City of fire

Chapter 1 " ... a True Alpha, Witch and Omega bond in blood; a birth will shake the earth. All will be unbound" the professor recited as we settled into our seats. "Dramatic" Lailah muttered her brows raising, hazel-brown eyes widening, and a lopsided grin. "Nothing we haven't heard since birth." I reply shortly. The Professor looking our way. Her mouth opened as if to begin a reprimand for our lack of attention. Before the Proffessor could speak the air changed, a familiar thrum of power. The classroom door open and in walked Nyx.   Nyx nodded with a polite smile " Hey Mrs. B I'm sorry I'm late I got caught up with a few things..." Nyx walked to her seat effectively dismissing "Mrs. B". "Hey Cyra, Lailah" she said as she sat next to me. Risking a glance at Proffessor Belinay- never "Mrs. B" to anyone other than Nyx- her mouth was pursed and eyes tight. "You really should she her face..." I mutter as Nyx digs in her bag for her writing supplies. I see Nyx eyes dart up looking at Proffesor Beliany threw thick lashes, a small smile before saying "It would be better if she just began teaching."       Again the small wave of power, if I could see Nyx's face better, I had no doubt the gold flecking her coal colored eyes would be glowing. Nyx looked down at her bag again grabbing the last of her supplies and like a damn bursting the noise and chatter that had stopped moments before she walked in started again. Proffessor Beliany began the lesson where she had left off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Late in the evening I walked through our family's moon garden, the jasmines' gentle flowers beginning to open and sweeten warm humid the air. I found Nyx sitting under the three large Angels Trumpet trees. Her back was leaning against the middle tree, head raised and eyes closed, her face looked so serene, a few midnight-colored curls had untangled from the messy bun she wore her hair in. Her nutmeg skin glowing in purple evening sky. " You know...I know you're there... Both of you." she said eyes still closed. I startled and spun to find Anubis at my left entering the gardens courtyard; where a fountain of the Goddess Luna poured water from a never-ending vase into the water below, blooming with white night Lillys.     When I was younger, I use to sneak out right before midnight and watch as the moon crested the sky and turn the flowing water to starlight, for the briefest of moments I would feel a connection to our Godess Luna. Anubis was past the fountain and to us by the time I stirred from my memories. "Lost in the Past Cy?" Anubis asked putting his hand on my shoulder as he walked by and sat on Nyx's right. Our ongoing joke; Past, Present, and Future. As triplets, I was the one forever lost in Past memories or daydreams, Anubis the steady force, tackling each obstacle as it came focus soley on the Present; and Nyx thrumming with power even as she sat admiring the trumpet flowers. Our Future. "I don't know how you do it?" The words spilled out before I could stop them. Nyx and Anubis both turned to look at me. Mirrors of eachother, both the same thick curly midnight hair, flawless nutmeg skin and deep-set eyes, only one set was coal veined with gold and the other set was gray, full of stormclouds. Both shrugged off the question offering the same full lipped-warm smile as our mother. Nyx and Anubis inherited more than phyiscal traits from our mother, they also inherited her power and I hated it. My eyes are round; skin a light carmel spattered with dirty freckles just like him. My resemblance to our sire was a touchy subject. Nyx always assured me that our sire and I were diffrent dispite the physical similarities.     "We were all born into the power" Nyx said, softly adding "you are one of the triplets as well..."     I looked away as she caught my eye "So any idea what pulled us all down here?" I asked as way of diversion.     "Not too sure, I just felt a need" Anubis eyed Nyx sideways.     "Ah, my children that would be me" an ethereal voice floated in, jasmine vines tangled, grew and bloomed as she walked past. Mother and Luna always one in the same, closing in on 80 she looked the same as when we were children, not a wrinkle marked her chocolate skin, not a streak of grey in those black curls that draped past her shoulder. Her smile warm and arms spread out to embrace us as she approached "Oh how I have missed you so!" she said, and she kissed both us girls on the top of the head then having to swat at Anubis to make him duck low enough for her to do the same to him. "Does missing us really require a summons? We have dinner in another few hours" Anubis' asked voice rough with laughter. "Ah, Yes! Mr. "wise one" it does," she laughed, onyx deepset eyes crinkled, mussing his hair and pointing us to sit again. We all felt her power shift "What I am about to tell you does not leave this garden Our Alpha, your Father requested an audience with The Alpha King." She may have said more but those words where enough, every thought emptied. The ground, the air all seemed hollow. The deafening sound of roaring wind filled my ears, I was falling with nothing to catch me. The gnawing at my gut and the faint growl from either Nyx or Anubis coupled with our Luna binding us to silence could only mean one thing.         ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~      "Cyra!!!" Anubis yelled as he past my door heading downstairs to were dinner waited. I sat at my vanity, starting at nothing. I was still freefalling from what our Luna reveiled in the garden. I must have sat there for longer than I thought. A knock on my door followed by the sound of creaking hinges, I breathed in, inhaling the smell of burning metal, cinders and smoke. Coughing both on his sent and my own fear I looked in the refection of the mirror seeing my sire leaning against the doorframe. His stance was casual, A reedy frame, tan freckled skin, shaggy brown hair and round brown eyes, nothing remarkable about him except his menace and calculated cruelty. "Dinner began 15 minutes ago Cyra" the distain thick as he said my name. One wrong word and the lithe predator below the surface would strike. At some point or another he had humiliated, beaten or punished each of us for not showing "respect". My temper flared at the memories and quickly banked as two words clanged through my head, Alpha King. A thin cruel grin grew across my sire's face as he watched my color drain and the scent of fear fill the room. He pushed off the frame offering out his hand "Come Cyra, the evening awaits." I looked at the outstretched hand and back at him, a lupine smile grew. "Come Cyra."          I stood up taking his hand and let him walk me out of the room, down the stairs and into the formal dining room, willing my hand not to shake as he pulled out my chair and sat me down. "Ah, ever the gentleman" our mother cooed. An unnoticed glance past between Anubis, Nyx and myself. We never knew if it was because of the Mating bond that my mother blatantly ignored our sire's mistreatments or if it was something else. Mating bonds were rare and treasured. If you found your mate, a match created by The Goddess Luna to balance you, then it is to treasured above. Protected absolute. Our sire was low-rank son who by fate was invited to a trade meeting when he laid eyes on the Fang Alpha's second born daughter. The mating bond snapped in place and they were immediately married. Mated pairs where suppose create stronger Shifters and stronger bonds. Wolf Shifters have a simple heircheary. Black, or the rare White coated wolves have the most power, Grey coats filling the spot as second in command, followed by Brown coats. All marked and noted at birth based off eye color. Our Territory is made up of Browns with vairing levels of power, its history riddled with power struggles. Struggles that lead to our sire using the status of a powerful matting bond as a "blessing" from the Goddess that he(and our mother) were supposed to rule. After 30 years of ruling, his court began to lose faith in his so-claimed divine appointment, as Alpha and Luna struggled to convince. Without an heir, power struggles and challenges started to spread. Our sire and mother took extreme measures visiting, in secret, the island off the south of the continent for fertility elixir. Our mother's next cycle conceived us. It was a joyful year, even more so when the Healer reviled there us as triplets. When Nyx had been born a deep rumble came from the earth, her onyx and gold flecked eyes marking her as the Heir and one more powerful than either parent. In the aftershock, Anubis was born; our Goddess had seen if fit to send a protector for the newborn heir, a second in command, a Grey. The pack rejoiced after the birth of not one but two powerful Shifters. The Lyulph pack had not had a Grey coat in generations, never before was a Black coat born into the pack. For all the joy I was the fear and shame. After an easy birthing of my siblings I became stuck nearly dying and killing our mother. To further the shame, was clear from my Red-Amber eyes, I had no shifting ablity. A small jasmine scented breeze brushed against my cheek, stiring me from memories.    I smiled in our mother's direction nodding a small thanks, tucking an auburn curl behind my ear as I started at the dinner plate in front of me. Cajun shrimp with okra and red beans. She knew it was my favorite meal and likely asked the cook to make it to soften the conversation we all knew was coming. Looking over to our sire we watched as he took the first bite of the meal, swallowed took a sip of wine and nodded, we all picked up our fork and began to eat. Every bite felt like lead in my stomach, my favorite meal tasting like ashes in my mouth, silence oozed from everyone as they ate. It wasn't until dinner plates where off the table and we waited for dessert that our sire spoke, "Next week I set out to further alliances with the other territories, after I return things will change here." Nyx's eyes flashed gold, gone in a blink. "Ah, dessert!" mother chirped, a way to break the tension "Wait till you see what I had the chief make." Kitchen staff set hot fluffy beignets in the middle of the table the smell of sweet powdered sugar filling the room. I was just biting into the beignet when I heard the words "Cyra will be coming with me." It wasn't directed at me; it wasn't a question; it was an Order. Power bite out into the room oppressive as smoke, clawing suffocating power, the scent of burnt metal filled my nose, my head bowed at the Order, glancing I could see our mothers' eyes downcast, forehead nearly to the table, Anubis' bow matched my own. His head was bowed but his eyes were on Nyx, lighting striking in thundercloud eyes. My mouth dropped as my eyes darted to my sister, Nyx was not bowed instead was starting back at our sire, her power rumbling the foundation. Our Alpha starting back. Jasmine and sea salt washed through the room trying to soothe and ease the growing conflict. The scent calmed both Mate and child, both would honor their Lunas request for peace. Nyx chin dipped infinitesimal. A surrender. When she looked across the table at me, she didn't hide the sorrow and worry in her eyes nor the anger for our sire. A small watery smile was all I could summon as a reply