Movement. Alison heard movement in her bedroom, but she dare not open her eyes to move. She could sense the presence, and knew exactly who it was that crept into her bed, slipping under the covers and sliding between the two bodies that lay there. The small form crawled up before pouncing on Alison's chest with a childlike growl of victory.
Alison remained still, opening one eye with a soft smile. "Try again little one." The once confident silver eyes that stared back at her changed to something of childlike disbelief.
"I didn't scare you?" The child growled.
"No. I heard you come in." Alison answered, opening her other eye.
"Loud." Kira muttered from her side. Her hot breath cascaded over Alison's neck, as that's where her face was buried, but Alison reacted only with a smile.
"Myra tried to scare me." Alison explained.
"Petit loup tried to scare you?" Kira asked, still mostly asleep. "Un tel enfant." The vampire yawned.
"Un tel enfant." Myra mimicked in a teasing tone. "I am not a child!"
"Oh? This one has fangs?" Kira purred into Alison's neck, opening one of her silver eyes to smile devilishly.
Myra was no doubt their daughter. She had most of Alison's features from her brown hair to jaw and nose shape. But the girl's eyes were the same vibrant silver as Kira's, making it no surprise who were parents were.
It had been nearly six years since they were engaged, and now happily married. Myra was born about four years ago, because to be honest, the two of them just wanted to be happy, and a child was what they both wanted more than anything. Kira's body couldn't carry a child normally, and so Alison carried the child and gave birth to the beautiful Myra Nightshade.
A perfect hybrid. While she wasn't yet old enough to shift into her wolf form, her vampiric nature was apparent almost right away. Her speed and strength apparent to all when she was accidentally breaking things. She enjoyed the taste of blood, but was easily able to eat normal food without any sort of upset stomach. Most of all, she was completely alive. Her heart beat strongly in her chest, her skin full of life and color.
"I do!" Myra snapped, glaring down at Kira.
Kira raised her head before tackling the smaller child off Alison and off the bed entirely, knocking them both to the floor where they rolled around and wrestled. Kira was of course stronger, and easily pinned the child on her back before hissing in her face, only to recieve a hiss in return.
Alison sat up and rolled her eyes, as this was nearly every morning. The two most important people in her life constantly fighting over foolish things only to find them later acting like best of friends.
Kira yelped as Myra sunk her teeth into Kira's wrist, which quite effectively got her to release the child. Myra then pounced, plowing back into Kira and knocking her onto her back.
"No biting!" Kira growled.
"You're bigger than me!" Myra retorted. "And you heal, so it's fine."
Kira managed to push Myra away before licking her wrist like a wounded cat. "Grossière." Kira grumbled.
"Don't bite your mother." Alison warned.
"Mère started it!" Myra retorted.
"She never bit you."
"I might." Kira grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
"That wouldn't be nice, would it?" Alison laughed.
"No it wouldn't! Don't bite me!" Myra whined.
"Then don't bite me!" Kira retorted.
Alison rolled her eyes and climbed out of bed. "What did you want to do then little wolf?"
Myra's head perked up and she smiled. "Can we go swim in the pond today?!"
"The pond? Why not the river?" Alison questioned.
"Cuz the garden is cooler!" Myra answered, standing up and hopping up and down. "Please, please, please can we?!"
"Of course we can." Kira smiled. "Go change into your bathing suit and we'll go."
"Yay!" The child sprinted from the room and ran down the hallway as Kira picked herself up and faced Alison with a loving smile.
"Good morning." The werewolf grinned.
"Good morning." The vampire answered, wrapping her arms around her wife in their daily good morning hug. Kira buried her nose once more in Alison's neck, giving her a tight squeeze, like she was still trying to remind herself that this was real. That everything was real.
When they both leaned back, Kira gave her a quick peck on the lips before they turned and changed themselves before heading towards the garden where Myra was hopping up and down just outside the door. "You guys take forever!" The child whined.
"Maybe you're just too quick?" Alison asked.
"Or impatient?" Kira added.
"And you're mean." Myra glared at her vampire mother.
"I am." Kira agreed, pushing open the door with a smile as Alison chuckled. Myra effortlessly climbed up Kira's leg and back, and the vampire didn't seem at all phased or annoyed when she sat over her shoulders with her tiny hands on Kira's head.
Myra stared in awe at everything around them, her smile stretching ear to ear as she looked around in wonder. She had asked a thousand questions about this room, to the point where her parents had actually shut her up with cake and candy. Now she knew better than to ask questions that her parent's didn't know the answers to. Instead, she tormented the fairies when they visited.
Thankfully though, the fairies loved spending time with the child, as she loved nature just as much as they did. Plus, they were more than happy to talk about their history in the castle with what was the Granddaughter of the one who invited them into this beautiful garden in the first place.
Myra bounced happily in her excitement as they followed the stone path to the pond where they found two Spriggans standing in it and seeming to pick things off the bottom of the pond itself. As the couple neared them, the Spriggans stood up and watched curiously, before turning their heads to look at Sarah who was standing on the other side of the pond watching the Spriggans.
"Sarah!" Myra nearly fell off Kira's head with how far forward she was leaning in her joy.
Sarah smiled softly before looking back to the Spriggans. "That's enough for now. Thank you so much for helping me." The Spriggans made their way over to her and placed several tiny stones in a small box the mage was holding. She then took out two vials of a dark green liquid and handed it to each of the Spriggans who took it and bowed before seeming to disappear into the foliage behind her.
