The Rise of the Tribrid

Chapter2

Raven’s POV

When I woke up, everywhere was quiet, the sun was shining so bright, my head aches so bad, my skin burned where the sun light touched, and I could taste blood it was faint but unmistakenable.

For a while I didn’t make a move to get up, I just layed there listening to the sound the forest made. The air smelled of ash and smoke from the fire that was lit up at the castle. Then it hit me, the memories. The burning I felt, the growling sound I made, red eyes staring back at me from the lake.

Dried blood and mud covered my hand and under my fingernails. I didn’t know whose blood it was.

“Goddess” I whispered, my throat felt dry.

I felt myself panicking before I could stop it, what if someone saw me yesterday, saw me when I passed out.

I stood up, brushing off the dirt from my body, my hands shaking, the moment sunlight touched my arm, I hissed, instinctively I went back to the shade. The skin there was blistered, it was faint but it was there. I stood there shocked, staring at it. No it couldn’t be, I was a wolf, a werewolf, the daughter of the wolf king, I wasn’t supposed to get hurt by the sun.

“Get it together, it’s nothing, just exhaustion” I said to myself, lightly tapping on my cheek to fully get myself, my hands were shaking so bad.

I made my way to the castle, making sure to walk where the shades are. By the time I got to the clearing, I could hear the sounds of sparring from the training grounds and people walking about, the pack was already awake. No one could know what happened until I understood what was happening to me.

By the time I got to my room, the castle was busy. The servants rushed through the halls with herbs, water and meat from the hunt yesterday. I quickly entered my room before anyone could stop me. I closed the door behind me and fur the first time I allowed myself to breathe.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and it was a disaster, my hair was tangled, dried mud on my face, dirt all over my clothes and body, and there it was that red glow in my eyes, faint, when I blinked it disappeared.

A knock came at my door.

“Raven, honey” mom’s came from behind the door soft but urgent.

I froze, I don’t want her seeing me like this, she’ll get worried and start questioning me. I tried arranging myself to the best of my ability even though it wouldn’t do much.

“Come in” I managed to squeak out though my voice was cracked.

She stepped inside, her clothes still rumpled from the night before, she rode on my dad’s back as usual since she obviously can’t transform into a wolf. She looked at me intensely, I could feel her magic, she knows something is wrong.

“You missed the morning rites, your father is already asking questions” she said stepping closely, inspecting mg face with her hands

“I didn’t feel well” I murmured moving from her very inquisitive stare to sit at the edge of my bed. “The moon, it was too much”

She looked at me for a long time, she stared at my hands, the faint marks, the bruises, the dried blood. Her eyes went wide but she quickly recovered, she tried to hide it but I saw it. I don’t want her worried.

“What happened last night?” She said walking towards me, she took my hands, staring at it, I could feel her magic around me.

“I…” I stuttered, the words got caught in my throat, what would I even say? that won’t make her worried, that the moon light felt like acid? Or my eyes glowed red? Or I growled and it wouldn’t stop?I can’t tell her everything but I also cannot leave out everything because she will know.

“I don’t know, I think I blacked out” I said finally

“Did anyone see?” She whispered, looking guilty.

“No” I shook my head

She looked relived, but I could tell she was far from calm. She softly caresses my face, hair hands were shaking, her voice soft “ you have to stay inside today Raven, promise me, don’t go near the sun”

“Why?” I asked but she didn’t give me an answer.

I could feel her magic wrapping around me, I could feel it more now than ever, the same magic that has always wrapped around me like a second skin and for the first time I wondered what it was really hiding and I was scared to know.

Alaric’s POV

The throne room smelled of smoke and meat, the aftermath of the hunt. Alaric stood at the window, looking out the castle yard where he stood he could see and hear everything. He has heard the pack talking, The king’s daughter had wandered off during the ritual, she’s been cursed by the moon. Wolves love stories and when they’re scared they spread it all round.

He didn’t want to believe it but her disappearance bothered him. The door opened and he knew it was his wife that entered.

“Is she awake?” He asked, his voice low

Haylee stood near the fireplace, her hands held tightly in front of her. “Yes, I spoke to her”

“And?”

