Blood of The Beast

xi

Alastair:

    I lost control. There was nothing that could have stopped what I did to her. Even if she had told me to stop, I wouldn't have. The fear that took over in waves of panic fed the monster in me and I couldn't reel it in.

    The cries made it worse. The power of her voice drained out at the mercy of the beast in me. She had called it forward like she had when I had marked her. This time she hadn't met it head-on. She tried to run from it. She shouldn't have tried to run from it. I sat at the end of the bed as her pulse slowly began to calm steadily as she slept through the exhaustion and the blood loss.

    I could have f*****g killed her and she would have let me. I pulled my shirt on and walked out. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I came face to face with my mother. She looked me over before she reached to comfort me.

    "What have you done, boy?" she asked worriedly.

    "I almost killed her," my voice broke. I felt my body shake in fear as the realization of my actions beat against me hard.

    She opened the door walked over to my mate and pulled the covers off of her. I walked over to her shutting the door behind me so no one would see Scylla's naked body. She let out a sigh of relief.

    Scylla. My Scylla is lying there sound asleep. She isn't going to wake up even if we did move her around. Three large bruises decorated the inside of her thighs, one on the left two on the right, another one on her breast, and let's not forget the one on her neck. Mother covered her again.

    "She's fine," she announced walking past me. She took my arm and pulled me with her out into the hall. "What happened? This room smells like you tried to hunt her. Her fear and adrenaline is still thick in the air,"

    "That's how she reacts to me," I whispered. She led me downstairs and into a massive modern dining room.

    "Cassandra, Chamomile please," she ordered motioning me to sit down.

    I sat at the head of the table pressing my face into my hands. She rubbed my arm up and down. I had never felt like this before. I had never felt regret in my life. I had harmed her. I had scared the hell out of her. I had done it to others. I had killed other women like that for the sheer amusement of it. Why does this feel so wrong?

    "Was this your first time?" she asked and I shook my head. I felt myself beginning to relax. Mother had always had this effect on me. I had missed her.

    "No. This is the first time I've taken it this far," I informed her. "I couldn't stop myself,"

    "I wanted to bite her with the smell of it and I wasn't the one who ignited it," she smirked honestly. A woman came over to us and began to set the tea she had asked for.

    "Sugar my lord?" she asked.

    "He doesn't like tea. Bring him a glass of Glenmorangie," mother waved her away.

    "What year my lady?"

    "Eighty-one," she smiled excusing her. "Alastair, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

    "I don't know, mom,"

    "Conspiring against me already, Alastair?" I looked behind me to see Agathos coming down the staircase.

    "Cassandra, bring two glasses and the bottle," mother called out.

    "What's going on?" he asked sitting to my left.

    "Our prodigal son nearly killed the beautiful little pup asleep in his bed," she answered. He smiled shaking his head.

    "You'd never be able to kill that girl. Whatever it is you did to her she wanted it. She let it happen,"

    "You didn't take in what I did," mother interjected taking a sip of her tea. The woman came back and set the glasses down filling them before putting the bottle in a small bucket of ice to keep it cool.

    "You have always been quite the aggressor Naloc. You may have ended a few damsels in your day, but this one is no damsel,"

    "She passed out from the fear. I... She had a full-blown panic attack," he nodded.

    "Son, this girl is not like any other girl out there. I saw it the moment I stepped out onto her land. I can smell the fear in her. It doesn't slow her down it wakes her up. This girl is afraid of everything. This kind of fear is unique. I came across it once," he shrugged like it was no big deal before sitting back looking at mother.

    "What did you do?" I asked.

    "He turned me," she giggled.

    "I'm sorry what?" I asked.

    "Ketea, tell the boy why he can't kill her. Stop making him feel this way," mother sighed and put her teacup down. The way he says her name and treats her has always been tender. Something he doesn't extend to anyone else.

    "She's your mate, Alastair. The bond you two have will never allow you to take it to the point of her death," she said. I took a drink.

    "It felt like I attacked her," Mother reached for the collar of her blouse and pulled it enough to reveal a crescent scar similar to Scylla's. I looked at Agathos who did the same.

    "You two are mated?" I asked in disbelief. "Genevieve?"

    "Fake," he laughed. "Once the mark is placed and the bond has taken you will be useless to anyone who is not your mate unless she wants more," he winked at her.

    "Why did you fake your death?" I asked looking at her.

    "I faked her death to protect her. If word got out she'd be hunted," he waved his hand in the air looking down at his glass.

    "You've been together all along?" she nodded.

    "He'd never let me stray too far. Her fear is prominent as it is because she has a pulse. Once that is taken care of you'll never feel what you did tonight,"

    "She's a werewolf,"

    "She's a hybrid, son. Like the little girl, she has with her. You can turn her. Those wolf powers of hers are a fraction of what she will have once she becomes one of us,"

    "A hybrid?" I asked. "Human and werewolf?"

    "No, silly boy," mother laughed.

    "Hybrids are not a combination of anything. We call them hybrids because they have the choice to remain mortal or become immortal. There are those who are chosen to be more than what they already are. Like you or Ketea. Your immortality is predetermined,"

    "The titan descent laws," I said sitting back.

    "I know those," the rasp of her voice broke my still heart into pieces.

    We all turned to find Scylla standing there. I stood up and went over to her. Her legs trembled as she made her way to the seat I had been in. She's holding herself up well for someone who just passed out.

    "Are you okay?" I asked. Her eyes are still tired. They still lit up when her gaze met my own. She smiled.

