Blood of The Beast: Revelations

Prologue

Ezra: 

    It wasn't supposed to be this way. I know the world is cruel. I've known the world was this way since I was a little girl. From the moment my father slapped my mother across the dinner table for the first time. The way he would look at me with hatred in his eyes. How he would tell me that I wasn't his daughter. The way he murdered the officer that tried to help us. The way his family took me in despite what had happened and the way they cared for me from a distance. The world is in fact cruel and it spares no one. 

    The tiny silver gray eyes that stared back at me the morning he was born made it all worth living. How his tiny body fit perfectly in arms. The intelligence of what he was and what he would become shown brilliantly in his eyes that reflected his father's. In that moment, I thanked the moon goddess for bringing Rip into my life. For taking us down the path she had chosen for us. 

    The look on Mikhail's face told me we would be more than fine. That better was just the beginning for us. Despite everything that was happening around us, we had a future. 

    The King wanted us to reveal our pack lands to the world. He demanded that we show everything we are, to expose not only our people, but our homes. The demand itself stood for everything wolves had been taught. Everything that they are as beings of the shadows. The pack voted and we refused the order. None of us wanted what was being forced on us and we were no match for the monster that stormed through her later that night. 

    The sound of dying wolves surrounded us. Our homes were set on fire. We were surrounded. That man walked into the my son's nursery with one swift strike he ended everything. The sounds of my baby crying stopped with one strike. 

    Rip burst into the room and attacked the monster. She dragged him out of the room too late. All I could do was look down at the bloodied bundle in the crib. I couldn't bring myself to reach for him. My mind wouldn't be able to handle the cruelty behind all of this.I had already watch that monster kill Mikhail and hundreds of our guards. 

    "Don't," Rip stood in front of me protectively. The King looked down at her with contempt. "You've taken enough. It's enough," the desperation in her voice is something I doubt I will ever hear again. Ripley Hemingway, the girl who had been deemed the unworthiest monster pleading for the lives of the wounded. "I'll bow. I will bow, but it is enough," 

    "Fine," the monster replied. 

    Ripley took in her surroundings. To all of the destruction that this savage had brought with him and fell to her knees lowering her head low in submission. He placed his boot on her back pushing her down further and there was nothing anyone of us could do to stop him. 

    "Let this be a lesson to all of those who refuse to follow orders. I do not tolerate disobedience. Luna Ripley takes full responsibility for those of you who are left from this pack. Alpha Mikhail has fallen tonight. His bloodline followed to ensure that his faults died with him alone. You're wolves, you will rebuild and rise again from the ashes of your failures. Go before I change my mind," 

    He shoved Rip away. The burning anger in her eyes when they met mine told me exactly who she is. She gripped my hand, shaking her head and pushed me in the opposite direction. I ran away while they burned away the evidence of what that monster had done to us. 

    Rip didn't say a word to me. What could she say? This wasn't her only loss that night. She is the sole heir to the Hemingway bloodline. The fact that she was able to drag the king and kill dozens of his men alone was what saved her and she saved me. Things would have been better if she had let that man kill me along with my family. She wouldn't have to suffer by hands. She wouldn't have had to witness the beast that losing everything brought out in me. 

    I was human once. I considered myself to be a good person once. I'm not human. I haven't been a very, very long time. I'm no longer a good person if a person is what I am considered. I've abandoned all hope. All of the beautiful things that had made Ezra Powell are dead. They died that night with my mate and my son. Ripley is known as the Demon Wolf. The New Rogue Queen is known as the absolute wolf. Her sister is known as the switch. It's funny. Not one of them knows who I am or rather what I am. 

    The beast stares back at me every time I look in the mirror. Every time I smile or pretend to be okay with my surroundings. I'm not. This world is cruel and I'm about to show those who turned a blind eye what cruelty really is. Jackals are not to be f****d with. 

Scylla: 

    My mother used to tell me that things happen for a reason. That the world is made up of fates that we all have to face one day and that no matter how hard we tried to avoid them, they'd catch up anyway. I think she knows something the rest of us don't because she's never wrong. 

