Chapter Thirty-Nine:

Here is chapter thirty-nine of Dark Side of the Moon. Our latest matriach Anastasia is deep in research to help her son Noah, who has been inflicted with the curse of the lycan. The very curse that led the love of Ana's life, Lucas Dare, to leave her when she was pregnant with his twins.

 

 

Ana loved her alchemy, and while she was mixing up various potions to sell at the store, she thought of how best to help her son.

Meanwhile the full moon had set and Noah was transforming back into a boy.

It was terrifying for Noah to change forms, but he had grown up hearing stories of his brave, albiet missing, werewolf father. It brought some comfort to the young boy that he wasn't the only one to suffer from the confusing transformations, and perhaps there was help out there for him.

The kids settled in to school. Evie protected her twin brother, and the two were very close.

It had been hard work for Ana to raise the twins in those early years, but now that they were at school she had more time to herself and she could start earning money from her alchemy.

While she wasn't mixing up elixirs Ana was tending to her garden of otherworldly mushrooms and herbs. It was peaceful in the garden and Ana's mind could wander.

Noah was a quiet sort of child, whether from his curse or genetics, but Evie always managed to get a smile out of her brother.

Ana spent a lot of time looking at supernatural things in her trips to the alchemy store by the beach and one day she stumbled across an interesting upright coffin type thing. After a quick investigation Ana decided to bring it home.

Ana had always worked hard to run her household, as exhausting as it was. But now with Bonehilda, Ana could focus more time on her kids and her alchemy.

Bonehilda settled in nicely, and soon the everyday running of the household was smoother than ever.

One afternoon as the sun was setting, the house had an unexpected visitor. It had been years since Lucas Dare left the woman he loved. And not a day had gone by that he didn't miss his blue-haired beauty.

Lucas hesitated for a moment before he rung the door bell. Would Ana even open the door to him?

Ana opened the door to see Lucas standing there, and after a heartbeat's hesitation Ana ran into his arms.

 

Lucas and Ana had been apart for so long and so much had happened to them both but it was like no time had passed as they melted into eachother's arms.

The kids were asleep inside and Ana decided not to bring them out to meet their father. She stood wrapped up in his arms for a long time before she asked him what he was doing there.

Lucas held the woman he loved in his arms and told her it had been hell being away from her and he had a kind of proposition to put to her.

The pair took a seat in the front yard and Lucas told Ana that he couldn't return, as much as he wanted to, his position as leader of the pack would put her and the kids in danger should he choose the settled down life. But he didn't want to abandon them completely. He wanted Ana and the kids to forever remember him, no matter what happened, so he asked Ana to meet him by City Hall the next day.

Lucas left reluctantly a few hours later. He thought it would be hard to leave Ana again after seeing her properly after so long, but he was wrong. It was worse than he ever imagined it would be.

It was hard on Ana too. She had thought herself strong, but it took a while before she could compose herself and go back inside. Even though she knew she would be seeing him again tomorrow, it was tough to watch him run off into the night.

It was a Saturday morning and Ana was heading off to see Lucas at City Hall. Ana wanted nothing more than to see Lucas meet the kids, but she couldn't bring herself to take them with her, especially if he wasn't going to be staying. Noah and Evie knew who Ana was going to see, and it was a comment on her skills raising them that they respected her wish to see him alone.

Ana's heart was in her throat as she rode the taxi to City Hall. A million different scenarios ran through her head as she got closer. What if he wasn't there? What if he changed his mind? What if he was meeting her to tell her he no longer loved her?

 But all her worries vanished when she saw Lucas waiting by the fountain.

 

 

Lucas took Ana's hand and told her his idea. He couldn't be with his family like he wanted to, but he didn't want to abandon them. Why didn't Ana and the kids take his last name? Ana smiled and agreed. It wasn't a marriage proposal, but it was close enough for Ana.

But her happiness might have been shortlived, one of Lucas's pack chose that moment to make her presence known.

Lucas quickly kissed Ana goodbye, telling her he loved her more than anything else. There was no promise for the next time he'd see her.

But Ana's heart swelled as she saw her brave man scold the wayward werewolf and she understood how hard his job must be.

Ana left Lucas to deal with his pack and she headed in to change her family's name. It didn't take too long, and after she picked up the kids, they headed down to the beach.

Ana explained to her kids that they had taken their father's name, and become Anastasia, Noah and Evelyn Dare. She told them one day they might get Lucas back for good.

The sun was setting and the small family enjoyed the peaceful beach.

 

Noah and Evie wished they could have met their father, but they understood he must have a lot to do. And so life carried on. It did feel nice to have some part of their father in their lives, though. Even if it was only a name.

Ana would never have admitted it to Lucas or her kids, but her heart was breaking. It was hard enough to watch him leave once, but watching Lucas leave twice was nearly too much. She tried her hardest to keep busy to keep her mind away from her wayward man.

Last time Ana left she had the impending pregnancy to keep her occupied, this time she had nothing. Even the quiet Bonehilda noticed her mistress's depressed mood.

The twin's noticed it too. But they were young and couldn't think of a way to help out their mother.

And so those tough first few days were over, and as the weeks dragged on it got easier on Ana. She got back to tending to her garden and her bees and got back to her alchemy.

 

 

And here we conclude chapter thirty-nine. Thanks for reading. When we return with chapter forty it's time for Noah and Evie's birthday. What will their teen years bring for these two?