#exposition time!

part 26 … Index

Joseph curled up into a fetal position, and Marianne curled herself around him in response. The wolf watched them with nervous eyes, all the while making whining noises. 

Mari stroked Joseph’s shoulder. She was uncomfortable being so close to the fire, but she would do anything possible to comfort her husband. 

Joseph whispered in his gravel-toned voice, “Every time before I transform, I do my utmost to stay far away from any form of humanity. It feels as though no matter what I do to stop my other side from harming others...I fail. Always.” Joseph’s voice broke off in a painful gasp, as though merely talking was causing sharp, knife-stabbing pain on his vocal cords. 

Marianne merely kept quiet. She knew the taking of life was no small thing. But for her husband - for the love of her life - she would do anything. Absolutely anything. Even cover up a murder, accidental though it may be. 

He disturbed her musings by speaking once more:

“This is just like with Alaina. We were only newlyweds when I was first bitten all those years ago. I thought that I was attacked by some wild animal so I stayed home to tend to my wounds. She was patching me up when I transformed for the first time.” 

Joseph was breathing quickly, his heartbeat going a mile a minute while relieving the worst moments of his life. He finished brokenly and with a hoarse whisper, “She never stood a chance. When I became human again and saw her lying in a puddle of her own blood...words can’t describe what I felt. I buried her in the meadow that we both loved and ran away. I have never stayed too long in one place ever since that day. That’s why I’m so careful with you - I can’t lose you too.”

Henry and Fabienne Dar Hallman welcomed their firstborn son August four weeks ago. August Dar Hallman is the first grandson of Senator Atheer Dar, who has recently been reelected to represent Brindleton in the Sim Nation Senate, to a seat once occupied by his mother, late Senator Zahira Dar.

Fabienne Dar Hallman is the oldest daughter of Senator Dar and his former wife, prominent conservationist Constance Dar. The couple’s son, Saeed Dar, is currently a senior at the prestigious Gefrier Academy. 

Fabienne Dar Hallman and her husband Henry are also Gefrier alumni. Fabienne is a currently a top marketing manager at the BBD Group, while Henry is a star of a pop-science Simtube series Let’s Get Physical. He has also garnered praise for his work in photography alongside his mother, creative visionary Adriana Hallman.