The Legacy

LORELAI

Twins. Winter born twins. The ultimate threat, the ultimate reason to be shunned and unwanted, and I had birthed them.

But I looked around the room, my daughter expelling from my body with a scream, and I knew my twins wouldn’t be locked in that fate. They were already so loved, so coveted.

Things had changed since I was born, and I didn’t know what that meant for the darkness that would haunt them later, but I knew that the alphas and I wouldn’t let them go to that part of themselves.

It was a fierce need inside me to make sure they were safe and loved, one the women of my village had said I would feel and understand when I had kids.

I just never expected them to be right about anything. They were though. I felt so attached, so committed to these little souls I had brought into the world.

Kai caught our daughter as she came out, and I leaned up to see her. She had thick dark hair, unlike her brother’s head of baldness, and I grinned.

My son stopped crying instantly, his arms flailing, and Brax looked over at our daughter.

“He wants to go to her,” he said, tears in his eyes as he placed him next to her between my legs.

We watched as our baby boy touched his sister, and a ripple of magic went through the room.

A shimmer from her skin peeled back, lowering, and then our son’s eyes flicked to a deep purple like mine had been, matching his sister’s.

“He was shielding her,” Galen breathed, and I looked at them.

“From what?” I whispered, reaching for her, holding her to me as Mom propped me against the pillows.

“From the toxin. Your daughter is human. Your son is wolf,” Galen said, brushing over their bodies with two fingers down their spines before Derik picked up the boy.

“How is that possible?” I breathed, tucking my daughter in. She didn’t cry, she didn’t make noises, she just looked up at me, staring.

“Magic, the balance, the shadows you and Brax share. Many possibilities, but I don’t think we will ever have the true reason,” Galen said, then knelt down to my legs.

“I do need to get you fixed up since Cain isn’t here to heal you. Is that okay?” he asked, and I nodded, my eyes never leaving my daughter’s.

“I’m here,” Cain breathed, rushing in, stopping short as he took in both babies. “Twins?” he said tightly, and I nodded. “They both have shadows.”

I had been hoping at least one of them had avoided that part of the winter born curse, but they hadn’t, and that was okay too. It had to be; it led me to them.

“How is the pack?” Derik asked, rocking our son in his arms like a pro. He definitely had the paternal instinct I had been expecting.

Cain nodded to Galen, who stepped back and let him heal me.

“They’re tired, but the magic boost at the end got us out. Whatever that was, it broke the border, but it also stunned Adrenna. It was like she got electrocuted.

“When she tried to set her sand on us when we retreated, it wouldn’t. There was this purple mist leaking out of her too.”

I smirked. The border magic wasn’t easy to control, and I had practice. We had a mutual understanding that it was not my subject, it was helping me.

If she tried to force it to do her will without convincing it to her cause then she might as well surrender now.

“She’ll have to learn how to get it to listen to her,” I said, and Cain held his hand over me, the glowing seeping into my body, warming me up as I handed our daughter to Brax.

He snuggled her in, kissing her forehead, whispering to her.

Kai held my hand as my mom stepped back with Galen.

Ryleigh had dropped off the blankets and gone to find Vaughn, but I still hadn’t seen my brother. Worry pierced me, and my shadows finally came out of hiding to soothe me.

It was almost a relief to feel them so fully again, to not have them constantly in the pit of my stomach. I was grateful they had done what they did, but I missed them.

Beenie moved inside then, sinking in to lean against the corner, her arms wrapped around her as she took in the babies.

“They’re the ones the prophecy meant,” she breathed.

I frowned at her. “What prophecy?”

“The one about the winter born twins defeating a great evil. We thought it was you and your brother ending Elias, but I feel it now, it’s them.”

She nodded to them, and I wanted to question how the hell she would know that, but just by the glare in her eyes, I knew this wasn’t the place.

“Well, before we get to defeating great evils, can we just enjoy the moment?” I asked, and she nodded once, looking to Cain.

I was pretty sure she was only here because he was. She still looked uncomfortable, but I said nothing, turning to Cain, my body refreshed and healed.

“Did my brother come back with you?” I asked.

“Yes. But the wolves are angry about it.” He looked guilty, then sighed and turned to me, taking his hand off me.

