by Ava Walsh
"We have to go out to the run, bud," Andre said, easing Neal into his arms. "Can't you be with your Bear? You know it hurts if you don't have it when it's midnight."
"Not tonight," Neal said, his babyish lisp muddled further by how sleepy he was. "Tomorrow."
Andre laughed and kissed his son's head. "What if Daddy embraced his Bear, too? Come on, you know you love running with your brothers and sisters."
He tickled Neal's feet and peals of laughter rang through the home. Andre heard the impatient little yips and playful growls from outside that told him that the rest of the family was waiting on them.
"Help me?" Neal tugged at his sleepers.
Andre undressed Neal, and with a little encouragement, the toddler wrinkled his nose and embraced his Bear. He was still in the spindly-legged stage, not quite used to walking and Andre carried him down to the yard.
Mary waited at the door and took Neal, kissing his fuzzy face while she took him to the wagon where the rest of their children waited with their Wolves, tails wagging, climbing all over each other. Andre paused, soaking in the sight of the love of his life settling their little Bear-Wolf son among their adopted Wolf children.
Peace and contentment filled his heart. He had a family once again.
Mary trotted next to Andre as he pulled the wagon. The children jostled each other, but the occasional stern woof from her kept them in order.
The moon's call filled her blood, and she couldn’t stop herself from dancing around the wagon, nipping at Andre's heels from time to time. He gave her an indulgent glare and she wagged her tail, spanking the ground.
Soon they were at their destination with its wide fields, frosty with the first freeze of the year. The others were already there causing the children bounded off to greet their brothers and sisters, as though they didn't see them every single day.
Mary hid behind Andre, repressing her Wolf so she could unhitch him from the wagon. The night air made goosebumps rise on her arms, but soon she was safely wrapped in fur once more.
Neal tumbled out of the wagon and Mary hurried to him, licking his fur to make sure he was okay. He stood on his back legs and wrapped his front legs around her neck, biting at her ear and making a purring noise.
Peter, Amy and their little girl jogged over to join them, rubbing heads and wagging their tails as greetings. Nearby Julia chased a young man, a human from town she had confided to Mary was her soulmate. His eyes were bright and his cheeks flushed as he dodged her attempts to tackle him. A little further, Conrad Milton and David Monroe roughhoused.
The children dashed back to Mary and Andre, growling and biting at Andre's thick fur.
Mary's blood sang, as her gaze was drawn to the moon. It seemed closer than ever before and she could see every crater in its pearly surface.
There was a long moment of silence as all Wolves turned their faces to the call of the moon. Luna sang to them, and as one, they threw back their heads and sang too. The humans who had joined them cupped their mouths and howled, as the few Bears attending stood on their back legs and roared their solidarity. Neal's thin, puppy howl joined the song, and Mary glanced down to see he had transitioned smoothly from Bear to Wolf.
The children gathered around Andre and Mary. Tongues lolled out and tails wagged. They watched eagerly. Wolf and Bear shared a glance and as one, they started forward, running together at a speed even Neal could keep up with.
Mary let the air rush around her. She was aware of each of the children and every other Wolf, Bear, and human in the field. They all ran under the moon, connected by her silvery light.
And she thanked Luna that this life was hers.
*****
THE END
Bonus Book 6: The Billionaire Wolf's Baby
By: T.S. Ryder
Description
A curvy prude who is always in control PLUS the sexy, rich son of the CIA’s director PLUS a dark family secret hidden in the forest...
Harrod Ford is a perfectly charming guy, working away on his degree and living a somewhat normal life. Well, as normal as having an oil tycoon for a grandfather and the Director of Central Intelligence Agency for a father allows...
But life outside the mansion is sheltered, with two vans following Harrod wherever he goes and strict security all around. And life inside the mansion is lonely with only him and his father, who is barely even home.
A little before his 25th birthday, Harrod starts having strange dreams. As the dreams turn into nightmares, Harrod reaches out for help, only to find more secrets and lies. But his journey into the unknown is just beginning...
Things pick up the pace when he ends up partnered with a girl he has a huge crush on.
Siobhan was raised by stern mother, Senator Daphna. Now, she’s a prude who has never had a relationship. She is always in control, as she has always been taught. She keeps a sharp eye on the people around her, knows even the most trivial details about those who surround her and keeps a poker face.
But all of that begins to change when she ends up partnered with Harrod. Harrod — a rich, stuck-up jerk, according to her.
But fate has other plans for them, and as their paths cross they find that they have a lot in common. As the secrets unravel and shocking truths surface, what direction will Harrod and Siobhan’s lives take?
Chapter One - The Sleep Terrors
Harrod
I sat in the therapist’s room, staring at the walls. The color was a soothing green. It felt like the place was filled with nature, even though the only signs of it in the room were the two plants: a bonsai tree on the coffee table and a money plant next to the door. I cracked my knuckles again. It was a nervous habit I had recently developed. My mind kept going back to last night’s dream, giving me shivers over and over again. This was unusual for me. Nothing like this had ever happened before. It was almost as if I had hit puberty all over again.
