Maria paced the length of the library, stopping occasionally to straighten books that needed no straightening or to adjust the curtains that were already perfectly arranged. Her hands couldn't seem to stay still.

  "You're going to wear a path in the carpet," Gabriel observed from the doorway, his voice gentle with understanding.

  Maria turned to him, her eyes wide with anxiety. "What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them? What if—"

  "Maria," Gabriel interrupted softly, "they've been asking about you for years. They've traveled very far just to meet you."

  It had been three days since Nara's revetion about Maria's true nature and the existence of her parents. Three days of questions, confusion, and finally, a decision. She wanted to meet her parents, but the thought of leaving Gabriel's territory—the only pce she'd ever felt safe—was too frightening. Gabriel had suggested a solution.

  "Are you sure the Archduke approved this?" Maria asked for perhaps the tenth time that morning.

  "Yes," Gabriel assured her patiently. "I received the official documentation yesterday. Archduke Lucius has granted temporary travel permissions for your parents to visit this territory."

  Maria nodded, trying to calm her racing heart. In the past three days, she had learned more about wereanimals from Nara than she had ever imagined possible. She now understood that her monthly transformations were natural, not punishment. She knew that wereanimals came in different "strains" based on the animal—wolf, bear, feline, and others. She had even begun to accept that somewhere inside her was a wolf spirit, though she still couldn't remember her transformations clearly.

  But meeting her parents—that was different. That was real in a way that theoretical knowledge could never be.

  "Baron Cassian's escort should arrive within the hour," Gabriel said, checking the ornate clock on the mantelpiece. "Would you like me to stay with you when they arrive, or would you prefer privacy?"

  Maria's eyes widened in arm. "Stay. Please."

  Gabriel nodded. "Of course."

  Maria resumed her pacing, her mind filled with questions. What would her parents look like? Would she resemble them? What would they expect from her? Would they be disappointed that she knew nothing about being a wereanimal?

  "What are their names?" she asked suddenly, realizing she didn't even know this most basic information.

  "Thomas and Sarah," Gabriel replied. "According to Baron Cassian's letter, they've been living in his territory for about eighteen years—since just after you were born."

  Eighteen years. Maria had been in the blood farm for eighteen years, not knowing she had parents who were alive, not understanding why she transformed each month, believing herself cursed by the Light for sins she couldn't remember committing.

  The sound of carriage wheels on gravel interrupted her thoughts. Maria froze, her eyes darting to the window.

  "They're here," Gabriel said unnecessarily.

  Maria swallowed hard, her hands gripping the back of a chair. "I don't think I can do this."

  Gabriel approached her but maintained a respectful distance. "You can. But remember, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. If you need to leave at any point, simply say so, and I'll make your excuses."

  Maria nodded gratefully. In the six months she had been at Gabriel's estate, he had never forced her to do anything against her will. It was one of the many reasons she had come to trust him.

  They moved to the entrance hall together, Maria walking slightly behind Gabriel, using his tall frame as a shield between herself and the unknown. From this position, she heard the formal greetings between Gabriel and the visitors, the rustle of cloaks being removed, the murmur of voices arranging for the escort to be shown to the servants' quarters for refreshment.

  And then silence, as if everyone was holding their breath.

  "Maria?" Gabriel called softly. "Would you like to come forward?"

  She forced herself to move, stepping out from behind Gabriel to face the visitors.

  A man and woman stood in the entrance hall, both appearing to be in their te thirties or early forties. The man was tall and broad-shouldered with dark hair streaked with gray at the temples. The woman was shorter with the same auburn hair as Maria, though hers was pulled back in a simple braid. Both had the same unusual amber eyes that Maria had noticed in Nara—eyes that Maria had seen in the mirror but never understood the significance of until now.

  For a long moment, no one spoke. The woman—Sarah—had her hand pressed to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. The man—Thomas—stood completely still, as if afraid any movement might make Maria disappear.

  "You look just like your mother," Thomas finally said, his voice rough with emotion.

  Maria didn't know how to respond. These strangers were her parents, but she felt no immediate connection, no rush of recognition or belonging. They were simply people who happened to share her blood.

