25: Leave It

9pm finally came. It felt like it had taken forever.

I was already sitting downstairs at the bar with Nathaniel when Luke opened the doors to the crowd. It sounded like it would be a busy night. That many sweaty, horny bodies pressed together is just what my succubus needs.

I sighed as I started to feel it. My succubus was starting to relax as the tension went out of my body.

“Effie…” Nathaniel whispered in my ear. I turned to face him. “Your eyes, they’re blood red.”

I nodded. “Succubus, remember.”

He looked confused. “If your succubus can feed off the lust here, why couldn’t she feed off me, us, last night?”

“I shut her out,” I whispered.

Nathaniel looked like he’d protest.

“I had to, Nathaniel. In time, it won’t be necessary. But the mark has to be done without you being under the influence of a succubus call. The mark had to be between your wolf and mine, it could not be a three-way with my succubus.”

“You talk about your succubus as if she’s her own person?”

“She is, to a degree. So is my wolf.”

“So they have names?” he asked.

“Yes. My succubus goes by Athena. My wolf is Artemis.”

“Athena and Artemis? They’re beautiful names, Effie.”

I smiled at him, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Discussing my names was still an uncomfortable topic, even all these years later.

“I feel like there is something more here that you aren’t telling me, Effie.”

“My birth name wasn’t Ophelia.” I closed my eyes. He had to know. “I was born Selene.”

His mouth fell open. “Selene, as in…”

I nodded.

“You’re telling me, you’re essentially the moon goddess personified?”

I shrugged. “Kind of. I’m not the first to go by that name, and I definitely won’t be the last.”

“So are you descended from the original Selene?”

“Maybe, it’s hard to be sure. My family tree has ties to Greece, so it is possible.”

“Does my father know?”

“Of course not, Nathaniel. If that secret became public knowledge, your father would be the least of my problems. That's why I changed my name in the first place.”

“Surely it would help your claim over the pack though?”

“I don’t need help with that, Nathaniel. The pack and your father really would be the least of my problems, I can promise you that.”

“But…”

“Nathaniel, leave it. I’m heading back up to my office.”

Seeing me walk off alone, and clearly in a bad mood, Luke made his way across the dance floor, falling into position a few steps behind me.

I didn’t see Nathaniel move, but I felt it. He was a couple steps behind Luke.

Reaching my office, I slammed the door behind me, making it crystal clear I didn’t particularly want either of them in the room right now.

Luke already knew about my birth name, he knew why it was a problem and what the risks were; the risks beyond the pack. An unfortunate consequence of how long he’s known me, that one. A total name change, when you’re as old as I am, is tricky to pull off. I started the process when I was about 70. I’m now 298, and some still slip up from time to time.

I couldn’t have that anymore. It wasn’t safe, especially as my inner circle got tighter.

I heard someone outside my door kick a wall. Nathaniel, most likely. Luke would have been standing guard in front of my door.

“Nathaniel, what did you do?” Luke growled.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Nathaniel. Ophelia doesn’t shout and walk off on people for nothing. What happened?” There was a pregnant pause. “Fuck, she told you?”

“You knew?” Nathaniel’s voice was fuming.

“Of course I knew! I’m her oldest friend! When I met her, her name was still changing. Most people were still using her old name. I spent decades helping her make the change to stay safe.”

“But surely it would help her take over the pack now?”

“The safety concerns outweigh the potential benefits, Nathaniel, I promise you that.”

“What am I missing, Luke. Tell me what I need to know to look after my mate.”

I heard Luke’s sigh through the door. “Ophelia is the daughter of a succubus and a wolf, that you know. Both of her parents have always been alphas. 50 years ago, her mother was declared Queen. The strongest of the strong, not just ruling over succubi, but all forms of vampire. Her father is the alpha of the Blood Moon pack.”

“The largest in the world,” Nathaniel whispered.

“Indeed,” Luke continued. “Ophelia is heir to both worlds. That makes her the biggest threat to the status quo and puts the biggest target on her back. As does the fact she was born Selene.”

“But she isn’t THE Selene, is she?”

“Not as such.”

“That’s what she said, what does that even mean?”

“It is likely that the Selene you’re thinking of, the goddess, is one of Ophelia’s ancestors, and probably not that many generations ago. It’s difficult to determine when everyone in the family tree is so long lived and reliable records are hard to come by. Ophelia wasn’t named Selene just as a tribute. It just has extra meaning. There’s an extra level because of her genetics.”

I guessed Nathaniel looked dumbfounded, because he didn’t respond. I heard Luke’s quiet chuckle.

“Both the original and our Selene aren’t just the goddess of the moon, Nathaniel. They’re the mother of vampires too.”

And on that bombshell…