Descendent of the Moon

Phoenix had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds on my shoulder earlier. I'm not even sure she heard my response, but I carried her to one of the couches and covered her up while the rest of us went into the kitchen to speak.

I sat in the chair on the furthest side of the table, which allowed me to have her in my vision. I'll admit, it had somewhat to do with wanting to make sure she stayed safe, of course, but the way I felt just having her in my vision made me and Atti at ease. 

At this point, I knew she was safe, for now at least. Jo stood near Noah. I knew he was trying to figure out his scent and understand fully who he was. 

Phoenix's mom finally broke the awkward silence, and by the way she presented herself, I knew that Phoenix had to have adored her completely.

She was so calm yet spicy.

In fact, it dawned on me at that moment that she was reacting to all this bizarreness with ease, and so was her husband, Phoenix's dad.

Did they know about werewolves?

Did she know about me?

I had so many questions.

At this point, it was a little past 5 a.m., and no one in the room was showing any signs of leaving Phoenix or this house. 

 "Well, it appears none of us are going back to bed, and I, for one, refuse to deal with Gerald when he gets hangry," she paused as Gerald looked at her with a slight roll of his eyes.

She then looked back at all of us. "And the rest of you boys look like shit as well, so it's decided; I'm making coffee and breakfast," she said with a chuckle.

My mouth fell slightly open at her words. No one would dare call out my appearance this way as the Alpha, and I must admit that it felt liberating to feel treated with such normality.

I was not an Alpha to her, and although I could recognize some confusion from her aura, you'd never know it otherwise. 

I wondered if Phoenix was this blunt and vulgar as well. My wolf didn't get phased much, not knowing all the things about our mate, he was content just being near her, but I was intrigued by her on every level.

What was she going to school to be and why?

How come she never tried to find another wolf?

Was she a morning person?

How did she like her coffee? So many questions reeled in my mind each time I glanced over at her sleeping form. 

Her mom, who I now knew was named Josie, was in the kitchen making breakfast. The smell was so fresh and earthy to my heightened senses. It was at that moment that I realized I had no idea when the last time I had eaten was.

I looked around, realizing that, aside from formalities and name exchanges, no one had spoken in the last 15 minutes.

"So, Josie and Gerald, I must ask. You both seem so calm and understanding of what this morning has brought to you. Why is that?" I asked boldly. I was nervous as hell, asking for some reason, but I had to know. 

"Her parents told us something would happen on or around her 22nd birthday, and the surprises that have come with Phoenix being our daughter don't exactly surprise us anymore," Gerald responded without a beat or hesitation as he sipped his coffee.

"Her parents?" I snapped back in confusion.

I watched as Noah looked at Josie and Gerald for approval before handing me an envelope he had peeled from his pocket.

I read that letter to myself so many times before handing it to Jo. I let him read it before I spoke up again.

"What happened on her 10th birthday?" I asked, but I knew the answer not only hurt my heart but also made my wolf whimper in pain. 

"You know already, Raphael," Noah spoke this time.

I looked at him, and although his closeness with my mate bothered me to my core, I somehow felt connected to him and trusted him as well.

My blood was boiling at this point. The thought of my mate transforming alone at as a pup felt like a silver dagger ripping through my heart and I knew that Jo could sense it.

Jo quickly spoke up before I could. "Phoenix shifted at the age of ten?"

I could hear the hurt in his voice, as he sympathized with what my wolf and I were feeling at this point. His Beta loyalty was stronger than most, and he had a way of calming me.

I took a deep breath as I watched Josie twirl around. Noah's eyes were on me, and I could sense his confusion at my question. I felt the need to help him understand and relieve his concern.

This really irritated me, but I complied with my intuition and indulged his needs. 

"Wolves don't normally experience a shift that young. It's a brutal process that normally requires other wolves to help them get through it for the first 3-4 times they transform. Wolves typically get their transformation anywhere from 14-16. Depending on their rank. Royal-blooded wolves get their wolves at 12 to help them better prepare for their role. They are often taken somewhere in solitude with other royal-blooded wolves to make the transformation easier." I said it without emotion as I thought about Phoenix as a little girl, her bones breaking and shifting with no other wolves around to help her understand what was happening.

I felt my heart breaking as I thought more about what she must have gone through all 22 years of her life. My wolf was now curled up in a ball, whimpering, and I felt the pace of my breathing quickening.

Our mate bond was somehow stronger than I thought possible, especially since we hadn't mated yet.

More confusion set in, and I felt a feeling I'd never felt before: helplessness. 

Suddenly, I felt a big, warm hand on my shoulder. Within seconds, my hurt was gone, and I shuddered in confusion before looking at Noah.

Did he know I was hurting?

How was he helping me, and why? I thought to myself as I looked up at him.

His eyes narrowed on my face, and I could tell he was also confused.

I'm not sure it helped or worsened the situation, but I was relieved at the lack of hurt I now feel. 

I really hope Jo has an explanation of what Noah is because he is definitely not human.