  "Would you like to sit in the drawing room?" Gabriel suggested, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I've arranged for tea."

  The suggestion of a familiar routine seemed to ease the tension. They followed Gabriel to the drawing room, where a tea service had been prepared. Maria sat on the sofa, and after a moment's hesitation, her parents sat across from her. Gabriel took a chair slightly to the side, present but giving them space.

  "You've grown so beautiful," Sarah said, wiping away a tear. "The st time we saw you, you were just a tiny baby."

  "I don't remember," Maria said, her voice smaller than she intended.

  "You wouldn't," Thomas said gently. "You were only hours old when they took you away."

  An awkward silence fell. Maria had so many questions, but now that her parents were here, she couldn't seem to form them into words.

  Gabriel came to her rescue. "Perhaps you could tell Maria about yourselves," he suggested. "She's only recently learned about wereanimals. I'm sure she has many questions but might not know where to begin."

  Thomas nodded gratefully. "Well, we're both wolf-strain wereanimals. I was turned during the early outbreak—bitten by a wolf that had previously attacked a newly-turned vampire. Sarah was turned in a simir way, just a few months after the outbreak began."

  "Turned?" Maria asked, tching onto this detail.

  "Yes," Sarah expined. "When the vampire virus first spread, some of the newly-turned vampires fled to the wilderness. Some were bitten by wild animals—wolves, bears, rge cats. Those animals then bit humans, and the mixture of vampire blood and animal saliva in their systems created wereanimals. That's how most of the first wereanimals came to be."

  "But you..." Thomas added, looking at Maria with wonder, "you're among the first generation of born wereanimals. We discovered some years after the outbreak that wereanimals could have children, and those children are born with the ability to shift."

  "Is that... normal? For wereanimals to have children?" Maria asked.

  "Quite rare," Thomas expined. "We reproduce like humans in theory, but there are fewer of us, and very few pairings result in pregnancy. Many wereanimals can't have children at all."

  "It's nature's bance," Sarah added. "Since we don't age normally after transformation—our bodies either stop aging or actually revert to their prime physical state—we could potentially live much longer than humans. The difficulty in reproduction keeps our numbers in check."

  "Like vampires," Gabriel added quietly. "They can reproduce, but it happens rarely. It's part of the bance between our immortality and our numbers."

  Thomas nodded. "Exactly. Each supernatural species has its limitations. We're all long-lived compared to humans, but the trade-off is that we rarely bring new life into the world."

  "We were overjoyed when we learned we were expecting you," Sarah added softly. "It was the one bright spot in our captivity."

  Maria fidgeted with her teacup, uncomfortable with the emotion in her mother's voice. "Baron Cassian's territory—is it... are you well treated there?"

  Her parents exchanged gnces. "Baron Cassian is different from most vampire nobles," Thomas said carefully. "We're not exactly free, but we're not treated as pets or resources either. We have our own community within his territory. We work, but we're paid for our bor. We have homes of our own."

  _*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5" style="border:0px solid">Maria considered this. Her experience in Cassian's territory had been brief and confused, colored by her belief that the wereanimals there were cursed humans in denial. She hadn't understood anything about the community they described.

  "When did you learn I was alive?" she asked.

  "We always knew," Thomas said. "When Lord Constantine decided we were 'unfit pets' and sent us to Baron Cassian's territory under Archduke Lucius's w, we had to leave you behind. You were still his property, and until he decided you were 'unfit' as well, no w could take you from him."

  "When we arrived in Baron Cassian's territory, one of our first requests was for help finding you," Sarah expined. "All of Archduke Lucius's 'pets' live in Cassian's territory, with Cassian being responsible for us. He and Nara have been making inquiries for years, but as long as Lord Constantine considered you his property, there was nothing they could do."

  Maria stared into her teacup, trying to absorb this. For years, her parents had been searching for her while she had no idea they existed. The unfairness of it made her hands shake.

  "Lord Constantine," she said, her voice tight with anger. "The vampire who sent me to the blood farm and then to Cassian's territory. What is he like?"

  Her parents exchanged another gnce, this one darker. "Cruel," Thomas said simply. "He collects rare specimens like they're objects. When he decides something no longer amuses him, he discards it without thought."

