The Lycanthrope Trilogy: Heart

by Crowsnight66

The second part of the Lycanthrope Trilogy. Allen thought that his lycanthropic life was finally evening out. The dark creatures weren't attacking and no weird things were happening. But suddenly a boy appears; an omega of all things. While new elements appear, Kanda's jealousy boils to the surface. Will Allen choose Kanda over his new pack mate? Please read part one.

9. Father

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The Lycanthrope Trilogy: Heart

Chapter 9: Father

I sit at the foot of the bed with my legs crossed. Kanda sat at the other end, propped against the headboard and Klaud settled between his legs. Silence hung over the room, and the three of us knew it was Klaud's job to break it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Klaud quietly began, "Two months ago, I went out to a drug store around midnight to buy a few things. I wanted to be alone for a while, so I didn't tell anyone. That night, I met Alec in the store, and that's how I knew he wouldn't be a threat to the pack. Afterwards, I left the store and walked back the Order, but on the way, a man pulled me into an alleyway."

Tears streamed down Klaud's face, and Kanda wiped them away as much as he could. She continued, "I hadn't been paying attention. The…the man was a Noah and he…he…."

She paused. "I didn't even fight back. My instincts kicked in, and I just…sort of laid there. I could've done something!"

"Don't you dare start with that," Kanda growled. "It's not your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Klaud doesn't reply. After a moment, I recover from the shock and ask, "Do you know which one it was?"

She nods. "I fought him when you were captured. His name's Devit."

When the name slipped out of her mouth, I saw Kanda's jaw clench and his muscles tense. He looked at me with abhorrence swirling in his, at this point, nearly black orbs, as if to say, "Now you understand why I've been staying with her so much."

I freeze under his glare, even though I know it's not directed at me. After a few moments, Kanda looks away, much to my relief. I ask, "What about the smell? Not meaning to pry, but don't you have a great sense of smell?"

"She used to," Kanda said as Klaud looked to the side. "When she was attacked by the dark dragon, she lost her sense of smell."

I nod. Klaud stares at me, which I hadn't noticed since I'd been looking at Kanda. "So?"

"Huh?" I ask like a moron. She moves her gaze to her hand, now in Kanda's. "You…aren't you…disgusted…?"

When Kanda hisses, I jump. I'd only ever heard him bark, but this time, he hissed. I forget a lot that he's part cat as well, since he's more straightforward and aggressive. His eyes turn yellow, and the pupils narrow to slits. After a moment, he calms himself back to normal and moves his "sister's" gaze to his. "KlaNii, stop it."

After Klaud muttered her apology, Kanda glanced at my confused gaze. "What?"

"KlaNii? What's that?"

Klaud moved out of Kanda's grasp and settled against the wall. "Klaud Nine mashed together. I call him 'YuKa'."

"I'm still confused," I say. Kanda replied, "I usually don't call her that around anyone. It's something lin-lins of the same element do to each other's names. Since they have no last name, they put the first syllable of their element in front of the first syllable of their name. Lolita would be 'ShaLo'. Haze would be 'WaHay'."

"Sibling respect thing," Klaud clarifies. I nod. "That's cool. Why not call each other that in front of the pack? It's cute."

Kanda grumbles, "That's why I refrain. The Baka Usagi would start running around calling me 'YuKa' and telling me to call him 'LaBoo'."

I chuckle. "That's something he would do."

"Doesn't mean it should stop him," Klaud mumbled and looked to the side. I nearly gape. Klaud, of all people Klaud, was pouting. Pouting!

And Kanda's face grew soft, like he would give in at any moment. He sighed. "Fine."

Klaud jumped on him and squealed, "Thank you, YuKa!"

I smile as the blonde's purr box runs rampant. She settles herself in Kanda's side, and it takes less than a moment for her to drift off. I can hear Kanda's purring, too, though his isn't as loud.

Kanda glances away from Klaud to look at me. "I can see a question brewing."

"I just was wondering if she'd had an ultrasound," I say. He's quiet for a moment, as if contemplating. "Something like that. I can hear the baby's heartbeat and I can make sure nothing's irregular, but she hasn't had a real ultrasound."

"What about food?"

"Huh?"

"Well, in Twilight, Bella had to drink blood―"

"No," Kanda cut. "Twilight wasn't based on fact. To a vampire, human blood is like alcohol. They can eat animal meat, fruits, and vegetables and be perfectly content."

