Lone Werewolf Duology (bxb)

9. Sight and Memory

The crowd parted before Volya and Nadezhda. As they walked, Volya searched the faces for a sign of acceptance, if not welcome. What he saw were frowns and scowls. The world had been revealing a miracle after miracle to him, but some miracles just didn't happen.

Fortunately, his past had taught him not to ask for love any more, only accept it when freely given. He didn't ache too badly because of their coldness. He demanded to be heard—and they offered him a trial by combat. He would take it.

"We'll have to sleep lightly tonight," he told Nadezhda once they came to the beach. The mist had lifted and the moon road glittered all the way to the other shore.

"With how much we have to teach one another, I doubt we'll sleep at all," she replied.

"Thank you for not wasting your breath on upbraiding me."

She shrugged. "What's the point? Besides, it's my fault Kramola is jumping out of her skin at the whiff of you."

Walking on water required a lot of focus, but he still shot her a quick glance over his shoulder, like what did you do?

"It always causes unrest when a boy is born to a tribe," Nadezhda answered his unvoiced question.

"There are many, right?" The crowd of women on the Isle looked intimidating enough, but if that was it, the werewolves didn't thrive over the millennia.

Nadezhda nodded, confirming.

"Boy, this island must get a lot of traffic around the first full moon of the summer," Volya said in wonder. "Why hadn't I seen anyone?"

"The sacred places open up as a different piece of land for each tribe. Something like a parallel universe. In fact, that's how each new group of families know they have become a new tribe. Each discovers their own Sanctuary."

His back was to her, but he heard the meaningful glance in her voice.

"I found you," Volya said slowly. This meant— "This means I belong with you."

"Yes."

"Then Kramola has no reason to throw a fit."

"Give her a break, will you? She was seven when we were born, so she got teased quite a lot about it."

Seriously? "So she was teased, so what? I was teased too and I'm not poisoning people."

"It was more than mere teasing." He could hear Nadezhda intaking a breath and expelling it as a sigh. Then staying silent.

"Hey, it's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay." Because she was his nice sister. He only had one of those.

Nadezhda caught up to him and her breath ruffled his hair.

"I got the Sight, like the twins often do. Well, the girl gets the Sight, the boy gets the Memory. And I kept seeing how it was my destiny to meet you."

He chuckled wistfully. "Lucky you." What wouldn't he give for a hint of the hidden riches he possessed!

"That was pretty special," Nadezhda agreed. "I saw glimpses of you all the time and I just wouldn't shut up about it, because I was young and stupid."

"If I knew about you, I wouldn't shut up about it either," Volya decided. Yet, he was also starting to see what Kramola's problem might have been. "Because you boasted about how special we were, it kept on everyone's radar that Kramola had a brother. Am I right?"

"Yup. She became embittered with mom for having twins, like it was something mom had planned to spite her. It made me mad, and I told Kramola she'd have a boy-child herself."