  "He's powerful," Sarah added. "Has connections with many high-ranking nobles. He follows Archduke Lucius's ws technically, but always finds ways to do exactly as he pleases."

  Maria wasn't sure how to feel about that. She had never known the name of the vampire who had separated her from her parents and condemned her to the blood farm. Should she be gd he was dead? Should she be angry that she would never have the chance to confront him? Mostly, she felt numb.

  Maria nodded, trying to process this information. After a moment, she asked, "What is it like? Being a wereanimal?"

  Sarah smiled gently. "It's a dual existence. In human form, you have all your human thoughts but with enhanced senses—better hearing, sharper smell, keener sight. You're stronger than an ordinary human. Your instincts are more... immediate."

  "And in wolf form?" Maria asked, unable to hide her curiosity despite her lingering fears.

  "In wolf form, everything is more vivid," Thomas expined. "Scents tell stories that words never could. Sounds have yers of meaning. You feel connected to the earth, to the moon, to other wolves in a way that's difficult to describe in human nguage."

  "And you're... aware? During the transformation? You remember it?" Maria asked.

  "Yes," Sarah confirmed. "It takes practice, but you maintain your human consciousness even in wolf form. In human form, you have your rational mind but with wolf instincts. In wolf form, you have primarily wolf instincts but your human consciousness remains aware and present."

  Thomas nodded. "Your body changes, but your mind stays. You'll experience everything through wolf senses, but you'll still be you, still thinking with your human mind, even as the wolf instincts become stronger."

  Maria tried to imagine this—being able to remember what happened during her transformations, being able to control when they occurred, not having to lock herself away and lose herself to the darkness.

  "Can you teach me?" The question came out without conscious thought.

  Her parents exchanged a worried gnce. Sarah leaned forward, her expression gentle but concerned.

  "Maria, your situation is... unusual," she said carefully. "Most wereanimals either grew up knowing what they were, or if they were turned, they had guidance immediately after."

  Thomas nodded. "You've spent your entire life believing your transformations were a curse to be feared. That kind of trauma doesn't simply disappear with a few lessons."

  "What do you mean?" Maria asked, suddenly defensive.

  "The way you've survived," Sarah expined softly, "by disconnecting from your wolf nature, by not remembering your transformations - that's a protective response to trauma. Learning to connect with your wolf side isn't just about physical techniques. It's about healing the mind first."

  "Before you can learn to control the transformations," Thomas added, "you need to feel safe experiencing them. You need to address all the feelings you've repressed - the anger, the rage, all of it. That requires professional help from someone trained in understanding the mind."

  Maria felt tears threatening again. "So I'm broken? Even as a wereanimal?"

  "No," Sarah said firmly, reaching across the table though she stopped short of touching Maria. "You're a survivor. You found ways to protect yourself in an impossible situation. Now you just need proper psychological care."

  "Baron Cassian's territory has Dr. Eliana," Thomas said. "She was human before the outbreak, a psychologist who specialized in trauma. After she was turned into a wereanimal, she continued her work, adapting her knowledge to help wereanimals with psychological wounds. She's helped many who've experienced trauma like yours."

  "She understands both the human mind and wereanimal nature," Sarah added. "She could help you safely process your feelings and memories without triggering more trauma."

  Maria looked down at her hands. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

  "That's perfectly all right," Sarah assured her. "There's no timeline for healing. We just want you to know that proper help exists, whenever you might want it."

  As the conversation continued, Maria gradually rexed. Her parents didn't press her for affection or make demands she couldn't meet. They answered her questions patiently, sharing stories of wereanimal life in Cassian's territory, expining aspects of wereanimal biology she had never understood.

  They told her about their pack—a small community of wolf-strain wereanimals who lived and worked together. They described the forests where they ran during full moons, the joy of the wolf's heightened senses, the freedom of movement in animal form.

  "We have a pce for you," Sarah said tentatively, "if you ever want to visit. Not to stay," she added hastily, seeing Maria's expression. "Just to see where we live, to meet others like yourself."

  Maria nodded, not committing but not refusing either. The idea was both terrifying and strangely appealing.

