Madelyn

Dear Readers,

I'm sure you'll be tired of reading revised chapters by now, and I don't blame you. However, I felt the revisions were necessary to help with flow as well as to keep the story fresh in your minds. Please be certain to read them all, there are changes to all of them, and some start and end in different places than where they used to.

Unfortunately, I have not improved on chapter lengths. That is the bane of my existence, I think. Oh well. I hope you can all forgive me for that one.

Anyway, here is another revised chapter and part of what was in this chapter will be posted with a new chapter soon.

Thanks for reading!

-sansa

-4-

Connor reluctantly left his mate's side. While he didn't want her to wake alone, he knew she needed rest and figured she'd sleep a while, after everything she'd been through today. When he returned downstairs, the kitchen table had two sitting, sipping coffee as they talked quietly.

Without saying a word, he looked in the refrigerator for something quick he could whip up for everyone to snack on. There were many questions he had for Elder Brian, and he was definitely hungry, and was certain everyone else was, too. Madelyn would be hungry when she woke, as well. He would definitely be certain to have something made for her when she was ready for it. Finding a can of biscuits, and some leftover sausage gravy, he arranged the biscuits on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven to bake, then emptied the gravy into a saucepan and set the burner to the lowest setting, adding a bit of milk to thin the gravy slightly.

Everybody smiled as they watched him. They all knew this was likely going to be a long tale, and the food would be welcome.

"So," Connor said as he poured himself a cup of coffee and joined the others at the table, leaving the biscuits to bake. "When did you plan on telling her about us," he said to the Elder he sat beside.

Brian looked into his mug, thoughtful.

"Her parents were adventurers," the Elder began, not looking up. Connor and Ulric watched him as he spoke of his dear friends. "We met when they came to my office one day when Maddy was still an infant. They wanted to be certain Maddy was looked after if anything happened to them. They walked into my office, holding this beautiful baby girl with golden curls and lovely violet eyes." Pausing long enough to take a sip of his coffee, he looked up at the two watching him. "That is when I knew this girl was special. She was the one my dear Ralla spoke of so many years ago, Connor. She was your mate to be." He paused a moment. "But that's not all...there is more to this girl."

"And that is when you befriended them; when they came to your office when she was an infant, isn't it," Connor said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I had to be certain of the girl's safety," Brian looked at them both seriously. "She was...is...more than just a girl, and more than just your mate, Connor." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I have looked into their family history. It's become sort of an obsession of mine for almost two decades now. The family name, 'Randell,' is an old name. It comes from the English 'Randall,' which means 'shield wolf'...and also happens to be the surname of the first European Garou to come to the Americas." He paused again and looked at Ulric.

"I befriended them because they were the parents of a girl who would become something more, once her potential was unlocked."

They all sat in silence, watching Brian and waiting for him to continue.

"What more do you know of Madelyn?" Ulric asked.

Brian's eyes closed as he considered his words. It would not be easy to let on what he knew of this girl. So far, he was the only one who knew even what little facts he'd been able to dig up about this girl. 'Ok, Brian...no sense in prolonging it,' he thought to himself as he took a long drink of coffee and opened his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he started from the beginning.

"Madelyn Randell was born December 20, 1989. My calculation leads me to believe she was conceived on or around February 2, 1988." He paused to take a sip of coffee.

"That's Candlemas...or Imbolc, as the Pagans call it," Connor said.

"Aye, Connor," Brian replied. "It is a time of initiations, a time of new growth, new life, fertility. I believe Madelyn's conception was planned, though not necessarily by her father." He looked at everyone a moment before continuing. "I began searching through some of Richard and Marie Randell's paperwork not long after they came to me that first time. Maddy was just a baby. They left most of their important documents with me. Birth certificates, marriage certificate, and a few other papers. One of these papers was a vital clue to Madelyn's ancestry and it was what began my search into Maddy's history." At that moment, the timer for the biscuits began sounding.

"Please excuse me a moment," Connor said, as he left his seat and fetched a hot pad. Pulling the sheet from the oven, he slid them into a basket he'd lined with a soft terrycloth towel, then grabbed plates and the saucepan of gravy. Taking it all to the table, he returned to the kitchen for knives and forks, and a ladle for the gravy.

