his black sweat pants and shirt outfit throwing me off.
"Let's meet these babies." She chirped cheerfully, alarm widening Celly's eyes. "You did something with those flowers, didn't you? I should have warned you when I accidentally came across your notes." Dracula nudged her shoulders, clearing his throat. Narrowing my eyes in his direction, what knowledge would a fucking vampire have. Drumming his fingers on the floor, an annoyed look met mine.
"I am medically trained to aid in any situation." He informed me briskly, cocking his head to the right. "You would think the witch would know what to do but she is lacking in that department." Celly let out a strained laugh, another contraction rattled her body. Laying down on her back, her teeth gritted in pain. How could she be so calm?
"That is why I came up here last night. I was feeling slight contractions, but couldn't figure out why." She joked serenely, grinning her way through another contraction. "Here's how this is going to go d-'. Fuck this hurts so fucking god damn bad. Just get these pups out of me before I tear out someone's throat. You might want to call your father before he can't make it." Blood pooled around her legs, her head hitting the floor. Time slowed, shouts faded in and out of my ears. Part of me wanted to shift, her weakened voice stopping me.
"Novi, we have this. Don't shift on me now." Celly pleaded sweetly, blood dripping out of her exhausted grin. "I can't do this with you." Coughing up blood, we needed a doctor. Taking off my clothes, my bones shifted into place. Adjusting to my wolf vision, they cried out as I leapt out the window. A white wolf ran next to me, his aura smelling familiar. The original werewolf made his presence known, his spirit leaping into my wolf.
"Run fast, little one." His voice thundered in my head, my speed matching the speed of light. "We have another generation to bring to life." Crunching through the snow, my fur danced in the breeze. Little time passed, a trail told the tale of my clumsy stop in front of Dr. Benston's homes. Digging at the immense pile of snow in front of the door, my paws banged on his door. Hitting it impatiently, his gloved hand caught my massive paw. Climbing onto my back, his worn leather bag bounced off front leg.
"We have to get going if I am going to make it time! I don't know how she sped up the pregnancy but her organs are probably bursting as we speak." He ordered over that howling winds. "I know that this weather has everything to do with her birth." Nodding my head once, he held on tight as I ran with my new speed. Sliding on the ice in front of our home, we crashed into a tree. Two feet of snow had fallen, my father's truck was buried underneath a pile of snow. Digging at the door, an impressive wall of snow blocked it. Pushing him out of the way, my paws dug at the snow. Shivering in my place, my soaked fur clung to my body. Swaying slightly, his spirit bounced into the sky. My old man opened the door, his leather jacket barely doing anything to prevent him from being soaked. Stepping through, my bones cracked back into my human form. Tammy tossed me my only pair of dark jeans and a navy t-shirt, my trembling hands pulling them on. Benston rushed past us, a screaming Celly shutting down my coldness in a second. Moving my wet hair out my eyes, a grateful Dracula stepped to the side. The power flickered out, all of us cussing in response. Stepping up to my leadership position, it was my turn to take over. Everyone who loved her lined up to help her out, my wolf eyes allowing me to see their heat signatures. The backup generator kicked back on, the lights flickering back on. My attention turning to the people in town, my home would have to be their shelter for the evening. All of them would freeze if this didn't let up, a sharp whistle escaping my lips. Tammy stepped up, Onyxio and Smokestack hanging back. The last thing I needed was people to be freaked out by her demon guardians.
"I need you to get Jarod to bring everyone here. Tell them that it is an order from their alpha. There homes will become too cold tonight." I blurted out awkwardly, tears welling up in her eyes as I pulled her in for a warm embrace. "I am sorry if this is hard on you. I understand if you wish to go somewhere else." Shaking her head, her nose lifted in the air.
"I am going to be there for my friend, no matter how much it hurts me." She sobbed softly, fighting back the urge to scream. "Just because I c-" Cupping her shoulders, seeing her so shattered broke my heart. We may be divorced but she was my friend as well. An idea popped into my head, praying that this small reprieve would ease her emotional agony.
