He peeked in from the open doorway as the female ran a brush through her hair, those bronze eyes meeting his hazel ones for just a few seconds before they broke from his. He could feel his wolf preen, damn thing, it just had to keep pointing out that she was strong… Stronger than Leah had been even if she was a human.
Maggie had an alpha's soul trapped in a human form, too breakable. His wolf filtered imagined images into his mind, which wasn't fair in the least and it made him think of what she would look like as a wolf, if that fire would still burn in her that had caused her to lash out at Malcolm the day before and made him want to kiss her. No, no he couldn't think of this… she would be even more tangible if she weren't human. She was already too easy to care for and despite his wolf obviously rooting for her he wouldn't be able to live with the loss of another woman that he loved.
"Are ya finding everything alright at mah house?" the female asked and it became noticeable to him once more that the more upset she got the thicker that accent of hers was. He watched her for a second as she pulled and twisted at her hair until it was in a bun.
"Yes. Thank you for letting us use it while we are here, Charles and Anna used the guest room… I," he paused not sure of what her reaction would be and yet she would find out at some point. "I used your room last night, I will move to the couch if you prefer." His wolf brought her smell to the forefront of his mind; he'd had one hell of a night smelling her in that bed. He couldn't fall asleep at first, he'd kept getting aroused thinking of her in that bed and his wolf hadn't helped at all, then when he'd finally gotten to sleep he'd dreamed of her and it kept waking him up until he'd finally taken care of the issue himself in her shower.
Her voice broke him away from the thoughts his wolf was all too happy to visit, she chuckled, a light airy sound from her and yet clearly whatever she was thinking and was no doubt about to say put her in a better place. "As long as you don't have a panty raid planned I'm fine with it… I'm not sure how long I will be staying here with Irina, so someone should get some use out of the bed at least for a little while."
Bran watched her as she slid the last pin into place so her hair would stay up out of her face. She stood up slowly letting her body unfold from the seat in a languid move before she brushed her dress so it lay smoothly like it was supped to. "You look lovely."
"No I don't but thank ya anyway…" Maggie told him as she turned a little this way and that to make sure her dress didn't get caught on her hose and ride up. "Thank ya for coming, I know it was only because I defended ya wolves buh it means a lot to me."
He felt himself sigh as he shook his head, "part of the reason is because of that yes but it's not the whole reason. I feel like it's my fault… These are my wolves, even the rogue ones. It shouldn't have happened to a child… any child, children have been turned and that is tragic. A child dying… It shouldn't happen, not ever… Not to any child, especially yours what with your pack ties."
"Ya can't stop a crazy person from doing something crazy, Bran. If ya tried ta kill all the idiots and crazies ya'd never have time ta sleep," she told him softly and a sly grin started to slowly spread across his handsome face giving him a boyish rueful look. Maggie couldn't help smile right back to him because of that grin, he was adorable… Oh wait she wasn't supposed to think that.
"Maggie… Bran it's time to go," Irina called from down the stairs.
Bran saw that broken look in her eyes, a reluctance to move. She was a mother walking to her own hangman's noose by going to her baby's funeral, "I… I, I can't do this…" she stammered out. The next thing she knew he had her hand wrapped up in his own, "you can. You are stronger than you think," his voice warmed her even as he leaned in and kissed her forehead, "now we are going to go down stairs, ok?"
Her eyes swung up meeting his for a few moments before they went just north of those hazel depths, "ya won't leave?"
"No I won't leave you alone, I'll be your shadow until we leave. It that's what you want," he told her gently.
"Ya may be handsome buh if ya follow me into the bathroom I will hit ya," she told him softly making him grin.
The male pulled her into his side gently, "I have no doubt you would." Maggie was a fierce little thing and it surprised him. He wrapped her hand over his arm gently putting his hand over hers so she couldn't walk away when they got down stairs. She was like a wounded animal and he felt like he needed to treat her as such. He wouldn't let her run even if it was her first instinct, get away from what was hurting her after all you couldn't run around a predator. It was dangerous.
"Just keep breathing…" she muttered to herself as Bran patted her hand. "Thank ya," she whispered to him knowing he would hear her despite the whisper. He didn't let go either even when they reached the bottom of the stairs, he just kept her from running and hiding from her troubles even if he did understand them.
Irina simply opened the door for them letting the near ever present heat flood into the entry. "Does this state know its October?" Anna asked teasingly trying to break the tension just a little.
