A Werewolf’s Seduction - Chapter 74

The grand capital city of Faria was a huge bustling cosmopolitan jammed pack full of people and buildings. The red clay roofs capped with white snow atop the pale creamy stucco walls of homes and buildings stretched out for miles and miles.

The train pulled into the station and sighed, as it slowly stopped moving.

Talia and Devin had been glued to the window staring out and ooh-ing and aah-ing the entire time while the two men sat on the sofa beside them drinking cognac with bored expressions on their faces.

“Maaaamaaa. What’s that?” Devin pointed to a structure in front of them.

“That’s a church steeple, Love.” She responded.

“No. That thing.” He pointed to a statue clinging to the side of the steeple.

Talia focused her eyes on the ‘thing’ that Devin was pointing at.

“Oh that. It’s called a grotesque.”

“Gro—grotess? What’s a grotess?”

“Grotesques are those statues on top of large buildings that are used as gargoyles.”

“Gar—gargoy? What’s that?” Devin scratched his head.

“A gargoyle is a waterspout that helps rainwater flow away from a building’s walls so the building doesn’t get damaged.” She smiled at the whimsical gargoyles on the buildings.

“So ugly.” Devin wrinkled is nose.

Talia laughed. “Haha. I have no idea why they make them so ugly.”

“It’s to give the real gargoyles a bit of camouflage.” Vander chuckled.

“Real gargoy?” Devin’s eyes widened.

“Yes. They like to hang on top of the rafters and the roofs. They fly up there and keep watch over the entire city. Then they report what they see to their overseers.”

Devin’s eyes grew even more rounded as he stared out at the architecture of Faria.

Talia frowned at Vander. She wanted to tell him not to make up falsehoods to tell Devin because he was at the age when he took everything the adults around him on faith that it was real.

He smiled at Talia, as if sensing her thoughts.

“I happen to know a few of their overseers. I could introduce you to them if you wish.”

Talia turned away. “No thank you.”

“As you wish.” Vander smirked.

Cedric finished his cognac and stood up.

“Almost ready to go?” He came and stood next to Talia and Devin.

“Look at all the lights!” Talia breathed. “It’s mid-winter, there’s snow everywhere, and the people are all outside, walking around. There are lights everywhere!”

“That’s because today is a holiday for them. It’s the Midwinter Festival of the Lights. They go around to all the houses, singing songs and wishing cheer and joy and adding to the light within and around them.”

“Oh that is so wonderful! I love this holiday!”

“There is also a practical aspect of this. It is mid-winter. It also allows them to check on their neighbors to make sure everyone is doing well.”

“Wow!” Devin breathed on the glass, fogging up his little viewing area.

“There is also a tradition of gift-giving.” Cedric’s voice murmured into her ear. “Everyone gets a little something, even if it’s just a small little something.”

Talia sighed. “Everything we have burned with the railcar fire. I don’t have anything to give anyone even if I wanted to.”

She felt Cedric’s hand on her head. “Your greatest gift has been the gift of your time. You have been caring for me and Devin all this time. What more could we ask for?”

“Still…” she pursed her lips. What was a holiday without a gift, especially for little Devin.

She felt his cheek pressing up against her head.

“Talia.” He murmured.

“Hmm?” She turned to him.

Cedric leaned down and devoured her lips with a passionate kiss in full view of the entire street below them.

Once he was satisfied that he had thoroughly kissed her, he lifted his head.

“All I have to give you at the moment is a kiss, but be patient, my Love. You will have it all.”

Devin turned to Talia.

“Maaamaaa. Kiss gift.” He reached up for her.

Talia smiled and leaned down to accept a wet slobbery kiss from Devin as well.

“Stay here,” Cedric rubbed her head. “I have to go talk to my brother. I will be right back.”

Cedric stepped off the railcar and made his way to Evelyn’s railcar where he knew his brother would be.

Once Cedric left the railcar, it was just Talia, Devin, and Vander.

He finished his cognac, placed the glass on the table, and slowly made his way to the sofa where they were kneeling on to look outside the window.

“Where is my kiss-gift, eh?” He chuckled.

Devin turned to him with his arms outstretched.

Vander picked him up and was rewarded with the same sloppy wet kiss he had given Talia earlier.

“Thank you, little Nephew. In return, I have a gift for you.” He pulled out from his breast pocket a thin gold band.

“Is he right-handed or left-handed?” He asked Talia.

“Devin is right-handed.”

He slipped the band over Devin’s left hand and it instantly shrank down to the size of Devin’s wrist.

The little boy looked at it with large eyes.

“Uncle Van gift?”

Vander nodded. “Yes. You gave me a holiday kiss-gift so it’s my turn to give you a holiday gift.”

Devin grinned and gave his uncle a hug of thanks.

Vander smiled and turned to her.

“Where is my kiss-gift, Talia?”

She turned to him. It was the holiday season after all, and she had nothing to give him.

Talia leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Vander laughed. “Is that all I get?”

“Yes.” She responded without hesitation.

He sighed with a grin. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

He reached out and grabbed her left hand. With a quick motion, he had placed another band around her wrist. In seconds, it had shrunk to the size of her wrist.

Talia looked down at her hand. The band was identical to the one that he had placed around Devin’s wrist, only it was a wider gold band.

“What…”

“These are tracker bands.” Vander touched the band on her wrist. “If you or Devin are ever lost or kidnapped, I will be able to find you, no matter where you go.”

“But aren’t you able to smell…”

“I haven’t marked you yet, Talia. And Devin’s scent is very faint. All it would take is a good rainstorm and it would be impossible for me to track him down.”

He held her wrist up and pressed a kiss onto the band.

“With these bands, I will always be able to find you.”

Talia blinked. “How does this work?”

Vander smiled. “The metal is tuned to my thoughts. I can hear it ring if I call out to it.”

“Is it in a similar fashion to how Cedric and I can communicate with our minds?”

Vander’s smile dissipated. “It’s a very poor imitation of that. All it can do is tell me your whereabouts. We can’t communicate at all.”

He turned to look out into the throng of people rushing past their railcar.

“If we were mated, you and I would be able to speak to each other with our minds as well.”

Talia turned to look at the scenery outside the window.

“I’m already mated.” She informed him in no uncertain terms.

“What a shame..” He murmured to himself.