"Ephraim Charles Black, you get down from that tree or I'm getting your father!" A black bear cub was clinging to the top of a pine tree. Then suddenly the bear became an oversized raven and flew to the next tree.
I growled. "You may be able to fly, but I'm faster than you," I warned running after him. I scrambled up a tree and started jumping from branch to branch, keeping pace with him. He squawked at me and continued to fly. I pushed myself further, jumping ahead of his trajectory. I was so lucky he hadn't inherited my brain. He hadn't anticipated my actions and I snagged his feet. They immediately shifted to paws and I lost my grip on the tree, instead scooping all four of his legs together and wrapping them in my skirt. We were falling to the ground now. I braced on boughs we passed, slowing us. At the same time I pulled Jacob, he should be nearby.
Ephraim shifted again, a hawk this time, and tried to use his talons to free himself of my skirt, but his wings were pinned as well. I almost let him go, but he wouldn't be hurt when we landed regardless, so I kept him tangled. I angled myself to land under him and screamed as my arm broke on impact.
Ephraim was suddenly human, and contrite. "Mama? Owie, Mama?" he asked.
"Yes it hurts!" I yelled seeing Jacob standing over me. "This is your fault," I told him again. He phased and scooped up Ephraim. I cradled my broken arm as I got to my feet. It seemed I hadn't broken anything else. If my elbow hadn't been bent at such a bad angle I probably would have simply been winded. I shook my head and needles fell around me from my bronze curls. I snarled at my toddling son.
"Easy, Nessie. He was only playing." Jacob tried to appease me.
"You heard him. Why didn't you come sooner?" I demanded. "He needs to learn to mind me too." I was furious. They could communicate when they were both in animal form; their spirit selves as the legends said.
"He didn't see a problem. I'm sorry I didn't hear you; he was completely ignoring you." Jacob lifted Ephraim to his eye line. "You will mind your mother. She loves you and wants what is best for you. Obey her," he commanded his son. His tone appeased me. He was doing what he could. The rest had to come from our boy.
"Thank you, Cubby." I leaned into him with my good arm.
"Is it broken?!" he put our son down covering my hand with his. Then he lifted me into his arms.
I laughed. "My arm is broken, Jacob. There is nothing wrong with my feet." Our wolf cub followed behind.
Grandfather splinted my arm. "I don't understand," I complained to my relatives, "why does he deliberately disobey me? Is he just being willful?" I looked to Edward. If anyone knew, it would be him.
"Um... he doesn't... recognize..." he was having trouble. I wasn't sure if he was having trouble finding words, or not laughing at them. "your dominance," he finally finished.
"Well, I might just have to exert some then." I flexed a fist. Corporal punishment might just be necessary in this case.
"No, Nessie," I heard from several at once: Rosalie, Mama, Esme and Edward. Edward, I would listen to; the others had never had a child as difficult to control as mine. Two of them, technically, didn't have children of their own at all.
I sighed and let my hand drop. I needed to find some way to communicate with my son. Dominance. "Where is Ephraim now?" I asked.
"In the sitting room with Jacob," Mama informed me.
"How stable it this, Grandfather?" I asked, moving my arm a little.
"What are you thinking?" he asked. Edward was kind enough not to answer for me.
"A show of dominance. It might take some mobility though. Should I wait?"
"Probably. The bone should be mended in another hour or two," he assured me.
I decided it best to stay away from Ephraim until then. I pulled a book from grandfather's shelf. The room emptied, except for my parents.
"I think it will work," Edward told me. Mama frowned.
"I'm going to take him on the hunt, but deny him my kill. I'm hoping that will be enough. If not, I'll have to think of something else. Jacob might have an idea. I can't continue to have my authority coming from him; Ephraim will never learn to mind me." I moved my arm experimentally as I read another page. Not long now.
Jacob came with us, but did not phase after I requested he not. Ephraim was bounding along ahead of me. I smelled prey, something adequately large, something Ephraim would not take himself and had only tasted once or twice. It was a cougar. I bolted after it, knowing Jacob would be behind Ephraim on my trail. I had to trust my son would take my lead in this part. My speed let me make my kill quick and clean. I had begun to feed when I smelled Ephraim approaching.
He ran straight to the hot meat. I roared at him. I almost stopped when I saw pain and fear cross his wolf eyes. Instead I nipped in his direction before feeding again. I tried not to think, just react. He took a step toward the meat again. Again I growled, this time not taking my face from my feast. He hung his head and backed again. Jacob caught up with us now and Ephraim went to him for a moment.
Jacob did not phase and therefore did not answer our son's questions. He was frustrated and did not understand why I was behaving this way. Neither of us had denied him a share of our kill before. Even though I was not hungry enough I ate all the best pieces, leaving only limbs for Ephraim. I ran him off each time he came near until I was finished. I stood up and looked down at him. "You may have what is left."
Ephraim looked sadly at the carcass. Then he did strip what he could. I pulled a rag and cleaned my face. Standing next to Jacob I hugged his side. "That was hard," I whispered.
Cubby kissed my head, "You did well. He is still a little confused, but I'm sure he got the message. You are the greater predator."
My eyes stung, "Is there ANY human in him? Does he understand love as anything more than a pack relation?" I was so afraid that his animal tendencies would prevent me from ever actually knowing my son.
Jacob hugged me more tightly, "Of course there is. It's just buried deeply right now, but it's growing. He'll grow out of this. I'm sure."
"Mama?" I started.
"Thank you, Mama," Ephraim said before phasing to a hawk and flying toward the river. I hoped he planned to clean himself. I headed back to our house. I felt exhausted after my run with Ephraim, my healing, and my hunt.
Ephraim's corner was a mess. Fur and feathers lay everywhere around his mat. One of his climbing bars had been converted to a perch. I walked past the lot, ignoring it, and climbed into our bed. I kicked a chew toy off the edge, moaning to myself. When I had dreamed of carrying on Grandpa's genes into a new generation, Ephraim was definitely NOT what I had in mind. His dark hair was as curly as Grandpa's, in the moments he was willing to spend in human form. His eyes in all forms were the same brown as mine and his. But it seemed that was all of Charlie that was in him.
I felt my son's furry form press next to me in the bed. I rolled away. He phased to another shape, hoping this would be more to my liking. I didn't turn. Finally, after several tries, he phased to human and I rolled over and pressed my head to his. "I love you, Ephraim. I love you in every shape. But I feel closest to you in this one," I told him hoping he understood. I couldn't tell if he did, but he happily put his arms around me and snuggled into my bosom.