The Beast And The Blessed

Thirty-Three: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

My arms were crossed over my chest, my fingers tapping against my bicep as I debated my next move.

Cyrus had been good for the past few days, and after I spent another frustrating week trying to tap into Rona's blood, I couldn't help myself. The vial of his blood had been calling out to me, tempting me.

He wouldn't notice a single drop gone, and it's not like he would feel me messing with it. Rona had only known I stole her blood because of our fight. She had figured me out.

She wasn't as stupid as I had hoped, and I had to give her credit. It was just too bad for her that she thought I was stupid too and only had that small sample of her blood in the bowl she stole from me.

Cyrus already knew I had his blood.

It dropped to the bowl with a small splash. When the light hit it, I immediately held the entire vial up to my face, wanting a closer look. The unique pattern of black lines in the liquid differed from any other magical creature that had ever bled for me.

It was unique and intriguing, yet familiar. I had only seen it once before... in my blood. I knew we weren't related, at least not closely. But it gave me some insight into his power level. He was strong.

I thanked my mother's inability to hold me in for my powers. She told me the story and showed me her pregnancy pictures. The images stopped the day she had me. Why would she want to document the proof that she had built and pushed a witch from her human uterus?

No, she wouldn't. There were no pictures of me as a baby or a kid.

But the story of my birth answered all my questions, and I had to wonder if Cyrus had a similar one.

My parents had been speeding down the highway, trying to get to the hospital in the middle of the night. The streets were empty, and they knew they wouldn't make it. How could they when I gave them no choice? My mother said I had army-crawled right out of her.

They had to pull over to the side of the road. My father ran around to my mother's side of the car, opened the door, and helped my mother hold her legs up as she sat sideways.

He was the first to hold me, but I didn't know how long that lasted.

Because there, under the Supermoon, the point where the full moon was at its closest to Earth, I opened my eyes for the first time, and they saw their failure. It surprised me that they hadn't left me on the side of the road.

I had researched births under different cycles in the moon and Earth's orbit, but I had never found anything concrete to connect my birth to my powers. That didn't mean the suspicion wasn't in the back of my mind.

the chance. He stayed locked in his room whenever Rona was around, doing his best to avoid her like the socially awkward

stopped tapping against my bicep as I let out a frustrated breath

I simultaneously twisted the doorknob, pushing it open to find Killian sitting on the black leather couch in his office with

he turned his head toward the wall and adjusted

After all these years, I never waited for him to invite me in. I made myself at home.

to sit in it. My hands grabbed the armrests as I leaned back, feeling even more powerful as

sank down as I relaxed into

again, but I rolled my eyes and ignored

The stash of junk food he

bags of chips

as I slammed it

us soon, or Natalie would show up. It didn't

are you in a pissy mood today? Did you not get laid last night?" I laughed as I laced

that had been under his head smacked me in the face. He kept it there specifically for when he

without looking, knowing exactly what I was doing to it from the sound

before. Even on the brink of war or when actively under attack, he had never let the lack of sleep get to him. But now he looked like he was on the brink of death. "Do I need to call a healer here for you, or are you going to

but I just laughed as I watched the ashes in his desk scatter in the breeze

you so tired?" My question was met with his body stiffening as if the thought was scarring to

a break. Tell me what you need and leave." He dropped his arm, blinking twice

didn't find anything yet. I have also tried to

with his chin on them as

no judgment or anger. He trusted me, and we both knew Rona needed to be removed from

would find something incriminating, and when I did, we would duel to the death. She wouldn't let someone take her down that easily. The day she allowed someone close enough to her with a needle to suppress her magic was the day the world

trying to get him to crack. She knows he isn't related and wants to know what he is and why he is here. I don't want her to add him or his magic to whatever she has planned. He's strong." I spun the chair, kicking my feet up on his desk, ankles crossed.

favor?" He pushed, sounded even more exhausted than he looked, and my eyebrows dropped with

stay busy and someone to keep an eye on Cyrus so that I can get a look in her house. She is up to something, and I want to know what it is so we don't get blindsided." I hated asking for help, but I wasn't prideful enough to let a threat get by me because I

Rona busy, and Aurora can watch Cyrus." His dismissive tone was low, almost like he was fighting not to

carefully; this wasn't just mid-day exhaustion, especially for a Lycan

been sleeping?" I asked, standing up and going to the wet bar against the wall and pouring myself