“That’s impossible,” someone in the front row commented.
“Improbable,” Gabriel corrected. “Not impossible.”
“But she can’t be both,” someone else complained.
“This is why I have called so many witnesses,” Gabriel replied. “For she is both. Let’s begin.” Patrick walked to the front of the room with a bowl of water.
“We need a drop of blood,” Gabriel explained. Arianna nodded and easily pierced the skin on her finger with her own sharp dearg-dul teeth before placing her hand in his. Gabriel dropped a bit of blood into the bowl and swirled it around. A faint blue shimmer occurred as it diluted into the water. “Dearg-dul.” Gabriel confirmed. “Next we need to put you to sleep and take another drop. Sit in that chair,” Gabriel pointed to a chair. A slight mist began to be blown onto it. Arianna walked over and sat down. She scanned over the crowd as she waited. She felt sleepiness coming over her, but every slight sound kept her eyes awake. The crowd watched and waited. Arianna waited in turn.
Turner walked to the front of the room. “She won’t fall asleep that way,” he explained, as several people in the room hissed at him for talking. Gabriel nodded. “You just need her asleep, right?” Gabriel nodded again. Turner stretched out his hand to Arianna, who ignored the sleepy sensation and stood to take it. Outside the mist, her senses completely returned, and she was no longer sleepy.
“I kind of have a problem sleeping,” she explained to her uncle. Turner pulled the chair out from beneath the mist and sat down, still holding her hand. Arianna sat down on his lap and carefully unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt. His skin was warm as she laid her face against his chest. It was warm and safe in his arms. Arianna unconsciously smiled as she pressed her face against his chest. In a room full of hateful and curious stares, there was nothing but love radiating from Turner. In what seemed like an instant to her, the beating of Turner’s heart had lulled Arianna to sleep.
Turner stared at the crowd, challenging anyone to speak further, but everyone just watched in shock as the realization spread from row to row. As she slept, everyone felt the strong sense of baku coming from the sleeping dearg-dul. Gabriel walked over and held the bowl in front of Turner. He gently picked up her other hand and pierced her fingertip. One drop of blood fell into the bowl. A flash of light instantly lit up the whole tent. No one in the room could contain their amazement. The crowd began to feverishly talk to each other. Everyone in the room was happy, with the exception of one person, Andrew’s uncle. As Gabriel waited for the crowd to quiet, Turner could feel the hateful stares return to him as he held their precious baku. Gabriel moved in front of Turner to block the glares.
“Arianna is a purebred dearg-dul. She has full dearg-dul powers and is learning how to use them. Circling the tent is her PPU. She won’t be assigned baku guards as her grandfather and I handpicked her PPU together. She has taken on one keeper, Brenton Winter. They are not to be touched in any way or form.” Disagreement vented through the crowd. “Anyone who lays a hand on any of the humans, dearg-duls or lycan associated with Arianna will have to deal with me.” There was no more dissent through the crowd. “Now I ask that the three purebred baku here be the witness for this. You can wake her,” Gabriel added to Turner.
Turner lifted Arianna’s head and gently stroked her face. Arianna groggily blinked her eyes.
“Time to get up, sleepy,” Turner said softly, before leaning in and kissing Arianna’s forehead in front of the crowd.
Arianna was instantly awake to the hateful glares of the people around her at Turner. She blushed as he pulled back and smiled victoriously. He lightly set her on her feet. Arianna felt her cheeks still burning.
“Stupid wolf,” Devin muttered, also grinning. Arianna finally noticed the glares were meant for Turner and not her. “Join them,” Devin urged Arianna who was looking around the room for Gabriel.
Three men were standing in the front of the crowd next to Gabriel. Andrew, his uncle, and an unknown man were standing side by side, all talking to Gabriel. Arianna walked up next to her uncle at Devin’s suggestion.
“Sign here and here,” Gabriel held out forms. “This way,” he added, after all three had signed.
Gabriel led the way back into the house. “Pick a room to wait in,” Gabriel directed the three men. “We’ll be here, in the kitchen.” The men all nodded and left. Arianna stood, watching her uncle as he opened the refrigerator. Pulling out three vials from the bottom shelf, Arianna was surprised to see the fridge was full of food, not blood. Gabriel laughed. “Baku require less blood than dearg-duls,” he explained, “since we can only transform at night.” Arianna nodded.