"Half the time it doesn't even know when it's December. I think Maggie has a light jacket, I don't own anything thicker than a sweatshirt. You should see Halloween around here."
"No… No they shouldn't. I'm pretty sure I've seen more clothes on people during Mardi Gras…" Maggie said softly a shudder pulling through her body at the thought of the people she'd seen during Halloween. She'd taken Aeron to the movies every year because of it. She however did let Bran lead her outside only for him to surprise her when he led her to his passenger door opening it for her, she slid in watching him now as he closed her door and by the look of it was giving the others orders as he moved to his side of the car.
Irina was soon behind the wheel of her car with Charles in the passenger seat beside her quietly. Anna, smiling sweet Anna moved to the Marrok before getting into the backseat followed by Bran slipping in behind the wheel. "We'll be following Rina then?" she asked him and he nodded. "Will it get easier?"
"No. Not even for someone my age," Bran told her softly.
"Ya lost a child?" Anna and Maggie nearly asked the same question at the exact same time making the Marrok grin.
Bran nodded, "one, he was younger than Samuel but older than Charles, before we were wolves. I have however lost many grandchildren. My oldest boy Samuel, he had several… it doesn't get easier, often it gets harder with how old I am."
Anna lifted an eyebrow from the back seat clearly wondering why her father-in-law kept bringing up his age. Little did she know it wasn't even for the benefit of either female in the car, he was reminding his wolf even if the creature didn't seem to care if Maggie was so young still. His wolf was ecstatic that she was seated next to him even as she looked out the window. The wolf was even more excited to see that out of the corner of Bran's eye he could tell Maggie's dress had risen up a little further showing off a hard thigh ripe for squeezing the backs of as he held her up against a wall and… fuck down boy! Anna was watching Bran from the back seat though, the man kept looking at Maggie. He'd never done that with Leah; satisfy himself and his beast with her yes but from what she'd seen it hadn't really ever been more than that. He deserved more than that, Bran was such a good man and he should have been happy all the time.
"How old are ya?" Maggie asked finally with a little smirk only to get that heart melting boyish grin from him. She smiled once more before looking out the window again, "so should I call ya Crypt Keeper then?"
Anna nearly choked on a laugh, she hadn't expected that from the human, not with were they were headed to. Bran on the other hand did laugh; it was a deep rich sound from him. They both saw her freeze up when the gate surrounding the cemetery came into sight ten minutes later. Her hands clenched over her thighs a terrified, exhausted, and extremely sad look crossed her face compounding and mingling together in what had to be the most morose look either of them had in a very long time. Bran kept his left hand on the wheel as he reached over and slid his hand into hers on her lap. Maggie moved her hand until she could thread her fingers through his, Bran could feel her shaking.
The man's daughter-in-law leaned forward whispering into Bran's ear so low that even sitting right next to him Maggie couldn't hear her. A grim line creased his face when he heard what Anna had to say, no one had told him that there would only be a grave side service, the funeral homes and churches had all said no because of the werewolves. No one was going to say no to burying him though as long as the first time was the only time that the cemetery would be filled with wolves. He didn't even notice he was squeezing Maggie's hand in his anger until she whimpered lightly. He was quick to try and let her go so he wouldn't accidently break her hand and yet she refused to let him go just yet. "I'm sorry Maggie," Bran told her in what he was trying to make into a gently tone of voice. It must not have worked though since she was looking at him and she wasn't turning away from him either. "I'm ok Maggie; you don't have to give me that look."
"If ya sure," she told him even as they pulled through the gate.
"I'm sure. I didn't mean to hurt you," the man said and the female squeezed his hand for a second.
"I'm tough for a human," she informed him and Bran had to agree once more that she was. Soon they were parking though and she took a shaky breath as she looked out the window of her door not yet moving, she just stared at the blue canopy over the grave. A priest with a goatee and short spiked hair stood there talking to Malcolm. "I just… I need a minute."
"Take your time. I'm right here," his voice was warm and soothing to her. She slowly moved leaning her head on his shoulder breathing in deep. Bran looked at Malcolm as he let the sweet girl lean on him; he'd nearly told the man he wasn't allowed here either, he was worried the other man would upset the little blonde that was leaning on him. He nodded to Anna who got out of the car moving to talk to Charles. "Ready?"
"No, buh I can't stay in here…" Maggie told him and he nodded gently removing his hand from hers as she moved from leaning on him. She reached for the handle pulling it and he was there at her door finishing opening it and holding his hand out to her as soon as she got the thing cracked open. She slid her hand into his palm letting him help her from the car and lead her towards the grave and the closer they got the more she felt her heart squeeze violently in her chest, her hand clutched to Bran's in a death grip.