"What are you doing now? Stealing from the Fairy pond?" Kira teased.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Of course not. They're simple stones with glowing properties given to them by the plant life." She answered. "I intended on studying them to see if I could replicate it."
"You've been working with Aviri and Veronica haven't you?" Kira laughed, moving towards the water and taking Myra's hands before lifting her off her shoulders and setting her down just at the edge of the pond. Myra wasted no time practically throwing herself into the water.
"Myra! You're supposed to take your clothes off!" Alison whined.
"My bathing suit is under it!" Myra answered with a laugh, sitting in the shallow water.
"I have been working with them. I know you and Aviri brought these plants here, but I've always been curious as to how they glow and react this way. And of course, how they can spread their light to inanimate objects like the stones." Sarah explained, looking down at her small box with a soft smile.
Myra moved around the edge of the pond as Kira and Alison took off and folded their own clothes before leaving them on the grass off to the side, leaving them both in their own bathing suits. The little hybrid made her way through the shallow water so she could stand just at Sarah's feet.
"Is Shana and Alice here?" Myra asked.
Sarah pointed to the waterfall where Alice was sitting on the rock just beside the running water with a younger version of Sarah with piercing golden eyes stood next to her, staring at Myra with a nervous smile. Alice seemed more relax than she had been in a long time, her wild eyes now seeming much more tame. Like she wouldn't snap and murder anyone at a moments notice, and instead found herself exactly where she wanted to be.
Of course, she still had her moments where she would say things that didn't quite make sense, or that made her sound like a crazy person, but she never acted on anything. It was almost like with everything she did she would always ask Sarah for permission before doing it. Just to make sure she would never do anything that would break this trust with her new family.
Myra moved towards the waterfall but stopped once the water started to get deeper. "Shana!" Myra called. "Do you want to play with us?!"
Shana seemed to recoil a bit, like she wanted to say no and hide behind one of her parents. Alice put a gentle hand on her back and smiled softly at her, and the child seemed to gain her confidence back. She looked back down at Myra and nodded before hopping down the rocks and landing beside Sarah who snapped her fingers and in a blue flicker of light, Shana was wearing her bathing suit before wading in beside Myra only to get splashed before the two got into a water fight.
Sarah stepped away from them to avoid getting wet, but couldn't help but smile at the sight of her own child.
Kira and Alison slipped into the water themselves, sitting in the shallow area and allowing the water up to their chests as they watched the kids play happily.
Sarah looked up at Alice. "Are you staying or should I?"
"I'll stay. Take care of your newest project. But should you find out what makes them glow, please don't make our bedroom glow." Alice answered, getting Sarah to roll her eyes.
"Of course not. Then neither of us would get any sleep." Sarah answered, waving over her shoulder as she made her way around the pond and out of the garden. A quick greeting could be heard as Aviri and Peredite made their way in after Sarah left, with the former holding a wicker basket and a bright smile.
Kira glanced over her shoulder at her with a grin. "You brought food? How kind."
"Well, I figured the wolves would want something to eat too." Aviri shrugged. "There's enough for you too Alice!"
"Thank you." Alice smiled, picking herself up and in one leap landed right beside the purple creature who smiled back at her. Somehow Alice had become friends with Aviri and Peredite. After realizing that their way of keeping an eye on her actually made her far stronger than she could ever have expected, and knowing that they've clearly removed the leash entirely, Alice had no reason to hate them.
If anything she understood their origional fears and concerns. She did try to attack and kill them even after she had been freed from her brother, so it was a necessary evil, even if she hated it.
Aviri held the basket out for Peredite who reached inside, grabbing a large wine bottle and glass before pouring Alice a glass of fresh blood. She then poured another glass, and stepped into the pond, not bothered at all by the fact the crystaline scales on her feet were getting wet as she handed the glass to Kira who quickly thanked her with a smile.
"The rest of you can eat when you get out of the water. Wouldn't want you to get cramps." Aviri smiled as she sat down with the basket in front of her and Alice sat beside her, both watching the kids keep play fighting and splashing around.
This was the start of something amazing. While some part of them truly feared what Myra might become, seeing her like this put those fears to rest for the moment. The hybrid child of a Pureblood Werewolf and Vampire, playing with a half-vampire like they were normal children in a normal world.
Even Kira found brooding to be difficult, with nothing to really worry about. Her family was happy, and safe, and everything just seemed right. Alison had been training with her pack and had returned to her old skillset. She even left a few bruises on Haiken, and always had even matches with Kira, no longer just taking a beating. Haiken led his pack as he always did, and they were the loyal protectors of Rose's castle.
Drake ended up falling for that fairy, and the two could often be found by the river, or simply wandering the village or castle. Juniper cared more for Drake than he would ever know, as he was the reason she chose to stay in the castle and not return to her old home.
Jack found himself fauning over and helping Sapphire whenever the dragon needed it. But the dragon was slow to trust since most of the men in her life had been monsters. But after a year or so of Jack proving time and time again that he wasn't a monster, she decided to let him into her life a little bit more.
Alison couldn't help but smile, looking from her child to her wife, who smiled back before taking a sip of her glass, as she too enjoyed the simplicity of this moment.
They looked down as Myra made her way over to them with Shana following behind her. "Can we go into the village later?" Myra asked.
Kira glanced over at Alice who nodded before looking back at Alison who shrugged with a soft smile. When she looked back up at Myra she was pouting like she could win her parents over with puppy dog eyes.
"Of course we can. I need to pick up new strings for my violin anyway." The vampire smiled.
"Yay!" Myra grinned, hopping up and down and splashing her parents as Shana laughed behind her.
Life couldn't be better.
Book One
End