The Return of the Chosen

behind my back

Love the way you lie

Rhianna and Eminem

Catori turned to walk away now, at this point just looking at Zion hurt. She felt it was best to keep a distance and have as little conversation as possible, but when he said to her, "What have I done to anger you so Catori, nothing but love you?" Zion snapped. His tone alone hit a nerve and for him to say the words as his mate stood but a few feet away left Catori completely perplexed. Catori had had enough. She let out a low warning growl for him to back off.

"Zion, are you f*****g crazy!" She snapped. Zion was going to walk away but her words made him turn to face her, "Catori, who the f**k are you talking to?"

Caatori walked up to him and, chest to chest, they glared at each other.

"You best bow the f**k down!"

'Catori no!' Azira whimpered.

Zion laughed, "You can be Chosen, Catori, all day, but it will be a cold day in hell before I bow down to you. You walk around here like I have done you so wrong because I took a mate bi-" Zion bit his tongue and he saw her eyes change colors.

'Please say that, call me a b***h, I will turn this muthafucka out!'

"You act like I have done you so wrong because I took a mate and you have three that I know of." He hissed, "I wish I would bow to you. Why did it take you so long to come back Catori? While I was suffering here? You were under the sea f*****g Lusca. Don't deny it. Elijah told me of your interaction." Now Catori was confused and hurt by his accusations, "I WAS SUFFERING AND YOU CHOSE HIM! SO, YES, I TOOK A MATE! AND I AM KEEPING HER. NOW YOU WANNA TALK CAT, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU LEFT MY SON IN THE LAND OF f*****g TIME! MISS f*****g PERFECT!” Zion was yelling at her and she was moving past hurt to anger. Until he said,

"Did you leave him there because you were not sure he was mine? Were you trying to hide from me that you were sleeping with them?" Zion had been waiting to have this conversation for five years, "five years! You reached out to everyone but me! You think I am a fool. That I don't know it is because you were with him?"

Catori knew the conversation could not be avoided but she did not think it would be this way, 'Azira, this is what he thinks of us.'

'I see he has little faith in how much he means to us.'

'Meant.' Catori corrected her.

Catori glared at him, then she reached around her neck and took off her necklace. And slid it into her pocket.

"Zion I did sleep with Kreis when I was in Zerion," Catori confessed, she paused and waited for her words to register.

"I f*****g knew it," Zion laughed, but Catori knew it was to cover his pain.

"When did you find out you were mates?" He asked.

"After our return from Kreis mountain. Azira told me." She explained as Zion began to pace.

"And you started seeing him behind my back, for how long?" He demanded to know, she shook her head vigorously at him,

"No, I did not."

"Don't!," he huffed, "Don't lie to me," he hissed.

"Zion, I did not!"

"LIES!" He yelled at her, "then how did he know you were in Zerion? It was your plan all along to go during the festival so I would not be by your side. So you could secretly rendezvous with him!"

"Zion I was in a meditative state when I was with him, a set up by Ophelia. It's the only time I have ever gone all the way with him. Nonetheless, I let him claim me. I can't deny the bond we share or shared, he is my mate like you are. I never doubted that Elijah was yours, the fact that you think I am that devious." She shook her head, "Zion, I went to the land of time because I was told dragons do not compromise. I did not want you to share the same fate as Michael, so I made a choice in order to save your life. I gave Elijah to Father time to train as his successor. In return, he turned back time so that the incident never happen." Saying it aloud made her feel like trash and the look Zion gave her. As he stood with his arms crossed studying her.

"You think I am weak? That I can't handle Kreis?" His pride was destroyed and he could not believe she went to this extent to hide her betrayal. "All of this to hide that you cheated."

Now Catori laughed at him. "Are you serious?" She said to him, "I was trying to save your life! He would have killed you!"

"Or not! And how many times did you have to hear Lusca threaten to kill me in order to clear your conscience so you could f**k him and then let him play father to my son?" Zion growled, Catori's mouth dropped. and before she knew it she had stuck him across the face, "Three mates, you say."

"Yeah," Zion said defiantly.

