BK 2 - Chapter 36 - Being a Caladrius
"What did you say?" Cat asked Valerie with her eyes widened.
"I'm your aunt. Your grandfather Craig Cox was my brother. He was fourteen years older than me. I never connected the dots because I didn't realize he had changed his last name to our mother's maiden name." Cat sunk into the chair next to Valerie's and stared at her. It made sense now why she had always thought Valerie resembled her mother.
"I can't believe it. You're my aunt. Wait a minute, does that mean you have this caladrius blood in you as well?" Cat continued staring at her, unable to process that she had a relative still alive and happened to be one of her dearest friends.
"Yes, it does. Let me tell you a little about our family history." Valerie reached over and took Cat's hand in hers. She had loved her like a daughter since meeting her, and now that she knew she was her niece, she could barely contain her happiness.
"You're great-great-grandmother Anisha was a caladrius human hybrid. We don't call ourselves werecaladruis' because we don't shift into another form. So we're more hybrids or humans with unique abilities. Anisha fell in love with a human man named Darell. Most caladrius mate with other caladrius or shifters because it strengthens their abilities. However, Anisha ran away with him, and they married. She kept the secret about what she was from everyone except for her husband. When her children became old enough, she would tell them about her history. Anisha wanted them to have the choice to continue mating with humans or find someone to strengthen their abilities." Valerie smiled at everyone who was staring at her in disbelief.
"Did any of her children marry another caladrius or shifter?" Cat asked as she pictured those from the past. She was still astonished at everything Valerie had said so far.
"Only one out of her six children married another caladrius. That was my mom, Mia. She married my dad Rorie. They had my brother Craig, and then fourteen years later, they had me. Our parents wanted us both to marry another caladrius or at least another shifter, but Craig loved his high-shool sweetheart Paula." She smiled when she thought about her brother and his girlfriend. They were so in love with each other.
"After they graduated high school, they ran off together, not telling anyone where they were going. Paula's parents and my parents tried to look for them, but no one realized that Craig had changed his last name and moved to Indiana. Eventually, they stopped looking and hoped one of them would reach out at some point, but neither of them ever did."
Cat had tears running down her face thinking about her mother and grandmother's pain over the years. It could have changed everything if her grandparents had reached out to their parents. However, she also realized she might have never been born without everything happening as it did. Nevertheless, she would sacrifice her life if it meant her mother and grandmother never had to feel any pain or if it prevented her grandfather from being killed.
"I don't remember my mother having any special abilities, but I was only six when she died." Cat tried to think of anything from her childhood that would have given her a hint of her mother being part caladrius.
"Her abilities may have been dormant. Typically if a person is part caladrius and part human, their abilities don't surface unless they're mated with another caladrius or shifter. Your mother probably didn't know about her caladrius side. Your abilities most likely began growing once you mated with Trey. They may get even stronger over time." Cat was frozen, trying to process all this information.
"Is this why when I'm upset, and Cat hugs me, it feels like all my sadness goes away?" Kitty asked. She was intrigued by everything they had learned.
"Yes. As Trey said, a caladrius can absorb the illness, pain, and sadness of the person they touch. It can be powerful, and it's rare. There are very few caladrius out there that have unlocked their powers. It's crucial that you keep this as quiet as possible because there will be people who want you so they can benefit from your gift."
Trey walked over to Cat and put his hand on his pregnant mate's shoulder. The thought of someone taking her away again made his blood run cold. She reached up and put her hand over his. He knew it wouldn't be humans wanting to take her. It would be those from the supernatural world.
"I won't tell anyone. Is there anything I can do to try and keep this hidden?" Cat had no intention of letting anyone get their hands on her. What Caleb had done was still fresh in her mind.
"Try not to heal random people, which shouldn't be a problem for you because you already don't like to touch others. If you see anyone following you around, let Trey know immediately. Shifters, vampires, and witches will all want you if they find out about you. They will want to use your abilities for their own purposes."
"We won't let know one near you." Aiden had known from the first time he met Cat that there was something unique about her. She looked over at him and smiled.
"Thanks, Aiden. I'm not as scared as I used to be. I have Saira, and I'm surrounded by other lions." She squeezed Trey's hand that was still on her shoulder.
"While you're pregnant, it will get harder and harder for you to shift, so I don't want you to go anywhere alone." Trey looked down at her with concern. She smiled up and him.
"I won't. I don't like the idea of always having a babysitter, but I also don't want anything to happen to our cub." She put her hand over her belly protectively.
"Do we have other relatives still living?" Cat was still stunned by the news that Valerie was her aunt.
"No. My parents, your great-grandparents, passed away almost ten years ago. We may have extended family, but I don't know any of them."
Valerie felt her throat getting tight, thinking she could have had Cat with her all this time after her mother died. She could have protected her from that monster from ever touching her. Maybe if she had asked Roger to look for her brother, he could have found out about Cat. She suddenly broke down and cried while everyone looked at her in surprise. Roger pulled her into his arms, knowing what she was thinking because he had thought the same thing even before they knew Cat was related to her.
"What's wrong?" Cat asked, still holding her hand while Roger tried to comfort her.
"Cat, I'm so sorry. If I had known about you, I would have fought for custody when you were a child. Your childhood could have been completely different, and it's my fault that you suffered. Can you ever forgive me?" Valerie couldn't get the images of Leo hurting her out of her mind, and it made her sick.
"It's not your fault. My grandfather made his choice to separate from your family. Many factors played a part in my childhood, but I try to focus on the good, not the bad. I'm using what happened to me to help others. You're helping me with that. You can continue helping me save these children who were like me. I believe everything happens for a reason, and each one of you came into my life when it was time for you to be there. I love you all and this family that we've created."
Everyone stared at Cat as she smiled, and they couldn't help but feel the happiness radiating off her. There wasn't a dry eye in the room when she spoke. She had such a big heart full of love everyone could feel it as though it was seeping out of her pores.
Trey watched in fascination as Cat gave everyone a glowing smile. He loved that Valerie was her aunt, and they found out that she was part caladrius. However, he was concerned about her safety. With Leo gone and Caleb locked up, she was supposed to be able to live a happy, normal life.
He vowed that he would protect her and their cub at all costs. Trey knew that if his family found out about her, they would suddenly accept her into their family. They would want her to sell her to the highest bidder. The Galloway family was good at sniffing out unique things and then trying to make a profit from them.
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Thatcher opened one of his old scrolls and studied the bloodline closely. He had been looking for a caladrius for over a hundred years. For a vampire like himself, drinking the blood of a caladrius could be highly beneficial.
The blood of a caladrius had different effects on different species. If a shifter had a caladrius, it could help them heal within seconds rather than hours or days. A witch would use the blood to make her spells more potent. Vampires used them to enhance their powers or give them new abilities.
Thatcher had been tracking a bloodline of caladrius because he didn't believe they were extinct as some thought. He knew there had to be at least one out there, and he was determined to find them.
