"Where's Ezra?"
I glanced around. He and Vlad weren't in the cabin. I hadn't even realized when they left.
Vanessa must've noticed the panicked tone in my voice. She squeezed my hand and smiled, her eyes scanning my features like I was a miracle. "They're just outside. Don't worry."
"Oh. Okay." I focused on the bond. I could still feel him.
"Olin, why don't you get them?" Vanessa stood up. "I'll fix you guys something to eat after all."
Olin straightened, pressing a kiss to my forehead before walking out of the cabin. Orton clasped his hands together. "You're in college now?"
I nodded, looking at him. My brother. I had a brother. His hair was a shade lighter than mine and Olin. But his features were all our father's. His voice, too. It was deep and low. There was this calming trait to it.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Twenty three," he replied. So he was about five years older. I wonder what our relationship was like before they had to let me go.
Vlad, Olin and Ezra appeared through the doorway. Ezra resumed his earlier spot next to me, and his familiar warmth settled my magic.
"So you're two years older than Ezra," I told Orton.
"Mhm." Orton glanced at Ezra. The two shared a curt nod before Orton looked away, his jaw ticking.
I frowned. Ezra patted my knee. "Remember what I told you about Zariah? He just needs to beat me around a little and he'll mellow out."
"Oh." I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Ezra got my mug from the coffee table and gave it to me.
"Yeah. Oh. I have a feeling I'm going to have one hell of a time with your father and brother." Ezra's voice was thick with sarcasm.
I took a sip from my drink to hide my grin. But Ezra could feel my amusement. He growled low.
Orton glanced at him sharply, surprised.
"Never heard a wolf growl, Orton?" Vlad asked, joining us in the living room.
Orton scowled. "Not really."
"Better get used to it," Vlad said.
My heart swelled at the thought of being with Ezra and my family, with how loved I felt. I still didn't know the entire story. Still, I felt blessed.
I downed the lukewarm hot chocolate in a few sips and put the glass away. Vanessa and Olin worked quietly in the kitchen. Seconds later, Olin walked over with a plate of sandwiches.
"So Ezra. You're in college, too?" Olin asked.
"Yes, sophomore."
"How old are you exactly?"
"Twenty one. Most wolves go through pack training after high school before going to college," Ezra explained.
"I see." Olin put the plate on the coffee table. My mouth watered at the sight of the simple turkey and lettuce sandwich. There was some sauce in it. It looked very juicy.
Ezra picked one and gave it to me. I bit into it. Mhm. I was right. It was scrumptious. Ezra, too, reached for one.
"So where are we exactly?" Vlad asked.
"New Zealand," Olin replied.
His and Orton's gaze were on Ezra as he handed me another sandwich right as I finished the first. I didn't say no.
"I see," Vlad said. "How long have you been here?"
"A couple of years. It lasted longer this time," Olin replied.
I looked between Vlad and Olin. Olin smiled at me. "We move around quite a bit. We try not to stick to one place for long."
"Why?" I asked even though I already had a vague idea.
"Because of what we are," Olin said. He leaned forward and looked at his palms. "Our kind has been running and hiding forever. That's how we've lived for thousands of years."
My appetite dimmed. Ezra frowned, his mind reeling from all the possible implications of Olin's words on our life.
"Who are you running from?" Ezra asked.
Olin smiled. "You may not have known about our existence, but there are people who do. They call themselves Moon Hunters. They're an Order of supernaturals whose only goal in life is to catch one of us. The Order contains vampires, werewolves and witches alike. Generation after generation, they've been hunting us. They came very close the night they massacred the last of the fairies."
Ezra's rage slowly built up as Olin spoke. My magic whined. How could they live their entire lives in hiding, looking over their shoulders. I couldn't begin to imagine it.
"Is that why you sealed Orla's identity?" Ezra asked. His power suffused the bond. He was hanging by a thread.
Olin sighed. "Part of it. But," he added, looking at me with grim knowledge in his eyes, "it is true that they want Orla more than they want any of us."
Ezra's control snapped. A surge of power flared through the bond and burst out of him, rattling the furniture and the walls. His eyes glowed and his nails turned into claws.
My family froze, looking at Ezra like something they'd never seen before. I sighed and put my hand on his fist. His nerves were already frayed by everything we'd been through these days, my father's words did not exactly help.
"Calm down. I'm fine. I'm here."
He turned his head and buried his nose in my hair, taking a deep breath. It took a few minutes to suck his power back in, and when he looked at me again, his eyes were their usual dark brown.