They all served themselves as Brian continued.

"Richard and Marie Randell were married December 25, 1989," Brian said, causing Connor to choke on the bite he'd just put into his mouth. Ulric lowered his fork and looked at Brian.

"Are you certain of this, Brian?" Ulric asked the Elder.

"Aye, Ulric," Brian replied. "I'm very certain."

"That would mean Madelyn was conceived out of wedlock," Connor said.

"Yes, if you're speaking of Richard and Marie's marriage, but not if you're speaking of Richard and Madelyn's mother's marriage," Brian said as the others stared at him in shock.

"But Marie was Madelyn's mother, Brian," Ulric said. Connor just sat there in silence.

"Her adopted mother, Ulric," Brian replied. He explained to them that Madelyn had been adopted by Marie on the same date of her wedding to Richard. Madelyn was one week old at the time, and grew up never knowing that Marie hadn't given birth to her. Even so, Marie raised her as her own child. She and Richard never had any other children together. Marie was infertile.

"But if Marie wasn't Madelyn's mother by birth," Connor said, "then, who is?"

***

She tossed and turned in her sleep, her dreams not allowing her to rest, but holding onto her, not letting her wake, either...

She lay in the grass at the small meadow, watching the fluffy clouds drift by at their slow pace. Her bare feet were planted flat on the ground, knees raised, and her hands cradled her head with fingers laced. This was her favorite place here already. Mother and Daddy moved them all up here a few months ago and she was having so much fun learning about her new surroundings.

Madelyn Randell was 5, nearly 6, years old when they'd moved here. She quickly showed her parents that she was big enough to run around the yard alone. They would let her play in the yard and woods around the house without much worry as to her safety. She'd often leave the house in the morning and not return till lunch. Mother would be waiting for her with a ham or turkey sandwich, or sometimes even peanut butter and jelly, when she returned to the house. The jelly was homemade. Mother made it from blackberries they found growing nearby.

She was lost in the clouds at the moment. Her mind was a million miles away from anything around her. Usually, she could pick up on changes in the forest, but today she ignored everything.

Hearing a rustle in the leaves nearby, she sat up and froze. Standing between two large trees on the other side of the meadow was a huge wolf. He was watching her silently. Somehow, she could feel he was more than just an animal. It scared her, but she also felt a little bit of curiosity about the wolf watching her.

She sat there staring at it till she heard someone calling her. She turned her head to look toward the voice. When she turned it back, the wolf was standing directly in front of her. She stared at him for a long time. He stared back at her. He was huge. She could tell that if she were to stand up, he'd stand nearly as tall as she was. His amber eyes looked into the deep violet of hers. She thought she heard him talking to her. No, it was all in her head.

"What was that?" she said very softly.

'I said - Who are you?' he responded. It puzzled her that she didn't hear him with her ears, but in her head.

"I'm Maddy. Who are you?"

'Nobody you want to know.'

"Why?" she could be a very precocious child.

'Why, what?'

"Why don't I want to know who you are?" she whispered. She cocked her head to one side, puzzled.

He didn't respond. After a moment, he turned and began to walk away. She watched him for a moment, puzzled, and then started to get up as she heard Daddy's calls growing louder. All of a sudden, the wolf wheeled around and came at her in a flurry of fangs, fur, and claws...

Screaming, she woke, the voice in her head echoing over and over, 'I'm your worst nightmare...'

***

Hearing first screaming, then frenzied growling, they sprang up from their chairs, dinner forgotten, and all three rushed up the stairs, toward the sound. Bursting into the room, they found Madelyn, changed to her wolf form, crouched, ready to strike. The fur on her back and shoulders stood on end. Her eyes, wild with terror, alighted upon them as they entered.

Knowing they could do nothing, Ulric and Brian backed away slowly, without uttering a sound. Connor inched forward cautiously. She was in her complete wolf form and he was the only one who had any chance of calming her, working her through the shift back to her human form, and learning what happened here.