    "I'm fine Alastair," she chuckled. Agathos stood up to move a seat over. "Whatever it was you saw or heard I was there with you,"

    "You know I'm glad this happened," mother announced.

    "Me too," Agathos agreed. "You've been dead inside much longer than when I took your life. I thought I might have been too drastic with you. When you chose Erebus I thought he was going to bring life into you boy,"

    "Look at the emotion in his eyes," mother added.

    "Alright," I growled feeling embarrassed. Scylla laughed.

    "I never caught your name," she queried looking at my mother.

    "Ketea," mother smiled with a light shrug. Scylla returned the smile before looking her over.

    "Interesting," 

    "Am I missing something?" I asked taking her warm hand in mine.

    "Ketea or Lamia is known as the mother of the monster I was named after. My mom was obsessed with Greek mythology. It's the reason why I learned Greek in the first place. My dad used to read me to sleep with her favorite mythology books. Ketea the Shark was one of my favorites,"

    "What do you know of the Titan descendant laws?" mother asked. She took a deep breath her cheeks flaring with a light blush.

    "Depends on what you want to know? The basics or the advances,"

    "Let's start with the basics," Agathon laughed.

    "These laws were created by Prometheus when he created man. He thought that man would one day exceed the abilities he had given them. These mortals would be able to will themselves into their new beings by teeth and claw. In other words, their fight would turn them savage.

    "Some would take the form of their beast. Lycanthropes. Not specifically wolves. There are other types of shifters. These called the beast in times of need and ritual. It depends on the characteristics of each person. That's the I think therefore I am law.

    "The more savage ones these don't take the form of anything. They simply are the beast in their form. Vampyre. These would take the form of immortality in Prometheus. Through his blood, they'd be able to stay immortal so as long as they wanted to.

    "These beasts would be able to sense other mortals who had the potential to be like them. These are called hybrids. They'd be able to turn these hybrids, teach them, allow them to seek their potential. This law is called the Awakening.

    "Then there's the true savagery of mortality. Hellhounds. Mortals who lost their way through inflicting pain and suffering. These take the form of a jackal. Decaying, never living as a man again. This is called The Cursed law."

    "Why aren't these laws taught?" I asked.

    "Because not all shifters are hybrids. They are what they are by default. Born that way. Hybrids have two paths. The mortal and the immortal. They make their own destiny. They can be great or they can be nothing. It all depends on their struggle.

    "You can't teach people to be great. You can show them the path, give them the tools, but you can't force them to be great. It's up to them to decide,"

    "I can listen to you talk all night," Agathos smiled.

    "Agreed," Mother laughed.

    "What are the advances?" I asked.

    "I'm one of them. When I rejected F.J. and killed his dad. I chose the path that would lead me to you. Allison chose the path that would lead her to Erebus when she let me take control of her,"

    "What?" we asked and she smiled.

    "She scares the hell out of him. Even in her neutral mind. Someone's going to need to talk to him. I can handle her,"

    "f**k," Agathos groaned annoyed. "Lost both my kids in this s**t,"

    "I ordered for you," mother said as the woman came and sat several plates of food. "You need to eat. Get your strength back. This savage needs to be more careful,"

    "Thank you," Scylla grinned, a pink tint flushing her pale cheeks. "I actually came down here for answers,"

    "Ask," Agathos and I said at the same time.

    "Not from you too," she dismissed taking a piece of bread from one of the plates. "This thing you need The Gemini Twins for. What is it?"

    "You're bold," mother scoffed pouring herself another cup of tea. "Why do you want to know?"

    "Does it have to do with the Order?" mother hesitated and then tried to cover it up.

    "I can't say," she shrugged.

    "You don't have to. I'd like to help," are all women like this?

    "Why would you want to become a traitor of the Dark Council?" mother asked mixing the sugar into the tea. "You have enough problems of your own Scylla,"

    "If you know about my problems then you know they revolve around the Order itself. I take care of a lot of people and I need to keep them safe. Let's not forget what it would mean if it were my pack who obliterated the Order from existence,"

    "Dammit," I stressed. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're not serious,"

    "Completely serious. There are some things within the Dark Council temples I need and the House of the Order sits right on top of it," she looked at mother and smiled. "I can get your sons in, to do whatever it is you need them to do. I don't have to know. I think we'd make a good team,"

    "You are a clever little thing aren't you?" mother beamed. "Tell you what. I'll not only tell you what I need but lend you the resources you need to do what you want to do,"

    "In return for a seat at the Table," my mate smiled taking a drink from my whiskey glass. "I'll make you the head of the table all I need it what's in the bottom of that Temple. Of course, my house will be very present in the Order. I have a few members of my pack that would be very interested in a position like that,"

    "Deal," Agathos drummed the table excitedly.

    "What's so important about what's down there?" I asked.

    "I think he means, what's down there?" mother corrected taking a sip of her tea.

    "Water," Scylla shrugged before downing the rest of my whiskey.

    "Water?" Agathos asked.

    "A small bottle of it," she confirmed. We all looked at her confused.

    "Okay?" mother pushed.

    "Okeanides stream. The last of it," I still didn't understand.

    "I understand," mother nodded. "Do you understand what it means to resurrect someone?"

    "I'd do anything to get her back. This isn't for me. I've made my sacrifice," Scylla shrugged looking down at the plate of food in front of her. "This would be a lot easier if I knew who the head of the Order is. So much easier if we could stop at the top,"