Catori placed a hand on his chest. Zion suddenly felt a fire burning through his chest, his stomach started to cramp and he bent over, but she did not release him. His mate came running at Catori but she froze her in place. Zion's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. "Yeah, you feel that," Catori said, kneeling before him, "This is the pain I feel every time you f**k her. Every time you touch her. Every day I was in the water healing because my brother stabbed me in the back! That is what I felt! TELL ME ZION, WHEN HAVE YOU FELT THIS BURN, THIS PAIN, THIS BROKEN? ONCE TWICE OR NEVER! DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME ABOUT MY MATES? BECAUSE I AM NOT YOU! I WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR YOU! I WOULD HAVE WAITED! f**k YOU ZION YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!" She pressed harder, "I COULD HAVE GIVEN MYSELF TO EITHER OF THEM A THOUSAND TIME BUT I DID NOT BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR YOU!" Her anguish he could feel, her pain, "I will have many mates Zion because when you die I will still be stuck here for lifetime after lifetime to feel the pain you felt for five years. You say you suffered, this is suffering. My mother created a Chosen, not a w***e, meeting Kreis was a fluke and yes I slept with him but at least he was a fated mate. You chose a random b***h, off the street to replace me and you ask why I am angry. I am angry because I have a mate with a harem but he can't touch me for another f*****g 800 years, I have a dragon lord that claimed my sister and still chose me, but you, my Lycan king, put another in front of the mate the goddess chose for him. Loyalty to her," Catori growled "where is your loyalty to me?" She released him, breathing heavily she watched him fall over. Curling up in a fetal position. "And just so you know, that was last night's pain. You made me suffer for 2 years. And you ask why I took so long to come back. Maybe it's because, after I finally learned to manage the pain I felt every time Kreis f****d my sister, my Lycan King stabbed me in the back too!" She tossed her hands in the air looking at his mate with tears in her eyes, "all I wanted was to come home to you and I thought what we had was special I thought you knew me, Zion. I thought what we had…It doesn't matter anymore I can't do this. I Catori Knight of the Silver Crescent Moon pack re-"

"No!" Zion did not even know where the strength came from but he pounced on her, knocking her back, he covered her mouth. "You gave me a week Cat, now you take back your word."

"Nothing will change between now and then. Why are we prolonging this? Zion, this needs to be a mutual rejection." Catori looked at him pained, he already looked ill from the pain she released in him. What would this rejection do?

"You are cruel. How can you say you love him? You're hurting him!" Leilani screamed at Catori.

Catori began to shake, her hair turned red and her hair began to smoke, "Who the hell do you think you're talking to b***h!"

"Mommy calm down. It's okay? Where is your necklace?" Earth ran to her, wrapping his arms around her as Zion fell to the ground. "Address me again and I will snap your pretty little neck." Catori hissed.

Catori took a deep breath, she reached into her pocket, and pulled the amulet out. He grabbed it from her and she knelt and allowed him to fasten it around her neck.

"Better mommy."

She nodded and gathered him in her arms as Elijah ran to Zion, who lay on the ground crying like a broken child. Tears poured from his eyes. It was too painful to see. "You need to accept the rejection,"

"No!" He roared,

"Zion, I'm moving on with my life. You will feel it, accept the rejection.”

"Never," he said, "I love you." His words broke her heart. Lightning lit the sky and the rain began to pour. She couldn't see him, he was so hurt and she wanted to hold him, comfort him. "Go inside boys,"

"But mommy,"

"Go inside, your father will be fine. His mate will care for him."

"Cat, please don't do this, I know you love me."

"I do love you, but I will never forgive you for not loving me, not trusting me. You are as bad as Blaine." Once the boys were inside, she released his mate, and she ran to him. Holding him as he cried. She looked at them "and as she started walking, "for now I will be a woman of my word, but I swear to the goddess, the next time I come to Mystic Moon you will reject me, or your mate will die. I am rejecting you and you will reject me. I will find a mate that is worthy of the love I have to give, because you are not. In fact, you deserve each other. You pushed my hand. Now you can both suffer."

"Are you okay baby" Leilani whispered, the scene was too much for Catori. She thought when she forced his hand he would pick her but he made his choice and it was not her. She turned and walked away roaring, ‘Azira’. She felt herself being pushed to the back as Azira shifted into her dragon for the first time since her return and they took to the sky. The skies lit up and thunder and lightning roared across the sky. She needed to get as far from Zion as possible. She remembered her promise to the alpha Talmage, so she instead went back to the council. She found Blaine near death. She came just in time. Had she been any later, she would not have been able to save him. She transported back to listeria, but now it was tainted with Zion's scent. On everything, Catori placed a healing hand on Blaine. He opened his eyes to see her crying. He sat up looking at her. Blaine looked at his sister as she made an ugly cry. He wanted to hate her, but he knew she was hurting and bad. Catori was soft as she always was. This hatred she had now was more like Noah. She was always quickly tempered whereas Catori was always quick to forgive. “Come here,” She fell into his arms and she cried her heart out, “He let me go, he chose her. It hurts.” Blaine held her for hours and she would not stop crying. He knew losing Zion was going to change her. Harden her. Zion Black had created a monster and Blaine had to live with her. He found himself wishing for a cave to escape into. As he looked at his broken sister he felt angry. He wanted his powers so he could touch the Lycan King. He was destroying her. He hated that he was the one who set this all in motion.

