Extra A Childs Infatuation
Aegis had known who Sylvia Lake was far longer than she remembered. Maybe she had forgotten… but he hadn’t.?
The first time Aegis ever saw her, they were playing in a playground. A boy- he never remembered who- was going around, pushing kids into the sand, his parents doing nothing to stop it. “Boys will be boys,” the dad said, as if pleased that his child was terrorizing everyone else’s.
Aegis had only walked away for a moment, intending to grab some toys for Jade, when she became the next target. He heard her cry out, but just as his righteous, brotherly rage threatened to overwhelm him, he turned to see a young girl already stomping her way over to them, eyes blazing, red hair like fire in the sunlight.
“Stop pushing people!” She said, planting her tiny feet in between the boy and the crying Jade, the latter of which was now covered in sand.
“Who’s gonna make me?” The boy taunted.
“Me,” the girl taunted back, just before shoving him hard.
He went rolling backwards, apparently never guessing that anyone- let alone a girl half his size- would ever fight back. He rolled until he crashed straight into one of those huge metal poles holding up the playset, and then burst into tears.
All of a sudden, his parents were rushing onto the sand, shouting at the poor girl who had finally stood up to a menace no one seemed willing to actually parent. She cowered in surprise and fear, and Aegis rushed over.
“Back off!” He snarled, non-existent hackles raising. The parents looked stunned, because even as a child, Aegis had had that aura. “If he can’t take what he’s dishing out, he can leave!”
“He didn’t hurt anyone,” the boy’s father argued. Literally, arguing with an actual child. “This is not the same!”
“I’m sorry, is there a problem?”
They looked up to see the Luna of the Black Lake pack, Leanne Black, walking up to them.
She was the most elegant, stately woman Aegis would ever know. Tall, stern, yet loving, she was everyone’s mother. Her black hair fell past her shoulders, eyes glowing green, for she didn’t share her childrens’ amber color. That was their father’s.
“This little goblin pushed my son,” the boy’s mother wailed, pointing at her. “Is she your daughter? You’re raising a psychopath!”
“He was pushing everyone else!” The girl protested, panicked. “He pushed this girl, and she’s so nice, and she got sand in her eyes, and now she’s sad and crying!”
“Yes,” Luna Leanne said, nodding. She looked up at the parents, lantern emerald eyes narrowing. “That is my daughter. The one he just pushed.”
The man grew uncomfortable. “And? He didn’t hurt her! Not like this!”
“I have watched you both for some time, young man,” Aegis’s mother said, drawing herself up. “I am disappointed in you. Your child is not a victim in this scenario, and neither are you. How your child acts is a reflection of your parenting; if you allow him to bully others, do not be surprised when his victims eventually fight back.” She placed a hand on the fiery redhead’s shoulder, whose eyes had lit up in delighted relief. “I am proud to have young people like this in our pack.”
“I told you living with werewolves was a mistake,” the strange mother said to her husband, carrying her son as if he’d been deathly injured.
“Then leave,” Aegis said. “No one asked you to come into our home.”
“And this is acceptable behavior?” The father retorted to Aegis’s mother. “A boy who doesn’t know when to hold his tongue?”
“As the son of the pack’s Alpha, I would be more disappointed if he did nothing.” This voice was Aegis’s father, the strongest man in the whole world, broad shouldered and powerful and untouchable. He strode into the fray looking angry and displeased, and instantly, everyone responded, crouching slightly as if to remove themselves from his wrath. “Get out of here. You’re no longer welcome.” And boy, did they leave.
“My dear,” Leanne said, kneeling down to smile at the redheaded girl and simultaneously dismissing the other two parents. Alpha Graham picked up his daughter, smoothing her tear stained cheeks and giving her one of his rare, soft smiles. “What is your name?”
“Sylvia Lake,” she said shyly. “You’re the Luna.”
“Yes, sweetheart, I am.”
“I’m not a werewolf. I’m not part of your pack,” Sylvia said, turning a little pink.
But Aegis’s mother just smiled. “We consider all who live in our territory to be our people. We aren’t so cruel to ignore those in need, just because they aren’t like us.”
“My mama said you and the Alpha were the reason we decided to settle here,” Sylvia said. “She and Daddy like the way you talk. They said we had nowhere and no one else.”
“Too common in this world,” Leanne said, touching Sylvia’s cheek. “If ever you need anyone, you can always come to us. You’re part of the pack, Sylvia, my dear.”
Aegis watched Sylvia’s eyes brighten as she beamed up at the Luna, her hair like sunlight. He didn’t know how to express the feeling in his chest, that she was somehow the most interesting thing he had ever seen… and he found he could never stop noticing her, wherever he was, even if he didn’t speak to her for a very long time.
It was not the last interaction Aegis had with the girl- with Sylvia- but it was the first, and he never forgot it.