Kierra

They both smile which warms my heart. Tigger goes straight to his food dish, Maii watching him curiously. Clearing my throat to get his attention, I smile but lay it out.

"Fat cat is not for eats. I need to make a sign, seriously."

Asher projects his laugh. Stopping, I really look at the two boys, eyes going from one to the other. Oh, this is just too rich.

"Blue eyes, blond hair on the shaggy side, small physique. You two could pass for brothers."

Everyone else looks at them and nods. They look at each other, both shrugging, which has them both laughing. Maii's laugh is very interesting since you can tell that's what he's doing, but there's no sound. Can't recall if he made any noise in animal form. I leave it for now.

Going to the thick books on the small coffee table, I grab up one and flip through it, stop on a page, and then hand it to my sister. While she reads up on her inner cat, I go for food. Bastion points at the microwave, which sure enough has a couple sandwiches inside piled high with meat. Putting my hands together as if praying while facing him, I thank him. He beams, the coyote sitting opposite him watching our exchange with curiosity.

"Heh, listen to this Maii. Female ocelots are called 'Queens'. Hah, I'm royalty."

"Royal pain in my ass."

I can't help it, she left it wide open. Smiling as I dodge away from her swat, I make my way over to the window next to the door, standing there and eating while looking out.

"Have to make a list of things that are needed. Clothes for Maii and Xavier, heavy dark drapes, and more food."

Faline pipes up from behind me as she sets the book down with the others.

"Don't worry about me sleeping in my room, I can't sleep in a bed. I like the downstairs thing."

Her unspoken reason has me frowning at the window, eyes closing briefly. Xavier, who's leaning next to it, sees my reaction and his eyes show his mix of emotions, having heard what was talked about out-loud in my room and bathroom. Not sure if it's dawned on her yet, but I hope she stays oblivious. My eyebrows draw together, staying in my position of facing the window as I ask her something I'm a bit nervous about.

"How often do you need to feed?"

Can see her reflection in the glass as she stops moving. Her sad eyes looking toward me before away.

"Usually depends on how much energy I've expended, then the length of time of just what I fed on last."

I turn to face her, empty plate in my hands. The confusion on my face is transparent, so she explains a little awkwardly. Her own embarrassment obvious and telling.

"It's like levels. Human blood nourishes and can last me a few days when I push it, but that's also when I spend most of my time in cat form and away from people."

I nod to her, following along so far. She can go days when temptation isn't around, basically.

"Shifter blood is stronger and lasts longer than human and gives an extra 'zing'. Were-animal blood is the strongest that I know of so far, making one almost drunk if they take too much. When...an event happened, I got both Shifter and Were blood, but I didn't have that much of a drunk feeling since I was basically starved. It did, however, give a lot of energy. Not sure how long it will last me though, because I had been injured later that took a lot of energy to heal."

Alrighty then. So Were blood is the strongest, yet the one who would willingly help her, can't, because it sends me into fits. Is there anything I can help her with?

"Do you need to feed soon?"

She shakes her head slowly while looking at me.

"When I was trying to heal you, even though I had given you so much of mine - which was still full of Were and Shifter by the way - when I'd tried to close your wound with my saliva..."

She looks flustered and looks over to Asher who has his head down on his paws, watching us silently from his spot on the couch. He just blinks at her, which has her sighing.

"The amount of your blood that I had collected when sealing the edges closed was enough to equal that of an exchange."

I can feel Asher's wince in my head as he closes his eyes to keep his emotions from me. Thanks to my Silver blood enhancing my natural empathy, I can still pick up his disgust that he can't help but feel. With his past, I can't fault him for it, so I send him comfort.

His ears perk forward then back, his guilt filling my head. I turn back to my sister for her to continue, but still send him waves of warmth and my understanding of why he feels that way, letting him know that his guilt is not necessary.

"I didn't get the same amount back that I had given, but your blood is very... Tingly."

I choke on my saliva as I look at her, then start laughing.

"If you were a guy, I'd accuse you of using that as a pickup line."

She raises her shoulders and hands in a shrug as she thinks of a different way to put it.

"As your inner wolf laid it out for me, your Silver Wolf magic makes your blood more potent than anyone else's. If that weren't enough, both you and I have 'extra' magic in our blood because of our mother's bloodline. We're descended from heavy magic users."

I blink at her for a full minute. Xavier's face is contemplative while Asher's head had raised, a flicker in his eyes. The almost twin boys at the table look from me to Faline, Maii looking curious as Bastion looks confused.

I'm right there with ya buddy.

"My inner wolf told you this? Shouldn't that mean I know it too?"

She sees my confusion and continues to explain.

"It was while you had retreated and your wolf rose from the reaction to my blood. I think it would have come to you eventually. I think your wolf acts like a subconsciousness, you know what she knows and vise-versa, you just don't know that you know it."

As confusing as that sounds, it sort of makes sense. The last time I had a reaction, my emotions were so all over the place that I had sunk into the wolf, letting it take over. Like Asher had said he did for long periods of time before we met.