“I put him in the dungeons, Lorelai. I had to. He’s a vamp, and they were behind this the whole time. We have to assume he knew about it,” he said, then looked to my alphas.

“You three knew that,” I accused them, and they met it with silence.

My mother sniffled from her spot next to Galen, who pulled her hand to his lips.

“If he is innocent, we will prove it.”

“And if he’s not?” I asked.

“Then he is no longer your brother, nor deserving of such loyalty,” Galen shrugged.

I should have known that would be his answer. I couldn’t even deny it, after everything with Elias and now Silas, it was hard to imagine that my brother was innocent, but I had to believe it.

I had trusted him again, let him in again. I had to hope that meant something to him, if not for me, then for Mom.

“Let’s give Lorelai and the alphas some space,” Galen said, and my alphas sank onto the bed with me as everyone left the room.

“I thought I would have turned by now?” I asked, but Cain shook his head.

“You have toxin residue in you. It’s a small amount, but the shadows are letting it through. It’ll work slow, but it will turn you.

“If you want to speed up the process then your alphas can bite you,” Cain said with a small smile. “Congratulations, Alphas, Luna.” He walked out, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as it clicked shut, I turned to them with a grin. Each of them kissed me slow and tender before we shared our babies around, each having a cuddle against our chest.

I sat up, leaning against Derik as Kai and Brax held the babies. Derik caressed along my skin, his fingers dragging over my healed stomach, my shoulders, my arms.

I closed my eyes at his touch, my shadows and magic making me feel full.

“I have names for them. I don’t know why they are the names, but they feel strong. And powerful. Like they whispered them to me and I’m only just remembering,” I said, and my alphas waited.

“Our son, Zale. Because he’s strong, keeping his sister alive and protected that whole time, taking enough for them both.

“And Enzi for our girl because if she’s got shadows anything like mine, she’s going to be powerful,” I explained, hoping they agreed because they were the only ones that felt right.

“Zale and Enzi. The new winter born alpha heirs of our world,” Kai said before kissing Enzi’s head.

“They’re perfect, beautiful,” Derik said softly against my ear before kissing my cheek, holding me tighter.

I smiled and looked at Brax.

“Zale. It’s a name my pack attributes to the water, having power over it like we do,” he said, looking at Zale with such awe it brought tears to my eyes.

He looked back at me. “It’s his name,” he said, and I grinned.

I didn’t know how we got to have this moment, but it was worth all the pain. And I knew it wouldn’t last long.

“What happens now?” I asked, scared to take away the moment but terrified of the vampires being on our doorstep.

“Cain is getting the humans healed, the ones he can, and then him and Vaughn are going to go to the other villages, the ones that didn’t join your father’s crusade or the wolves. They’ll look for humans there.

“Most of them are in hiding, but now that the vampires are a threat, we have to bring them back to the city for protection. We’ll start teaching them with the other humans here,” Derik said, and I nodded.

“And we’ll start making preparations for the vampires. We’ll need stakes, sharp swords for beheading, grow garlic bulbs along the fence line to slow them down, put patrols on,” Brax explained.

“And we need Tabby. We need her recipe for the human drink. It doesn’t kill a vampire, but it will make the humans taste like shit,” Kai added in.

Brax bristled but said nothing.

“And the human scent that will draw the vamps here?”

“We’re working on that. How much magic is in you? Can it comfortably keep us turning through winter?” Derik asked.

It seemed like he was ashamed to have me do anything to help, but I wanted to. I had my shadows back, I had border magic in me that was on my team.

“Definitely,” I said.

“Good. If the wolves can keep turning, they’ll have better control. We’re going to start pairing the humans up with them. Two humans, one wolf. It’ll mask their scent.

“We’ll have the humans train with the wolves too, then the speed of a vampire won’t be as big of a shock to the system.”

“They’ll be safe to do that?” I checked, and Derik nodded.

“Yes. The vampires are our problem now, beautiful, the humans are not. They have proven themselves worthy by fighting for the city, for you, for themselves.

“It’s created a respect in the wolves that not even I expected to be there.” He smiled, and I grinned.

“Good. And they’ll be allowed in the city then?”

“I’ve already made plans with some of the wolves to start helping build the human homes within the city,” he said.

