Ellie and Elsie suddenly burst into the room, their mother right on their heals. “Lia?” Elsie dropped to her knees on one side of the cot and Ellie on the other. Damned if he could tell which of the girls was which. Usually there was a way to tell with twins but he really couldn’t see any difference between these two.“Come on Lia, we know you’re waking. Open your eyes.” The other begged.Marie sat on the cot by Lia’s hips and held her hand. “Come now, sweetie. We feel you stirring. Open your eyes.” David had followed his girls in and stood beside Jake now. “So...Lia’s wolf talks to you, but she doesn’t know it exists? And Selene’s wolf is completely silent?”“Selene’s wolf has chosen to be silent. She spoke to us when we first met her but stopped not long after Lia was born. I don’t think her wolf talks to her anymore either, or if she does Selene completely ignores her. Lia doesn’t really link with us the way other werewolves do, but my girls can usually tell how Lia’s feeling. Not

Lia took a deep breath, filling her nose with the relaxing scent of sun-warmed pine needles and fresh air tinged with the dampness of a light rain. It was as though a sun shower had just washed over the yard and she was dozing in a lawn chair under a tree in her yard. She felt a gentle breeze coming and retreating like breath through the hair on top of her head She could hear a steady thumping, like the bass of a song beating out a steady rhythm through earbuds that must have slipped from her ear as she slept, just far enough away that she could make out the rhythm, but not hear the tune. She felt warm and tingly from head to toe. Perfectly happy and comfortable. It must have been a good dream, she thought vaguely. She decided to try to go back to sleep and dream it again. Rainbows spread across her closed eyelids and she sighed happily.“Home,” she whispered softly, snuggling into the warm, pleasant scent with a smile on her lips. Suddenly the sweet-smelling warmth that enveloped her

Lia sat cross-legged on the library floor, leaning back against the base of the overstuffed sofa and flipping through the children’s books and werewolf chapter books for young pups. Ellie and Elsie had left a while ago, promising to be back soon. All these stories about the moon goddess were so captivating! Why had her grandmother told the stories so differently? Here the goddess is seen as a protector of werewolves and the guardian of the earth! That is so much more consistent with the healing properties of the plants picked by moonlight. They say she watches over people and influences their moods and choices to keep them safe. Gran always said that Eric had too much energy during the full moon. She obviously knew the goddess effected moods, but had never once shared that information. Then there were some about the goddess match making and planning the destiny of werewolves, trying to bring peace and unity to all. She is always making happy unions and granting fertility to worthy wolv

“Are you going to say anything Lia? We’ve still got a half hour left to drive.” Lia ignored David’s question and leaned forward to turn up the radio. No. She was NOT going to have a conversation or even make small talk. She sat stiffly in the cab of Jake’s truck, wedged in between Jake and David, squeezing herself even tighter than necessary as she tried not to brush up against either man at all. Annoyingly, Jake wasn’t taking the hint and seemed to be spreading himself out to brush up against her every chance he got. The tingly feeling on her skin and the stupid buzzing noise in her head were not helping her mood. A Department of Natural Resources van was following behind them filled with what Jake insisted were his ten best warriors. It was the only way he would agree to let her go to her own home to collect some of her things. He’d only agreed to the trip at all when she’d yelled at him over breakfast that she was not his prisoner and he had no right to keep her there against her w

“Don’t you dare break the door down!” She yelled at them. “I know how to take a shower. What is it with werewolves and a total lack of boundaries? Haven’t you been around enough humans to understand the concept of privacy? Leave. Me. Alone! Get me some clean clothes if you need something to do. Put them by the door. Or what is it they say in all those old movies...go boil some water. Just leave me be!”“If you pass out in the shower you’ll drown.”“At least I’ll die at home,” she muttered.“Lia honey,” David said softly with his forehead on the door, “we need to know you’re okay.”“Stay the frig out!” She yelled when David began trying to pick the lock. “I’ll sing in the shower so you know I’m conscious. If I stop singing for more than a minute you can barge in here like a bunch of bafoons and save the naked princess from the evil shower monster.” There was nothing but silence.“Lia?”“I’m thinking! I can’t exactly take my phone in the shower for karaoke now can I? Nothing is coming to