It took blood donations from me, Geo, Gwendoline, my grandparents, and a few volunteers from Desolation before Luthias’s wounds began to heal. Gwendoline administered an antidote for the werewolf bites. The one on his shoulder left an angry scar that she wondered would ever fade. Only time would tell if the antidote was strong enough to combat the amount of venom Jason’s bites injected.
We took the time required for Luthias to completely heal to rest our own weary bones and enjoy my children.
****
“Are ye going to give that lass a name?” Gwendoline asked as she quietly entered my bedroom.
I lay across my bed with Braedon on one side of me and my daughter on the other.
“Geo got to name his son,” I said. “Luthias should have the same privilege with his daughter.”
“That’s lovely,” she said as she stroked my daughter’s thick dark hair. “She’s got quite a head of hair on her. ‘Tis very black.”
“My grandmother says that happens sometimes and then it falls out and comes in blonde,” I said.
“That would be my explanation,” she agreed, “providing ye didn’t bed Geo before ye bedded Luthias.”
“I… I… we did…” I babbled.
“I had a feeling,” Gwendoline said with a sigh. “She’s the image of her grandfather, Braedon. There’s no missing it.”
“She’s not Luthias’s child?” I gasped.
“I worried about a premature birth,” Gwendoline offered, “but then, ye drank that magical tea, so I figured that sped up the gestation process. Especially since ye were already filled with my own concoction.”
“What are you saying?” I demanded in a none too friendly tone. “Did you give me a fertility tea too?”
“’Twas more like a heal and be healthy tea,” she explained. “Although ‘twould make ye more fertile than normal.” She looked at me with narrowing eyes. “I hadn’t planned on ye bedding my boys until after ye decided who ye wanted. I was under the impression ye were all respecting Arthur’s wishes that they court ye.”
“It should have been that way,” I sighed as I snuggled my face into Braedon’s belly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Arthur is fit to be tied,” Gwendoline said. “He’s threatening to go out and find a suitable husband for ye.”
“He’ll calm down,” I assured her.
“’Twould be a shame if he doesn’t,” she said. “I can’t see my boys allowing another man to marry ye. There’d be quite a ruckus to be sure.”
“He can’t make me marry anyone,” I pouted. “The way I feel, that just might be my choice. I may just decide to remain single. I can’t make up my mind between them, so maybe I won’t choose either one of them.”
“Ye chose Luthias in Vampire Land,” Gwendoline said thoughtfully.
“Belle told me Geo turned mutant and had a mutant lover. He was away and silent for so long, I thought he was lost to me,” I said. “It was easy to choose Luthias when he had no rival, just as it would be easy to choose Geo if Luthias was gone.”
“I don’t want to be the one to tell Luthias the child isn’t his and ye don’t want to marry him anymore,” Gwendoline said.
“I don’t know what I want,” I said with a sigh. “My emotions are out of control again.”
“More hormones,” Gwendoline mused. “I need to make ye a tea for that.”
“Are you one-hundred percent certain the baby is Geo’s?” I asked.
“I’m sure enough,” she said.
“I can’t tell Luthias,” I said. “Not now. Let’s wait to see if grandmother’s right. Maybe her hair will fall out and grow back in blonde.”
“Since ye are both light, I hope so,” Gwendoline said.
I could hear Luthias approaching my room, so I held my finger to my lips to prevent Gwendoline from continuing with our conversation. He limped into the doorway and leaned against the frame.
“Come see your daughter,” I whispered. “She’s waiting for you to give her a name.”
“You didn’t name her yet?” he asked with surprise.
“Geo named Braedon,” I said. “It’s only right you give your daughter her name.”
Gwendoline rushed to his side and aided him in crossing the room to my bed. My heart ached to see the damage he was still trying to repair on his body. He’d suffered even greater than when I saved his life by giving him most of my blood. Gwendoline felt the advantage of having blood donated from strong vampires and fae, along with humans, was enough to make sure he healed completely over time. The big test would be what happened during the next moon cycle. We were all understandably anxious.
“This is a private moment,” Gwendoline said with moist eyes. “I’ll leave ye alone to enjoy it.”
I reached out and grabbed her hand to squeeze it as we exchanged looks of support. Luthias had been through so much to protect me. I owed him this moment and I was grateful she felt the same.
“Owena,” he whispered. “It’s an old Welsh name. It means born of royalty. Lady Owena.”
I rubbed the moistness from my eyes while I watched my handsome lover stroke the cheek of my little vampire princess.
“That’s a beautiful name,” I choked out.
“Just like her,” he said before adding, “and her mama.” He leaned over and kissed me. It was soft and tender, yet said so much. “You will always have a place in my heart,” he whispered.
I looked at him with surprise.
“Why… I hope so,” I said hesitantly.
“Can I hold her?” he asked nervously.
“I thought you’d never ask,” I replied as I carefully positioned her in his shaking arms. “Is that shaking from nerves or weakness?”
“Both, I think,” he said as he pulled Owena’s little face close to his so he could touch her cheek with his own. “She seems so fragile.”
“She’s stronger than you think,” I boasted.
“Like her mother,” he chuckled weakly. “You are one of the strongest females I’ve ever met, yet you look and act just the opposite.”
“I’m sorry,” I said with surprise.
“Don’t be,” he said with pride. “It’s a good trait to keep your enemies fooled and your lovers on their guard.”
“My lovers?” I said with confusion.
“I was outside the door while you and Gwendoline were talking,” he said. “She’s the image of Braedon. I hoped she’d be mine, but a father knows these things. She’s my niece, not my daughter.”
“Gwendoline’s not sure…” I began.
“Don’t,” he interrupted me, “it’s fine. It’s actually for the best. You know as well as I do that I’ve been infected.”