"Come to think of it, that's happened before that way. The last time I blacked out and came to, I 'knew' of one of my new abilities. Just an automatic knowledge that came out of nowhere."

She nods, lips lifting that I understand what she's saying and believing her. If I have to blackout each time to learn something though, that's going to put a serious crimp in things.

"The one that's a force shift though, that was learned by accident, Xavier and Benjamin being the guinea pigs for that. Weres and probably Shifters being stuck that way till they rest for awhile while Vamps only take a few minutes. By the way, Faline, tigers are freaking huge as hell."

She laughs, but I'm wholly serious. Benji had been around twelve feet long with a five-foot tail. When standing he would only be half a foot shorter than the top of her head.

Shaking my head, I throw away the paper plate, only now remembering that I forgot to ask Ava about the school thing for Bastion. Wincing, I look over at him.

"I'm sorry Imp, I forgot to ask Ava how the school thing was coming. With everything else going on, it escaped me."

He smiles and says it's no problem. Faline's coyote friend perks up at the mention of it though. Not sure how to go about this without insulting him, I call on her help in my head and breathe a silent sigh of relief when she speaks up.

"I've been working with Maii on his writing. There's not much of a school system at that place. He catches on quick and seems to enjoy doing it. Since I have no idea how to teach him anything else without having the proper materials..."

She looks to her friend and smiles at him, he returns it with shiny eyes. Good Lord, why was this kid at a whore house?

"What do you say Maii? Would you like to join Bastion? If I'm assuming this right, it's a Shifter school that Lily goes to?"

I nod my head absently as she entices him. I whisper into her head and ask just how long he was there and what he was made to do. She whispers back while smiling at him.

"He wasn't used as the others since he can't control his shifting. As for anything else, your guess is as good as mine. Not even the Mistress knows much about him I don't think. It's hard to find out anything since he doesn't speak."

A small sigh escapes me in relief that he wasn't 'available' to anyone. Looking to Bastion to judge his reaction of having someone joining him, he looks more inclined into going now than he had before. It's usually easier to go into something when someone you know is with you, so that settles that.

I smile at him, my heart swelling. How in the world was I going to explain him to my mother? Unlike other people who will accept my word that he's mine, she won't. He may look younger than he is, but even then, I don't look old enough to have a child his age.

Actually, scratch that. Anymore these days, kids are having kids left and right. He has no official papers though, which is going to make things that much harder, but Ava is also supposed to find someone to make him some.

"I'm guessing he also doesn't have any kind of identification, does he?"

"I don't think so."

We both look at him. With his confused look, I'd say it's a good assumption that he doesn't.

"I have Ava looking for someone for me to get Bastion his, I can toss Maii in there too. Have to find last names though. I don't think I've asked you yet, Bastion. Did you want to keep your mother's last name or would you be willing to take mine?"

There's no way I would make him take that man's name, but I don't want to deny him his mother either. He'd said he has no other family, so it's not like he has a name to come from. Still his choice though.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to have yours, then no one can take me from you."

I smile warmly at him.

"No one could take you from me even if you didn't have my name, Imp. My name or not, I claim you as mine. Nothing will change that."

He blushes and looks down, tears in his eyes with his relieved expression. Maii is looking back and forth between us, slight puzzlement in his face along with amazement. A hungry look in his eyes as well as from the waves coming from him lets me know he craves a family just as much as my Imp does.

"And you Maii? Do you plan on staying with us?"

I ask him, unsure of how he feels about those that were left behind at the brothel. Faline wants to go back, but does he? Watching his face, he looks conflicted as he looks from my sister to Bastion. She reads his mixed emotions and speaks up.

"I'll be going back and forth from here to the bordello. This can be your home, Maii. I don't want you at that place. You're too good to be there. I know you like to follow me around, and you can do so all you want when I'm here, but please, don't go back there."

He still looks a little conflicted, but bows to her wishes with a slight nod. I offer my hand out to him, hoping he won't drop to his knees again. He looks at my hand as if choosing it will lose him Faline. I smile at him.

"Don't worry Maii, if I have to I will go there myself and drag her back here so we can spend time with her. I just got her back, I don't intend to give her up to that place. This is her home, and both she and I are opening our home to you."

He looks overwhelmed, yet when I pull my hand back, he starts to panic.

"Maii, it's okay. It's a big choice, so if you need time, you'll have it. I won't force you to do something you don't want."

He shakes his head, actually reaching out for my hand, nervously, but he makes the move. She and I both smile at him as I take his hand. He blushes profusely. I bring around my other hand to pat his within mine.

"Is there a specific name you want?"

Looking around at all the people in the house who give him a small nod, he points to Bastion, then to Faline, and finally me. Smiling, I incline my head. Asking what happened with my phone, she points to it on the counter.

Releasing the boy's hand, I head for it and send Ava a text asking if she's still awake. While waiting for a reply, Asher scratches at the door. Rubbing his ears while I open the door, he heads out.