"Blaine, why did you do it? Why did you betray me?" She asked, crying harder,

"Catori I... I was lost. Then I didn't know who I was and I had so many people in my head. I don't know why I did it. I just wish I

could go back to never being born. I got a raw deal Cat, my parents sucked, and my mates cheated. You are the only one that did not betray me and I hurt you. I just want to die and stay dead. I don't know why it happened, but I am no fool to believe sorry will ever make it right. I am sorry. After you have had your feel of me and have found some type of peace, kill me."

"What about your children?"

"They call another man father, put me out of my misery. I find it funny I was created to bring you, comfort you, bring you peace, and fight for you. I have created your hell, destroyed your peace, and am expected to fight for someone in a way no one has ever done for me. I think I was set up for failure and you got caught in the crossfire."

"I am not done making you suffer," Catori honestly stated, and she said the incantation, rubbing her necklace, "and suffer you shall."

"yeah, I know."

Zion coughed a few times trying to fight the pain his betrayal had caused, but he could not and eventually, he began to ball.

Leilani held her big strong man, and seeing him cry made her cry too. He lay his head in her lap and cried as she ran her fingers through his hair.

How was he to digest what just happened? Here he thought she had been with Lusca the whole time, but no she was suffering and he played a huge role in that suffering. Catori was broken and the reality was he broke her. Yes, Blaine stabbed her in the back and Kreis had taken her sister, but at least he made a mistake, but Zion had chosen Leilani. He had to fix this. He had played this all wrong and now he had to suffer the consequences. He had lost his mate.

Silver Crescent

Chenoa felt Kreis' presence long before he ever spoke. "Are you going to be mad at me forever?" He asked her as he watched her work in her garden.

"I am not mad, I have accepted things as they are," Chenoa stated flatly.

"And how are they?" He asked.

She turned to glare at him, "Why should I tell you? You set the rules. You and her, remember I was the second choice."

Kreis looked at her and he walked over, wrapping his arms around her, "Noah, I love you, but I love her too, are you truly going to punish me for that?" He brushed her hair off her shoulder and kissed her neck. She pushed him away.

"I can accept that I love her, but can you accept I do not desire to be anyone's second choice." She hissed, "I don't understand why you are here anyway. Why have you not broken our bond and taken her clearly it is what you want."

"She won't have me." He said simply, Chenoa coughed out a laugh, "Wow! So there it is." She crossed her arms, looking at him as she shook her head, "She did not want you, so now you come back here to me." She huffed

"Chenoa, I had no intention of giving you up. I planned to have you both. However, the moment I claimed you, it severed my bond with the Chosen. I still want to bed her. I still crave her just as I do you, but she will not accept things for multiple reasons, so I am here."

"Multiple reasons such as?"

"I was never supposed to meet her in this lifetime; it was a fluke. A chance encounter. We were not supposed to even know each other for another 4 to 5 hundred years. She is not mine now. And I am not hers. I don't like it but it is what it is. Plus this bond you have as wolves is just as intense as ours. Apparently, you tend to go crazy when you lose a mate and we tend to die."

"Die! What?"

He simply nodded, as she thought this over. They truly were stuck with each other. If she lost him, Anika could survive. Maybe but he would surely die, even though she hated the situation. She loved him. She was bound to him. She did not have to like it though, "Just because we cannot reject each other does not mean we have to be together." She said flatly.

"Oh no, Dear, we are all in now." He whisked her off her feet, taking flight.

