In The Shadows - Fan Fiction Version by Katydids

A Little Bit Of Shifter History

Sang

After we clean the kitchen, we go up to my room.

Silas and Luke immediately look at the picture by my bed with dad in it.

"Wow." Luke breathes out.

"How are you doing with all this?" Silas asks, staring at the photo.

I shrug. "I had a rough time last night, but I'm a little better now."

Silas turns around and in two giant steps is in front of me. I crane my neck back to look at his handsome face. He doesn't say anything. Instead, he pulls me to him and embraces me in what I imagine would be described as a true bear hug. He doesn't hurt me or squeeze too tight, though. I automatically wrap my arms around his sides. He's so broad and thick with muscle, the top of my head reach only to his chest. A gentle giant. I can't imagine what he would be like if angry. It would be a frightening thing. I feel so tiny with him... .and so safe.

I could stay here forever.

Luke clears his throat. I pull away and see him grinning. "If we're giving hugs now, I want in on the action."

Silas reluctantly releases me and steps back, allowing Luke to come give me a hug too, my arms around his neck. He lifts me with the hug and playfully sways me side to side. I giggle at him. "I love that sound." He chuckles.

He sets me down and gives me a wink. "So what do you want to do with us in your chambers?"

I blush at the insinuation. "I was thinking of looking at the book Owen let me borrow last night."

"Let's do it then. And any questions you have, we can answer."

I retrieve it from my closet and sit on the floor between them, laying the book in front of us, finding the page with my dad and my... Grandparents. This is so overwhelming.

"So my dad obviously lived, but his parents definitely didn't?"

Luke shakes his head, "Their bodies were found and a burial ceremony was done for all three of them even though they didn't have Jude's body. Shifters came from all over to pay their respects."

"What happened to the shifter and his sons that killed them?"

"The father was Nicholas and his sons were Samuel and Matthew. There was a trial and they were executed." Silas answers. "There was one other son, a shifter, Thomas. He was only twelve at the time and hadn't gone through his awakening yet. The council, which is the Academy now, placed him with another family."

"Is he still alive?" I ask.

Silas nods his head. "He is and has two sons Cole and Levi, who are shifters, just a little older than us."

"And are complete pricks." Luke mumbles.

I look at him questioningly.

Luke sighs, "Cole is the alpha of their pack, and they have a reputation of being thugs, causing trouble. They haven't done anything to warrant discipline from the Academy yet, but it's only a matter of time. Cole likes to move his pack around, collecting loner shifters to add to their numbers. He has a hunger for power and thinks having the largest pack will give him that."

"Will it?"

"It can make them dangerous."

I play with my necklace. "Where's their father?"

"Up north in Canada with his human wife. Thomas is a bit of a loner, hates the Academy for executing his family."

I flip the pages, seeing what else in inside.