“The antidote…” I said before he raised his hand to stop me.
“Didn’t work,” he admitted. “I can feel the change going on inside me. I’m now a hybrid.”
“Is that so bad?” I asked. “I’m a hybrid of sorts. I love you no matter what you are.”
“I have no doubt you do,” Luthias said thoughtfully. He set Owena carefully onto the mattress beside her brother and stood up. “Come here.”
I flew into his arms and held him close. I could feel the change he talked about, but I didn’t care. He would forever be my beautiful, loving, gentle and very sexy Luthias.
“You can feel the change in my energy, can’t you?” he asked softly.
“It’s exciting,” I said with a nervous giggle. “I mean, let’s admit it… werewolves have an undeniable sexiness about them. You’re already one of the sexiest males I know. I can’t wait to see how hot you become. I’ll be beating females from you left and right.”
Luthias chuckled while burying his face in my hair.
“How much do you know about the laws of Verso?” he asked while keeping his face buried.
“I’ve spent most of my time focusing on Vampire Land’s laws,” I replied.
“Vampire Land distrusts werewolves,” he said.
“And rightfully so,” I spat.
“It was a pretty dirty thing he did,” Luthias agreed.
“I’m glad you killed him,” I said vehemently.
“I’m sorry he did that to you,” Luthias said as he kissed my forehead and temples. “It ripped me apart having to watch it. I can only imagine what it was like for you.”
“I just kept telling myself that when it was over I’d kill him,” I admitted.
“I’m glad you didn’t try,” he said.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve been my champion and killed my abuser,” I said as I entwined my fingers in his. To add a bit of humor to an all too serious conversation I added, “You seem to like to make me a widow.”
He tossed his head back and emitted a genuine deep belly laugh. I forced a smile while I worriedly observed the hint of growl in his laughter that wasn’t there before. He was right. He was changing.
“Are there other vampire-wolf hybrids out there?” I asked nervously.
“I intend to find out,” he said.
“I’ll send word to Belle,” I said eagerly. “If anyone would know, she would.”
“It’s already been done,” he said. When I looked at him questioningly he added, “Geo.”
“He loves you,” I said softly.
“As I do him,” he replied.
“Now that you know you are blood brothers, has it changed things?” I asked.
“Not really,” he replied. “We were always close and will remain so.”
“Leave it to me to come between you,” I said.
“You are not coming between us,” he assured me. “In some crazy way, you are actually bonding us even tighter.”
“What happens when I choose one of you over the other?” I asked.
“You already did,” he said as he brushed a stray hair from my forehead. “I know the reason, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll hold the fact that you chose to marry me close to my heart for the rest of my days.”
“I don’t like the way this is going,” I said nervously. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“There are laws in Verso,” he said softly. “They were created by not only Geo and myself, but a council of selected noblemen. These laws were put into place for the good of all in Verso and Desolation.”
“What are you saying?” I asked with trepidation.
“Why do you think you never met Jason Masters?” he asked. “He was our friend since childhood.” When I didn’t respond he continued, “Why do you think Jason resented us so? It was more than Geo marrying Shona.”
“I’m still not understanding,” I said warily.
“Jason was lycanthrope,” Luthias said, “and thus, a dangerous liability to have around. They are natural enemies of vampires and for good reason. Their bite can kill us.”
“Or change you into one of them,” I offered eagerly.
“How many times has that happened?” he said. “No one knows.”
“Why are we talking about Jason?” I asked impatiently. “He’s dead and good riddens.”
“Jason resented the fact that he was forbidden to enter Verso. That’s why you never met him. Any contact we had with him was done beyond Desolation’s perimeters,” Luthias said softly.
“What are you trying to tell me?” I asked nervously.
“Verso forbids werewolves from entering. If they do, they will be killed by the magic within its boundaries,” he said softly. “I can’t stay.”
“But… you’re second in command in Verso. You can’t just leave,” I gasped.
“I must,” he said, “or die.”
“Gwendoline can lift the spell,” I said with urgency as I started for the door to fetch her.
“She cannot,” he said with resolution. “It is beyond her control. This is a law as old as Verso and is woven in the magic web so deep it is a part of Verso. There is nothing she can do.”
“Where will you go?” I asked.
“I’m off to seek my own kind,” he said with a smile and a shrug.
“Not in your condition,” Gwendoline bellowed as she bounded in the door. “Forgive me for eavesdropping. “‘Twasn’t my intention. Your voices were so loud ‘tis a wonder these two babes didn’t wake.”
“What is it?” Luthias asked with veiled impatience.
“I’ve come to fetch ye for a family meeting,” she said before turning on her heels and storming off.
“She’s mad,” I said softly.
“Yep,” he replied.
****
Our meeting was a long drawn out affair where tempers flared, apologies were given, and plans were made. Gwendoline was beyond herself with grief over the fact that she was unable to save her son from the effects of Jason’s bite. She knew fully the dislike and distrust between werewolves and vampires. Jason’s betrayal only served to emphasize it. She begged both Geo and Luthias to be allowed to work on a spell that would allow Luthias to remain in Verso, but Luthias would have none of it and Geo stubbornly insisted on honoring his brother’s wishes. My grandparents and I did our best to come up with some viable alternatives, but to no avail. Luthias would have to leave Verso or die.
When Gwendoline shocked her sons by breaking down into such a fit of tears that her body started to convulse, they agreed to let her work on a spell, but Luthias would leave while she did so. My grandfather helped calm her down by reminding her that none of them were experienced with the lycanthrope gene enough to be confident of success right away. It would be suicide for Luthias to remain in Verso while they searched for a spell that worked. Luthias promised to give Gwendoline another week to heal his wounds before he left Verso, with the condition that if he felt himself at a point of actually turning, he would leave without hesitation.