“Mommy…Daddy.” Came a sleepy voice from the living room as every adult stopped for a moment as they heard two pairs of feet heading their way.
“The twins.” stated Mary her voice just above a whisper, it was far too low for any human to hear but no one in the room was humans. “We forgot about the twins.”
“I got this, stay here.” stated Rose as she exited the kitchen and entered the hallway. Walking toward the kitchen where two little boys just over six years old.
“James, Ryan how are you two feeling, your mommy and daddy said you two where under the weather.” Stated Rose in a motherly voice.
“Aunty Rose.” Said Ryan as he rushed forward and gave his “aunt” a hug, she wasn’t his aunt by blood but she had been around them their entire life.
“Well, someone must be feeling better if you are running.” laughed Rose
“A little, maybe I should stay home from school another day.” stated Ryan
“Tomorrow is Saturday, there is no school.” Said Ryan’s fraternal twin as James walked forward, he was the more mature one of the two, but mature for a six year old wasn’t that mature at all.
“Well maybe, I do feel better.” Stated Ryan, not wanting to miss a day playing outside. “Where is mommy and Daddy?”
“Well, they are taking care of something, so I am here to keep an eye on you two.” said Rose with a playful smile. “So why don’t the two of you go to the living room and I’ll get you a snack and I have a story to tell you.”
“Alright.” Said James as the two of them headed toward the living room as Rose turned back and walked into the kitchen.
“I thought we were going to go after Brianna?” inquired Stacy
“The boys are up now, might as well finish the job here.” countered Rose before looking at Mary and Thomas. “Stay in your forms.”
“Alright.” Stated Mary as she got some string cheese and juice boxes out of the fridge and handed it to Rose who walked into the living room as the adults stayed in the kitchen.
“Here you go boys.” Said Rose as she handed the cheese and the juice boxes to the boys. “Now, I want to tell you a story.”
“Can’t we watch cartoons?” inquired Ryan
“In a little bit, but this is a very important story.” countered Rose “I am going to tell you the truth about a lost ancient civilization, a civilization made up of half human half animals that all lived in peace and worked together to make wonders unseen in the world before. There where what you would call werewolves and were cats working together in this city, other were creatures like elephants, bears and others all lived in this wondrous city together.”
Mary eyed Thomas, she barely whispered to him.
“This is our pride’s story about where we come from.” stated Mary “You.”
“The same.” Confirmed Thomas his voice also unable to be heard by any of the humans.
“They where able to do this because nature gave them abilities that the normal humans lacked, they had the same intelligence as humans but the strength of an elephant or the claws of a powerful lion.” explained Rose. “Then one day, one very sad day the humans got upset that they didn’t have all these gifts and abilities that the animal people in this city had. They went to war and sadly the destroyed the city and all the wonders in there.”
There was more than that of course, Mary knew the stories talked about the slaughter done to their kind by the humans, it went into extreme details, even some of the written records remained. She turned toward Thomas who nodded his head, so far the stories were the same.
“Well, those lucky few who managed to escape from those evil humans decided not to rebuild, but to scatter to the four winds, each type of were creature going their own way so that their kind could survive. The werecats went one way, made up of lions, tigers, cheetahs and every type of big cat you can imagine and a few you can’t while the others went another way.” Explained Rose “And before they left, one day they promised, the leaders of those tribes departing from each other, they promised one day to reunite and rebuild what they had lost.”
“Did they ever do it?” inquired Ryan
“Not yet.” Said Rose “But who knows, one day maybe the two of you will be among the first to rebuild what we lost all those thousands of years ago.”
“Aunt Rose, werewolves and werecats aren’t really.” Laughed James
“What if I told you, I was a were-cat.” Said Rose “So is your mommy, and your daddy I just learned your daddy is a werewolf.”
“Daddy a werewolf…he won’t even let us get a dog.” Stated James
“Really, Mary…Thomas come in please.” Said Rose as Mary and Thomas both gulped for a moment before walking into the living room.
There boys eyes widened in amazement and some slight fear as they looked at this werewolf and werelion which where standing in the doorway to the living room, both boys where on their feet but they couldn’t go far as Rose had grabbed both of them and gently held them beside her.
“Mommy?” inquired Ryan as he came closer as Mary got down as best she could with her pregnant belly.
“It’s me, Ryan, it’s mommy in my real form.” Said Mary, a heartbeat later Ryan ran forward and hugged his lion mom. Tears were forming in Mary’s eyes as she held her youngest son for the first time in her true form.
“Wow…your fur is so soft.” Stated Ryan as Mary had to whip away a tear from her eye.
“James, I know your scared and that is alright, but we are still your parents.” Said Thomas as he looked at James. Then to his amazement James rushed forward and hugged his dad’s leg.
“This is so cool, I want to be a werewolf.” Stated James
“You likely are.” Stated Monica as she and Stacy came around and stood behind the family. “Either that or a lion.”
“We are?” inquired James
“The story goes, that when two type of were creatures had a child, that child would take the form of one of the parents.” Stated Stacy before pausing for a moment. “Sometimes grandparent type was possible but that was much rarer.”
“My Dad was a bobcat, my mom a lion and I am a lion.” stated Mary as she looked at Thomas “Does that work the same in your pride?”
“Pack…yes.” Confirmed Thomas “My Grandma was a fox, my sister and I are wolves while my other brother is a fox like grandma.”
Mary paused, she hadn’t even though that since Thomas was a werewolf that the rest of his family had to be werewolves as well, well werewolves or werefoxes at least. Her own boys may both end up being werewolves if they got that from their father, our they could be werelions like her, one could be one and the other the other. Her little lioness which she was growing within her, may be a beautiful she-wolf instead. Either way she loved her family more then anything.
“I want to be a lion.” stated Ryan
“I want to be a wolf.” stated James
“Either way, we are a family.” Countered Mary as Thomas nodded his head in agreement.