    "Hey, are you awake in there?" the knock on my door startled me. 

    "Yes," I answered pulling the door open. My mother's endless youth stared back at me. "I'm awake," 

    "Just making sure. Can you drop off your sister today? I have a plane to catch and she's still not ready," 

    "That's fine. It's on my way to pick up Riley anyway," she smiled at me. 

    "You guys are cute together. Too bad she's traditional huh?" I felt my face flush. 

    "Yeah, too bad," I agreed. 

    Riley Krei and I had grown up together. Since we were kids, I had always been drawn to her. Last year, when my wolf finally stabilized, we found out why. She's mine and has always been mine. Her parents come from a different belief system than mine. They're traditional and have all these rules. Riley wants to finish school, she wants us both to start a career, and finally, she wants to get married before being marked. I respect her requests but it doesn't mean I like them. 

    She reminds me that her parents had done things that way but she forgets that Rip and Reggie didn't meet until they were both in their late twenties or early thirties. They had all those things before they met. It had nothing to do with their beliefs or traditions. They didn't meet the way we did. They didn't have to wait this long. 

    "Ass c***k, are you ready?" I asked knocking on my sister's door. She ripped the door open angrily. 

    "If you ever call me that again, I will rip your tongue out and feed it to my cat," on cue, her little naked rat meowed as she walked out of her room. Jinx the sphynx is my sister's only friend. 

    "Okay," I laughed at her threat. "Are you ready?" 

    "Yeah," she shrugged grabbing her satchel. 

    The ride to Riley's house is a short one. Once our parents found out we were mated they moved closer. They were both thrilled when our LSATs came in and we accepted into Rogue Creek's undergrad program. I could have been done already had  I not taken a year to get my wolf under control. 

    "Hey, Astra," Riley beamed as she jumped into my car. No one ever uses the door when the top is down.

    "Hey," Astra answered from the back seat. My mate laughed at my sister's uninterested demeanor. She's always been like that. Serious and demanding when she needs something.

    "Hey, baby," I greeted her leaning over to give her a peck. 

    "Gross," Astra sang as she put her headphones on. I can see her through my rearview mirror.

    "Hey, I heard you were nominated captain of your softball team," Riley smiled turning her body to give my sister her full attention. 

    I looked back at my sister wondering why she hadn't told me that. Astra looks a little more interested now. Her expression is neutral but her eyes give her away sometimes. She sat up pushing the headphones down so they were around her neck. 

    "Yeah, coach told me last night. I turned it down," 

    "What?" I asked. "Why?" 

    "Because mom is starting my training soon. My powers are getting stronger and I don't know if I'm going to be able to do what they expect me too," 

    "Mom said we can give you a few more months," why does it feel like I'm begging her to do this?

    "I don't have a few more months," she lifted the sleeves to her sweater. 

    Her veins along her forearm are getting darker. A couple of days ago the were only around her wrist and now they're all the way up to her elbow. Her lightning affinity is getting stronger. When mine came in, it hurt. It hurt so much I had to put school on hold for three months and my affinity isn't as strong as hers. Mine is barely a taser when her's can end someone one with a single concentrated strike.

    "Does it hurt already?" I asked. She looked up at me. It does hurt her. I see it.

    "It's whatever," she shrugged leaning back. 

    "I think we should call gg, Lilith, and grandpa. Mom is on a plane to Kenya right now," 

    "I'll call him after practice," she put her headphones back on. 

    I looked at my mate worriedly. She just shrugged not knowing what to do either. I drove her to school. She's a senior now. She doesn't have any friends because she's younger than all the other wolves around her. Not to mention her attitude problem. She gets it from dad. 

    "You think she'll be okay?" Riley asked as Astra walked into the crowd of students. 

    "I'm calling my dad," I announced pressing the call option on my steering wheel. 

    "Hey, everything okay?" my dad answered on the second ring. 