Just the idea that he had been working not only on helping the humans and wolves reunite but giving them a home, not just a place to wait out the war, had me grinning, turning into him, kissing his waiting lips.

He kissed me back, holding my face to his as a different kind of warmth filled me.

They had a few scratches and bruises, but they were okay. I had survived the birth, we had everything, and I was so scared it was going to get ripped away from us like Adrenna had promised.

I pulled back, then turned to Kai, who was bringing me a fussing Enzi.

“I think she’s hungry,” he said, grinning as she tried to suck on his shoulder.

“Do you need your mom? She might be more help with this?” Derik asked, and I nodded.

“Please,” I said, and Brax went to get her.

She came back, and my alphas went to get us food while Mom taught me what I needed to know, holding the other twin that wasn’t feeding, tears in her eyes.

She smiled. “Zale and Enzi are perfect for them. Will they carry Brax’s last name?” she asked.

I hadn’t actually thought about it. They should, to carry on his pack’s name and to link his legacy to them, but they weren’t just his. They were mine too.

“I want them to have my last name, our last name. I don’t want my father to be our legacy, and if they share mine, then they belong to us all, Kai and Derik too.

“But I don’t know how they’ll feel about that,” I said, and she nodded, tapping Enzi’s back to bring up her wind as I breastfed Zale.

He was a hungry little thing, taking every last drop that Enzi had left him, and I smiled as his eyes started to close during his feed.

We got the babies to sleep, and my mom helped me bathe and braided my hair, finishing moments before my alphas came back in with food.

“Zale and Enzi Valarian,” Brax said as he came in, bending down to kiss me, then his son on the forehead.

“You’re okay with that?”

“My family legacy isn’t that great anyway,” he said, and I scoffed.

“Neither is mine though. It’s technically my father’s name.”

“No, it’s not,” Mom interrupted, and I frowned.

“But he is Valarian too?”

“Because my family had more power in their status than his when we married. My grandmother was mayor for a long time until the current mayors took over.

“Their condition to handing over some of that control was that he take my name instead.”

“Oh.” I blinked, much happier that I was giving my children my mother’s legacy attached to ours.

“Valarian it is then.” Derik smiled warmly, then took Enzi from my mother.

Kai put the food down and grinned at me. “Come with us, Little Human, we have something to show you,” he said, then came forward and helped me up.

I was healed, but it still took a bit to stand, repositioning a sleeping Zale in my arms and stretching out my stiff body at the same time.

I followed my alphas out of our room and down to the next door.

“Your mom helped us. We were a little out of our depth, but we got it done in time. We hope you like it, Spitfire,” Brax grinned, then opened the door to our twins’ nursery.

I sucked in a breath, tears stinging at my eyes, emotion clutching at my throat.

“This is amazing,” I breathed.

Sheer curtains blew in from French doors that matched ours. There was a small patio like ours too.

There was a wardrobe, open, with rows of knitted items and fancy clothing that children in the village had never worn.

The bassinets were layered in fabric, with netting hanging down from the vaulted ceiling.

“There’s two. How’d you know we needed two?” I asked, looking at any of them for the answer.

“We had a spare in case our little wolf shifted and broke one, but maybe that was fate,” Derik said, and I couldn’t help but think the same.

“I just want this to be our lives. I want to be happy here, safe. I hate that all this is tainted by Adrenna and the vampires,” I said, my voice wavering as I tried not to feel overwhelmed.

The room was everything I could ever dream and more for my children, decorated with blocks and wooden toys.

Teddies and artwork sat on shelves, books were in a stack in a reading corner with a cozy, cushioned chair that reminded me of Mom’s rocker at home.

It was so damn perfect, but how could we pretend it was going to stay that way?

A tear rolled down my cheek, and Kai moved into me, holding me to him.

“Put Zale in his bed, Little Human. We’ll talk away from them,” he said.

I nodded, sniffling as I put our son down. He fidgeted until Derik put Enzi in her bed right next to his before they both settled into sleep.

I watched them for a second before turning to my alphas.

“We’re dealing with that witch, and I am not letting those vampires come anywhere near our children,” I said, my voice angry and determined as my shadows responded to my declaration.

