by L. P. Dillon
I could hear the pain and sincerity in his voice, and I knew the guy really was sorry. Sighing, I turned my head to look at him. He had sat forward, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
Pulling my legs up on the couch, I looked right at him. "Tell me everything, then. Maybe with all the secrets out of the way, we can start from scratch?"
I didn't know if I even wanted to start over, but I did know I was fed up with being left in the dark. Plus, I hated feeling like everyone knew something I didn’t.
After a few long minutes, Chase sat up, resting his back against the couch. "Okay, but please don't freak out. Just listen."
I nodded my head when he turned to look at me, and I could see the fear in his eyes.
"Okay, so don't faint again, but like I said before, I'm a werewolf."
I scoffed, and he frowned at me, so I quit laughing and fell silent again, listening to what he had to say. Holding his hand out, he stared at it, so I followed suit, gasping when a bright white light engulfed it. A sense of awe fell over me as his hand morphed into a paw. I had no words, couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The only thing I could do was stare blankly at his hand, my mouth hanging open like was I was a sticky trap waiting for a fly.
When his hand was back to normal, the bright white light vanished, leaving it almost as if nothing had happened.
I nervously went to touch his hand but thought twice and pulled away.
"It's okay, Brie. It won't hurt you. I won't hurt you."
Taking his hand into mine, I turned it over to inspect it, then flipped it to the other side. I didn't exactly know what I was looking for, but it had to be some sort of magic trick. Right?
"What the hell was that?" I asked while still looking at his hand.
"That was me shifting into my wolf. Cool huh?"
"Well, yeah, it was cool. But why didn't your bones crack, and why didn't you scream out in pain like they do in the movies?" I asked curiously. My initial fear had been washed away, and now only curiosity remained.
He laughed, sitting back again and stretching his legs under the coffee table. "Look, there are a lot of things the movies and the books get wrong. We don't shift like that, and whoever first thought it up must have wanted it to seem more menacing. We aren't weak against silver, although if a bullet went through our heart, we would die just like anyone else," he explained.
"Huh, so what special powers do you have?" I asked, giving him my full attention.
Chase smiled at me, clearly surprised at my curiosity. Facing me, he crossed his legs on the couch. "Well, we aren't all that different from you. We shift into wolves whenever we like. We have better hearing than humans, and our sense of smell is out of this world. We can run faster, and we are stronger, too. But apart from that, we are just like you."
"Hmm, well that's a little bit underwhelming," I blurted out, and I hadn’t meant to sound rude—even though I know I had—but I had expected a bit more excitement.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, what were you expecting exactly?"
"I don't know really. Do you live longer? Or heal instantly at least?"
"No, we don't live longer. Actually, we do heal faster than the average person, but not instantly. It would be amazing if we did, then Jesse would..." He paused to look at me, and tears welled in his eyes.
I looked away from him. Talking about all this stuff had made me forget about Jesse for a few minutes, and on one hand, it was nice to not be haunted by him. But on the other hand, I felt guilty for forgetting him, even if it was only for a few minutes.
Chase reached his hand out and placed it on my knee. "I'm so sorry, Aubrey. If I had just explained everything to you before, maybe this all would never have happened."
I pushed his hand off my knee and glanced up at him. His face was racked with guilt, and I watched as a single tear rolled down his cheek. The guy really did feel bad, and I hadn't even thought of it before, but he was grieving, too. I leaned forward and brushed my thumb across his cheek, wiping the lonesome tear away.
"Then tell me it all now. No more secrets, okay?" I whispered, gazing into his emerald green eyes. They sparkled with tears that had yet to fall, making them shine like tiny stars.
"Okay, no more secrets, I promise. Let me order some food, though. We are going to be here for a while."
I nodded at his suggestion because I was starving. Plus, I was prepared to stay as long as it took to learn the truth. Every piece of it.
A while later, our pizza arrived. Chase mocked me for ordering ham and pineapple, telling me how disgusting it was to have fruit on a pizza, which made me laugh. In turn, he chuckled, too. Then, we got down to business.
"So, the reason I’ve been so jealous and possessive of you is because you're a Scion."
"I'm a what now?" I mumbled with a mouth full of pizza.
This part seemed interesting, so I put my slice of pizza back into the box and wiped my hands. Sitting on the couch, I crossed my legs and listened, not wanting to miss any of this. I then sat there on the couch with my legs crossed and listened carefully.
After Chase took a sip of his beer, he said, "Don't panic, okay? You’re human."
I was kind of hoping that I was some kickass superhero and that my powers hadn't come in yet, so when he said that, I was a little disappointed. I guessed Chase could sense my disappointment because he laughed at me. I scowled at him, and he held his hands up in the air.
"So, what's a Scion?"
"Well, you carry royal blood in your veins—"
I quickly cut him off, my excitement too powerful to contain. "So, I'm like a werewolf Princess? That is freaking awesome!"
Chase smirked, his eyes glimmering with humor. "No, not exactly. Look, I'll explain it all, but you have to let me get a word in, okay?"