I nod. "Oh, okay."

After a few minutes of silence, I ask, "What will you do about it?"

Kanda gave me a confused look. I clarify, "What will you do if the pack tries to kill it?"

"They'd get killed for breaking pack law. A lycanthrope will never deliberately harm a pack mate."

"But…."

Kanda continues, "I realize that you still don't understand how much power I have as alpha. I could do anything to the pack and they wouldn't rebel."

"That's awful!" I whisper so I wouldn't wake up Klaud.

"It's how it works," he says.

I remain silent, and Kanda murmurs, "You don't have to worry about me doing something. Alma may get on my nerves, and Alec may ask to get his throat ripped out, but I would never hurt either of them."

"I don't think you would," I say.

"Don't lie. There's a part of you that tells you that you don't know everything about me."

"But I ignore it."

"To some degree."

I don't reply to the comment and change the subject. "I have a feeling you've already suggested this―"

"She refuses to ask Alec if he's heard of this before. I told her we'd have to tell the pack who the father is before it's born, so she said we'd tell them the day it kicks for the first time."

I nod. "So in two months."

He nods.

"Well, I'm going to see if Alec is still up. Golden Girls is one of the funniest shows I've ever watched," I say as I stand. As I walk into the hall, Kanda says, "Moyashi."

I pause, but I don't turn around. "It's Allen, BaKanda."

"Now that you know, she's going to cling to you. Not as strongly as she does with me, but you've become part of what keeps her standing. Remember that."

I look at him over my shoulder and open my mouth, but he cuts me off. "No, I enjoy being the person who supports her. I take pride in it."

I remain silent and continue to the main part of the Order.

I saw you standing in the middle of the thunder and lightning. I know you're feeling like you just can't win, but you're trying. It's hard to keep on keeping on when you're being pushed around. Don't even know which way is up; you just keeping spinning down, 'round, down.

Every storm runs, runs out of rain. Just like every dark night turns into day. Every heartache will fade away. Just like every storm runs, runs out of rain.

Oo_oO_Oo_oO

A few days later, I wake up to an empty bed. I stand and creep into the main room of the Order. My ears pick up the sound of faint crying, and I dart into the infirmary.

Komui, Hevlaska, Fou, Lavi, and Kanda stood around a bed. Kanda turns, smiling, and says, "Allen, come meet Secret Lee."

I beam and run to the bed, which held Lenalee. In her arms, a baby girl with silver wolf ears and a matching cat tail was latched onto her breast. I say, "Congratulations!"

Lavi remained silent as he wiped away his tears of joy, and Lenalee smiled. Fou glanced at me. "She looks like you. Silver hair and yellow eyes."

I look at Kanda, and he explains, "Remember how hair and eye color can change when you're bitten?"

I nod.

"Same thing with the babies. My parents were both green-eyed gingers."

I look at Secret, who did the same, and I notice how beautiful her eyes are. They look like mine when I transform with the Celestial element. Lenalee asks, "Do you want to hold her?"

I nod vigorously. I carefully take Secret from her mother and cradle her with a little bounce. A smile spreads over her face, and a giggle escapes her lips. With the laugh, a red ball of light zipped from her mouth out of the infirmary. Lavi does a fist pump. "She's a Fire!"

This was followed by a yellow ball of light. Fou says, "Mystic boy and Mystic girl."

I glance at Kanda again, and he says, "A lin-lin is born the first time a baby laughs. The colors indicate the element of the lin-lin, and in this case, the lycanthrope."

"You and I get to fry people, Secret," I joke.

Oo_oO_Oo_oO

"And why am I the babysitter?" Kanda asked, but he took Secret in his arms regardless. Lenalee smiled. "I want to go hunting today, and Lavi's on patrol the same time I would hunt. You and Allen can handle it!"

"What? When did I get dragged into this? I don't know how to take care of a baby!" I protest. Lenalee ignores me. "Please, Kanda? I was hoping you could give her a quick bath, too."

He rolled his eyes. "And you want me to do her hair as well, I assume?"

"Maybe…."

"Whatever. Go hunting," he muttered and shooed her. I follow him into his bathroom. "You're actually going to do it?"

Even though she was only a week old, Secret already could walk…or waddle. When Kanda set her on the lavatory, she sat patiently as he filled the sink with hot water. He said, "I don't have a problem with it. Can you go ahead and undress her?"

