Howls of Apollo

Tredecim

“Your mother should have been the one to explain this to you, but unfortunately I can’t change what happened.” He said dejectedly.

“What is it papa?” She asked, leaning forward from the bed and ignoring the small strain from the wound, numbed by the painkillers running through her system.

“Your mother was a descendant of the last healer, the last remaining member of that line. Supposedly.” He answered.

Apollo’s brows knitted at that but he didn’t interrupt.

“She told me their history. How they dreaded every time a child would be born of their bloodline. They were afraid there’d come a day the child would manifest healing abilities. Even if it was said the last to carry the ability was the last healer, they remained cautious. So the women of the family didn’t bear more than one child, some even chose not to at all.”

“Why the women?” Atlas asked.

“Healing abilities were carried by the female and passed onto their first born, manifesting in either the son or the daughter, depending on who comes first.” It was Achilles who answered. “It always patterned that if the ability manifested in the predecessor, the descendant was a carrier and vice versa.”

Apollo eyed his cousin, inwardly surprised he knew about healers, but he didn’t voice it out whatsoever.

“Yes, however if the ability would manifest in a first born son, then it would immediately make his daughter a carrier should he have one. The problem is, if he has sons, it’d be impossible to know which son would have a daughter and if the child would either be a carrier or the ability would manifest. It was very tricky, there’s no telling. That’s why they were hunted down.” Skaia’s father explained.

“And you’re the first healer after a thousand years.” Achilles whispered, but it was heard by everyone in the room.

Lyra stumbled back to her mate due to surprise. Atlas immediately steadied her. Her visions only show her the final picture never the story behind it. She couldn’t help but wish it would have. Could have spared her from surprises like this. Neither wanted nor appreciated.

“What did you mean by supposedly?” Skaia asked in a voice akin to a whisper.

Her father sighed in resignation, dreading answering the question. “Your mother learned of her own lineage when she was a teenager. Her mother too died when she was very young so she grew up a little apathetic. When she found out, she took matters into her own hands and sought out a warlock to prevent her from ever bearing children in the future.”

Skaia felt her stomach drop again. Only this time, the sinking feeling lingered until she felt numb.

“She thought that no child of hers should ever bear the burden of having to constantly watch over their backs.” Apollo and Lyra stiffened at that.

“She told me it was the first time she ever felt so strongly about something. However, it didn’t work, and we were able to have you. She passed away soon after giving birth to you.” He father said sadly.

Skaia felt this sudden ache in her chest, but not from the wound. No, this was an emotional kind of pain. She fell into silence and looked down at the sheet in front of her.

Apollo however, couldn’t let the matter slip through his mind and with uncalled insensitivity, spoke and his next words effectively poked at his mate’s wounds.

“Over the years, the healer bloodline married into packs around the world. So, I don’t doubt it’d be hard to track a few of them down. However, seeing as the first healer in over a thousand years just so happened to be my mate, I have to dig a little deeper into her nearest bloodline.”

Apollo peered into his mate’s eyes with dark, calculating eyes. For a moment, it would seem his wolf was at the surface with how dark his eyes are, but those were his true eyes. The man was frightening enough without the wolf.

“You mentioned you arrived at Clara Solis at eighteen. That you grew up in your grandfather’s pack. You even said he trained you himself.”

Achilles straightened when it dawned on him where his cousin was getting at.

Skaia’s father narrowed his eyes at the way her mate was acting towards her. Like she was just any other pack member who’d done wrong. Not the alpha’s other half. He couldn’t help but look on in worry.

His expression mirrored that of Lyra’s.

“You avoided the question before, but this is a different, dire situation dear mate.” He said almost gruffly and moved to sit back down on his seat, the one by Skaia’s bedside.

All the while, his eyes not straying from his mate’s face.

Skaia looked at him in disbelief. Anger sprouted from within her, but she pushed it down as fast as it came.

“Skaia” He called. “What pack was your grandfather from?”

There it was. She knew she had to tell him some day, she just never thought it’d be this soon. She looked to her father who gave her an assuring nod, despite the worry in his eyes.

Skaia closed her eyes as the memories played and the buried emotions, both the merry and the painful, flowed with it. All the training, meeting the pack members, the laughter. Then that dreadful day her life-filled oasis became a dark, barren land of bloodied bodies.

The day the formidable alpha warrior fell.

