“He’s possessed by the moon!” One of them shouted. “He invited these fangers here to try and kill us off and now he can’tcontrol his own…sh-shifting because of it! I say we challenge him! I say we kill the vampire bitch he sleeps–––”
Namir’s body on four legs suddenly leaped towards the man as his form shifted into two legs covered in dark fur, snout still extended but his face was that of a were. A beast that hovered over the suddenly pressed up against him as he backed the man up.
“Kill who?” He asked, voice distorted and disturbingly dark as his chest slowly rose and fell against the man’s lowered head. Namir slowly backed up as he looked around before smearing the rest of the clay off his body and feet. He was in complete control of his werewolf form.
“Anybody challenge my brother for his position?!” Seth let out as he began to pace on all four. “You just witnessed something I always thought was impossible! Nobody can do or has done what he just did! Namir is able to shift into all three with complete control! WHO DARES TO CHALLENGENAAH MIR?!”
When nobody said a word, I specifically looked at his mother who slowly backed away from the circle with silent tears coming down. She looked mortified at the sight of her son even if he was slowly shifting back into his human form, it still didn’t look like him. Namir drew his hand down his face as he slowly looked around at everyone.
“Does anybody,” he started, voice barely audible. Namir looked up, still heaving as his jaw muscles clenched and twitched while his eyes sharpened with the moon’s light. “Have a problem with who I choose to lay with?” My brows raised as I waited to see who had a problem with my sister? I could feel my mother shift uncomfortably like she wanted to say somethingbut decided not to. Trevor spun around to look at us with a silent shrug. “DOES ANYBODY HAVE A FUCKING PROBLEM WITH WHO I CHOOSE TO MARRY?! TO HAVE CHILDREN WITH!? TO MATE FOR LIFE WITH?! SHE IS FIRST FAMILY!” He shouted before lowering his tone. “She is…” He turned to look at us. “She is mine…She will be by my side and commands the same respect that I receive, if you have a problem with this, step forward.”
Nobody moved but the sound of footsteps crunching against the dried leaves and sticks suddenly echoed when Himora abruptly spoke up.
“It will only be a problem if she rejects you.” Trevor’s eyes widened before glaring at her, but she did a small nod of her head. “It would be wise not to make such a strong claim until we find her, which is why we’re here…You–––”
Trevor clamped her mouth shut while I looked around for the baby that was no longer in her arms. That is until I saw cousin Lovely in the back with her arms cradling a sleeping infant.
“I know you just seen this man shift into a mothafucking demon dog the size of Godzilla,” Trevor muttered under his breath towards her. “Are you crazy?!”
“She’s right.” My mother said, taking the chance to say something. “I prefer my daughter to have her say before you boldly claim her as your wife and…mother of your kids? No. Not on my watch. You are her first boyfriend and first real relationship. I don’t think it's fair that she isn’t here to speak for herself.”
“Respectfully,” Seth cut in. “You kept your daughter locked in the fucking house all this time. You didn’t prepare her for the world she was destined to be a part of. My brother and thispack have seen what she can do. While you were living your life, oblivious to your daughter’s whereabouts, she was loved and cared for by this man.”
“So where is she now?” My mother asked as Raven nodded with her arms crossed against her chest. “Why is it that nobody has even thought or tried to look for her?”
“You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been doing,” Namir said, stepping towards us. I put my hand out just as Trevor quickly stepped in. That caused more wolves to come out of the shadows to back Namir while Raven’s side of the family stepped up. The only thing that broke the growing tension was the sound of a child screaming as two little boys ran past in laughter while one of Raven’s grandchildren chased behind them. They couldn’t have been no more than six or seven years old but seeing them run in and out of the trees like children broke the divide between us.
“I thought I heard someone say they had a grill?” Trevor suddenly said as one of the men behind Namir chucked his chin towards him.
“We were planning on throwing some meat down, you…you can eat that?”
“Mannn please,” Trevor huffed with a suck of his teeth. “I’m not one of them…What you got? I don’t eat raccoons or squirrels now. I like regular meat…mainstream from the grocery store meat.”
“Don’t run off too far now!” Raven shouted. “Eyes where I can see y'all!”
Whatever was supposed to happen whether we were going to fight to the death or have a screaming match, it was abruptly shut down. One of the women used some sort of magic to set light to the string of bulbs that covered the forest, stretching like webs made of light orbs. I could now understand why theybrought chairs and music. It was a nice hideaway spot with a single wooden door that stood hidden between the trees. Engraved was a paw print in the center with a gold doorknob. I watched as they pulled Mama Eba away, forcing her into silent shunning until Namir decided what he planned on doing with her. Whatever he says now, is the word. Seth, who was now in his human form, walked towards us in his red basketball shorts and bare feet with folding chairs. His hair hung down against his face when he flipped them both open and we both planted down in the seat at the same time. He popped open his beer can while I propped my ankle on my knee and watched everyone.
“You didn’t want this life?” I asked, cutting my eyes towards Himora as she spoke with my mother.
“And have some old lady rubbing mud on my balls in front of everyone? Fuck no. I told you…I’m more human than wolf. They know it too. Maybe if I grew up like this…it wouldn’t be so….weird.”
“You would have gotten used to it.”
“Yeah nah,” he let out as he slapped his arm from the bug bite. “I like being in nature like this, but I like a warm bed and a body with curves. Not a body with fur.”
I didn’t say anything. Just kept my eyes on Himora while keeping my ears on the quiet conversation Carmilla and Dorian were having behind me about my sister. Cousin Lovely latched on to Himora like the only fae she’s ever met, and Namir was all smiles as majority of the men congratulated him and welcomed him back into the family. Whether they wanted him to or not, he claimed Maggie as his wife. Everyone will just have to deal with it.
“Oooo weeee…” I looked up to see Raven dragging her chair towards us before dropping back down in it with her feet stickingstraight up in the air. “Baby, my feet are hollering in these shoes…”
Seth grinned, amused by the talking old lady child.
“I’ll never understand the aging process with you all,” he said before looking at me.
“Well,” Raven started. “When you’re a child, they don’t require as much…I put my chirren on blood and milk to mix it up…eventually brought in human food so they can blend in. I had em in public schools and whatnot, so they need to learn how to eat like everybody else. Once that puberty hits…that's when the aging can slow, stop or continue on…Body goes through all sorts of changes. Oh!” She suddenly giggled with a wiggle of her feet. “Look at me, telling all my good family secrets to a big bad wolf. I never thought I’d see the day! Aye now!” She suddenly called out. “Bring that baby over here! I know she’s tired!”
“Age for us is merely a suggestion,” I told Seth. “That is part of the disease and its slow progression.”
“Disease,” he repeated with a huff of his voice. “Yeah y'all are sick alright.”