***

Connor approached his mate cautiously. Reaching out to her with his mind, he whispered calming things to her in her head through their mate connection. He spoke of his love for her; he reminded her she was safe; told her he was here and would protect her from whatever it was that threatened her. Gradually, she relaxed and allowed him on the bed with her.

"Shhh," he whispered as he moved his hand close. "It's alright, my love. I'm here, nothing will harm you. It's time to shift back and talk to me, Maddy. Reach deep, grab onto your human self, and change back, please." He talked her patiently back to her human form.

As her form returned to a human shape, Connor took Madelyn into his arms and held her close. Their lips touched in a soft kiss. He noticed tears on her cheeks. Her kisses turned from soft to needful, her breasts pressing against the soft fabric of his t-shirt. 'Make love to me, Connor,' she said in his head, her hands pulling at his clothing. 'Please, Connor, I need you in me. Make love to me, deep and hard and Now!'

He pulled his clothing from his tall frame, she watching him before moving into position on her knees, her ass raised high in the air as her head lowered to rest on her forearms. His fingers caressed her soft folds, a thumb moving to rub her clit gently. She gasped softly, hips tilting slightly as two fingers slid into her, seeking her g-spot. Finding it, he rubbed it and her clit in tandem, causing her to moan from the pleasure.

Connor's other hand reached to his hardening cock, stroking it firmly. His mate wiggled and writhed as he stimulated her. Her breath became slightly ragged as she moved toward orgasm. Smiling, he pulled his hand from her and placed it on her hip. Positioning the head of his cock at her entrance, he gripped her hips and thrust forward, filling her quickly. Madelyn cried out, her muscles rippling around his cock; she hovered on the edge of her pleasure as he thrust deep inside, the head of his cock hitting her cervix each time it moved into her.

He wasn't going to last very long, after their mating earlier, but she felt so good. Her tight walls clung to his cock; it felt as though she was milking him. Connor hovered almost at the point of no return for a few moments. Just as Madelyn began showing signs of tipping over the edge, he growled lustfully and thrust deeper into her, holding the head of his cock against her cervix as his orgasm overtook him. Thick streams of cum erupted from him, flooding her channel. She screamed and shook, bucking against him as her orgasm had her soaring in a sexual high that no artificial high could ever hope to match.

Panting, Connor maneuvered them so that they lay on their sides, he still buried in her as they came down. His right hand moved across her body, caressing her soft skin, massaging her breasts. She moaned softly, her hand moving to stop his and intertwine her fingers in his. As his cock softened, Connor held her tight in his arms till she fell asleep again. His cock slipped from her and he eased her head onto the pillow.

He sat beside her for a short while and watched her as she slept. Once, her face contorted slightly, as if she were in pain, but softened again when he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, whispering soft, comforting words to her.

Easing from the bed, he dressed quietly then padded silently across the room and returned downstairs, leaving the bedroom door open this time, certain they'd hear her if she stirred anytime soon. The two men awaiting him downstairs smiled knowingly to him, Ulric sniffing the air before shaking his head. The smell of fresh sex was all over Connor and he just shrugged slightly to the two men, not bothering to say anything about it. He knew they'd understand. Instead, he returned to the topic they were discussing earlier.

"Elder Brian," he began formally as he reached the living room, where Brian and Ulric were sitting and talking quietly, "What is going on? What is she?"

"Ralla once told me that we're not the only creatures in this world that aren't human, yet can look like we are," Brian began. "She told me that there are several other species that live among humans, or live separate from them, taking great care to stay unknown to the human species. She left it at that for many years until just after you came to visit her with your parents as a child." He paused to take a sip of his coffee.

"We're not alone?" Ulric said thoughtfully.

"Oh, no, Ulric," Brian replied to the question that was more a statement than a query. "We're not alone. Yes, there are humans we share this world with. But, there are several other species that live here, too. There's the Mer-folk." He paused, smiling as the other men's mouths dropped open. "Yes, as in mermaids and mermen. They truly do exist, and there are several races of Mer-folk. There's the Equatorial Mer-folk, they live in the region of the Atlantic Ocean near the Equator. The South Pacific Mer-folk are not to be messed with, according to Ralla. My only experiences with any of them are with those of the Caribbean, and they're more peaceful than most other races of Mer-folk."