  As the afternoon wore on, Maria found herself studying her parents, looking for simirities. She had her mother's hair and facial structure, her father's height and build. She had inherited their amber eyes—a wereanimal trait, she now understood. She tried to imagine herself running through the forest with them, part of a family, part of a pack.

  But when Thomas suggested they might show her how to begin accessing her wolf consciousness, Maria tensed again.

  "Not yet," she said firmly. "I'm not ready."

  "Of course," Sarah said quickly. "There's no rush. It took me years to fully integrate my wolf nature, and I grew up understanding what I was."

  Gabriel, sensing Maria's discomfort, smoothly suggested that perhaps they'd like to see the gardens before dark. As they walked through the carefully tended grounds, Maria found herself walking between her parents, not quite comfortable but not as anxious as before.

  They paused by a small ornamental pond where golden fish swam zily through the clear water. Thomas pointed out how their wereanimal senses could detect the movements of the fish even before they were visible—an example of the heightened awareness that came with accepting their dual nature.

  "Do you like it here?" Sarah asked suddenly, gesturing to the estate around them. "With the Viscount?"

  Maria considered the question. "Yes," she said honestly. "Father Gabriel has been kind. He's teaching me to read, to understand the world outside the blood farms. He never makes me feel... wrong."

  Her parents exchanged gnces again, something unspoken passing between them.

  "We're gd," Thomas said finally. "We worried what might have happened to you all these years. To know you're safe, that you're learning, that you're treated with respect—it's more than we dared hope."

  As twilight approached, the visit drew to a close. Baron Cassian's escort would need to depart before full dark to maintain their travel schedule.

  Standing in the entrance hall for their goodbyes, Maria felt a strange mixture of relief and regret. She was exhausted from the emotional strain of the day, yet oddly reluctant to see these strangers—her parents—leave.

  "May we visit again?" Sarah asked, her voice carefully neutral though hope shone in her eyes.

  Maria looked to Gabriel, who nodded almost imperceptibly, leaving the decision to her.

  "Yes," Maria said. "I would like that."

  Sarah moved as if to embrace her, then stopped herself, respecting Maria's boundaries. "We'll bring some books next time," she said instead. "Stories about wereanimal history. Since you're learning to read."

  "Thank you," Maria replied, touched by the thoughtfulness of the offer.

  Thomas cleared his throat, clearly emotional. "Until next time, then."

  As they turned to leave, Maria surprised herself by stepping forward. "Wait."

  Her parents turned back, hope evident in their expressions.

  "I don't remember you," Maria said carefully. "I don't feel... what I think a daughter should feel. Not yet. But I want to learn. About you. About what I am. If you can be patient."

  "We've waited eighteen years to find you," Thomas said, his voice rough. "We can be as patient as you need."

  After they had departed, Maria stood at the window watching the carriage disappear down the long drive. Gabriel joined her, maintaining a respectful distance.

  "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

  "I don't know," Maria answered honestly. "They seem... kind. But they're strangers to me."

  "They can become family in time, if you wish it," Gabriel said. "Or they can simply be teachers, helping you understand your nature. The choice is yours."

  Maria considered this as she watched the carriage turn onto the main road and disappear from view. "I think... I'd like them to be both, someday. But not yet."

  Gabriel nodded, understanding as always.

  "Father Gabriel?" Maria said, still looking out the window.

  "Yes?"

  "Thank you for arranging this. For letting them come here, where I feel safe."

  Gabriel smiled, a rare expression that softened his usually solemn features. "You're welcome, Maria. This is your home for as long as you wish it to be."

  Home. The word settled in Maria's mind, unfamiliar but welcome. She had never had a home before—only pces she was kept. The blood farm had been a prison, Cassian's territory a brief and confusing way station. But here, in this vampire's house, she had found something she had never expected: a pce where she belonged.

  And now, perhaps, people she might someday belong with as well.

  As the st light of day faded from the sky, Maria watched the first stars appear. Somewhere inside her, the wolf stirred, sensing the approach of night. For the first time, instead of fear and shame, Maria felt a flicker of curiosity.

  Perhaps, someday soon, she would be ready to meet that part of herself too.