Under the Blood Moon

Meeting Anne.

Scarlet



We arrive at my home around 90 minutes later, it had been a major act of will power not to tumble back into that beckoning bed at least three times after breakfast, but this whole marriage thing needed some discussion.

Stefan had explained to me that we would now find it unbearable to be apart, so one of us would need to move, he promised it could be my decision but the more I heard about his family the more I was struggling with the idea of asking him to leave them.

He has three siblings, one sister and two brothers, his mum was a teacher at the local school, and he worked with his father to run the family restaurants, they were the major income sources for the whole pack, they either worked there or worked in a business that fed into them, farmers, fishermen and delivery drivers. His siblings were quite a bit younger than him, he explained that they were adopted as orphans from two Lycan families whose parents had died, most Lycan families struggled to have even one child, thy didn’t know why but the birth rates had been reducing generation after generation. How could I ask him to leave all of that?

I tentatively agreed to marry him, but asked for a little time to actually get to know him first, being awesome in bed together was hardly the basis for a life together, was it?

He had given me that velvet chuckle when I said that but agreed he didn’t need an immediate answer to his proposal.

A little after we set off to return home he received a call room home, a strong Italian accent shouted over the Bluetooth speakers “Hello mamma” he had replied, I sat in dumbfounded silence as they spoke. She had demanded information about the girl at the hotel, he had laughed told her he had found his mate and that he was bringing me home to meet her as soon as he had finished his work.

I sat flushed red throughout the exchange; the call ended with declarations of affection as we pulled into the farm driveway.

Mum’s car was parked in the drive. She shouldn’t be home what was going on.

As we pulled in, she flew out of the door shouting “It’s ok she’s home” into her mobile. I climbed down from the huge car to meet her, her berating not ceasing until we walked into the front room. She turned on her heel the second we crossed the threshold, her face flashing into a huge smile as she greeted Stefan.

“You must be the gorgeous man my daughter was having coffee with!” She announces. Jan must’ve been straight on the phone after we left!

Stefan grins “Well I hope so!” He chuckles “Lovely to meet you Mrs Dolphus, my name is Stefan.”

“Oh dear boy Mrs Dolphus was my mother-in-law, call me Anne.” She flushes a little brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Now you two, what on earth was so urgent that you had to disappear over night?”

I blush bright red and try to turn away to avoid the question. My mother sees and immediately withdraws the question “yes well I do forget that Scarlet’s an adult” she giggles like a schoolgirl. What on earth has happened to my usually stern mother today, she’s literally fan girling at my man!

“I am deeply sorry if we’ve caused you any concern Mrs D… sorry Anne” he takes her hand “I was quite selfish with Scarlet’s time and refused to let her leave me.” She flushes again “In fact I may never let her leave me” he winks at me.

“Well that’s lovely” she simpers “Are you two hungry?”

“No mum, but coffee would be amazing, I’m just going to pop up and get changed, can you look after Stefan for me?” The pair nod and I turn to head upstairs.

On reaching my room I flop down onto my bed, taking a moment to catch my breath after the last two days. My life had been almost figuratively turned upside down!

After a few minutes I lift myself up and find something decent to wear, I have a feeling that today is going to be more bizarre than the last two if at all possible.

“Scarlet tells me that her father left when she was very young?” Stefan is saying as I head down to the kitchen, I pause waiting to see what mum says, she wont ever tell me and Andy what had happened.

“Urm yes, yes he did” she replies, and I sigh.

“It’s just that it’s unsustainable for a man like George Dolphus to just leave his family” Stefan continues. Hang on how does he know dad’s name, did mum tell him?

“It was all very sudden Stefan” she replies, she sounds sad. “He was called away on family business and never came home” I can hear the coffee machine revving up “In fact when I went to find out what had happened his entire family was gone, I never managed to find his mum or dad, so I assume they went with him”

Stefan is nodding as I enter the room “Tell me Anne, did you know much about the Dolphus’?”

“Enough” she said, her back is still to me so I walk quietly, not wanting her to stop “Enough to know that bringing up his babies in a city was a bad idea, but you understand that don’t you Stefan” she says quite pointedly.

“Yes, I do Anne.” He smiles holding my hand “Did you know that at least Scarlet takes after her father?”

Mum jumps and spins to face him, I look at her intently nodding my head. “I’ve been travelling the country looking for the Dolphus’ for some time now Anne, they went missing from my pack 13 years ago, we had no idea that George had a family. My father asked me to take over the search this year and I saw a review that mentioned you last week.”

I’m glaring at Stefan now, why hadn’t he told me any of this. Mum is shaking as she pours the cream into the cups of steaming hot coffee. “No” she mutters “I knew I shouldn’t have let them use my name” she seems genuinely afraid.

“Who took George and his parents Anne?” He asks.

She stirs the coffees before bringing them to the table. Taking a deep breath she begins.

“George was gorgeous, he swept me off my feet when I was 17, but he would never introduce me to his family, said they wouldn’t understand. Then when Andy arrived, he started to behave even more erratically, saying that they’d be coming for him soon. He moved us out here to keep us safe and everything was fine for around 18 months Then he got that phone all. Something to do with his mum, he couldn’t refuse them and send it was too risky to take us. He never came home.”

She takes a drink. “I knew from the outset, exactly what George was, we met in the woods one night when I was sneaking back from a party, he scared the life out of me then shifted back and brought me home. We were never apart after that, not until he had to go that night.” Her shoulders begin to shake. “Sorry, it’s just I try not to think about it, whenever I think of George it’s like a chasm is ripped into my heart again. I’m sorry Scarlet, I should’ve told you and your brother, but I just didn’t know how.”

I walk around the table and hold my softly sobbing mother, “Stefan what is going on here?” I ask, more than a little anger in my voice.

“Honestly Scarlet, we still don’t really know. Your grandparents went missing one night, all of their stuff was left but they were gone, we know George was there, his car was in the drive but there was no sign of him either. Your father was my dad’s best friend, but he kept so many secrets that we had no idea what could have happened. He didn’t even tell the pack that he had found his mate.”

Mum looks up “He said it was down to me being from a witch family, that the pack wouldn’t accept a witch” Holy s**t witches are real too I bite my tongue from shouting. Stefan sees my action and stifles a laugh at my contorted face.

“Hmm” he says “it’s rare for a witch and Lycan to mate but not exactly taboo, I’ll need to talk to my father” he stands up, grabs his mobile and heads to the door “I’ll be right back”