I nodded and twisted an imaginary key to my lips, then sat there while he explained everything in depth. He said that I carried moon Goddess blood and that I got it from my mom and some of the other women in my family line. I was kind of hurt by the fact that my mom had never told me, but that was something I would have to discuss with her. Chase explained that werewolves can only be with their own kind, and they very rarely date humans. If they did, it was only for fun.
"So why do you want to date me?" I asked my curiosity making me break my promise not to interrupt him, but in my defense, I couldn’t help having questions. This was all new to me.
"Well, to keep our lines diluted, Alpha's can only reproduce with Scion's, we—"
"Hold on a damn minute,” I cut in. “You want me to be your breeding cow?" I asked, not able to hide the shock in my high-pitched tone.
Chase actually snorted at that. "No, of course not. Normal humans can't be turned into werewolves, and werewolves are only born to two werewolf parents. But Scion's can be turned, and they are the only ones who are strong enough to handle an Alpha's seed."
"Oh, attractive. You realize you haven't made that sound any better than my breeding cow comment, right?" I said sarcastically.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "Yeah, I'm not great with words. The point is, as a Scion, you release a pheromone that werewolf Alpha’s, vampire Sires, and shifter Kings can smell. All unmated Alphas, Sires, or Kings will be interested in you, and not all of them would give you a choice. Some are so desperate to have a Scion as their mate that they will do anything, even kidnap you..."
"You mean like you did today?" I snickered, but when I met his eyes, he wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t even smiling.
"I said I was sorry about that. I'm just trying to keep you safe, Brie. We all are. Your mom and dad wanted you to be able to fall in love with a mate and have a choice who you ended up with."
"What has my dad got to do with it?" I asked bluntly.
"Aubrey, your dad is an Alpha."
After telling me that my father was an Alpha, I needed a little break. I went to the bathroom and called Payton.
"Brie, where are you, are you okay?" she asked in a panic.<
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"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm with Chase—"
"Where are you?” she interjected. “If he's hurt you, I'll kill him!"
I sniggered. "I'm fine Pay, honestly. He has been telling me everything."
"Oh, and what has he told you exactly? And before you go mad, just know that I wasn't allowed to tell you. Your parents and mine swore me to secrecy."
"Why would they do that? Wait...are you a wolf, too?" I asked, the question just forming in my head.
"Oh crap! He didn't tell you that bit, did he? Of course not, the complete jerk. Look, I really wanted to tell you, but I was under Alpha's orders—"
"My dad?" I cut in
"Oh sure, he told you that part. Geez Chase, help a girl out. Yes, your father is our Alpha. Lots of us in town were told to protect you, and not to let you find out what we were, or what you were. Wait, you do know what you are, right?"
"Yeah, sort of, but he's crap at explaining, and he loses track easily. He's like a damn goldfish. So, I can't really ask the questions that I need to. Can you explain when I get back?" I asked her while flushing the toilet.
"Of course, I can, do you want me to set up that meeting with your parents for tomorrow?"
"That's who the meeting was with?"
"Yeah, but they wanted to wait until you were ready."
"Okay, set it up. Look, I need to get back. Chase still has a lot to tell me."
We said our goodbyes, and I washed my hands. After that, I headed back into the front room. Chase sat there; one eyebrow raised as he stared at me.
"What?" My hands went to my hips and I angled my head at him.
"A goldfish? Really?" I have no idea how he kept a serious face, but it was hard for me not to laugh at him the way he said that.
"What? How did you know?"
He tapped on his ear. "Wolf hearing, remember?"
My eyes grew wide as a realization hit me. Every single time I said something about him and thought he couldn’t hear me, he probably could. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I stalked to the couch. He burst out laughing and I couldn’t help but join in. The comic relief was nice, but I needed more answers, and it was getting late. I didn't want this lasting all night.
"Right, so as a Scion, I attract Alphas, vampire Sires and um...what again?"
"Shifter Kings. Yes. See we are all related somewhere down the line, and they have the same needs as we do. Movies portray us as enemies, but in all honesty, we get along just like everyone else," he explained.
"What! Really? Don't vampires kill people and suck their blood?"
"No, another misconception. They're actually just a form of shifters like the rest of us. They shift into bats, where we shift into wolves. They feed on animals, just like we do. Obviously, they can kill and feed on humans, just like we could, but that is against our laws, and anyone caught is put to death or imprisoned, depending on the circumstances. Much like human law."
"Hmm, I think you should all sue the film industry for misrepresentation," I said with a giggle.
We talked late into the night, and Chase explained that all the different types of shifters lived with each other and humans peacefully, although there was an occasional bad apple. But humans had loads of killers and criminals, so they weren't much different. I learned that when a Scion is turned into a werewolf, their children can be born as a werewolf or a Scion. Most males are born as werewolves and most girls Scions, but occasionally there are werewolf girls born, and on extremely rare occasions, male Scions are born. He said that as a Scion my family and friends made sure I was kept safe growing up. They had ensured Leaders of packs, broods, and tribes couldn’t steal me for themselves. Even though I was angry that my family had kept this all from me, I could appreciate them letting me live a normal life.