Olin exchanged a look with Orton, before he focused his sharp blue eyes on Ezra. "You're the future werewolf king, aren't you?"
Ezra nodded. Olin's eyes narrowed as he mumbled, "I see. Interesting."
"So why do they want me more than anyone else?" I asked.
"Because you're the first female moon child since Primus' daughter, Aphra."
"The first?" Ezra asked. "There are no female moon children?"
"No. My father had one child, me. And my grandfather before him had one child, my father. And so on. Our line had always had one child, and it had always been a male."
"Wait, let me get this straight," I said. I needed to order the information in my brain in order to understand properly. "Primus was the son of the moon goddess and the angel of peace. Correct?"
"Correct."
"And he had a daughter, Aphra, who was the mate of the first werewolf king. Ezra comes from their line."
Olin nodded.
"But Primus also had a son whose existence has been a secret; Oriel," I said. "And that's where we come from."
"Yes. And every generation after had one single child, and it was always a male," Vanessa said, coming from the kitchen with a plate of smoked salmon and fried egg sandwiches. Oooh, more food. Nice.
"Except for us," Olin said. "I have two children. Orton and you. You can imagine my surprise when Vanessa fell pregnant again, and later when we discovered the baby is a female."
Something moved in the corner of my eye.
I glanced over and did a double take. A chair floated through the air from the kitchen towards us. I blinked hard. Was I seeing things? The chair set itself right behind Vanessa, who gracefully sat down without batting an eye, as if a flying chair was an everyday occurence.
I glanced at Ezra just to see if I was the only one surprised by this. He raised his eyebrows.
"Take it easy, Olin. They're not used to your crazy way of life," Vlad said, his smile amused.
Vanessa chuckled. "We have many things to discuss, but let's eat first."
I looked at the turkey sandwiches still left. Olin's eyes crinkled with a smile. He reached for a sandwich. "Vanessa's love language is feeding others, so get used to it."
Well, I certainly didn't mind. The food was delightful.
"How did you get there in the woods?" Ezra asked after devouring a sandwich in two bites. "You just popped out of nowhere. Teleportation?"
"Yes. Moon children have a large set of abilities. Some skills that witches need a lot of time and practice to develop come very naturally to us. Like teleportation."
My eyes widened. I quickly swallowed my bite. "So I can teleport too?!"
"Yes."
I grinned. That would be so cool. Imagine not having to walk to the store to get chocolate!
Ezra cleared his throat. "Chocolate? That's the first thing you're using your abilities for?"
Oh, I guess I said it through the bond. I gave him a look. "Chocolate is a completely valid reason to want teleportation abilities."
"By the way, Orla is a fire elemental," Vlad said.
"Really?" Orton frowned. "I always thought she'd be an earth elemental."
I looked at Orton. "You never knew what I was?"
"Elemental abilities don't manifest until the child is at least seven, so we never knew," Vanessa said.
"I see," I mumbled, taking another bite. A fire elemental. Only months ago, I had no idea this world even existed, and now I was accepting my elemental abilities as a matter of course. Life was funny that way.
"Oh, but you're not a Moon Child," I told Vanessa.
"No, I'm a fairy. I was human and Olin turned me," Vanessa said.
"Moon children are always mated to humans. And the human parent doesn't affect the purity of the child's blood," Olin said. "A Moon Child's blood is as pure as the very first of us. That's what makes us powerful."
"But..." I said, my brain working. "I'm not mated to a human."
"You're mated to Ezra, a werewolf," Olin said.
"Just like Aphra was mated to the first werewolf king," I mumbled.
"Yes. And just like Aphra, your children will not be pure blooded Moon Children, but mixed werewolves," Vlad said. "Extremely powerful werewolves."
Ezra and I exchanged a look, our brains coming to the same conclusion.
"That's why they want her," Ezra said. "Because she can produce a powerful line."
"Yes," Olin said. "Whether your mate is a witch or a werewolf, your children will inherit their father's race but will be extremely more powerful."
My brain groaned. Too much new information!
But one thing was clear, I was wanted because of my ability to produce a strong offspring. Any child I had would be their father's race, but with Moon children abilities, the least of which was immunity to silver.
"But wait..." I said. "Ezra told me before that supernaturals can't get pregnant without a mark. And I'm already marked by Ezra, so I can only carry his children."
It was very awkward to have this conversation with my own parents. But there really was no time for bashfulness, I needed to understand the danger I was in.
"Exactly. That's why he," Olin pointed at Ezra, "is also going to be a target. If they kill him, then his mark on you fades, and you can be marked by someone else."
