YEAR 0
Jessica Rathbone was covered in sweat, her blonde hair plastered to her forehead, but she had never been happier in her life. Tears were clouding her eyes, and when she looked up to her husband Ryan she saw that he wore a similar expression. Their nurse walked back over to them, and gently handed Jessica the blanket-wrapped little girl that had just been born.
Ryan leaned down until his head was just beside his wife's and laughed softly before murmuring, "She looks just like you. God, she's so beautiful."
She smiled widely in response and her voice wavered when she whispered, "She's perfect."
They had already agreed on what they would name their baby depending on whether it turned out to be a little boy or girl. He squeezed his wife's shoulder and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Our Harriet Lianna."
The infant began to squirm, finally freeing her left arm and waving around her clenched fist. Finding her mother's index finger, she wrapped her fingers around it with all of the strength a newborn has. When her eyelids began to flutter Jessica leaned in with a smile.
"Ready to see the world, Harriet?"
The moment their baby opened her eyes, Jessica and Ryan's lives were altered irreversibly.
Harriet's eyes flashed a bright silver before the irises faded into a light greenish hazel.
Both parents' breath hitched as they choked back horror, Ryan looking up quickly to make sure none of the nurses had seen what had just happened.
"Oh god. Oh god, I thought your family didn't carry those genes anymore."
Tears streamed silently down her face when she answered hoarsely, "They never really die out, but there hasn't been a bond formed in my family since the nineteenth century."
"Are we sure? Is there any way it was a fluke?"
Jessica unwrapped the top half of their daughter's blanket cocoon and gently extracted her other arm from where it had been pressed against her side. Sure enough, a wide, silver, tattoo-like band was wrapped around Harriet's right wrist.
Knowing that his wife was close to sobbing, he took the baby from her arms, cradling her to his chest tightly as he crooned down into the wide-eyed face of his first child.
"Everything will be alright, pretty girl. My pretty, brave girl. You are so special. You are going to be so, so special."
YEAR 11
Talia Hale looked at her backyard fondly as her children roughhoused with their cousins. Sitting by her side on identical lawn chairs to the one she was inhabiting was her husband as well as her two sisters. Her smile grew as the shrieks of the children playing tag morphed into growls, eyes flashing a dark gold in an attempt to intimidate one another.
Kyra, her younger sister, laughed loudly when she saw her own youngest son Jake try to growl, instead letting out a strangled sound closer to a cat's yowl. Pressing her hand tightly to her mouth, she struggled to stifle her snorting.
"I know I shouldn't laugh Tally, but damn, his older sister sounded just the same until she was eight or nine."
Talia's husband David let out a resigned groan when he caught sight of two dark-haired heads quickly scaling a pine tree, claws digging into the bark. His eleven year old son was constantly trying to outdo his older sister lately after she had called him a puppy last month.
"Derek and Laura are racing to the top again. If Laura wins we'll have to deal with a grumpy Derek for two days at least."
Before she could respond, all of the adults froze. A dark smoky cloud was forming on the grass in front of them, and before they could react it grew taller and eventually formed a short humanoid shape. In an instant the smoke dissipated with a loud 'whoosh' and in front of them stood a young girl.
Just a second after she appeared, she fell back and landed hard on her tailbone. Her hazel eyes were opened wide and she looked utterly bewildered.
Talia felt her eyes flash a bright red and turned to see her sisters flashing their own wolf-like eyes. The children, somehow not having noticed the creature that had arrived just in front of their parents, continued playing while the adults' claws sprouted, assessing the threat situated between them and their young.
The girl seemingly didn't notice the werewolves' display, not reacting, instead climbing to her feet slowly and wincing when she stood upright, groaning out an annoyed, "ouch."
Just a second later, her head whipped up and her eyes met Talia's, an expression of embarrassed nervousness on her face, cheeks flooding with a dark blush.
"I'm so sorry, this is my first time getting called. I didn't mean to, uh, that wasn't supposed to happen…" she trailed off and to everyone's begrudged amusement looked down at the ground, wiping the dirt and grass off of her rear and muttering insults at herself. She adjusted the straps of the denim overalls she wore over a blue t-shirt and tucked the pieces of hair that had escaped her blonde braid behind her ears, still quietly berating herself.
However, when she looked back up, a bright smile covered her face and she stuck out her hand in a polite greeting.
"Anyways, I'm Harriet Rathbone, nice to meet you."