"Brooke… I just… I'm sorry…" Maggie looked at the female for a long moment before the woman spoke again. "I never blamed you Brooke; I know Lionel never said anything… I know Aeron was my husband's child, but for this to happen. Why would anyone hurt a sweet little guy like him?"
"Thank you Lorna. I don't know why, I could never imaging this not even in my worst nightmares. For what it is worth, if…"
Lorna shook her head, "don't. I already know you wouldn't have slept with him if he'd been honest. Come meet the priest, he's very… interesting," the female chuckled out lightly at the questioning look on the other woman's face, "not that kind of interesting. He's… well he is a Nephilim."
"We got a partially angelic priest?" Maggie questioned before looking up at Bran who smiled softly to her before letting go of her hand. He in turn gave Lorna a nod letting the woman bring the little blonde to the priest who smiled kindly to her.
"Hello dear I'm Father HelFyre," he said only for the grieving mother to blink for a second staring at him, really staring at him.
Maggie blinked once more the wolves were staring, Maggie had no filter most of them knew it but would she try to hold her tongue when it came to a Priest? "No offense, but ya shitting me right? I mean ya have ta be… No way ya are a Priest with a name like that."
The Priest laughed, he was a good natured fellow for the most part, and he just couldn't help but to laugh at that look she had on her face. "I know irony at its finest, right? It actually is my last name, it was one of my mummy's maiden names she didn't want to let go of. Her mum's last name was HelFyre and she died giving birth to mummy and aunt Salisa, her twin." Of course to add insult to injury in the way of irony was the fact that he was a demonic Nephilim.
That's right Zedrickt HelFyre was the product of love between a demonic goddess that could turn into a dragon and the arch angel Michael. Needless to say he'd always been more warrior than priest, but he'd taken his vows at his father's insistence to keep the other arch angels from killing him since he was considered an abomination to the natural order. Not to mention he was just a horrible priest when it came down to it. He had a Nephilim girlfriend, well fiancé and they had a daughter. Of course his baby girl Katreena made him well aware of what this poor woman was going through, he'd nearly lost his baby too.
"Father this is Brooke McLeod, she was Aeron's mother." Lorna informed him and Zedrickt frowned, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize, it must seem so heartless of me."
Maggie reached out touching his elbow and Bran felt his wolf try to jump through his skin and murder the Priest, "it's fine really. Not heartless at all, it's hard on everyone not just the mother at a time like this. It shouldn't happen an' no one ever thinks it will until it does. My dad always used ta say, "Maggie mah sweet lass, when a wolf is mad ye donnae look into their eyes ye look intae their heart. If ye ken they would nae hurt ye on purpose ye have tae find the courage tae keep goin' at their side. Ye smile an' show yer neck lass, now if they threaten mah wee gran'bairn ye shoot 'em between the eyes. Tha's why ah gave ye the damn gun." I know ya weren't trying ta hurt me so I'll just smile and go on."
Lorna looked at her after a moment, "you are really good at your dad's accent."
Bran was smiling as he stood near Charles, he had a feeling he would have liked Maggie's father and because of what she said he also knew now that her father was the reason the girl was such a good shot, of course it couldn't have hurt that the man had only been a few feet in front of her too. It had been no doubt like shooting fish in a barrel.
"So Faddah if ya dohn mind me askin' why ya so okay wit' helpin' mah fluer?" Malcolm spoke up; Maggie wanted to strangle him… Then again Bran did too.
"One of the men I call uncle is a werewolf, perhaps you've heard of him. Fitzroy Stewart," Zedrickt said with a dark look in his blue eyes, he didn't like it that it sounded more like threat than anything when Malcolm asked him that so he gave his own threat by way of Fitzroy.
Malcolm blanched for a second losing all composure, "the fuckin' Beast of Lycrissao counts ya as family ta him?!"
"That's right so I would back off before you have a really tall shadow darkening your door. Maggie dear is this everyone you wanted here?" Zedrickt asked her, going from threatening to kind in an instant.
She looked around her, all of the pack but Lionel and his friends were there. "Yeah…" she whispered out but soon found Irina on one side of her and Bran on the other, she could feel the tears coming already.
"Alright sweet heart," the priest said. "If you need a laugh after this I'll tell you about Margaret before I head back to England." Despite the tears in her eyes that were even now slowly escaping he saw that look of "oh my fucking God" on her face and grinned. "Mummy has a house in Baton Rouge; she had me check in on it while I was here."