The therapist knocked on the door and entered the room. She didn’t really need permission; it was her office, after all. She sat behind the desk and focused her attention on me. Her clothes were casual, her manner formal. She pulled out a notepad from her desk, grabbed a pen and then looked at me.
“Hello,” she finally said.
“Hello,” I replied.
“Harrod, right?”
I nodded.
“Harrod, I am Dr. Parker.”
I smiled, too nervous to speak.
“So,” she began. “What brings you here?”
“Haven’t you read my file yet?” I asked. My GP had asked me all sorts of questions before sending me here.
“I have, of course,” she smiled patiently. “But I want you to tell me what’s bothering you.”
I was sweating profusely. I lifted my arms, revealing the huge spots of moisture that had seeped into my shirt, and said, “This.”
“Right,” she said. “What we have to do is to get to the root of this. I am going to ask you some questions throughout the session. They may be of a personal nature. You’re free to not answer if you feel uncomfortable, but it would help me greatly if you do. Of course, everything you say will remain between us. I am sure you know about doctor-patient confidentiality.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Now, start at the beginning,” she said.
“Well,” I began. “As far as I remember, everything was fine up until a few days before my 25th birthday. Then I started having these dreams. It was the same dream every time. They have become more frequent now. In the beginning, it was nothing, but every dream progresses a little, showing something the previous dream didn’t. When I wake up, my heart is pounding, hammering in my chest. It feels like I can’t breathe…like I’m having a heart attack.”
“Was there something unusual in the weeks before all this started?”
I shook my head, “No.”
“Were the days preceding all this of any significant to you?”
“Nope.”
“Are you in a relationship?”
; “No,” I said.
“Have you ever been in one?”
“I was kind of seeing someone, but it ended. That was three or four months before this. We ended things on pleasant terms, so that has nothing to do with it.”
“What about your sex life?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer this, but I went on truthfully. “I just jerk off, or hook up with girls I meet at bars.”
She paused for a moment and cleared her throat.
“Harrod, what you are experiencing are mild sleep terrors, coupled with panic attacks.”
“But why is this happening?”
“Usually, some major change in life, something unexpected, catches your brain off guard. The defense mechanisms fail, or get bypassed, and the brain goes into an emergency mode. The result is what you are experiencing. The changes are always unanticipated, like the death of a loved one, a new job, getting fired from work, marriage, divorce, etc.”
“Trust me, none of that is the case with me. I saw my breakup coming, we both did. We talked about it, lingered for a while, then let go. Neither of us has any regrets. Plus, I am interested in someone, but it’s too soon to take that into account.”
“How do you feel about it?” she asked, scribbling something on her notepad.
“I don’t feel much about it. Like I said, there’s this girl at my university that I am interested in, and we’ll see how it goes. There’s not much to add.”
“Right,” she said. “How is your relationship with your parents?”
“Well, my dad works for the government and holds an important position, one I am not allowed to tell you about, but our relationship is pretty good. We are not particularly close, but we are close enough. We talk when he’s around and free, and play golf when we can. Other than that he’s usually busy. My mother lives at a facility. A tragic incident during my childhood sent her into a trauma she hasn’t been able to recover from.”
“What happened?”
“I was only seven, so I don’t remember much,” I lied. I didn’t want her to link my dreams to what had happened back then.
“Any siblings? How’s your relationship with them?”
“I had a brother, but he died. His lungs weren't properly formed. I think he was about two or three then.” Another lie, but I had no choice here. Father had strictly warned me against speaking the truth.
“Do you visit your mom?”
“I used to visit her every week, then twice a month, but now I visit her once every month or two. She hardly ever talks, so there’s no point really. She isn’t quite there, you know, delusions and all.”
“Okay, Harrod,” she began. “This is your first session and I don’t want to stress you out. I would like you to see me twice a week, and as we continue this, I would like you to open up slowly.” She held the pen in her fingers and pointed in the air, like a teacher in front of a whiteboard. “See, therapy takes time to work. I can’t prescribe any medications to you. My job is to get to the root of the problem and fix it. This will take time and effort, and it won’t work if you don’t try. So, are you onboard?”
“Yes,” I lied for the last time.
She got up from her desk and sat on the chair beside me, and handed me a pamphlet. She recommended some breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, workouts, all the usual stuff. I nodded my head, said ‘yes’ over and over again, pretended I was listening and waited for the session to be over.
I wasn’t going to come back to this. Therapy wasn’t for me, it wasn’t going to work. I knew what I had to do, so I thanked her and left the room.
Chapter Two - The Rich Dude
Siobhan
As I walked to the computer lab, I saw Harrod pacing the corridor. I knew who he was, everyone in the class did, but I doubted he knew who I was — it didn’t bother me, though. He hung out with the people who were his type, children of the government big shots, politicians and billionaires. I preferred keeping a low profile, but I knew who everyone was. Not that I’m shrewd or anything, I just think it’s safer that way, if you know what I mean. Girls are like that, they keep an eye on their surroundings and are well aware of everything happening around them. Well, some girls are.
