Dance of the Moons

Epilogue

Epilogue

Twelve Years Later

            “Aaron Arthur and William John, you better stop fighting right this instance or so help me you, I’ll freeze you for a week!”

            The six-year-old twins stopped mid action at the threat, deciding whether it was worth the punishment to continue the brawl.  Aaron’s teeth and nails were pointed and there were tuffs of fur in place of his tanned skin, and his arm was pulled back and ready to swing.  Will held in his hand a ball of blue electricity, which bobbled and swirled as it faced his brother.

            The brothers came to the same conclusion that their mother was bluffing and attacked simultaneously.  Aaron’s paw scratched Will’s cheek right as Will’s blue ball hit Aaron in the shoulder.  The brothers flew apart from one another, snarling.  Aaron’s shift finished and a small wolf cub stood growling and spitting on the wood floor.  Across from him, Will stood clutching his bleeding cheek.

            Before the brothers could continue the battle, their father swooped in and picked them both up, one on either side of his body.

            “Is your mother letting you fight again?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

            I huffed and shifted our four year old daughter in my arms. “It’s not funny, David.  They’re going to seriously hurt each other.”

            My husband winked at me, as he was prone to do when he knew I was irritated.  It had become a promise over the years.  For every time I was irritated with him or our three rowdy children, every time he winked my way, he would show me and prove to me again why our lives were perfect.  Because after all the years, David was still able to affect me in a way no one else could.  He could make any irritation worth it.

            “What are you fighting about now, boys?”

            Will, being the twin with a still functioning human voice box, answered first. “Aaron said you’re taking him because he’s better, but that’s not fair!”

            Aaron shifted back to human form, his tongue sticking out at his brother. “Is too!  Dad likes me more.”

            In my arms, Kaelyn Jaquelyn started crying again.  She had been shrieking on and off since I picked her up from dance lessons twenty minutes prior, her leotard and tutu still donned.  I bounced her up and down lightly while I frowned at the twins.

            “Aaron, Will,” David said in warning, “we talked about this.”

            Little Aaron had the good grace to look down, away from his father’s disapproving eyes. Will just pouted.

            “But dad, I want to go with you too!  It’s not fair.  I want to go running.”

            David’s gaze softened and he kissed Will’s forehead. “Will, your brother and I cannot stay in our human forms.  We have to go running.  And if you come, who is going to take care of your mother and sister?”

            I rolled my eyes, hating the you-need-to-be-the-man-of-the-house speech David would always give Will.  I wanted to raise our children to believe the sexes were equally powerful, but David and I had learned over the months that this speech seemed to be the only thing that would make Will understanding enough that he wouldn’t wail and complain the whole time David and Aaron were gone.