Awakening

109

When Marcus looked at Morgan, all he could scent was a witch who was protected by five other men and had a vampire lover. He couldn't scent that she was a vampire or that her guard were vampires due to their charms they carry with them whenever they're all out and about or in the company of other preternatural beings. Morgan sat across from him in the living room of the Du Locke house, patiently waiting for Alcide to return from running his errands. Marcus had come over to calmly talk to her werewolf mate about joining the pack in Shreveport, and she wasn't sure how that was going to go, but it's Alcide's choice. As soon as his name was thought, the front door opened, the lone wolf walking inside with a takeout bag in his hand, as well as a large to-go cup.

"Hey, bubs" Morgan greeted

"Hey, darlin" a smile in his voice "I got you lunch . ." spotting Marcus sitting across from her "what the fuck is he doing here?"

"We got off on the wrong foot" Marcus said as he stood up "I apologize for that. Now, I understand if you don't trust me. I mean, after what happened with your pack master in Mississippi, hell, I don't blame you. Lettin' a vampire overrun his wolves, gettin' him hooked on the blood, that ain't no leader. Your lady, she ain't said nothing about that, only offered a beer. But I know you were the only one with the balls to stand up and fight back. I'm sorry that I alpha'd you a little hard last night. But these are perilous times for our kind. This pack needs a wolf like you, Alcide. And I really do hope you reconsider joinin'."

Alcide looked at him for a moment, Marcus letting out a low sigh through his nose, walking out of the living room and out the front door. He turned his eyes toward Morgan, who placed a bookmark in her book before closing it, setting it on the coffee table as she stood up.

"Now, before you scold me, I promise I didn't say anything about what happened last year" walking over to him and taking gently the large cup of bubble tea from his hand "he did all of the talking" taking a drink "he really wants you to join the pack"

". . What do you think I should do?" He asked, wanting to know her opinion

"Well, I read the cards while you were gone -- before he showed up" the two of them moving to the kitchen "joining the pack will be good for you in the beginning, but then there will be great challenges you will face and you would have to choose between the pack and your heart. But in the end, you're set free"

"The pack and my heart . .?" His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he set the bag on the countertop

"That's all they would give me" taking out the contents "you got Popeye's for lunch, but stopped to get me bubble tea?" looking at him

A smirk formed on his lips, leaning in and placing a kiss on hers, which caused a smile to form on her own. He would always stop to get her favorite things whenever he had the time. Once, he decided to be a little spontaneous and purchase a pair of earrings, simple black studs that looked as if bronze rope was wrapped around them, which is what she now wore in her second piercings in her ears. Of course, whenever one would get her new jewelry, the other had to do the same, which is how Eric picked out a pair of silver crescent moon earrings with real diamonds. There were times when they felt like they had to one-up the other, which was always funny to Morgan. Alcide would take her out to dinner, Eric would take her to a bookstore. In the end, their mate would have new additions to her library or a whole new wardrobe, which mostly consisted of black clothing since it was the only color that went perfect with her skin tone.

"I'm happy being a lone wolf" Alcide confessed

"Then Marcus has his answer" Morgan replied with a nod

∆

When night had fallen, Eric had some things he needed to do at Fangtasia, Alcide and Morgan didn't have anything to to, so the two of them decided to take a walk in the woods. The moonstone around her neck absorbed the light that came from the full moon that poked out from the trees, she loved being around the moon, and she also loved being in the sun. She wasn't sure if it was because of her being a hybrid -- the vampire that loves the moon and the witch that loves the sun -- or if it had anything to do with the necklaces. The only time she took them off is when she showered or if she slept, still falling asleep at nights during the phases of the moon, but she noticed that if someone tried to touch the jewelry, they'd snap their hands away as if they were burned. It didn't effect Alcide or Eric, or even her guard, and there was nothing written about it in her mother's journals.

"Jason!" A female voice shouted "Jason! Please, just come home. We'll deal with this!"

Morgan stepped out from behind a bush, raising an eyebrow at a familiar blonde who had a shotgun in her hands. Sookie let out a breath, lowering the weapon,

". . Do I want to know?" Morgan asked

"What are you doing out here?" Sookie asked "preferably five words or less, I'm kinda stressed out right now"

"Out, for, a, walk" counting the words on her fingers ". . bitch. And the way you were holding that, you're just asking for a dislocated shoulder. So what's up?"

"Darlin, why the hell'd you run off like that?" Alcide asked, catching up to her "oh . . Hi, Sookie"

"Hi" she replied "oh, werepanthers! They're basically werewolves, right, except cats?"

". . Please tell me she didn't just compare me to cats" looking at his mate

"Sorry, it's hard keeping track of which of y'all hate each other" shrugging slightly

"Were's tend to stick with their own species, Sook" Morgan explained "but most of them have more in common then they'd like to admit. What's this about?"

"How does somebody become a were-whatever?" looking at her

"They don't" she answered "unless one of their parents, or both of them, happen to be full-blooded"

"So if I got bit . ." seeing Morgan's eyebrows furrow "uh, not me, per se, but if somebody I knew got bit . ."

"There's no way to turn a human into a Were, if that's what you're asking" Alcide explained

"It's hereditary" Morgan added "it's not some kind of virus"

"You sure about that?" Sookie asked, hope in her voice

"You want to tell me what's going on, or do I gotta fish for it?" looking at her

"I promise, I'm not in trouble" she assured "you already helped a bunch. Now, go shift. Kill stuff. Do whatever you do. I got this" a smile on her lips

With that, Sookie turned around and walked back in the direction she came from, Morgan standing there for a moment, letting out a slow sigh through her lips as she shook her head, turning around and continuing on their walk.