Tears pooled at her eyes when she opened them, the emotions swirling through very much present. Apollo internally recoiled as he registered every one of them. She didn’t bother hiding them, she wanted him to see.

“My grandfather,” She released a resigned sigh. “Is Gideon Gaglliardi, alpha of Virorum Fortium.”

The stillness that followed didn’t come as a surprise after the words left her mouth.

The silence dragged on a little longer before Achilles spoke up. “The grandfather you mentioned that trained you was Gideon Gaglliardi?” The shock was evident in his tone.

Skaia nodded.

“That pack fell ten years ago, no survivors.” Apollo stated. His eyes glued to his mate.

He can feel a twinge of guilt bubble up inside him but he pushed it down.

“Grandpa ordered me to hide in my mother’s tomb. I couldn’t defy it. I knew the moment he fell.” She looked Apollo in the eye.

“The command, the pack bond, everything that ties an alpha to a pack and its members, I felt them broke almost instantly.”

“When news of the attack broke out, nobody could believe Virorum Fortium could fall just like that.” Atlas stated. “It was a warrior pack, they bred warriors.”

“It happened so quickly.” A lone tear slid down Skaia’s cheeks and she hastily swept it away.

“Pack members fell one after the other. When I walked out, no one was there. No traces of who could have done it.” She gulped down her sob as an image flashed through her mind.

“But everybody was gone.” She stated coldly.

“She was the only lone survivor. I immediately stepped in to take her back to Clara Solis after I heard.” Her father spoke.

He looked to Atlas. “With the help of the former Alpha.”

Atlas nodded in understanding.

“Why? What were they after?” Lyra voiced out the question that’s been bothering her.

Skaia’s heart thudded at the question. It was a question she’s been asked and avoided to answer for years. She’s afraid to accept the reality that she might have a hand in the demise of her grandfather’s pack. The thought alone sliced through her heart.

“Not what, but whom.” She felt her heart shatter at the statement, the shards pooling at her hands.

The statement her mate said shot an arrow straight through to her. He’ll look at her differently now. A threat to his pack’s safety.

“Apollo we don’t know anything for sure!” Achilles exclaimed.

The alpha chose to ignore his cousin and stood from his chair.

“We need to get back to the pack as soon as possible. I need to talk to the commanders about a change in protocols. Especially now.” He kept his eyes on her the whole time he spoke. His voice cold, and face devoid of emotion.

Skaia could only look at him in disbelief. Her head immediately lowered when he was out the door. Her father took tentative steps towards her.

“You don’t have to go with him if you don’t want to. It will be your choice.” He said, patting her hand.

Atlas and Lyra approached her bed warily, but it dissipated when Lyra took a seat on her bed and took her hands in hers.

“He’s an idiot.” For the first time the Luna’s voice was dripping with venom. Skaia looked up in surprise.

“I’m sorry about your grandfather’s pack Skaia. It’s not your fault okay?” Lyra’s eyes held sincerity.

“He will see soon enough what he did today and he will be sorry. So give him a hard time yeah?” She added with a small smile, but her voice was serious.

Skaia could only manage a nod. Lyra and Atlas exited the room right after.

Achilles stood by her bed. He instantly felt bad when she looked at him apprehensively.

“It wasn’t your fault Skaia.” He reiterated Lyra’s words. “Apollo is just –“

She interjected. “You don’t have to make excuses for him Achilles. He’s made it clear what he thinks of me now. He’s worried for the pack. I understand.” She said, giving him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Achilles clearly didn’t buy it but she doesn’t care. She’s too occupied with the sting of Apollo’s words to bother with anything else.

“Still, it doesn’t mean he gets to act like that with you.” Achilles stated before he excused himself to go find his cousin.

Skaia didn’t have the energy to tell him not to and just sank back on the bed.

“Your grandfather would have had his head had he seen the way your mate was treating you today.” Her father stated, breaking through her thoughts.

“Grandpa’s not here.” She whispered.

Her father sighed. “They’re right Sky. It’s not your fault. Don’t let your mate’s hostility towards this revelation convince you otherwise. It is not your fault.” He said with conviction to get it through to her head.

“Okay” She whispered again, giving him a small smile before asking to be alone for a while.

Her father reluctantly left, closing the door softly behind him. Skaia turned her body away from the door and stared at the window in front of her. Her eyes were unblinking but her mind whirled with questions about the attack and if she really was the one they are after.

If so, why? Another batch of whys.