1Uncertain Beginnings.
Chapter 37
Disclaimer :I do not own Twilight or any of its characters, though I have a gorgeous diluted calico cat!
Huilen's POV
"What do you mean he has another daughter?" My mind was reeling, he had to be mistaken. Joham was sick, of that I was sure, but he had seen how much his own children were against what he was doing, why would he let another human die, just to bring another child into this world? Nahuel spat out his next words as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "My sisters came to see me, they were both very upset. It seems as though Joham has decided that he can create a whole new race of beings, like...us. He is trying to make another son, since I refuse to join his family." I knew that Nahuel would take on this added guilt, the death of another human, even though he had nothing to do with his demented sire's choices.
Lichuen sank to the ground running his hands through his hair, part from frustration, and probably partly do to the discomfort of feeling Nahuel's emotions. Nahuel noticed his stance, and tried to calm himself to ease Lichuen's burden. In the last few years, the two men in my life had grown closer. Lichuen was the closest thing to a father that Nahuel had ever known, and Lichuen's calm and patient manner had helped Nahuel through his time of grief. These two men, whom I held so near and dear to my heart, were so alike, that I wished I could have gone back in time to change how things had gone. I wished that I could have found Lichuen earlier, even though deep down I know that things might not have turned out as well as they have for me now. I still wished that I could have given Nahuel this male figure earlier in his life to guide him through his formative years.
Instead he had been stuck with me, a new vampire who knew very little about her new self, or about how to care for a child. I guess in hindsight I hadn't done too badly by my nephew, though his mother would have done much better. It had been years since I had allowed myself to really think back on my sister, and to dwell on how much I missed her. Momentarily I was washed over with grief as the memories flooded over me. I felt grief, but the sadness was tempered with joy now. When I had been newly changed, I had spent hours holding Nahuel as he slept, trying to remember every moment I had spent with my sister. I had gone over and over every memory, until it was as clear as day in my mind. So now those memories were at hand whenever I wished to recall them. Even now I thought about how she and I used to run around in the sand by the water when we were very small, squishing the wet sand between our small toes. Our parents chasing us as we left trails imprinted upon the damp grains. Our father would scoop us up into his arms, as our mother laughed at our youthful antics.
I felt a pair of strong arms, encircle me from behind, wrapping me securely in a protective embrace. Lichuen didn't speak, he didn't need to, his presence was silent, but supportive. I continued to let myself be lost in my memories as I leaned into his embrace. I remember quiet conversations by starlight as our parents had slept in one another's embrace. Where we talked about growing up and getting betrothed to a strong, gentle warrior who would love us as our father had adored our mother. Pire had laughed when I spoke of finding a man who wasn't a show off and a braggart, she felt that boys were gross, and that all they did was pull a girl's hair and play in the dirt. It was surprising that she fell in love first, but that I had found the kind of man I had always wanted, and now I had him....forever.
I smiled knowing that my family would have loved this man. He was exactly what my father had wanted for his daughters, he treated me with a reverence I had never
imagined possible. His every touch was gentle, every word was kind and full of adoration. I could not have been granted a better mate should all of the spirits in the universe have held a meeting to choose one for me themselves. Maybe all of my prayers had fallen on kind ears after all.
The upward swing of my emotions must have clued Lichuen in to my lightening mood as he nuzzled into my neck, placing light kisses along the curve of my throat. "Everything alright my love?" He asked softly. "Never better," I responded, raising up a hand to cup his strong chin in my palm. "Is that so?" He asked cautiously glancing at a still obviously frustrated Nahuel who was angrily working on building a pile of firewood by ripping a the limbs off of nearby trees. "Aside from that." I sighed, turning in his arms.
"I was just thinking about my family...., and about....you." His eye brows raised in response to my words, "And...?" He asked questioningly. I smiled at his curiosity. "And they would have approved of you in every way, you're everything that I ever wanted, everything that I ever imagined I could want in a husband." His eyes lit up in response to my words. "Is that so?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "Yes, that is so ?" I giggled quietly back at him. "Then does that mean that you would consider becoming my wife?"
I didn't respond to his question, my mind was numb, surely he didn't mean that. How on earth could we be married? We were demons, what was he asking? Nahuel came over and placed his hand on my shoulder, the moment of tension, gone from his face for the time being, replaced with a tender smile. "Auntie, that would be a union blessed by the spirits!" I pulled away from Lichuen's embrace, and he let his arms slip downward, releasing me. "I can't do that, it would be a mockery! I can't give you children, how else are you supposed to earn your way into honor in the spirit world?" I knew that in our cultures, that woman were only for bearing children, to not give your husband children was a shame, leaving your husband with no status, and with the right to seek other women. At least this way, he could be with me as he wanted, but was not bound by marriage. Joham had already proven that it was possible for spirits like him to have children with a human woman - what if Lichuen could do the same? He would not abandon a woman to die, he could transform her to save her life, and have a child. I didn't want him to be trapped by my unchanging state. He could have many children and raise them in love, unlike Joham.
Luichuen moved back to my side quickly. He arms ensnaring me, unrelenting as they pulled me to him. "Don't you see that I don't care for any of that? I want nothing more than I have here. Have you been loving me, thinking that eventually I would change my mind and leave?" He asked fiercely. I could only nod, ashamed, as an answer. Lichuen growled softly, then smiled cunningly at me. That smile made me catch my breath "We are practically united already Huilen. All I have to do is snatch you away from here, show you how much I truly worship you, then pay whatever price Nahuel asks of me. As he is the man of your family." Are you going to try to stick to ancient traditions, when our family already defies them all?" "I opened my mouth to argue, but no sound came out. Lichuen looked at Nahuel who had a mischievous smile on his face. I glanced between the two of them, wondering what they were thinking. Suddenly I found myself swept off of my feet. Lichuen held me firmly in his arms. "Put me down, stop this ridiculousness right now!" I trilled at him.
Nahuel started to laugh aloud, a great ground shaking chuckle, unlike any I had ever heard from him before. Lichuen tossed me over his shoulder, and turned to face Nahuel, as I hit his back demanding to be put down. "Nahuel you decide what price I am to pay for my wife." He said, laughing. "I will have everything arranged for when you return." Nahuel said, still laughing
at Lichuen's actions. "This isn't funny", I yelled at the two of them, "Put me down this instant!"
"I am going to do this the right way, since you insisted, my dear ." Lichuen told me. "I don't need to do things according to the old ways, I have told you before that I will love you for eternity, and if I have to marry you the way our tribes have done things in the past, then so be it - I will if that is what you wish, for you are going to be mine forever! I refuse to let you turn me away because you are unable to give me a child. We already have one, Nahuel is ours.
You have also forgotten that you can give me eternity, what woman can do that for her mate? I think I am getting the far superior side of this union, and I will pay any price to make you mine."
With that he turned away from Nahuel and strode off into the jungle. Nahuel waved at me from my position over Lichuen's shoulder, smiling widely at us as I tried to force Lichuen to put me down. I shook my hand at Nahuel as I realized that even with my unnatural strength that Lichuen was far stronger than I, and there was no escaping his grasp. I couldn't help but smile myself as the two most important men in my life tried to work together to do what they knew I really wanted. I stopped my struggling as we made our way into the jungle. When it came time to consummate this union, I wanted Lichuen to know that I loved him with all of my heart and that I was a very willing participant. I loved him even more for knowing that he wanted me with all of my short comings, with all of my hesitancies. If he was willing to give everything to me officially, even if he already had unofficially, then I would happily agree for there was nothing I wanted more than him, for the rest of my exsistence.