Chapter Three, Part Six.

Author's Note:
Oh, gosh, I am so sorry this update took so long... Like, what, four months(!)? I've had all this written for a while, but I just haven't had the time to type it, nor been in the mood (Cue guilt). Hopefully I can make up for it by the length of this part of the story. Chapter four is beginning, too!
As always, thank you for reading. Those few of you who are. :P


Breathing heavily, I turned my back to him, facing the balcony.
"I am not a beast. I'm a Shadow Child, not...That."
"You're right. You are no beast," Aubrey replied softly, appearing at my shoulder. "But make no mistakes: though you are not a Shadow Child, you're not a Hunter, either."
"So I'm back to when you first dumped all this on me. I don't know what I am... All these years, I thought I was human; I never questioned it for a second.Suddenly, I discover that I'm not, nor was I ever. And now, even my existence as this... thing... is up for debate." I dropped to my knees. "God... What the hell am I?"
Aubrey knelt, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. "You are Athaliah, daughter of Joche, the sole possessor of the blood of the original lycan line, and you are a myth incarnate."
I looked at him, grasping for words.
"There was a story about a wolf a long time ago who was the bastard son of a Shadow Child and a Hunter. Unfortunately, his mother, shamed by his paternity, deserted him in a village. Though he was taken in by a couple in the village out of pity, he never let go of the pain from his abandonment, and that weakness allowed his stronger Hunter blood to reign supreme. Susceptible to the full moon, he transformed into the sort of wolf that legend describes: not quite wolf, but not human, either, walking on two legs, with a beastlike muzzle and a mouth full of teeth designed to rip flesh from bone. He slaughtered the inhabitants of that village, including his adoptive parents, and those of two other villages before the survivors managed to trap him in a house that was burned to the ground.
Being of both clans, he could have begun to bridge the rift between us. But because he was raised in ignorance, he only contributed further to the necessity of living our lives in the shadows. You can do what he didn't. It's your choice... Unlike that pitiful creature, you have everything you need to know at your fingertips. And your Shadow Blood, being pure, runs stronger in your veins than your Hunter blood. Your first change showed that- you were in control one hundred percent."
"But I'm not supposed to exist."
"Yet here you are."
I had no reply to that, so I simply sat in silence for a while. "How did you know what I am? I don't mean you, specifically, but all of you."
"Your fur."
"...Huh?" The simple answer baffled me.
"We Shadow Children are all solid shades of varied browns. Hunters are always black. Your fur is black, tipped with brown."
"Oh." All this other crap is complicated, but that is the one thing that's simple? Christ...
"You are the most beautiful wolf I've seen. Celestria can say what she chooses. She's stubborn on a good day, and flat-out arrogant and self-serving on a bad one. I wonder if her skills as a negotiator went to her head."
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something else."
"And what would that be, Princess?"
"Why do you flirt with me? You took over Vera's job, and it doesn't seem that you've told me anything she couldn't."
He fidgeted. "Uh...God, you're probably going to eat me alive..."
"Just tell me already. I'm tired of being in the dark."
"Well, wolves don't choose their mates as humans do- you know, trial and error. We just... know."
"Okay, so what I'm getting here is that you're weird and you're acting like a human boy."
"Ehh, not really... Look, when I first met you, you were an infant. It's going to sound creepy, but the instant you opened your eyes and saw me, I knew it was you."
I stared at him, gaping. "You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
"Then why didn't I feel it?"
"You didn't?"
"Well, I um, I don't know how I'm supposed to feel or anything..." I mumbled.
"Look, why do you think you feel the need to defend me? Why did your heart beat so fast when we spoke alone for the first time?"
I flushed bright red and looked away quickly. "I don't know what you're referring to."
"Oh yes, I know about that," he said, laughing.
"So... What? We're going to get married, ride off into the sunset on a white horse, and live happily ever after?"
"We could, if you wanted to. We would still need to stay in contact with the pack, though. They need us," he replied, looking thoughtful.
"...I was being sarcastic."
"I guess I did a bad job of playing along." He cupped my cheek in one hand. "You're not ready for this on top of everything else. You've had your world turned upside-down, and then was tossed into another one. I know that, and so do you. When you are ready, I'll be here."
"I...I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to. Just answer this-Did you feel like you've known me for years when we met?"
"Yes."
"That's because you have. From the first touch, our souls have been connected permanently." he chuckled. "Sorry, that came out cheesier than I thought it would."
"But it's true, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"When do I go back to the Academy?"
"Whenever you like."
"I'd like to go now. Carmen needs me."
He leaned towards me and lightly pressed his lips to my forehead. "As you wish, your Highness."
And we left. Not another word was said; I was too busy absorbing everything I had just found out. I don't think he was so preoccupied, though, because he was sure to stroke my hair and kiss me again before he left my room.