Beneath Midnight's Moon

style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Papyrus;color:blue'>Chapter Eight:

Swallowing,
Eclipse kept his voice steady and convincing, “I already told you, Sir.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I came to speak with you.”

“About
what? You’re here to ask about my
niece. That’s it, isn’t it?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> My name is hardly mentioned without hers
being in the same sentence. So?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Who told you about us?”

“My
mother. Lady Harmony Rouvel.”

“And
why are the Rouvel suddenly concerning themselves with our business?”

He
shrugged, “Hell if I know. I asked my
mother and she wouldn’t tell me. All she
told me was to find you and your niece.”

“You
know, Eclipse,” Balder began with a smirk on his face, “you’re an excellent
liar. If I weren’t who I am, I would
surely believe you.”

“I’m
afraid I don’t understand.” Eclipse said
as he hid his surprise with a practiced ease.

“As
a loup garou, I have my power as an individual, and on top of that, our
family has a trait that flows through the generations like blood links.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You see, Eclipse, most of our family is able
to tell truth from lie, and you, my friend, are lying.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If you tell me the truth now, I won’t be
forced to use my other power.”

Deciding
it would not be wise to have an enemy in this family, Eclipse sighed, “Very
well. It is my eighteenth birthday
today, Balder, and last night after twelve years, my mother summoned me to her.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She told me of your family, and that is how
we started speaking of you and your niece, for you see, she is to be my wife if
I cannot get her to my mother.

I
don’t want to marry, Sir, and it has nothing to do with your niece.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s just that I wanted to meet my father and
receive his blessing beforehand.”

“If
you marry my niece,” Balder began calmly, “your father will return.”