Legend Has It Book I ~{COMPLETE}~

Chapter 11 History

PHOENIX

Intrusive, indeed! I wanted nothing more than to scoop my newfound mate up into my arms and disappear with her, but even back in human form, where Isaac had less control, I sensed the importance of these intruding children and that Isaac knew who they were.

I couldn’t resist raising an eyebrow at the fanny pack my mate wore around her waist. I hadn’t quite seen anything like it before. It hadn’t been ripped to shreds when she shifted. I was a little in awe at her creativity. Why hadn’t I ever thought of something like that?

Werewolves took clothing seriously, but not because we were modest. Clothing could be functional, but also somehow helped with the mate bond by shielding our most prized possession from prying eyes. I realized my Beta, my Gamma and my brother had just seen my mate naked and I felt a stab of jealousy. We were possessive creatures!

::Don’t worry, Alpha. We’re curious about our future Luna, but in no way sexually interested. We will protect her with our lives, but she’s all yours::

Those closest to me could probably tell what I was thinking even if I hadn’t suddenly stood from where I knelt to shield her nakedness.

I’m not sure what possessed me to kneel in front of her, but I suppose that move prevented me from scooping her up and running to the farthest corner of the universe where we’d never be separated again.

Again. The word echoed throughout my being.

I wanted to taste her while I knelt in front of her. Her scent filled my nostrils and I had to command my wolfhood to remain flaccid. There were children watching.

At least, what appeared to be children. My instincts suggested they were more. Much more. And they were commanding our attention. Commanding we dress and seek sanctuary, to be precise.

There were also werecats and a couple of humans watching. Guardians I suspected, sensing no threat from them. Hunters might sense them and wonder what they were doing gathered here, though.

I looked from the fanny pack to my mate’s— no, Genevieve’s— face, I corrected myself, loving her name.

“May I?” I inquired.

Confusion briefly crossed her expression before understanding dawned in her eyes and she gave a slight nod. I reached around, letting her n*****s brush lightly on my chest.

Stay down, dude! I commanded myself at the wave of tingles the contact sent up my spine and found the buckle to the pack. I inhaled her scent, cinnamon and spice, like warm apple pie, but also something powerful. The girl child near the tree line had said they were here to make sure we knew who our wolves were, but who was she?! Who was this beautiful woman the Moon Goddess had matched me with?

I had so many questions. Why had she made her first shift here on Earth, where the illumination of the Moon might attract attention and why were there Guardians here? I couldn’t find my voice to ask as I looked in awe at her beauty. I didn’t want her to cover her beautiful skin, a sharp pale contrast to her sunlightened, but still darker ginger waves that cascaded down her back where a braid had been before her shift.

I wanted to mark her, here and now, but along with the power I sensed, was also innocence. I was vaguely aware that she was probably a rogue, not necessarily a bad thing other than she had not been raised by wolves. That could explain why she had shifted here.

The possibility that she could be the missing Alpha child from… yes, it would have been 18 years ago, briefly crossed my mind.

At that moment, it didn’t really matter to me. She was MINE!

{~>*•*<~}

GENEVIEVE

The rental house seemed to have shrunk with our guests: two werecats, three children, five werewolves besides me, and Josephine who started coffee. At my suggestion, she also put on a kettle of water. I remembered Sophia preferred tea.

A few other Guardians were nearby but the rental wasn’t large enough for them and somehow, they didn’t seem to be a big part of the story other than they were needed to help with the shield.

“We didn’t know quite what to expect tonight, but I did stock the fridge and prepared an easy to reheat meal. I hope you like lasagna,” Josephine said to no one in particular. Her Amish upbringing had her prepared to feed a crowd. I had been so busy readying myself that I hadn’t really noticed and was grateful for her foresight.

My stomach growled and I realized I was famished.

Phoenix, who’d been glued to my side, but not making anymore contact since he’d unbuckled my pack, gave a little chuckle and spoke for the first time since then.