"What the hell, Kreis! Put me down," She growled. The next thing she knew, they were on Kreis mountain and she looked to see they were preparing for some type of celebration. "What's going on down there?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. He did not reply. When they landed, they stood in front of a set of double doors. She looked him up and down and, for the first time, noticed he was wearing dress pants. A man walked over and handed him a nice, soft blue button-up shirt and a sports jacket. Chenoa just watched him in confusion. Finally she found the words to say, "Why are you-" before she could get the words out, Kreis pushed the door open and there she stood completely underdressed in dirty jeans and teeshirt in front of the entire damn royal family. She was speechless. "Everyone, thank you for joining us this evening. I would like to formally introduce you to the bride Chenoa Knight Dragoff. I know traditionally we have done things a little differently, but that wrong will be righted today. Feast everyone and 2 nights we will celebrate our union." Kreis held Chenoa's hand up and she nearly died from humiliation. Here she looked horrible with no make-up on her hair was a matted-up mess from the heat and the women were dressed in extravagant gowns dripping in diamonds and she was completely busted. Kreis was parading her around like she was a prize. Worse was, she had forgotten to put on deodorant so her arms were starting to smell. She was mortified and she wanted to crawl under a rock. He leaned over and whispered, "You need to be excused. I can smell you and not in a good way."

Chenoa's mouth dropped open. Two men came and escorted her away, practically dragging her. "Sorry Queen, but we have orders to get you to your room so you can prepare for tonight."

She began to jerk and pull away from them. She was not getting married to that asshole after he had just embarrassed her. She felt her anger begin to boil. Anika let out a warning growl, "let me go or I swear to the Goddess I will turn this b***h out!" As soon as she said that, she watched as a random guy showed up and took a lasso. He tossed it around her neck. Chenoa blanked everything in her being went red. Did he just place a noose around my neck? Anika saw only him as Chenoa shifted and went right for his throat. Realizing he was in danger, he partially shifted into his dragon and backhanded her.

"Control your beast wench! You are an embarrassment to the crown. Why did my brother insists on marrying you I will never understand. You smell putrid! Clean yourself up immediately before I have you whipped." He turned, marching out of the room with the other three men. Chenoa was not big on crying but she was overwhelmed. She never thought Kreis would put her in this situation or allow her to be treated this way. She curled up in a fetal position and began to cry.

'Are you okay?' Blaine asked her.

'No, they put a noose around my neck.' She cried.

'Why didn't you call Leigh?" Blaine asked.

"We are twins. If she cared she would have come, but she doesn't. She is not the same". Chenoa lay crying in her own misery. Blaine could say nothing. He noticed a change in Catori. A coldness that seemed to grow daily. He couldn't put his finger on it but something had changed.

'I'll see what I can do,' he said.

'No, she will just treat you worse.' Chenoa sniffed, 'just talk to me.'

'Something is off with Catori. One minute she is soft, the next she is cold and now that she and Zion's bond has broken I fear she will never be the same.'

'What are you talking about?' Chenoa asked,

'Zion and Catori are over,' Blaine said to her. 'Noah, when it really hits her she will kill me. I'm okay though I embrace death. I love you, be happy for me when the time comes, no tears.'

2 days later

"You are you going to kill yourself if you keep putting that s**t up your nose." Chastity scolded Catori. She had spent the last two days living among humans because she did not want to deal with wolves. She wore her necklace most of the time and only removed it when she was in the presence of small children, or the Alpha Talmage Colver. It had only been a few hours since she had agreed to assist him with finding his sister. "It helps with the pain, and it is just fairy dust."

"That is crazy addictive. Just make sure you have your necklace when using that crap. I would hate to even imagine you, Zion and Leilani having a chance meeting when you're flying high." As soon as Chasity said the words she regretted them. She knew that pain you felt when your mate was with another. "I'm sorry honey I shouldn't have said that." Catori tried withholding her emotions but her face still had the distorted remnants, from the sting of her words. The first person she had actually been able to open up to since she returned and now she regretted letting her in because she wanted to forget Zion, but Chastity always had a way of bringing him up. She and her mate were there visiting because Catori was requesting the help of the white witches. It would take years to get things back in order alone, so she thought maybe with their help things would go faster. She had decided to start in the big cities, so New York is where she was and there was so much work to be done. "We will go see my aunt tomorrow," Chastity suggested trying to get Catori's mind off her insensitive words.

"The white witches?" Catori inhaled another line.

"Yes, it will take forever to do this work alone. You need their help." She said, wiping her nose to signal Catori she had fairy dust on it.

She wiped her nose and gave Chastity a huge corny smile. Catori laid her head back, "I'm never going to feel right again."

"Is that really what this is all about? Are you running from your pain?" Chasity asked as she bit into a carrot.

"No, it's not about running away. It's just about…" she stared at Chastity blankly. "Ya know man?"

"No Catori," Chastity laughed, "because you didn't say anything."