By this point all of the wolves had stopped their display of aggression, all clearly sensing that the girl was not a threat. Incredibly strange, and obviously supernatural, but not an obvious threat.
When Talia didn't immediately shake the hand Harriet had offered, Morgan, her other younger sister and Kyra's identical twin, quickly interceded, reaching over and shaking the girl's hand after smelling the humiliation that had begun to flood her scent.
"Hello, Harriet. I'm Morgan Hale, it is a pleasure to meet you as well."
Her handshake was firm, and Talia snapped out of her dazed confusion to reach over after the first introduction had ended.
"My name is Talia Hale, I'm the Alpha of this pack."
Harriet's reaction was drastic, taking all of the adults off guard. Her smile became much more genuine and she let out an excited squeal, bouncing lightly on her feet and looking ready to burst.
"Oh wow. Wow, this means my person is a werewolf. That's so cool! I thought they'd be something lame like a nymph or a gnome." She let out an impressed whistle and smiled again, "But a werewolf. I got lucky, can't wait to meet 'em."
Though the child in front of them was undoubtedly cute, and her enthusiasm seemed infectious, an uneasy, instinctual feeling began to creep over Talia.
"Harriet, you said you were here to meet your 'person.' What do you mean by that?"
"Well I got called, which means that my person is here. I haven't gotten to meet whoever they are, but since I'm here now it means that they're here."
In the midst of her explanation, the girl stuck her arm out to shake David's hand. Appearing to be painted onto her wrist was a thick silver band.
Talia's breath caught and she choked in terror.
Before Harriet could grab her husband's hand she intercepted it, gripping the child's wrist tightly.
"Who are you here for?"
Seemingly not noticing the strength Talia was putting behind her hold, a look of confusion crossed her face.
"I don't know yet, I just told you that."
Leona looked as though she was about to interrupt what was happening in front of her, a concerned look on her face, until she too saw the marking.
In an incredibly shaken voice she breathed, "She's a Reaper."
Morgan leaped out of her chair, harshly ordering, "Get to the kids."
All of the adults rushed over to where the kids were, trying to remain calm as they shouted that the kids needed to come over to them now.
Everyone obeyed, everyone but Laura and Derek, who continued to climb up the pine tree. Talia began to panic, and let loose an Alpha growl before demanding, "Laura and Derek, get down here right now!"
She saw annoyed and exasperated expressions cross both of their faces, but they began to descend, albeit reluctantly. Whipping her head around she caught sight of Harriet – no, the Reaper – scanning all of the kids before finally looking up to where her two oldest were scaling down the tree as quickly as they could. When the girl's eyes landed on Derek, her irises flashed a bright silver.
At that moment, Derek fell.
He was twenty feet from the grass below, but as he hurdled down he hit a thick branch of the pine, and the loud snap of his spine echoed across the yard.
Talia didn't hesitate. She launched herself at her son and landed next to where he now lay face up on the ground, dropping to her knees. Laura had dropped down as well and knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face as she babbled, "Mom, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
Talia touched her son's face gently, taking as much of his pain as she could while she wiped away his tears. When Harriet smoked into existence just across from her on Derek's other side, similarly kneeling, everyone who had crowded around flinched back at both her sudden appearance and the roaring sound that accompanied it.
Distracted from his pain for a moment, Derek turned his head slightly so he could see her more clearly. When their gazes met the girl's eyes flashed silver once again, and his flashed gold seemingly involuntarily in return. Though tears continued to fill his eyes, he sputtered, "Who are you?"
With a smile softer than any she had seen thus far, Talia watched as she leaned slightly over him and replied quietly, "My name's Harriet. I'm sorry you're hurt."
Before she could stop it, Talia watched the girl comb through her son's dark hair, repeating the motion while Derek slowly began to relax.
"Oh. I'm Derek."
"Yeah, I know."
By then all of the children and the adults had crowded around, and David was waving everyone away.
"Alright, everybody back up. He's going to be okay, but we've got to take him back to the house."
David gingerly lifted up his son, trying his best not to jostle him, and everyone walked up to the back porch before congregating in the family room. Wincing heavily and continuing to try to stifle his whimpers, Derek finally let out a low sigh of relief as he was placed on the couch and able to lie still on the soft surface.
Kyra, being the most proficient in first aid, crouched down next to the couch so she was at eye level with her nephew.