They were ready too. The border magic hovered, waiting to find out what I wanted it to do.

“I’m going to go check on the humans, sweetie,” Mom said before we could war talk, and I nodded.

“Thank you,” I said, pulling her in for a hug.

“No, thank you. I always knew you were special, more than the rest of them, but this is beyond what my mind could conjure. I am proud of you, Lorelai, so unbelievably proud,” she said against me, and I held her tighter.

“I love you.”

“Love you too. Now go be a luna. I’ll see you soon,” she said, then left.

I turned to my alphas, and they all wore the same determined mask I had applied. They said nothing, leaving the room and moving toward the council meeting room.

“Wait, I don’t want to leave them,” I said, and Brax grabbed my hand in his.

“My shadows will stay with them, Spitfire.”

I smiled up at him, loving how much we were connected. Like he knew what I needed and catered to it without me having to ask.

“I don’t want to leave them either, not until the threats have been eliminated,” he said, listening to my thoughts again, and I curled into him.

“I think I have an idea how to deal with one of those threats,” I said as we walked into the empty council room.

The round table had nothing on it, only a carving of a wolf on the wood. I walked up to it, admiring the craft, my fingers finding the groove.

“Your idea?” Derik asked, sinking into one of the three bigger seats.

Kai and Brax went to the other two just as Galen came in and took a seat.

Before I had a chance to say anything, more of the council members filled the room, sitting down in their seats. They looked tired, worn out from fighting a battle that was completely different from mine.

“Hurry up, Luna, we have to get back on patrol. How do we deal with this?” Tatum asked, dropping his bloodstained sword on the table.

I eyed it, then him. My body filled with heat, a rush of power and adrenaline, a hint of pain searing into it. I smiled, knowing what it was.

The toxin.

“There’s only one thing Adrenna fears, and only one thing that can truly beat her,” I said, pacing to each side of the room, all the seats in front of me filled.

I said nothing about the ache building in my bones or the way my gums were starting to sting, but neither did my alphas, so I assumed they were waiting for me to be ready to mention it.

“You?” Carden offered, but I shook my head.

“I could go up against her, but there is a chance I would lose since she has half the border magic in her too.

“No, the only way we stand a chance is if we let her own monster catch up with her,” I said, and my alphas got it straightaway.

“You want to pull the beast from the world she was locked in? Let it hunt her down?” Derik asked, leaning forward, holding his chin as he smirked at me.

I nodded. “Yes. We’ll deal with the vampires, let the beast deal with Adrenna,” I said.

My eyes were burning. I clenched them shut and looked down at the stone of the floor, the fraying edge of the rug in the room.

When I opened them again, I looked back up, my head pounding as I stared at the council. They all wore the same expression. Shock.

I smirked at them, nerves and excitement coiling through me. I couldn’t wait to truly be one of them, and we all knew in that moment that was exactly what was happening.

I didn’t care if it was going to hurt. I was becoming pretty accustomed to pain, so the idea that soon I would be the same as my alphas overpowered it easily.

The idea had me grinning, my gums aching as I felt my teeth change within them.

“It’s happening,” one of the council members whispered, and I turned to my alphas.

“It is. Council, get the pack organized where they need to be. We must guard the city and be prepared for any signs of Adrenna or the vampires now that the border has been destroyed.

“We’ll be back once your luna is born.” Derik grinned and stood up.

Everyone did. All of them bowed as they left the room, some whispering congratulations, or even good luck.

Once the room was empty of everyone but my alphas and me, that’s when the real pain hit. But it was pain I consumed easily, soaking up the strength and power that was already filling me.

“I can feel it,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and raspy, my fingers digging into the wood of the table as my claws grew.

“Let it all in, Luna. Even the pain. How much you can handle in the shift decides how strong your wolf is.”

Kai grinned, and I knew why. He was an expert in pain. He could handle a lot, thanks to his past, so his wolf was strong.

He clearly loved that fact, and I was going to too. I had just delivered a werewolf child through a body that was breaking with magic, I was going to make sure my wolf was just as strong.

And then I was going to make sure I taught Silas why he should never have gone up against the wolves or threatened the lives I had just birthed.

It had just marked his soul for death at my hands…or teeth.