"I didn't?" She looked at her unconvinced, "I felt that was a fabulous explanation of my experience." They both stared at each other, "Girl, you said it's not about running away. It's about…." They stared at each other.

"Continue on?" Catori said, waiting.

Chastity rubbed her face, "that's all you said."

She stared at her and then began laughing at herself, "I had a whole conversation with you in my head. Are you serious? I said nothing after that?"

Catori cut her eyes at her and her mate, who was blown out of his mind and dancing to music that was not playing. "Munchies?" She said to him.

"Hellz yeah what do you have?" Chandler asked, Catori headed to the kitchen, "Chips!" She yelled, tossing them at him. He caught the bag opened it he dug in. "Yummy! A bag of chocolate kisses. Slim Jim's, ice cream. Omg humans are awesome." Catori said, doing a little dance of her own which triggered Chandler to go back into his slow grind with his imaginary girl. Chastity just rolled her eyes at him. "Baby you keep freaking the air like that I'm going to get jealous." It was only then that Chandler seemed surprised that Chastity was not in his arms. "Get over here woman!"

Catori and Chandler vibed from the beginning. He was a goofball and reminded her a lot of Richard.

Suddenly, she bent over in pain. Chastity dove over the sofa to get to her, "What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts," Catori said, grabbing her side.

"Where is your necklace?" Chastity asked,

"By my bed." Chandler ran to her room and came back, placing the necklace around her neck. Her demeanor immediately changed, the pain eased away.

"I'm in the mood for cookies," she said softly. He jumped up and searched the cabinets.

"None here shall we go out?"Chandler asked.

" No." She said without emotion.

"Was it your mate?" He asked.

"I don't think so, I almost don't remember the pain." She stood up and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. He handed her a spoon and went for the ice cream.

She could hear Blaine outside on the balcony yelling at her. She walked over, looked at him and closed the curtains as it started to rain.

Snuggling beside Chastity she closed her eyes, to sleep. She never slept much normally because of the pain. That and she worked constantly day and night. If she was focusing on rebuilding, she was not focusing on Zion. She had just laid down for a quick nap. When she heard, "Mommy, Leilani slapped Earth." Her eyes sprang open and the rage she had been holding back hit her like a solid punch. Her eyes began to glow and the power was so strong that Chandler and Chastity dropped.

"Catori breathe!" Chastity yelled to her, but she had zoned out.

"Kill!" Azira looked back at Chastity, saying.

"Oh s**t!" Chandler said when he realized where they were. Had she finally snapped, he thought, realizing they were in Mystic Moon.

"Is she having a bad trip?" Chastity looked at Chandler.

"Babe, how the hell should I know I'm high too!"

Zion felt her as soon as she appeared, "ah f**k" he looked at Leilani, "stay here!"

Zion made his way outside; he first noticed her and then Chastity and Chandler.

"Where the f**k is she?" Catori growled, Leilani had disciplined the boys that day because she heard them using swear words. Zion had hoped they would not run back and tell their mom. Apparently, they had and she was pissed,

"Catori I-" she punched him square in the jaw so hard that made Zion damn near went to his knees, but Chandler was quick to offer him a hand. "Nothing you have to say matters to me anymore. You don't matter to me anymore. You spent all that time with me and never once bothered sharing with me that b***h struck my child in the face! NOW WHERE THE f**k IS SHE!" She hissed as she went stomping across the yard sniffing Leilani out. When she finally caught a whiff of her scent she went charging in that direction.

Zion took a second, blinking several times to gather himself. "Woof, woof woof!" Chandler howled, she is packing a hell of a punch and she is high as fuck." Chandler said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Chandler shut up!" Chastity growled as Zion shot her an accusing glance, "Your letting her do drugs now!"

"She is a grown f*****g woman and if you wouldn't," Chastity huffed, poking Zion in the chest, "have dumped her for that trifling man-stealing w***e, of a mate, we would not be having this problem BLACK I am trying to clean up your mess!"

"Well, your doing a pretty f****d up job and if anyone else would have spoken to me like that they would be dead!" The two glared at each other until they heard a crash and a scream. They all went running. Zion reached the small cabin. The door was gone. Stepping inside, it was empty but there was a huge hole in the wall. Zion ran to the other side and saw only River trying to get through to Catori as she choked the life out of Leilani. Zion ran over and placed his hand on her head, showing her what had happened. But she would not let her go. Chastity ran up to her and, while placing her body in front of Zion, she said or did something he was not sure about, but Catori immediately released her, "It's okay honey. Just breathe."