"Hey buddy, where on your back did you hit? And how're you feeling one to ten?"
"About halfway. Only heard one crack though, and I'm getting feeling back in my legs. Now it's a five or a four."
"Gotcha. Seems like you didn't crush anything, which can take a whole night to heal. You'll be feeling better in an hour or two, especially if sensation is already returning."
"Thanks, Aunt Leo."
Laura had been clutching her mother tightly around her middle, crying and seeming to blame herself, but the news that there wasn't any lasting damage lessened her sobs and she began to whimper instead. Cora had been hiding behind her legs and peeking at Derek, scared that her big brother was crying, but she slowly came out of her hiding place and began to act normally once again.
Kyra stepped aside and Talia took her place, softly holding her son's hand and leeching away as much of his pain as she dared. Before she could grow tired, Morgan took over, followed by Kyra. They kept a steady rotation of fifteen minutes each, and the pattern continued on until nearly an hour and a half had passed. Derek had drifted off and was now sleeping. The cracking sound of his spine realigning caused everyone in the room to let out a sigh of relief.
David left the room to go to the playroom, delivering the news that Derek was fine but resting. The adults had shuffled all of the kids out, not wanting them to panic or stress Derek out even further. Thinking of the children, Talia's thoughts suddenly flew to the young Reaper. She lifted her eyes to the window facing the back yard, and heard a heartbeat fluttering. Walking over to the back door, she opened it quietly and found Harriet sitting at the base of the same pine tree Derek and Laura had been climbing.
Talia slowly approached the girl and saw that she was clutching her knees to her chest and sniffling, wiping roughly at her tears with the back of her hand.
When her footsteps alerted the girl that she was approaching, she looked up and began to cry harder before she stammered, "I'm sorry, I messed up, I didn't know he was mine, I let him get hurt. He's gonna be okay, right?"
Confusion and curiosity flooded her when she replied, "Derek's alright, he healed and now he's resting." She watched as Harriet let out a sigh of relief, her sobs quieting, and gave her a moment to calm down before continuing, "Harriet, why did you come here? Derek is going to be fine."
To her surprise, Harriet stood, crossed her arms, and gave her a look that conveyed she was both insulted and surprised.
"I heard the lady next to you, you guys know I'm a Reaper! Of course I came here! He's my person! I just didn't know it so I wasn't able to do my job right." She finished with a small frown, but didn't allow her indignation to fade..
Not satisfied with the explanation, Talia narrowed her eyes and began to growl out, "Well I am glad you didn't 'do your job right,' if you had killed my son-"
Harriet cut off her threat, uncrossed her hands, and threw them in the air, looking to the sky as if it would answer. "Ugh, no I'm not gonna kill him! Why does everybody think that? It's all wrong; that's not what a Reaper is supposed to do."
Taken aback, she was startled into asking, "Then what is a Reaper supposed to do?"
Harriet immediately straightened her back and clasped her hands behind her, rocking on the balls of her feet and reciting in a manner that betrayed she had often repeated it, "A Reaper's sworn duty is to guard the receiver of the bond. We are to comfort them in times of turmoil. We are to watch over them. And we are to protect them from all those who may wish them harm. At the end of their life, we are to guide them gently to the Great Beyond and follow them into the Shadowland."
The heartbeat of the girl before her remained steady. Each word she uttered was truth, and by the end of her proclamation Harriet was trying and failing to repress a smug smile filled with pride.
The first feelings she was hit with, before any uncertainty set in, was concern and a touch of horror. The girl before her was saddled with a great and terrible burden and responsibility; her life tied to someone else's, someone who she had previously never met. When Talia couldn't call any words to mind, unable to formulate a response yet, Harriet took her silence as a sign to continue. She shook her hands out and fiddled with her fingers in front of her.
"I didn't know at first I was getting called. My mom's the one who teaches me all the stuff but its all from journals and books so we don't know about it all yet. I just had a bad feeling. Then I heard a snap and my back felt like it was moved all wrong. I started getting smoky and then I was in your backyard and saw – oh. What state are we in? I live in Connecticut with my mom and dad. I wonder how far I can go? Mom said I can only use my powers when its to help my person, but the rest of the time I'm just supposed to be human, so I can't try it unless maybe Derek is in China or something and then gets hurt – "
She interrupted the girl's rambling before she finished her musings. She stepped forward and gently untangled Harriet's hands before clasping her right wrist and stroking the pad of her thumb against the silver band that marked her as a Reaper.