"So, mermaids aren't a story concocted up by sailors with active imaginations?" Connor asked.

"They certainly aren't," Brian replied. "The same goes for dwarves. There are three races of dwarves that I'm aware of. Mountain dwarves are just plain mean. I had one run-in with them and from that moment, I resolved to avoid them at all costs. Valley dwarves are calm and peaceful, not at all like their cousins. Island dwarves..." he paused, thinking a moment. "Well, Island dwarves are a completely different subject." He didn't say any more on the subject of dwarves. Connor resolved to speak with him more about the species later, as he was now certain he'd seen some Mountain dwarves nearby recently, but at the time he'd mistaken them for humans with bone growth disorders.

"Then we come to elves." He chuckled when Ulric and Connor looked at one another, disbelief etched across their faces. "You know, some have looked like that when told of us. Did you happen to notice the look on your mate's face when she saw you talking in your wolf form, Connor?"

Connor looked at Brian, his mouth hanging open, eyes blinking. Brian smiled, nodding, and continued, "I didn't think so. I wasn't there when you first spoke, but by the time I arrived, she was nearly pinching herself to see if it was all real. Now, then...yes, elves are real. They are very real, and very powerful. Four races of elves exist, to my knowledge. One is the everyday elf, and no, I don't know the true name they call themselves. This race of elves is usually associated with leprechauns and Santa's elves. They're very short, about the same height as dwarves, and prefer to be left alone. They generally dwell in very sparsely human-populated areas. And before you ask, no, they do not have pointed ears. That is a part of the human myth associated with them."

"But, what does all of this have to do with Madelyn?" Connor asked.

"Patience, my boy," Brian replied, smiling softly. Though he understood Connor's need to know more about this mysterious young woman he was now mated to, he was going to explain things as fully as possible before he gave them any more information about Madelyn herself. "You'll know all I know in a few minutes," he said as he rose and went to the kitchen to refill his mug.

"The second race of elves that I know of is the Darkling elves." He paused while returning to his seat and took a sip of the hot coffee. Putting his mug down on the side table, he continued, "Darkling elves are dangerous. They pursue the Dark Arts, using Dark magic proficiently, even their young use Dark magic instinctively well."

"Do 'everyday elves' use magic also?" Ulric asked his friend.

"Oh, yes, they most certainly do: an innocent, playful kind of magic," Brian replied. "Why do you think the legends about leprechauns and Santa's elves got the reputation they did? You see, that race of elves is fun-loving and while they prefer to keep to themselves, they love to play, and they adore human children: the innocence and merry nature of the human child appeals to them.

"The legend of Santa Claus is based on these little creatures. You see, they saw children suffering a few hundred years ago. The little ones had few things to occupy their time, other than chores. The elves in Holland were the first to fill the children's wooden shoes with goodies. They'd give them nuts and dried fruit, and little toys they'd make throughout the year. That is where the legend of Santa Claus came from. The elves exist, and they did make the toys, but the man at the center of the legend is pure legend, conjured up by adults who wanted to put all of this on a human man who would end up being the benefactor of all little children everywhere around the holidays."

The other two men shook their heads in wonder over this bit of information. It made sense that the humans would want it to be one of their own who got credit for the phenomenon, but it saddened them to think another creature was relegated to such a less important role than it truly played in the phenomenon.

"And the third race of elves?" Ulric asked.

"The third race is one of light," Brian replied. "They are the keepers of grey magik. The Grauguri, as they prefer to be called, neither work for good, nor for anything else. They keep to themselves, mostly, and only interest themselves with happenings among the other species when absolutely necessary." He paused and glanced toward the stairs. Sighing, he looked at Connor. "I believe that may be the situation in Madelyn's case," he paused, glancing toward the floor before continuing. "But we will discuss that more soon enough."

At that moment, they all heard a sound and turned to find Madelyn standing at the bottom of the stairs. Shocked that they hadn't heard her come down the stairs, Connor rose and went to her, hugging and kissing her tenderly before bringing her to sit with them.