“You must be Siobhan,” he said. He said it like Si-aw-bhun.
It sounded so ridiculous that I almost laughed out loud. I did laugh in my head, cackling boisterously. To him, I just nodded.
“Looks like we are partners in Programming,” he said, waving the list in the air. I wanted to take the list from his hands and read it myself, but I didn’t. I didn’t want him to know how I felt about being paired with him. For the time being, I didn’t know how I felt about it. I knew what my friend Lana would say: “He’s a catch.” She would have said it out loud if she were here, so I was glad she wasn’t. There was no point in looking at the list anyway. If he was mistaken, my partner would call me out or come get me anyway. There weren’t any other Si-aw-bhuns in my class, anyway.
I smiled tightly at him. He opened the door and went in, without holding it for me. Jerk! But then again, what was I expecting? I pushed open the door and joined him as he took a seat. I didn’t look at him, though. I’ll do that on Facebook on my way home. We are both in our class’ group on there.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m a little under the weather. I don’t know how to do this.”
“Oh,” I said. That was all I could say, to be honest. I finally looked at him. He appeared a bit frowzy, which was indeed unusual for him. He was usually very well dressed, neat and dapper — a politician in the making. “We can do this later,” I said.
“Oh no, I don’t mean that. We have to sit through this class. I just…” he trailed off. I didn’t bother asking him to finish saying whatever he had to say. He was probably having a hangover.
“You should take an aspirin or two,” I said. “It helps with the hangover.”
He looked at me as if I were a clown. His cold blue eyes turned almost white and his pupils dilated, giving me goosebumps on my arms. “I don’t have a hangover,” he said. “I don’t drink on weekdays.”
He said it with such ferocity that I was caught off guard. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
“It’s alright.”
“Show me your notes,” I said, reaching for the journal in his lap, “and let me see what we have and where we are. I’ll draw the —”
He reached for his journal at the same time as I did, and for the briefest instant our hands touched — or my fingers touched his hand. His skin was burning.
“You have a fever,” I said. “Harrod, you need to go see a doctor.”
“I am fine,” he said.
“No, you are not!” I don’t know what happened, maybe my maternal instincts took over. He looked like such a beaten dog.
“Siawbhun, let it go,” he said, as I reached for his hand.
“No,” I stated sternly, and grabbed his hand. I picked up his bag, stuffed his things in it, and led him out.
“Siobhan,” the professor called out from behind.
“He’s burning, professor. I’m taking him to the doctor,” I said. He nodded his approval. Once we got outside, he stopped and turned to look at me.
“So, Shivon,” he said.
“That’s close,” I said. “Better than Siawbhun.”
“Why didn't you correct me?”
“I don’t really bother. Almost everyone gets it wrong. I only correct the ones who matter.”
“So I don’t matter,” he said, giving me half a smile.
“Of course you don’t,” I said, before I could think. “I mean…I don’t know you. I’m undecided.”
“What’s gonna help you decide?”
“Quit stalling,” I said. “You need to go see a doctor right now.”
“I just want to go home.”
“No, you need a doctor.”
“I’m fine,” he said, and walked off.
I stood by the window and watched him leave the main doors on the floor below. Light blue jeans, white tee-shirt,
a black bag slung on his back. At the university gates, two men — dressed in black, wearing black shades — flanked him, and led him to the waiting car. There are two vans that accompany his car from front and back. All three vehicles have black tinted glasses. I know all this because I have seen him come and go several times. Like I said, I observe things. But I don’t know what or who is in the vans; their doors never open and the windows never roll down. But all of this is enough to suggest that he’s an important person, or his father is.
I think I’ll ask my mom about it. She knows so much stuff, I’m sure she’d know about this, too. She’s a senator in Congress, but she also worked as the Chief of Staff for the former President. Back then, I had the chance to get similar protocol, but my mother wanted me to have a ‘normal’ upbringing and I agreed with her. I didn’t want to attract too much attention to myself. I still don’t. If I get any attention of that sort, it will be because of myself, because of what I have done or achieved, not because I am linked to someone in a higher position.
I wonder what’s wrong with Harrod; I do hope he gets better soon. If I had his number, I would call him, but I don’t have it and I won’t ask anyone for it. A lot of girls ask his friends for his number under various pretenses, just as they do for the other guys in his group. I don’t want to appear clingy or attention hungry, or a gold-digger, as they call it. I know because I heard them talking in the cafeteria once, right after a girl asked for Timothy’s number.
Chapter Three - A Long-Overdue Conversation
Harrod
I sat outside on the stairs of the main entrance, waiting for dad to come home. Gabe, the butler, had retired to his quarters. I was alone in the whole house, as I usually was, but since the sleep terrors the house felt small. I longed to be outside, to be free, although I didn’t know what freedom meant for people like us. The guys in the black suits had been there since I opened my eyes, and I doubted they would leave before I closed them forever. They were one of the perks of having the Director of Central Intelligence Agency for a dad, and a billionaire oil tycoon for a grandfather.