The Rarest Two In Blood Moon (Part II)

The Rarest Two In Blood Moon (Part II)
“I thought we worked through the need to be creepy,” Ericka called over her shoulder when she sensed Anastasia. She leaned against the kitchen counter and snatched a slice of pizza from Brenda, ignoring her glare. “What’s keeping you up this late, Ani?” she asked.

“H-how do you two do that?” Anastasia asked as she approached the two women. “For the sake of honesty, it’s a bit unsettling.”

Brenda raised her brow. “Freaks you the fuck out, huh? You can say it like you really want to say it. We don’t mind.” She laughed at the embarrassed expression on Anastasia’s face. “Essence was right about you,” she said.

“What did she say?”

“That your heart is so genuinely pure, it’s hard to miss. That’s why you make such a great best friend.”

Anastasia’s face flushed. “She really said that?”

Ericka nodded. “Mhm. There’s a lot of air you two need to clear, not just Kano and her. It’s clear you both missed one another like crazy. You two should spend the day together and talk. It would be good for her”—she placed her hand gently on Anastasia’s stomach —“and for the two of you.”

Anastasia’s face paled in horror. She held her stomach. “Please… don’t tell anyone.”

“Not our place,” Brenda said, stuffing her mouth with pizza. “Though here’s just an opinion. I think you should tell Cayden.” Sensing her discomfort, Brenda gave her an understanding look. “You need him, Ani. You’ve shut him out—and I get why—but the type of pain you’re going through, the only other person who can remotely understand, is him. He wants to support you and be by your side. He just doesn’t know how.”

Tears welled into the corners of Anastasia’s eyes, and she looked down to the floor. “I don’t know how to face him anymore. I just can’t help but think in so many ways I’ve let him down, too. I don’t want to tell him, and then lose another child.”

Ericka raised her head with her finger. “Lift this up. You have nothing to be ashamed about. You’ve suffered horrible loss, Anastasia, but that is not your fault. You have a wonderful village that is here for you, and at the forefront of it is a man who adores you. But he’s grieving too, and for every bit of strength he has, he still needs a safe space where he can drop that plastered smile and truly process. Allow that to be with you, while giving one another the love you give everyone else.” Wiping a tear from Anastasia’s eyes, she turned to Brenda, who gave her a simple nod. “Anastasia?”

“Yes?”

Ericka pulled out a small vial. “I need you to make a decision, and it’s a hard one. We are pack members now, but I am also someone who warns those around them to be careful of who they trust. I need you to figure out if you trust us. If you do, then you will take this vial, swallow it’s contents, and never speak of it again until I tell you to. It’s important, okay?”

Anastasia stared at the thick, dark liquid. “What is it?” she asked.

“Very special blood. Essence wasn’t lying when she said that I’m a medicine woman. That’s all I can tell you. It’s your decision on which route you wanna take.”

Anastasia looked at each of the wolves, then down at the vial. The thick liquid seemed to illuminate against the glass, and inhaling sharply, she grabbed it. Opening it, she swallowed its contents as quick as she could. Small butterfly flutters hit her stomach, and a yellow warm glow covered it before slowly fading. Her lips parted as the flutter hit her again.

Ericka gave her a small smile. “Go, talk to Cayden. Talk until you’re all talked out, and then talk some more. He needs it just as much as you do. Then tomorrow, talk to your bestie—the same rules apply.” Anastasia nodded, her mind still in a daze. “Oh, and Ani? Thank you for entrusting us,” she said.

After she left, Brenda turned to Ericka. “That’s all five, right?” she asked.

“Mhm. Alpha showed us acceptance, Luna and Kanon showed us love, Anastasia and Cayden showed us trust.” She smirked. “Before you say it, I know technically the beta wasn’t here, but I think we both know he would have made the same choice and let me place a protective charm on her womb.”

Brenda threw up her hands. “Hey, I’m with you. I love the beta; I love them all. I’m all for a little wiggle room.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “I just hope they feel the same if we decide to tell them what we are.”

Ericka sighed. “Yeah… it’s clear we’ve gotten a bit too close, but they all make it so hard not to. Plus”—she rubbed the back of her neck—“this whole mate thing has caught me off guard completely, and we can’t afford that to happen too often.”

Brenda folded her arms to her chest. “Yeah, tell me about it. You’re petty as hell too for making me board your sinking ship, by the way, and don’t give me that shit about wanting me to find love. You just didn’t want to go down alone, especially because you know Mr. Blue Eyes, Perfect Teeth is about to take his broom and swat the hell out of them cobwebs on that co—”

Ericka growled at her. “Fuck off!”

Laughing, she threw up her hands. “I’m quiet.” She smirked then whispered, “You still about to get them coochie cobwebs handled, though.”

“You talk as if those two aren’t about to tag team the hell out of you.”
Brenda waved her hands dismissively. “No ma’am. I agreed to a date, that’s all. I literally ran the math in my head. They’re too big compared to me. Some say quitting is for losers, you know what I say? Quit before you damage something by trying to play tough.”

Ericka cackled. “Brenda, I literally watched you strangle a Minotaur to death with your thighs because he was short five dollars on his payment.”

She scowled. “I told you, it’s the principle! If he had been honest, I would have let it ride, but don’t play with me because I’m a woman and I’m funsized! Five dollars turns into ten, which turns into a couple hundred. I don’t play about my money, Eri, and I damn sure don’t play about the principle.” Her face reddened at the thought of her thighs wrapped around Fontaine’s and Stephan’s necks. She rubbed her head. “Fucking hell, we’re in trouble, Eri,” she said.

“Or… maybe it’s time we actually plant roots.” Ericka said, twisting her lips. “I don’t want to leave Blood Moon; it feels like home. I know we came to lift their generational curses, but so much of me wants to stay for other reasons.”

“But will Alpha accept and protect us? The real us? I mean, even with him accepting us into Blood Moon—even with him being a rare wolf himself—I still don’t know how he’s going to take having rare hybrids in his pack.” Her eyes showed their true color as the purple of her magic blended with the gold tinge of her wolf. She sighed. “I mean, to many we don’t even exist, and that’s the problem. How rare is too rare of a wolf for its alpha, and pack to no longer want it around? I-I don’t want the rejection, Eri. Not from my mates, not from those who I want to call family… those I look up to.”

Her sadness getting the best of her, Brenda joked. “Not to mention Fontaine would totally call me a Were-witch and Stephan would probably correct him that it’s a Witch-wolf, and then I’ll have to fight them for working my last nerve.” Leaning in, Ericka embraced her in an overly dramatic hug, and she finally laughed. “Alright, alright, Enchantress, I’m good,” she said, smirking.

Pulling back, Ericka scowled at her before letting out an evil grin. “Let’s continue as we have been. One step at a time, okay, Circe?”

Hearing the name, Brenda growled at her. “I told you not to call me that!”

“And I told you not to call me Enchantress!” she growled back, storming from the kitchen.

“It was funny,” Brenda said, following her.

“So was calling you Circe, but you didn’t laugh, did you?”