I hesitate. "If I do, I'm not a pedophile, right?"

"That depends on whether you like it too much."

I shake my head and begin on my task. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Basic understanding."

"How do you get a basic understanding of giving babies sponge baths?"

Kanda pours soap into the water, and the scent of strawberries fills the room. "Have you ever looked under my bed?"

"What kind of question is that?" I ask as I finish undressing Secret.

"There is a portion for Shiloh's things, but the rest is books. Hundreds. I read a little on the subject."

Before I could ask anything more, Kanda took a now wet washcloth and held it where Secret could see it. "Uncle K's going to give you a bath. Does that sound good?"

Secret smiled and laughed. As he ran the cloth over her skin, I ask, "How did you come across the topic of baby bathing?"

"I'm surprised Lavi hasn't told you yet."

"Told me what? Do you secretly read baby books or something?"

Kanda rolls his eyes. "No, nothing like that. It's cosmetology."

I blank. "Huh?"

"If I had been a normal person, I would be working on my own salon right now. I read a lot on cosmetology, and one of the skin care books I have talks about babies."

I smile. "So that's why you keep your hair long?"

"Actually, I can't cut it. I mean, I can, but if it's more than the dead ends, it grows back out. I suppose I like it like this anyways."

After he dries her, Kanda picks up Secret and nuzzles his nose against hers. "Does that feel better? Your daddy still doesn't know how to clean you properly. Isn't that silly?"

She laughs and makes a face at him. Kanda smiles. "Yeah, your daddy's a silly rabbit. Silly rabbit!"

"You really would make an amazing father," I say as he sets her on the vanity again. He shrugs. "Whatever you want to believe. I'm going to be the father figure of Klaud's baby, so I guess we'll find out if that's true or not."

The bluenette slips a pink dress over Secret's head and fits it on her. When he finished, he said, "Okay, Secret, are you ready for a game?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you going to play peek-a-boo?"

"No, lycanthrope children are extremely smart at birth. While it may take time for their bodies to catch up sometimes, their minds are very sharp. For the most part, she knows what we are talking about and she can understand things easily," Kanda explains. "She would be the toddler who knows the square block can't go through the circle slot."

"That's so cool!" I exclaim.

He nods and picks up Secret. "It's important to keep them learning."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"Yes."

We walk into the bedroom, and Kanda sets Secret on the bed before he crouches in front of her. "Secret, I'm going to say a name and I want you to do the best face you can to look like that person, okay?"

"Kanda, isn't that a little complicated?" I ask. He doesn't reply. Secret giggles and nods. I gape. This is a one-week-old!

"Uncle K," he says. For a moment, the baby remains still, but then she scrunched up her face and frowned. He nods. "Daddy."

Secret closes her eyes and sticks her little tongue out. Kanda puts her arms up as if they were bunny ears. "Remember, silly rabbit. Rabbit's have floppy ears. Now do Mama."

She smiled and covered her ears, as if to say, "This part is different." Kanda continued, "Moyashi."

"Hey!" I protest. Secret glances at me before she crunches her face again and lets out a quick "WHA!"

Kanda's shoulders shudder, and I whack him behind his head. "Shut up!"

"Even Secret thinks you're a moyashi," he says while he struggles to suppress his laughter.

"No, she doesn't! Right, Secret?" I ask. "Do you think I'm a moyashi?"

She nods in a heartbeat. I sigh. "Curse my short parents."

A few minutes later, Kanda holds Secret as she drinks from her bottle. She can hold the bottle herself, but she refuses to drink her milk unless someone holds her. I still freak out over holding her, so Kanda took the job.

The alpha glances at the entrance to the girls' wing as a woman walks out. "KlaNii!"

Klaud sits on Kanda's other side. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked. She hesitated. "I'm not sure. I…she likes you more."

Secret reached a hand out to Klaud. Kanda asked, "Do you want to go to Aunt Klaud, Secret?"

She nodded. Kanda carefully shifted Secret into his "sister's" arms. Klaud leaned back and held the baby close.

I smile. "You know, you say that you're too young to be pregnant, but I think you're naturally a mother."

"He's right," Kanda agreed. "He's delusional and thinks I'd make a great father, but you'll make a great mother."

I hear Secret's purring from where I sat. Klaud smiles. "I guess so."

Author Note: The mystery is solved! Or at least one is. If the father surprised you, please, Please, PLEASE REVIEW! Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)-Gary Allan.