"Oh, ok then. I guess that's fine then. I just… wow. I didn't think that even with the circumstances that we would have to get someone in from a different continent."
Zedrickt grinned, "and with all my travelling you didn't even get a British guy with an accent. I'm joking, but in all honesty your son is well worth me coming here. If anyone wants to come closer, now is the time. I know you can all hear me perfectly from where you are though." A few of the wolves did step closer, they'd been close with Maggie and her family, and they truly had cared about Aeron. The others cared too of course but they weren't as close to Maggie, everyone had loved her baby. "Life is hard after every tragedy, but it's even worse when the soul lost to this world is that of a child. Children are meant to be our hope and future so to lose one so young is one of the hardest things in the world. Grief is a tangible being when a child is lost to their mother, it is a thing that should never happen and the way Aeron was lost was more tragic than most… How can you define a life of one so young and special? It is nearly impossible to do; the only way I can ever find is to simply say happiness. Happiness is the true being of a child; they are pure light and love."
Zedrickt gave Maggie a sympathetic look, "losing a child is like losing a part of your own soul, it often leaves a gaping wound that can't be seen or fixed. In time though that missing piece starts to fill with love and light once more, it is your soul healing though never whole.
"A soul of a child is innocence eternal and everlasting. It is a beautiful and special thing that can never be taken from its home in a mother's heart," Zedrickt continued as Maggie held tightly to her friend's hands taking in what comfort they could give her as hot tears slid down her face, she didn't care who saw them. It was shortly after this that Zedrickt prayed, the pack praying with him. "I was told before we started that Maggie would want to sing Aeron's lullaby to him once more. Maggie if you're ready dear?"
Maggie didn't know that anyone had mentioned this to the priest but she nodded softly before she took a single step forward not letting go of Irina or Bran as she did.
"Goodnight my angel.
Time to close your eyes.
And save these questions for another day.
I think I know what you've been asking me.
I think you know what I've been trying to say.
I promise I would never leave you.
And you should always know, I never will be far away.
Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep.
And still so many things I want to say.
Remember all the songs you sang for me.
When we went sailing on a emerald bay.
And like a boat out on the ocean.
I'm rocking you to sleep.
The water is dark and deep inside this mother's heart.
You'll always be a part of me.
Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream.
And dream how wonderful your life will be.
Someday a child may cry and if you sing this lullaby.
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me."
The last notes wavered as her voice broke and a sob slammed from her chest. Bran pulled her into his chest breaking her contact with the other woman as he held her letting her cry into his shirt front. "You did fine, it was beautiful and I'm sure God let him hear you sing to him." That of course did nearly nothing but make her cry more as she clung to him, his wolf ached for her, his heart as heavy as if it was filled with lead. She was to be protected and taken care of but she was crying, she should never have to cry like this. Yet all he could do was to let her, there wasn't a way to fix this. He couldn't bring her son back to life for her.
"Ya would have like him," she hiccupped out between sobs even if her tears were lessening.
"I know I would have," he told her gently even if he was sure his wolf would have hated the fact that Aeron was someone else's. He couldn't have her, she wasn't his… Can't let yourself fall for her, Bran. "So father who is Margaret?" Bran asked trying to distract Maggie from the fact that the casket was lowering into the ground.
Zedrickt caught on right away and a bright smile shone over his face then, his blue eyes glimmering. "She is this little old human woman; she is agnostic and comes to church just to stalk me. She wants to jump me, she's admitted to it. She called me reverend yummy pants the other day before informing me that the only form of father she would ever call me was "daddy" while asking for a spanking."
Maggie was laughing so hard by the end of his explanation that she actually let out a little snort while giggling which made the wolves start to laugh as well.
I know, I know it took forever. I'm sorry. Don't give up on me though, I am still writing even if it is slow, I've just been busy with school and work, but I'm on spring break which gave me the time I needed to finish this chapter while on the plane. I have already started on the next one for Romance (I love plane rides) and for anyone interested I put up a "preview" chapter for a Harry Potter story based around Abraxas Malfoy, if no interest is shown by the time either Primal or Romance is finished up it will just stay a preview online. I am also in the planning process for a Divergent (based on Four after his transfer) story for after these as well.
Zedrickt HelFyre, Katreena HelFyre, Fitzroy Stewart, and Lycrissao (castle and Beast title) all belong to me, they are my original characters that I am writing into a novel.