    "Dad, Astra's lightning rash is up to her elbow," 

    "What?" he asked worriedly. "Your mother said it was barely around her wrist two nights ago," 

    "She just showed it to me. I don't know if it's the same for her but that thing hurt when mine came in. Dad, she's hurting," he sighed. "She's hiding it from mom with everything going on,"

    "Did you drop her off already? Maybe she should stay home," he suggested.

    "I just dropped her off. I'm right outside the school," Before he could answer a loud boom echoed inside of the school. Students started rushing out screaming. 

    "Astra," I called out getting out of the car. I can hear my dad demanding to know what's happening but I couldn't think about anything other than my sister right now.

    "Alpha Naloc, they have her surrounded," a girl ran to me from inside the smoke gathering in the halls. 

    I ran in the direction she pointed me in. Astra is standing in the middle of the hall in her half shift form facing off with six other wolves. Shadows. The air around her is crackling with blue electricity. Two wolves are already dead on the floor by the other six. 

    "What the f**k is going on?" I growled. Astra glanced back at me. There's a red mark lining her right eye and blood coming out of her hairline. 

    "The true Alpha Queen sends her regards," one of them growled. He disappeared into the shadows of the lockers to our right. 

    "Take those, Naloc," Astra spat, pushing me out of the way as they came at us.

    The other five charged at me. I caught the first one by throat crushing it without hesitation. I moved around the others just as easily, taking them down as they came at me. I looked back at Astra to see her staring at nothing in particular. I desperately looked around trying to find where the shadow had gone to find nothing. In a split second, Astra charged. 

    My sister's hand shot out-reaching into the smoke. The lightning around her crackled sparking all around us. When she stepped back the wolf was pulled out of the shadow. I had never seen anything like that. My sister's wolf raged as she looked into the eyes of her attacker. 

    "I'm just a messenger," he choked out as she held him by the throat. 

    "Then let's hope your Queen get's the message," Astra growled. 

    "Stop," My dad appeared in front of her. "Don't you dare, Astra," 

    They both stared at one another for an instant. She didn't release him. She didn't say a word. The electricity in the air began to crackle again. She pulled it towards her hand and into the wolf she's holding onto. He cried out as she electrocuted him disobeying my father yet again. The smell of his burnt body swirled in the air before she let him go, letting him fall with a loud sticky thud. 

    "Sorry, daddy. I couldn't control it," she smirked stepping away from the body. I bit back the laugh stuck in my throat. 

    "These two are still alive," I informed him pointing at the last two wolves I had taken down. 

    "Are you alright?" he asked her as he looked over the bruising on her face. 

    "I'm fine," she bit out. Before he could continue to scold her she groaned gripping her right arm where the lightning rash is settling. 

    "Astra," I rushed over to her catching her before she fell. 

    "It burns," she groaned. Her entire body is trembling. 

    "Let's get her home. Killian, get rid of the bodies. Glory, bring these two with us," my dad ordered. I lifted my sister into my arms. Riley is standing by my car waiting for us to come out. 

    "Did it trigger?" she asked. 

    "She was attacked," I let her know as I lowered her into the back seat of my car. 

    "I'll drive," my dad motioned her to get in the front seat while I settled into the back with my sister in my arms. She's sweating. 

    "Am I dying?" she asked looking up at me. Her eyes are glowing blue but they're fading to black. 

    "No, dummy. You're going to be fine. It just hurts for a little while," 

    "You promise?" she cried. 

    "I swear," I promised, holding her to me. 

    I have never seen my sister cry. For as long as I can remember, she's always hidden her emotions just a well as my parents, if not better. Seeing her like this is killing me. I want nothing more than to kill those two ass holes I had left alive. They had triggered the affinity early. The rash is spreading way too fast. It's covering all of her fingers. It's gone from her elbow up to her arm and on to her neck. Her body is starting to shake violently. 

    "Let's get her some blood," my mom shouted as soon as we arrived. 

    "Mom?" I looked up at her wondering how she had gotten here so fast. 

    "I got her," she swore I held her out so she could take her. 

    "No," Astra called out gripping onto my shirt. "No, no, please Nana don't leave me," 

    "I'm right here,"  I promised, pulling her back to me.

    "Into the infirmary," my mom instructed. 