“Shifting will do that to your stomach.” He winked as I blushed, realizing he had heard the growl.

I was keenly aware that werewolves and their relationships were different from humans’, but not a whole lot. I had overheard hundreds of human conversations and I knew that they sometimes had s*x the first time they met. I certainly wouldn’t mind s*x with Phoenix, but my human influence, especially Josephine’s Amish views, made me realize I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to experience the human version of falling in love and not just the lust. Our wolves obviously knew each other. But Phoenix and I did not. Maybe, there was a way to do both.

I finally got to hug the girls and Sophia, who told me she jokingly referred to the girls as The Saints and I remembered the telegram. It had also said “Triple Goddess.” I felt Lady approve but I still didn’t know what it meant. The memories and ancient knowledge that had flowed back at the clearing had been rapid and there was no way my human side could process it all.

Mary asked us to be seated. Not once did I feel it odd that the youngest had done most of the talking so far and it wasn't until the story began to unfold that I even realized it.

She began by telling the story of how Josephine had saved me and summarized the story much better than I could have.

“We only need to give a summary because otherwise, you and Phoenix would have nothing to talk about in the years to come,” she winked at us. “I know you’ve both heard various versions of the Legend surrounding the Mother of all werewolves and most of what you’ve heard really happened,” she continued.

I know I ate as their story built, but I was not focused on food, despite how hungry I was. We were staring at the Triple Goddess in her reincarnated human forms. I felt very humbled that in this lifetime, my new found mate and I were somehow connected.

The Moon Goddess had been so weakened by her work to bring together Isabella and Isaac, who were now Phoenix’s and my wolves, that she’d been unable to assist Isabella during her birth of Isaac. The Moon Goddess, who had long been jealous of the human creator and wanted something of her own, realized she’d made slight miscalculations in her creations and if Isabella didn’t receive help, she would have died.

The Moon Goddess begged the three then midwives from a nearby village to assist and promised them eternal life that only gods and goddesses had previously enjoyed.

“We didn’t really want Eternal Life,” Francis spoke for the first time. Representing the Old Crone, she had aged even more than Mary. “But, we couldn’t bear the thought of not helping. Without the gifts that came with Eternal Life, we would have been powerless. We are definitely full supporters of birth and the miracle of life!”

We learned as the night went on that the goddesses, sometimes referred to as singular, sometimes plural, only chose to be reborn in order to maintain peace. Love had begun to change and wasn’t taken as seriously as it had been centuries ago because the desperation and depression of the legendary couple grew each time they lost each other. Evil was taking full advantage of the opportunity and story returned to the attack on my parents.

Mankind, an entity itself and jealous of a woman’s ability to give the miracle of life and nurture it, had always made sure that women never forgot they required a male counterpart to create life. Mankind, or rather Mankind’s requirement of a man’s seed to procreate was more biology than anything else, but was also an idea that had created many belief systems throughout time to remove women from the proverbial pedestal.

Womankind had long fought this, claiming women did not want to be above, or below the male, but rather his equal. Womankind never let Mankind forget that his seed was nothing without a woman to nurture it.

This “battle of the sexes” had many believing that a female should not hold Alpha power and may have been the basis for the attack on my parents.

Phoenix understood this, as did his father and he admitted that his father suspected I might have been saved, but was reluctant to look for me. While I could increase the power of his realm, I could also invite trouble and become a weakness for him.

“It’s too late now,” he half chuckled as he turned and took my hand, making contact for the first time since the clearing. “I am completely in—,” he paused for a brief second and finished with, “Infatuated.”

I was only slightly disappointed. My humanity agreed that love took time. I’d take infatuation. We had just met and had incredibly important goddesses commanding our attention. I noticed worry, and exhaustion on his face.

Conrad spoke up then, for the first time since a large plate of food had been placed in front of him and the story had begun hours ago. “What a f*****g night!” He exclaimed.