My Atypical Wolf

"Hey mom, is everything alright"? Caleb asked, concerned.

"Yeah, you got a minute?" Mrs Wrisberg asked. Caleb and Ashton exchanged glances before Caleb nodded. "I wanted to give you this". Smiled Mrs Wrisberg. It was a small box, with a little dust on either side of it, signifying that it had been stagnant for a while. Caleb opened it, to find a small pendant with a locket that had a symbol of a silver moon where half of the moon was set on silver white flames. Caleb stared at the symbol for a solid ten seconds before he narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze to his mother.

"What is this"? Caleb asked suspiciously. That was heck of an odd symbol. 

"This is an heirloom." Mrs Wrisberg declared with a poignant smile. My grandmother got it for me, who got it from her parents." She smiled, reminiscing fondly. "I have had it long enough, I want you to have it."

"Wait a second, are you giving this to me because you don't have a daughter? And I am somehow closest to one"? Caleb asked suspiciously, not quite thrilled with the idea himself.

"Oh God no!" Mrs Wrisberg let out a disgusted huff. "You are my son, and that's why I am giving it to you. I just… I feel like you and I have had our disagreements in the past. I often didn't treat you the way you wanted to be, but I treated you how I thought you should be treated. I was wrong." She paused for a minute. 

"Don't worry about all that, it was a long time ago". Caleb insisted. 

"So you are not still pissed"? Mrs Wrisberg smirked suggestively.

"You know what, I really want to be pissed. But guess what, I can't." Caleb chuckled. "I am a parent now, and in a weird way I understand your intentions. You just did what you thought would be good for me, because you wanted to keep me safe." Caleb mused.

"Looks like my son has matured a lot". Mrs Wrisberg remarked playfully.

"Well, I can't be a rebellious teenager forever," Caleb shrugged playfully. 

"That stuff is all in the past now, and I would like to keep it there." Mrs Wrisberg added 

Caleb smiled at his mom, "So would I." Caleb nodded. "And thanks for this one, I guess".

"It's nothing" Mrs Wrisberg patted Caleb's arm. "I am proud of you son." She added.

An involuntary smile appeared on Caleb's face. "So, does this pendant mean anything?" He asked.

"Yeah" Mrs Wrisberg nodded. "It ties up with one of our ancient forgotten folklore. You want to know"? Caleb nodded at his mother's question which led Mrs Wrisberg to recount her tale.

"This story is an ancient one, retold many times long ago. It was a time before there was science, before we could shift at will. It was a time when the full moon triggered our shifts into the wolf form, causing us to ascend into madness. When silver made us vulnerable. All those legends that are part of the human folklore, they way they know wolves now.

They believed the full moon was bright because it's other half, that was invisible to us, was burning, and as a blessing we were subjugated to similar pain for our transformation. That it made us one with the moon goddess."

"How can pain be a blessing"? Caleb frowned. He recalled his extremely painful heats and winced at the thought. 

"Pain teaches us humility. That we are not invincible creatures, not beyond destruction." Mrs Wrisberg sighed. "Besides, you can't say that you have never enjoyed any of your heat". She smirked. Seeing Caleb frown her gaze shifted to Ashton, and soon both their faces turned pink as a peach.

"Mom"! Caleb screamed, almost reaching a high pitch. "This locket, it's the moon fire". Caleb whispered after a whole minute of embarrassing silence.

"Wait you knew about this"? Mrs Wrisberg wondered.

"I remember grandma once telling us this story, I didn't know that this was the symbol for it". Caleb affirmed. 

"Well, I should get going, big day tomorrow. Get some rest" Mrs Wrisberg patted Caleb's arm. "I understand you are moving out" She spoke turning to Ashton, "And that Caleb and Connor might accompany you."

"Yes, ma'am". Ashton gulped at the woman. 

Mrs Wrisberg chuckled at being referred to as a ma'am, so he intervened, "Make that, Mom. As Caleb's mate you should call me Mom". Mrs Wrisberg suggested. "Both of you, don't forget to visit very often."

"Yes… Mom" Ashton nodded awkwardly while Caleb tried his best to hold his laughter at his flustered face. 

Mrs Wrisberg on the other hand offered both of them with a gentle smile. "Good night." She declared and headed for the door.

"Good night," Caleb shouted back and soon, his mother was out of the door. There was a moment of tranquility until Ashton prompted. 

"Caleb, will you marry me"? Ashton blurted.

Holding out his hand, where the ring glistened, Caleb sighed, "I think I already answered that question".

"I meant soon. I don't want to wait much longer." Ashton clarified. 

"What changed your mind? I know you have been avoiding it". Caleb smirked.

"I haven't been avoiding it"! Ashton argued with a little bit higher than normal pitch. "I just… I was trying to be careful. I want to be with you, marry you, have a family with you, nothing can ever change that. But, I have been anxious ever since Alvaro told me that being with me puts you and everyone in danger." Ashton admitted. 

"And the danger is gone"? Caleb scoffed sarcastically.

"No". Ashton sighed. "But…"Ashton struggled to form the sentences. "Every time I have pushed you away, I have hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally. I have hurt myself. Maybe there are dangers to being together, but… what's the point of being apart if we're just both miserable?" Ashton asked.

"Looks like you are growing up" Caleb chuckled. 

"Well… I was due" Ashton shrugged, referring to his still aging for the past eight years he had been gone. Caleb chuckled along and after a moment of little laughter, Caleb neared his mate and snaked his hands onto the nape of his mate's neck. "Ashton Parker" Caleb took a deep breath. "Let's get married".. He smiled.