He explained that when the Alpha's son turns sixteen years old, he isn't automatically chosen to take over as Alpha. It sets off a chain reaction among the pack. Basically, anyone who wants to be Alpha has two years to train and ultimately challenge the son when he turns eighteen. He is challenged by many different men, aged eighteen and over, for the future Alpha position. It was the way their pack made sure the strongest took over.
"So, you had to fight off all of those people? How many did you have to fight?" I asked as I sipped my beer.
"One," he said quietly, and then got up and went to the fridge.
"What? What do you mean, one? Did only one person challenge you?" I asked while turning in my seat to watch him.
He got out some more beer and then strolled back over to me. Taking his seat, he placed three beers on the table, opening one for me. I shook my head and pointed to the one in my hand, which was still half full.
After a few gulps, he sighed. "No, around eight guys challenged for the Alpha position. But I am not the Alpha’s son. Jesse was."
"What? You beat Jesse?" I froze in shock. I had assumed Chase was the Alpha’s son, so it surprised me when he said he wasn’t.
"It isn't a fair system. They make the son's Alpha fight every single challenger, all in one day. They start them off with the weaker opponents and then go up the line. By the end of it, Jesse was exhausted. I was the second to last opponent and I wasn't holding up much hope of winning. Jesse was always stronger and faster than I was, and in a one on one, he could have easily beaten me, but after fighting six other werewolves, he was weakened." Chase paused, turning to face me before he carried on with his story, and although it was hard to hear about Jesse, it was also kind of nice to hear a bit more about his life. "After me, there was one more challenger, Logan. He is a real nasty piece of work. He wanted us to rule over the humans and all the other shifters. If he beat Jesse and took over as Alpha, our pack was in for a life of misery and death. And the world wouldn't have known what hit it."
I sat back and held my hand over my mouth, not able to wrap my mind around Jesse fighting all of those shifters just to be an Alpha like his father. He’d seemed so sweet, and I wished he was still here so I could hug him, so I could share this with him. After all, he was the one who wanted to be honest with me from the start.
"What happened?" I asked in a quiet tone.
"Because Jesse knew that he was weaker after fighting the other opponents, he decided to throw the fight with me. I managed to hit him a few times, and usually, he would just get back up and beat me, but this time he didn't. On the last punch, he collapsed to the ground and stayed there," he said while sitting back against the couch.
"So that was it? You took over as future Alpha?"
"No, I still had to fight that evil son of a bitch. When Jesse got up, he whispered that I needed to beat Logan because there was no way in hell that we could let him take over our pack."
"Did you win?" I asked, then I shook my head, realizing my stupidity. "Well, duh. Of course, you did."
"Barely," he said softly while pulling up the side of his t-shirt.
I gasped as he revealed a large bite mark just above his hip. He leaned forward and showed me that it went all the way around the back, and honestly, it was pretty close to the size of a basketball. I leaned forward and ran my fingers over the raised scar. He moaned as my delicate touch glided over his skin.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" I asked, snatching my hand away.
"No, no! Not at all. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it, a Scion's touch to a male werewolf is the best feeling in the world. Our bodies are consumed with electricity and heat. It sends us wild."
I blushed at his honesty, but I couldn't complain. I’d wanted him to tell me everything. Although, maybe I shouldn’t have made him promise to be completely honest.
I cleared my throat, ready for a change of subject. "So, what happened?"
He pulled his t-shirt down. "Well, it is in the rules that we fight hand-to-hand combat. No weapons, no shifting, no killing."
"And clearly Logan didn't follow those rules, huh?" I asked while pointing to his wound.
He shook his head. "No. He couldn't control himself, and within seconds of ente
ring the pit, he shifted and lunged at me, biting straight into my side. Jesse came in and fought him off, restraining him just before he managed to rip my throat out."
I gasped and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe that Jesse had thrown the fight with Chase because he was worried about not winning against Logan, but then he somehow still ended up beating Logan.
"So, Jesse could have won after all?" I asked after dropping my hand away from my mouth.
He shook his head again. "Jesse spoke to me afterward, and I asked him the same question. He told me that my fight would have taken it out of him, and he didn't know if he would have had the strength left to fight Logan. He didn't want to risk the pack's safety and future."
I instantly had even more respect and love for Jesse. He sounded like an extraordinary person, strong and courageous, kind and caring.
"I tried to talk to my father and uncle, tried to convince them that Jesse threw the fight and that because Logan had been disqualified, Jesse was the rightful victor. They refused to listen and explained that because the entire pack had seen him lose to me, they wouldn't accept him unless he challenged me again," he told me, and I could hear the pain in his voice. His heart had broken then, but it broke even more now talking about his cousin.
"Did he challenge you again?" I asked, and my voice was barely above a whisper.
"No, I tried to convince him to, but he said he wasn't interested in being Alpha. He wanted a normal werewolf life. He didn't want a lifetime of being challenged, or to look after the pack. He just wanted to have fun, then fall in love one day and start a family."
My heart melted. The guy had been perfect. Why did he have to die, I wondered to myself.
"Then you came along," he said more harshly than I cared for.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound that callous. All I mean is that usually only Alphas, Sires, or Kings can smell a Scion, but our whole family knew you were here the instant you arrived. Your scent is really strong," he explained in a gentle voice.