Pure Moonlight (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, I'm sure he'll wear us out. There's no doubt about that, but this feels very right." Selena said with a grin as Kreston sat down next to her. "And Luna and Ruben seem to like him as well. That's very important."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I didn't doubt they would, but I was worried Mako would be shy of Ruben and Jan if anything." Kreston reached out to brush Mako's fur back soothingly as the cub shifted to get more comfortable. He was completely secure and carefree in Selena's arms. "I think it's fairly clear he adores you most of all," Kreston added softly.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena smiled at that comment and continued to rock her little cub for a long while. A week later, she found herself in the circle of kings again with Mako playing in the fallen leaves while she and Ruben had a quiet talk next to Tamblin's resting spot.

"Thanks for coming today." She murmured to her son softly. "I brought you here for a reason. I would like to tell you about your grandfather."

 

[KieranSoares]

"About Tamblin?" Ruben asked quietly. "Why all of a sudden?" He had never known much about the man, and had never asked.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because it's time, love." Selena said as she looked over at Ruben. "I'm tired of hating him. So, I want to tell you the story, Ruben Tamblin Maliar."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ruben's ears folded back ever so slightly in surprise, but he said nothing more as he knew he was in for the story that would tell him just what had shaped his mother into the woman he knew, and it would give him an insight to the shaping of his aunt and uncles and grandmother.

 

[heartofcourage]

"When I was around Mako's age, my father loved me. He was a man just like your father, quiet and loving. He had demons though. Shadows that haunted him from the moment he woke in the morning until he rested his head at night. He tried to make it all go away with alcohol but it just made him angry." Selena said softly as she held Ruben's hand in her own. "He would lash out when he was mad. He struck me and your Uncle Durban more times than I can count, but if he was focused on us, that meant he wasn't focused on the little ones."

She let out a sigh as she thought about those painful memories. It was a long time ago, but she still had nightmares and scars. They would never go away, as long as she lived.

"I would hope every single night that he might wake up the next morning and be back to the man that loved us. It didn't happen until the bitter end." She said.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Gran always insists he was a good man under it all," Ruben murmured, "just scared of the world. And someone exploited that fear. Colton, wasn't it? The man Sarah Monaghan and Uncle Durban hunted down."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Yes. That's why I left home. He tried to make me marry one of Colton's men. I was too young and too scared to even consider it, so Ghell helped me to run away. He was almost killed himself during my escape." She said softly as she glanced towards Ruben. "I moved to that little cabin and I met your father. Nearly a year after I left home, I was expecting you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What was he like when he wasn't crazy...?" Ruben asked quietly. "What did he do? Gran said he had his moments... Even after she had Valentina, he still had moments where he'd pick family over everything else. Especially Gran herself. He always loved her, didn't he?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He did love your Gran very much. Too much at times. He treated her like something that could be owned rather than a person." Selena said softly. "Your Gran was torn over staying and caring for him or finding love with your Papa. I had never seen her so happy as she was with Vincenzo. She was a bright star around him. Da made her dim."

"Tamblin was a quiet man. He would watch us all when he was in a good mood, not saying much. It was like he was studying us, trying to figure out how we were so happy when he was so miserable." Selena reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver bracelet that he had given her on her first birthday. He had kept his solemn promise to have the chain lengthened as she grew as long as she took care of it. "I always thought I would give this to Luna when the time was right, but I have a hard time parting with it. It was the only thing that he gave me that he gave me out of love."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then never give it up," Ruben encouraged quietly. "He must've loved you... Maybe too much to show. I know I can't even fathom what he was like, but once you love someone, that love never really goes away. I don't think he was a monster... But some things made him look like it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know that now, love." Selena said softly as she looked at Ruben. "I know that fear can make you do some awful things."

She was about to say more when Mako scampered in front of them and let out a little roar. He was so excited he was panting, his giggles contagious as he ran back off into the leaves with energy that only a little cub could possess.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ruben gave the cub a smile and chuckled. "But now you have him, Ma. And even though there's still plenty to be afraid of... There's so much more to be happy about." With that, he joined in Mako's game and caught the boy.

 

[heartofcourage]

Make squealed as Ruben caught him, his laughter filling the quiet spot with much needed cheer. Selena smiled as he struggled in his brother's arms, finally looking at her with that pitiful glance that only a cub who was outnumbered could have.

"Mama!" Mako called, his little hands reaching out for her to save him.

"That is between you and your brother, little cub." She answered with a smile.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ruben laughed and brought Mako to Selena, letting him down so he could cling to her side and hide. "Never say I wasn't nice to you," Ruben told him with a smile before Mako scampered off when he saw Kreston coming to continue their little game of chase. Kreston slowed only a moment to spare a kiss for his mate, before making a beeline after the cub.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena laughed softly as Kreston appeared and kissed her before running after Mako. "I think your Dad is more in love with that cub than I am."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I doubt it, he's just got a different kind of love. You've always been our anchor while Dad's been more energetic. He's the fun one," Ruben teased his mother with a grin.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Hey, I could be fun when I had to be." Selena said with a grin as she hugged her son tightly around the waist. "You just grew up too quickly. You didn't need your Ma so much the bigger you got."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I always needed you. If anything, I need you even more now. Just for different reasons." Ruben kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her. "Just because I'm not a little boy anymore, it doesn't mean I need my Ma any less."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And with a cub on the way I'm sure that you'll be running home every opportunity you get. You have no idea how your life is going to change with a little one to occupy your time." Selena said as Ruben hugged her tightly. "You just take care of Telma in the mean time. She'll need your support now more than ever."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Always. I didn't wait this long and try this hard to be with her for me to just mess around at her expense. I'm not grandpa," Ruben laughed. Of course Volgo was completely faithful to Dayja, but that didn't stop him from teasing her by pretending to flirt with younger women and prodding at her all the time.

 

[heartofcourage]

"No, you're a good mate." Selena said with a smile at her son. "I'm very proud of you, Ruben. Very, very proud of the man that you've become."

 

[KieranSoares]

"So you're not mad anymore about hiding it for so long?" He asked with a grin. He'd always liked to tease her since he came of age and had started making his own way.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll always be slightly upset that you hid your mate from us for so long, Ruben. However, I think in time I'll find it in my heart to forgive you." Selena said with a smile as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Especially when I get to hold that little cub for the first time."