"Harriet, are you sure that Derek is the one who is bonded to you?"
She squinted and scrunched up her nose before looking at the sky yet again and saying, "Well its more like I'm the one bonded to him. When I'm around him I feel like, I don't know, I just like him." A horrified look covered her face and her cheeks became bright red before she met Talia's eyes and she rushed out, "That sounded wrong, I don't like like him, but he just seems – I don't know, it's hard to talk about it. I just want to make sure he's not hurt and punch anybody who hurts his feelings."
Again Talia was surprised to hear the genuine caring in her voice and the heartbeat that revealed she was telling the truth. She grasped the girl's other wrist and squeezed softly before releasing them both.
"I believe you. I'm not mad that you're bonded to him. But should you be getting home soon? Will your parents be worried?"
She shrugged at the question and seemed nonchalant when she responded, "Eh, my mom might be, but that's just 'cause she was with me when I smoked. My dad doesn't say it in front of my mom, but we were both excited to see what my person was. They both know that it was gonna happen sometime, but I'll head back soon if you're worried, now that Derek's okay I'm allowed to smoke back."
Harriet continued shifting a bit awkwardly, so Talia inquired, "Is there anything else that needs to be done?"
"Um, it's okay if you say no and everything, but do you think I could maybe say bye to Derek?"
She smiled and turned toward the house, beckoning her to come along, "Of course it's alright, he might be sleeping though. I'll give you my name and address as well as my phone number for you to give to your parents. If you'd like anything to eat or drink let me know as well, we've got enough to feed a whole extended family of wolves."
Harriet followed, and Talia's smile grew when she heard Harriet mumbling to herself behind her, "Werewolves. Dad's gonna freak out."
When they reached the house she held open the door and allowed the girl to walk in first before tipping her head in the direction of the family room and whispering, "Derek's in there on the couch."
Pausing in the threshold for a moment, Talia watched with a smirk as Harriet tip toed in an exaggerated manner, freezing completely when there was any change in Derek's breathing, almost falling over when at one point she was caught on the ball of one foot.
She walked into the kitchen where her husband and her sisters were gathered around the table, each nursing a cup of either coffee or tea.
"How much of that did you all hear?"
David was looking into his mug and swirled its contents twice before he murmured, "All of it."
Kyra shook her head and sounded awed as she said, "This is insane. I admit all I've ever heard about Reapers is the old wives' tale. Then again, we don't exactly eat the townsfolk and chase after girls wearing red. To actually be seeing one…"
Taking over where her twin trailed off, Morgan continued, "I only know how rare they are. They're only assigned by freak coincidence. Only supernatural beings get – well, I guess we know the term 'haunted' doesn't apply anymore – assigned Reapers. From what I've read the Reaper and the supernatural being must be born within the same minute or so. And to top it off, only four or so families in the world still carry the gene."
David reached across the table and grasped his wife's hand, guiding her into the chair beside his.
"Do you think this will be alright? This is Derek, Tally. We can't be wrong about this."
The discussion was cut off when they all heard quiet voices begin to speak from the family room, and they froze so they could listen in.
"Oh, sorry for waking you up."
"Nah, it's fine. Sorry for blubbering on you, I swear I'm not usually a baby."
A light laugh echoed, "You broke your back, if it were me I would have flooded the backyard. Besides, you were gonna beat Laura."
A growling voice shouted from upstairs, "No he wasn't!"
"Yeah he was, I was on the ground, I saw!"
There was a brief pause, and they heard Harriet mumbled in a sad voice, "Anyways, I gotta go home soon, just wanted to say bye."
"Alright, see you, Harriet."
"You can call me Hattie, that's what my baby sister calls me. Bye, Derek."
The now-familiar whooshing sound of her smoking away loudly came from the other room. The adults remained quiet for a few minutes, continuing to drink from their mugs and each thinking over what had happened that day. Kyra and Morgan then took their leave and went up the stairs to the guest bedrooms they were staying in.
A minute or two more followed during which the only activity was David stroking his thumb over the back of Talia's hand, their other finger laced together loosely. They both stood and walked to the family room to check in on Derek one last time. They found him laying on his side, covered by a blanket that had not been there before, asleep again, this time with a small smile on his face.
Squeezing her husband's hand, she breathed out, "Yeah, I think this will be alright."