Two hours later, Ginny and Marie were washing up dishes while Meg nursed the babies in the bedroom. Sandy, Luc and Patrick were picking up the living room and dining room while Anna organized the cards, and made a list of the presents and who had given them. She’d been oddly quiet even after Andrew had left.
“Do you think it will last?” asked Ginny.
“The quiet?” asked Marie.
“Yeah. That was just weird the way she went from talking ninety miles an hour to nothing in a blink of an eye,” said Ginny.
“Agreed. Guess we will just have to wait and see,” said Marie. “Now where do these dishes go?”
Meg had almost nodded off when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She looked up to see her mom standing there.
“Is everything okay Mom?” Meg asked.
“Yes, but I have a question for you,” said Mom.
“Okay,” said Meg wondering what her mom wanted to ask.
“That man Andrew, he’s some kind of priest isn’t he?” Anna asked.
“Yes Mom,” said Meg.
“And what is he?” asked Anna.
“He’s a silversmith who has a shop at the local Mall,” said Meg not wanting to think where Mom was going with this conversation.
“I know that. What is he? He moves like he’s loping or like all his bones and ligaments are covered in WD-40,” said Anna.
“Um… Mom, Are you sure you want the answers to these kinds of questions?” asked Meg.
“Yes. I’d ask Luc, but I don’t know him very well and I’m not sure he’d answer me,” said Anna.
“Of course I’d answer your questions,” said Luc from the door. “What do you want to know?”
Anna looked up startled. “Umm, well. You know I read a lot. Lots of books and while some of them are fiction, I know that not all of them are really fiction. Some of them are reality written in a way that people will think it is fiction and not be afraid. And you see, I read a lot of books about vampires and werewolves and I figured out a long time ago that somethings like that are probably real. In the mean time though you just live your life and you fantasize that this guy is a vampire or that woman shifts and you have all these things going through your head and then you read more books and it reinforces the idea that those kinds of creatures are out there even though you keep telling yourself it’s all fiction,” Anna said pausing for a breath.
“Yes,” said Luc wondering just how long it was going to take her to get to the point. Until she did, he didn’t dare jump in if he could skirt the issue. Plus, the babies were getting restless and he didn’t want to be in mid discussion when they woke up.
“Then my daughter gets married. You do call it married don’t you? Because you never did invite me to a wedding, but you live together and work together. And there’s your company too. Is it just coincidence that it’s called Alpha Wolf? There was all that stuff in the press a while back about some poor old man dying and all the press and the companies and supposedly they were all werewolves and while that was just so weird, I didn’t really think to call and ask, because of course you just don’t call up your daughter and ask if her husband is a werewolf just because there were really convincing articles in the newspaper now do you?” Anna asked.
“Yes, maybe, no and no,” Luc said trying to answer all of her questions.
“Well, I try not to stick my nose in my children’s lives. At the same time, I had to come see the grandbabies. These are Meggie’s first babies and I just had to come see them. That of course got me thinking about all the books I read and those stories in the papers and I was ready to think it was all just the crazy thinking of an old woman. Then you see someone like Andrew,” Anna said.
“What about Andrew?” asked Luc. He was beginning to get an ice cream headache and had this terrible urge to shift, split all his clothes and scare the hell out of his mother in law just to shut her up. Instead, he smiled and waited.
“Well, he doesn’t move like anyone I’ve ever seen before. His aura… It is so different. I wasn’t sure if it was just because he was some sort of holy man or priest or what. So I started looking at all of you. Patrick moves the same way. So does that Ysabel. Then I began wondering if Meggie and I were the only humans in the room, because if you’re some sort of thing, then the babies would be too,” said Anna.
“Okay, so what exactly do you want to know?” asked Luc.
“Are you human?” Anna asked.
“I consider myself human,” said Luc knowing he was skirting the issue.
“Let me try this again. Are you a werewolf or a vampire?” Anna asked.
“I’m not a vampire,” said Luc. Part of him was enjoying teasing Anna after the overdrawn and verbose ramblings.
“Luc! Quit teasing!” hissed Meg.
“Alright. Anna. I will answer your questions. Sit down and be quiet,” said Luc.
Meg adjusted herself to nurse the babies both of which had managed to stay asleep during her mother’s ramblings.
Anna sat.
“Yes, there really are werewolves and vampires. I’m a werewolf. You were right in that you and Meg were the only regular humans in the room. It’s genetic and doesn’t always breed true. However, it is likely that the babies will be shifters. Now, besides Andrew, what tripped your curiosity?” Luc asked.
“There wasn’t a drop of chocolate in the room. No candy, not cakes, no cookies, nothing. It’s just un-American not to have chocolate at a celebration. Then those three darling children came in and gave ‘Unky Wolfy’ peanut butter cookies. That’s when I really started to wonder,” Anna said.
Meg was trying very hard not to laugh while she nursed.
“Any questions?” asked Luc.
“No, not at the moment. I also realized that it wouldn’t matter if you were or not, because even if I went screaming from the room, no one would believe me,” said Anna.
“That’s true. It’s what saves them especially when Sara or Ivan make a comment at school. No one believes them,” said Meg.