"How about I put you in charge of the village people alongside Thomas? You can focus on getting them ready for the evening." I offered sincerely, Celly's blood filling the air. Thomas rushed up to me with his clipboard, his hand patting my back. The reason I made him my Beta showed itself with how he assured me that he will handle everything, a silent agreement passing between us. Rushing upstairs to our bedroom, a sweaty pale Celly reached for me. Yanking me into a loving embrace, the scent of death swirled off of her. Shaking off of my nerves, so much blood painted everything. My vision blurred, her hand snapping me out of my minor panic attack.
"I am going to make it." She admitted sheepishly, showing me one last dried flower. "Give this to Avalanche when he shows up. He should know what to do." Her hand dropped limply, her pulse slowing to a stop. A tortured scream burst from my lips, A snow covered Avalanche bursting into the room, his hand grabbing the flower. Horror flashed on Benston's face, the townspeople piling into my home. Thomas and the others shouted orders, my attention turning back onto the dead Celly. Teardrops crashed onto her face, Benston pulling out the first twin. A wail pierced the darkness, Dracula cleaning up a baby girl as he cut her umbilical cord. Frantically working on the other twin, I sank to my knees. Another wail pierced the night, Dracula taking care of him for me.
"Avalanche, I need that shit now!" Benston snapped impatiently, tears welling up in his eyes. "We only have a couple of minutes left to fix this." Avalanche smashed his way in, tossing Benston a light blue crystal. Smashing it in his hands, his lips moved a mile a minute. Thump! Thump! Thump! Waiting with bated breath, a blue light bathed her. Her screams echoed in my ear, our relationship flashing in our mind. A sharp breath jolted me out of my trance, a broken Celly's eyes sobbing violently. Pulling her into my arms, horror rounded her eyes. Something terrified her, her fingers clambering for firm grasp on anything.
"I saw Hell and it was scary. Everyone I killed was there and they were stabbing me over and over again." She panicked audibly, her breathing growing faster. "Why did I end up in Hell? What did I fucking do?" Desperate tears flooded from our eyes, two crying babies snapped her out of it. Slowing her breathing down, her hands cupped my face.
"I wolf you." She whispered brokenly, her lips kissing me feverishly. "We did it. We actually did it. We are parents now. Take a deep breath and think about us playing in a sunny field. Picture my smile." Picturing her smile in my mind, our children dancing behind us. One! She is here. Two! We have children now! Three! My eyes opened to a weakened Celly smiling up at me. Benston approached us with our twins in his arms. Reaching out for them, their fluffy white hair stole my heart. Golden eyes watched me, they squirmed in his arms. My tears of sadness turned to joy, my hand cupping her face. Kissing her passionately, her body arched towards me.
"Thank you for being my rock." I sighed through a wall of tears, my eyes falling on our twins. "They look just like you." Beaming with pride, her head rested on my shoulder. My heart fluttered at her raw beauty in the moment, her real smile illuminating her features.
"I was thinking our little girl could be named Susie Marie and our boy could be named Darwin Novi." She suggested lightly, my eyes lighting up. "What do you think?" A pregnant pause hung between us, the snow stopping. Clutching them to my chest, hearing my mother's name made the tears fall harder and faster. Not knowing if they were born from sorrow or joy, the image of my mother flashed in my mind.
"I love it." I wept softly, my old man hovering in the door. "Did you hear her? Our little girl is Susie Marie and our son is named after you. I love you, dad." Crouching down to our level, he ruffled the top of her head. Tears stained his cheeks, his eyes falling on our twins. Struggling to keep it together, salty teardrops shattered the shimmering surface of the blood.
"You did great, kid." He assured her in a fatherly tone, kissing their foreheads. "I am so proud of you both." Sitting down across from us, I chose to bask in the moment. Thank you Moon Goddess for a successful birth.