The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups by Jane Above Story

Jane

“So, what does that mean exactly? If I prick my finger in front of you, are you going to go all Dracula on me?” I squeak, my mìnd absolutely reeling with this revelation.

“Of course not.” Devon laughs, “I wouldn’t have ever rejoined shifter society if I couldn’t control myself, Jane.”

“It must be difficult though, if you see or smell blood?” I guess.

“No harder than it is for you to see a nice meal laid out in front of you. As long as I’m not starved to the point of insanity, I can easily keep that part of me in check.” He explains

“Well what about food? I mean I’ve seen you eat regular meals.” I’m leaning towards him now, so intrigued by this news that I can’t bring myself to be frightened or upset – not yet anyway.

“I can eat regular food.” He shares, the corners of his mouth tugging into a frown as he watches my avid expression. “I just also have to drink blood a few times a week.”

Now a healthy dose of fear does trickle through my senses. I’m trying to resist the urge to flinch away from him. I’m trying to be kind and understanding, I don’t want to make him feel like a monster just because he experienced something bad. It’s not his fault, it’s not his fault, it’s not his fault. I chant in my mind. He’s still Devon. “Does that mean.. do you have to hunt people?” I whisper.

Devon shakes his head, never breaking eye contact – it’s almost as if he thinks I might run if he drops his gaze from my own. “No, I get it from a blood bank. And if things get really bad I can always hunt animals, but I don’t have to kill them in order to sustain myself – I only have to take a little.”

“Oh.”I state, struggling to process this, “what about other powers? How are you able to be out during daylight?”

“Janey, not everything you read in the horror novels is true. Devon teases. “I’m still alive – not undead. The sun doesn’t hurt me, neither does garlic or holy water. Just like silver bullets don’t hurt wolves at least, not any more than regular bullets.”

“So no fun vampire abilities?” I press, smiling now, “you can’t turn invisible or hypnotize unsuspecting v!rgins?”

“I didn’tsay there were no advantages, just that they aren’t the ones you might assume.” Devon explains, “I can run even faster in human form than my wolf can when I shift, I don’t need to sleep anymore, and I’m extremely hard to kill.”

“Will you live forever?” I murmur, my mind already leaping to thoughts of how sad this would be for him – to outlive everyone he loves and cares about.

That also means that if he were ever to have children of his own, he’d have to watch them die. No parent should have to

I breathe, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He remains very stiff for a moment, apparently shocked by the affectionate gesture. However after a moment he relaxes, and returns the hug, holding me more tightly than I suspect he intended. “How did you get

to do a lot of things I’m not

easy to keep the secret, but I managed to keep the truth from my last pack, and I have no

tease, peeking up at him and desperately wanting to take the horrible grimace off his handsome face. “Any parades or flags

me from the hug. He looks down at me with

think being a shifter or a vampire or.. or a troll decides a person’s character. That has to come from within.

“How is it you can be so sweet, and such a brat at the

alive, she’d be beyond thrilled to see I’m getting my just desserts by having such adorably mischievous pups.” As I speak, I look towards their bedroom door, praying they haven’t been eavesdropping on this conversation. As loving and

should have known

as naturally as breathing to my pups, so if the opportunity arises,

3rd PerSon

their mother’s conversation with

pups finally backed away from the doorway. They looked around at one another with stunned expressions, their small mouths hanging open and

her little hands. “She just sees her

knows that.”

right.” Parker agreed. “I don’t cares what he says, or how nice he is, sooner or later he’ll turn on her –

not survive. What if he sucks out all her bloods? Or makes her move into his coffin

wanna live in a coffin!” Ryder exclaimed in outrage, “if she tries to make us

Mommy goes to live in a coffin, we all goes, for protection.” Parker scolded, ever the voice of reason and responsibility among his

up they knew it must be Paisley on the phone, because their mother’s voice sounded the way sunshine felt. Then her footsteps were approaching, and Parker, Ryder and Riley backed away from the door so she wouldn’t know they’d been listening. The door swung inward a moment later, and Jane’s beautiful face was smiling down at them,

then Paisley’s familiar voice was floating out of the receiver.

a ‘mergency?” Ryder sighed.