“She’s tired, the blood moon overwhelmed her, that’s all”

“That’s all? He said as he turned to face her, he looked so confused and skeptical

Haylee didn’t back down, she look right back at him “Alaric she’s sixteen, you remember what that felt like right? Being under the blood moon, the pain, the confusion, she’s a strong girl but even the strong wolves shake”

He exhaled slowly, even then he still didn’t feel good about it. “ I know what I saw when she came back, she looked.. wrong”

“Wrong?”

“Her scent is different, it’s faint but I could still tell” he said rubbing his head slowly

“What about it?”

“She didn’t smell like a wolf, not entirely”

“You’re imagining things” Haylee told him too quick with her answer

“Don’t lie to me” he walked towards her, his angry

“ I’m not”

“You are” he said his voice slightly raised

“I can feel it, every time we talk about her yob act different, you make excuses for her, you think I don’t see it?”

“She’s our daughter” Haylee said softly holding Alaric’s face softly trying to ground him.

“She’s my heir!” He said removing her hands from his face, holding it tightly.

“If there’s something wrong with her, it affects the entire pack”

Haylee felt anger rush up within her. “She’s a child Alaric, your child!, or have you forgotten that? She’s not a weapon, she’s not some toy you can just play with, she’s not a curse, you’ve spent so long being a king you’ve forgotten how to be a father”

That hit a nerve in Alaric. “ I spent years fighting for this family, don’t you dare tell me I’ve forgotten what family means” he said, his voice low filled with shame.

“Then act like it”

Alaric looked away from her, his hands clenched, he paced back and forth. “ the hunters said they found a scent in the forest, it was a wolf, or a witch, it was something else, they couldn’t tell” he finally said after a long silence.

“They must have been mistaken” Haylee said feeling fear in her stomach, it couldn’t be, they shouldn’t get that scent

Alaric looked back at her, watching her closely. “We’re they?”

She tried to speak but nothing came out.

“ I want the truth if there’s something I should know..”

“There isn’t, she’s fine” she whispered trying to convince herself that everything is fine

“Fine” he said, he still was confused about everything, he was worried about his daughter.

“Yes, she’s fine, and if you love her you’ll stop treating her like she’s a threat” she replied

“If you love her you’ll stop pretending that nothing is wrong” he said frustrated

“You’ve already made up your mind, you always do” she said softly with tears in her eyes she didn’t let fall.

Alaric didn’t answer her, he couldn’t give her an answer because he didn’t know what to believe, he just wants his daughter to be okay and not feel like she doesn’t belong. Raven was his heir and his legacy. He could feel like there’s something wrong and it made his heart ache.

He turned back to the window, watching the yard, the pack warriors had already strted their morning training, some are sparring while some are doing hand to hand combat

“I’m going to speak to her,” he said

Haylee looked up nervous “No.”

“No?”

“She needs rest. You’ll only scare her.”

He turned to her, anger evident in his eyes. “You think I scare my own daughter?”

“I think,you let your fear do the talking.” She said carefully trying to anger him, that made him silent

He exhaled slowly, trying not to get angry. “If she’s in danger, I need to know. If she’s sick”

“She’s not.”

“Then what is she?”

Haylee froze, Alaric stepped forward, lowering his voice. “You said she’s fine, that she’s just tired but that’s not what I asked, Haylee, I asked you what she is.”

Her mouth opened, but she didn’t know what to say to that, she also couldn’t tell him the truth

“You’ve felt it too, don’t deny that she is different.” He said softly holding her cheeks, making her look at him

“She’s our daughter,” she whispered tears forming in her eyes

“That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t have another one,” she said, her voice shaky

He wanted to believe her, he did but her eyes betrayed her. They always had and he knew his wife very well, she may not show it on her face but her eyes never lie.

“Go to her,” Haylee said suddenly, her tone shifting, she was guarding herself “If you won’t listen to me, then see for yourself. Look at her and tell me if she isn’t still your little girl.”

He stared at her for a long time before nodding, he turned and left the room.