MARINDA - 8 YEARS AFTER THE BATTLE WITH KONRAD

IN HONOR OF WEREWOLF WEEK <3 - Dani Kail

It was a big day, a day I wished I could hold off. My youngest child was finally going to be an adult. I hadn't felt old, in all my years of living, until Zach's twentieth birthday.

Dallas had his arm wrapped around Zach's shoulder, having "the talk" with him. It was a talk  that his father was supposed to be having with him. I was lucky to have amazing sons.

I turned around, hiding away tears. Terrance should have been here. He should have been the one helping Zach through the surge of power he was going to feel. It didn't matter how great Dallas was, it would never compare to Terrance being there for him.

It was something the father always did in a Hunter family, helped his children through the major shift in power they felt.

But he wasn't here.

And as much as my heart yearned for its other half, I knew I couldn't go yet. I had to hang on for my children, for my family. Terrance was gone, but our family was not. I had to stay here for them.

The front door opened and I wiped away my tears as a familiar couple walked in.

"No, I have them, Colin," Everly said as she walked into the house, my grandson on her hip. Baby Terrance was only four but he was already starting to look like his father, Colin.

"Hi, mom!" Everly came in and hugged me, as well as she could with Terrance in her arms. It was heartbreaking to say his name, the wound still felt fresh on my mind, so the family ended up calling baby Terrance by his middle name— Lason.

I took Lason off of her hip and squeezed him to me. "Hi, Lason!" I smiled, my heart already healing a little bit. Every time I got moments with my family, I felt my soul reconnect with itself.

"Hi gand-ma!" He laughed. He was already four. It was amazing how fast time flew by.

Eight years ago, our world changed. Eight years ago, everything shifted. This family lost a lot, but we made it out and for that I was thankful.

Colin came in, holding a child in one arm and a duffle bag on the other. "You're okay, Raindrop." He laughed, cooing to the little girl as she began to cry, probably awaking from a nap. Little Sisca Constance Dawn.

"We're here to see Uncle Zach be more powerful than mom!" Lason shouted from my arms. I laughed as I pinched his nose.

"Is that right?" I laughed.

He nodded and scrambled out of my arms running to Dallas and Zach. I tried to stop him but laughed and let my arm fall. He jumped onto Dallas's back, disrupting their serious conversation. They laughed, Zach sneakily wiping away tears as well.

"Hi, Marinda." Colin kissed my cheek and sat Sis on the counter.

At only two, she looked exactly like Terrance, ironically. They had the same nose, curly hair, face shape. Even their eyes were the same.

And as it broke my heart, it also healed it. Terrance would have loved her. All of them. He would be so proud of this family. He was proud of this family, where he was.

"Dallas! Where's Felix's Binky?" Moira yelled from the living room. Her Irish accent was still prominent, even though her and Dallas had been living here for nearly three years.

Their ten month old baby, Felix Ryan O'Donoghue, began crying. He was the cutest little baby, with brownish-red hair and freckles. He was chubby and utterly adorable, taking after his mama.

I thought all of my kids were a little young to have kids of their own, but their logic defied mine— if they were old enough to kill people they were old enough to have kids. They had me in a corner with that comment.

The only one of my kids who I thought was old enough to have kids was Fiona, who was very single at 169. Maybe she would never marry, maybe she would. As long as she was happy, I didn't care.

Everly walked into the living room. "Look at you, little baby Felix!" She laughed and my heart warmed.

The family was somewhat complete. I wanted Fiona here but she was busy on a mission. It would've been nice for Kora and Noah to be here too, with little ten year old Zali. But, they were busy as well.

"Mom, I feel it coming." Zach dropped out of his chair, landing on the floor. Zach screamed out.

Everly and Moira rushed into the kitchen, their eyes wide as Zach all but spasmed on the floor.

Everly bent down on the ground alongside Dallas. Dallas rolled him over as Zach screamed out again.

I watched his leg break.

He continued screaming.

"Zach!?" I shouted, putting a hand on his burning forehead.

Another leg snapped and I watched as his skin began ripping, revealing bone.

What? "Zach you're— you're—" I couldn't even find the words to say. My head was failing me. A werewolf? Really?

How?

"Dallas?" Everly asked, her eyes wide.

Colin ran a hand through his hair, blinking at Zach's screaming form. "Is he— is he shifting? Into a we—"

"No... that's impossible," I interrupted.

"Uuuh, well..." Dallas winced as Everly shot him a dirty look.

"I'm linking Arlis," Colin said and his eyes went glassy as he seemed to drift off to somewhere else.

"Everly!" I yelled out above Zach's screams.

Everly closed her eyes tightly. "Constance took him for a Hunt when I asked her to watch him for a while and Zach got bit," She admitted, not looking at me in the eyes.

"And you didn't tell me!" I yelled back.

"Konrad said he fixed the issue!" Everly yelled back.

"And you believed him! OH MY GOD!" I wanted to cry but I was too angry for tears. I bent down as Zach screamed again, his teeth were being pushed out of his mouth by a set of canines.

My heart broke for my little boy as he cried out. Nothing was more painful than a werewolf's shift, not even giving birth.

Colin bent down and pushed Everly out of the way, putting his hands on Zach's cheeks. "Arlis is on his way, until then I need you to slow down your shift. Take some deep breaths."

I stood up and began pacing around the house, my hands tangled in my hair.

He was a werewolf? Why? Why a werewolf? I smacked the counter, breaking it. "Dammit! Now I have to buy another counter!" I screamed, slamming it again.

"Marinda, why don't we just... sit you down, kay?" Moira lightly grabbed my shoulders and sat me down in the kitchen. This kitchen had seen so much of this family. All of the good, all of the bad. Many tears and many laughs.

And now it was watching us go through yet another crisis.

"Zach..." I trailed off as he screamed again.

I turned to Everly with angry and scared eyes. Her mouth dropped and she ducked her head into Colin's shoulder as he rubbed her back.

Everything was changing again.

Zach's yells were surely causing alarm across the whole neighborhood with how loud he was. All of the kids began crying along side him, scared. 

Zach took a deep breath, his eyes blood shot red. For a second I thought he had died, until he whispered one single word. "Lilly," he said.

And then his world went up in flames once more.