    As soon as we entered, Dr. Peters started setting up the machines. The EMPs that would help stabilize her until her body binds with the electricity taking form inside of her are already set up. When I set her down in front of the panels she cried out. I held her down as the panels tried to stabilize her. Mom came over to us with a blood pack. When she got close the lightning struck her. 

    "f**k," she growled curling into herself. She tossed me the pack. "It's a lot stronger than yours," 

    "Yeah," I agreed feeling the heat of her affinity. Since it's almost identical to mine it can't hurt me. "Astra, I need you to drink," 

    "I can't," she cried rolling onto her side so she can curl up. 

    "Yes, you can. Come on, little beast. I need you too," I whispered into her ear. I bit the edge of the pouch open for her and put it to her mouth. She took a couple of drinks before she pulled away coughing.

    "No more," she sobbed. 

    "All of it. You need it. The electricity in your body is burning it up fast," I pulled her up and got on the table so I can lay her on my lap. 

    "Please," she begged. I put the blood pack to her mouth again urging her to drink. She didn't fight me this time. 

    I remember the pain of this when my affinity fully awakened inside of me. The searing pain of it taking over my body. Of it burning me up from the inside out. My mom had sat through it with me. She had held me in her arms even when it hurt her. She had guided me through all of it. I swore that I would do the same for her when she started showing signs of the affinity a few months ago. 

    "You're okay," I whispered into her ear whenever she cried out.

    How had she held it in for so long? When my rash had started at my wrist, I couldn't stop scratching it from the ache. When it reached halfway up my forearm, I couldn't sleep. It stung to even try to touch it. When it got to my elbow, I couldn't handle it anymore. I had to carry ice packs with me everywhere I went. I was sitting in here with my arm in ice water by the time it fully awakened. 

    "Mom?" I called out when Astra's breathing slowed. My mom's head whipped around as the monitors around us started going crazy. The electricity in her started to dim. She rushed to our side. 

    "No, no," she began to panic. "Alastair," 

    My dad rushed in. He took her from me laying her on the floor. My mom ripped my sister's top off. My dad began to bite her along her arms while my mom used her blood to heal the wounds. They're trying to get their blood into her. He bit his arm before he held it over my sister's mouth. Once she had enough of his blood in her mouth he began to pump her chest. 

    "Come on, baby stay with me," he whispered to her calmly. 

    My mind isn't processing this. This isn't happening. My mom came over to me and began to try and tell me something but I don't know what it is she's trying to say. My ears are ringing. All I can see is my sister in my mom's features. I pushed her away and slowly went over to my sister and my dad who is desperately trying to get her to drink his blood. I fell to my knees next to her. A c***k inside of her chest startled me and I shoved him. 

    "You're hurting her," I growled lifting her to me, pulling her away from him. 

    "Naloc," the panic in his eyes is not something I'm not very familiar with. My dad is worse than my mother.

    I looked down at my sister. There's nothing there anymore. A sharp piercing pain pulsed in my chest. I held her to me tightly. I promised. I had promised she would be fine. I pushed my affinity forward. I pushed it towards my arms feeling it burn the same way it always does when I used it. She's not going to leave me. She can't. 

    "You have to wake up, Astra," I can feel myself panicking. I pushed the burning into her. Her body tensed up with the jolt of electricity I pushed into her. "You can't leave me. Wake up," I shouted firing another surge through her. Her lifeless body tensed up again. "Wake up. Stop playing around Ass c***k," I growled firing the third surge. 

    Her body jolted up. She sat up gasping for air. The electricity inside of her roared around us stronger than before. My dad moved out of the way before it struck him. She looked around confused before her eyes landed on me. The fear in her eyes mimicked my own as she gripped onto my shirt. 

    "I told you not to call me that," she panted. 

    "You're okay," is all could say holding onto her. 

    "You said I would be," she nodded. 

    "Don't ever do that again," I cried pulling her into me. She held onto me tightly. If there is anyone other than Riley that I can't live without. It's this little pain in the ass. There is no way in hell that I will ever let anything happen to her. Believe it.