My magic sparked at the threat to Ezra. I rubbed my forehead. Bad news just keep rolling in. Ugh!
Ezra was quiet next to me. Too quiet. His anger was a cold, calculating monster.
I still had one question I needed the answer to, though.
"Is that why you locked my magic and gave me away?" I asked.
Vanessa's features filled with sadness. Olin's jaw clenched. He shook his head. "If it was up to us, we wouldn't have given you up. You were our little girl. We would have fought to protect you even if it cost us our lives."
"Then why?" I asked, hating how small my voice sounded.
"It happened when you were four," Olin said. "We've been living like my ancestors did, constantly moving around, hiding all over the world. We were in Russia then."
He fisted his hands in front of his mouth, his eyes dark under lowered brows. Vanessa reached over and squeezed his knee. After a few seconds, Olin continued.
"They found us. Moon Hunters. I wasn't home. I think I was out getting something from the store. When I came back, I found your mother fighting off a vampire and two witches. You and Orton were hiding in a fake wall we made in our house back then. It was the closest anyone has ever come to taking us.
"Anyway, your mother was badly hurt, but we managed to kill them and escape before others arrived. After a few months of hopping all over the world, we thought it'd be safe to finally settle down in Ireland. That's where a Sybil found us."
"A sybil?" I asked.
"An oracle," Ezra explained. "They're gifted individuals who can see into the future. But they don't associate with other supernaturals."
"Are they humans?" I asked.
"They're supernaturals. They could be witches, werewolves, vampires. No one really knows who the sybil is. The gift pops up in every generation of supernaturals," Ezra said.
"They're the reason our line has been safe for thousands of years," Olin said with a small smile. "Sybils are meant to bear messages from the moon goddess to us, moon children."
"So that's how you managed to keep your existence a secret," Ezra said. "Even though you're strong, you're still very few in numbers."
Olin sighed. "Exactly. But this time, the sybil had another kind of message. It was time for our kind to stop hiding."
I gripped the edge of the couch, leaning forward. "Stop hiding?"
"Yes. After the massacre of the fairies, nothing was ever the same. Magic in the world has been unbalanced. Why do you think the number of rogues is constantly increasing?"
Vlad nodded. "True. It is very much easier to become a rogue now compared to a century ago. And the magic imbalance is only getting exponentially worse."
"How does our hiding affect the magic balance though?" I asked.
"Supernaturals consume magical energy just as we consume air, Moon children and Fairies are no exception," my brother explained in his low, calm voice. "But unlike other supernaturals, we can't use our magic freely, which means the magical energy we emanate is a lot less compared to what we consume. That creates an imbalance."
"Oh. I see." There was still so much I didn't know about supernaturals.
Olin picked up. "So, to restore the balance of the world, we must be able to live as freely as other supernaturals, to use our magic as freely as they do."
"And that's where you come along," Vanessa said, smiling at me. "The sybil told us that you, the first female moon child in our line, are going to play a substantial role in bringing us out of hiding in peace. But to do that, you must be kept away from the supernatural world until the time is right. That's why your father locked your powers and we left you with the humans."
"What about the condition to break the Lock?" Ezra asked.
"The sybil was the one who suggested it," Olin said. "She told us that when you find your mate, everything will be set into motion."
"So you're going to come out of hiding and just announce our existence to the whole world?" I asked.
"Yes," Olin said.
"But, how could I-?" I was going to panic. A heavy weight settled on my shoulders. I had just discovered the supernatural world, and now I was going to be the person responsible for bringing a powerful race that many feared into the light! How could I possibly do that? I didn't even know how to use my own magic properly!
Ezra squeezed my hand, but even that couldn't settle down my nerves.
"You don't really have to do anything, Orla," Vlad said with a kind smile.
"But the sybil..."
He shook his head. "You've already fulfilled a big part of her prophecy. Think about it. The situation right now is in our advantage. It's the most favorable climate for moon children to come to light."
"How?" I asked, confused.
"If you had grown up a moon child and Olin had come out of hiding and simply announced their existence to the world, do you think anyone would've accepted such strong creatures so easily?"
"Definitely not," Ezra mumbled.
"So why would they accept us now?" I asked.
"They already have, Orla," Vlad said. "Can't you see it? They've already accepted you. They got to know you when you were a vulnerable human. They got to know who you are before knowing what you are. Werewolves, witches, vampires; all your friends accepted you even after your true identity came to light, because they know you and trust you. They're even willing to protect you."
Shivers pebbled my skin. I saw it now. It all happened for a reason. It was truly amazing how life worked out.
"Everything happened for a reason." Ezra mirrored my thoughts, nodding to himself. "You being a human when we first met has helped keep everyone's guard down, otherwise they- we- would have been too scared to accept you. Which is a normal reaction. People are afraid of anything different, especially if different means stronger."
"True," Olin said. "You paved the road for us, Orla. There will be difficulties, don't get me wrong, but at least we will have allies."
"You have my support," Vlad said. "And that of all covens under my command."
"The werewolves, too," Ezra said. "Orla is our future queen. She has the loyalty of every pack."
"And Hale will mobilize enough witches in our side," Vlad added. "He and his children are very fond of Orla."
My heart warmed, and my nerves settled down some. They were right. I wasn't alone in this. I had Ezra, Sam, Haley, Ashley, Blake and everyone else. I wasn't alone. We weren't alone.
Vanessa let out a shaky breath. "So we're finally coming out of hiding."
"And this time," Olin smiled, his eyes glowed a frost blue, "we'll be the hunters."
Ezra's end of the bond tightened. He tensed. I glanced at him.
"Sorry. Your father just... needs some getting used to."
"We've said enough for now," Vanessa said. "Why don't you guys go get some sleep? You must be exhausted. Vlad will take Orton's room, and Ezra and Orla can take the other bedroom-"
"Why don't Ezra and Vlad share a room?" Olin interrupted with a scowl.
Vanessa rolled her eyes while I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.
"Oh, shut up, Olin. As I was saying, Orton will take the couch, so Vlad, make yourself at home."
Olin grumbled something under his breath, and I didn't miss the look he shot Ezra when we stood up. I pretended not to notice.
Orton lead the way down the only hallway in the cabin. He stopped at a room. "This is you, Vlad."
"I hope the couch is comfortable, kid." Vlad clapped him on the shoulder and got in. Orton shook his head with a small amused smile.
The next door was ours. My brother opened it and stepped aside. The room was just big enough to hold a queen bed with plain white sheets, dark curtains, a nightstand and a wooden drawer cabinet.
The window above the bed was open, letting in a pleasant breeze and giving onto the shimmering lake.
"Mom always kept a spare room for you wherever we moved," Orton said. "So this is technically your room."
Oh. My room. My heart tugged, and I realized then that I wasn't the only one who'd suffered during the years of separation from my family.
Orton indicated the two other doors down the hall. "That's our parents' room, and that's the bathroom. If you want anything, let me know. We only have the necessities since we never know when we might have to pack up and relocate, so..."
I smiled at Orton and wrapped my arms around him tightly. He hugged me as if he'd done it a hundred times before. For all I knew, he probably had.
"It's good to have you back, little sis," he murmured and stepped back. "You can have a look outside if you want. It's safe enough. Dad has a spell over the place."
"Thanks," I said.
Orton gave Ezra a look that was only slightly less hostile than Olin's, then closed the door.
I exhaled loudly. The exhaustion of the day setting in. The sun was bright outside, but we'd left evening back home, so I felt all sorts of odd. Jet lag? or should it be called teleportation lag.
All the emotional turmoil and the barrage of new information and revelations certainly didn't help.
Ezra put our bags on the floor and wrapped me in his arms. "How are you doing?"
"I really don't know. Everything is just so confusing," I said and glanced at the door. "Are they really that strong?"
"Yes. Especially your father." He shook his head. "He'll make a lot of people shit their pants by just being in the same room."
I snorted and laughed. "That's silly."
He shrugged, smiled and poked my dimple. "You look like your mom. But you definitely have your dad's red hair."
"I still can't believe they're here, you know," I said. "And I have a brother..."
Ezra groaned. "Don't remind me. I thought I would only have to deal with your father, now I have another guy after me. The two of them are probably plotting my death."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't be dramatic."
He growled and squeezed my waist. I squealed then slapped a hand over my mouth. I glanced at the door. I had no idea if the house was soundproofed. Probably not. The last thing I wanted was for my family to think I was up to no good right after Ezra and I closed the door behind us. How mortifying!
Ezra was very smug. I gave him a long look. "It's not funny. Behave."
He grinned. "Sure, babe."
I shook my head. We changed into comfortable clothes and dropped on the bed. Ezra's top half was naked. I looked at his neck. His mark had grown darker, the lines more clear. Hiding it would be more difficult. But I guess there was no reason to hide it anymore.
Once back home, we would be announcing our existence to the entire supernatural world, and Ezra's mark would be the last of our worries.
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M.B.