Cast Aside Without a Mate

Chapter 1: Goodnight Child

*3 years earlier*

Chapter 1: Desmond's POV

My brother and I stood side by side as the ceremony for our coming of age ended. Laughter filled the air as I smiled, proud that we would finally step up as kings and rule our kingdom alongside one another. We are twins born simultaneously, as my mother had told us about the day of our birth. We came out holding onto each other as if inseparable; I knew what my mother said was true. My brother and I are very close and tell each other everything. There are no secrets between us. I looked lovingly at my brother, who is usually carefree and always smiling even when things got rough. But tonight, he seemed to be in a different place as he looked lonely even though everyone was here to celebrate our birthright. His eyes were red like he had been through hell, and he never once glanced at me. I wanted to reach out and hold him and tell him we had each other no matter what. But when I looked at my brother again, the thought of us being born holding one another tugged at my heart, filling me with warmth and love. I looked at our friends and family, who were still celebrating at the buffet more than a few feet away, waiting for us to arrive to congratulate the two of us on becoming kings. When I turned back to my brother, fear gripped my soul, and as I began to move toward him, I felt helpless. "DANTE! Look out!" I quickly sprinted toward my brother when I realized he did not look like himself. His eyes were completely gone... Black veins came from the empty sockets in his eyes like lightning streaking across the sky, disappearing beyond his golden honey-blonde hair. His lips were purple like the dead, and it seemed like black veins crept out of his mouth and ended just passed the outline of his full feminine lips. Dante was surrounded by Inky Black Electrified tendrils closing in on him faster than I could run to him. As I reached to save my brother, I screamed as the tendril gripped him, engulfing him and taking him through a portal resembling the tendrils that grabbed him. Looking through it, I could not see anything within the portal, and then it disappeared with my brother.

"DANTE, NO!" I awoke breathing heavily as sweat dripped down my face, and I felt the tears that stung my eyes falling onto my broad naked chest. Looking around at my lavish bedroom, I sighed and took in my surroundings. My room was very spacious and fit for a king. I had two floor-to-ceiling windows with pigeon blood red curtains, my favorite gemstone. I had a Master bathroom and a walk-in closet right next to the bathroom. My bedding was a white sheet, white and pigeon-blood-red pillows, and a pigeon-blood-red duvet cover to pull the room together. I exited the bed, and my legs felt unsteady as I hurried to the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom, I grabbed a clean mouthwash cup from the counter and turned on the tap water. I began to fill my cup to the brim and gulp it down quickly, trying to settle my nerves. Although it helped me quench my thirst, I did not calm down enough. I promptly started a shower and took off my boxers, throwing them in the laundry basket. As I stepped into the shower letting the lukewarm water wash over me, a voice drifted through my head, "You also saw the dream?" A sleepy gruff voice rumbled through my thoughts. "Yes, Odin tell me, what did that dream mean? An eerie silence fell between my Menyaka and I. Odin was taking so long to reply I began to get anxious just as he said, "You know that it is forbidden for me to tell you your destiny, Desmond." Odin's voice upset me. Since we met last year for our first coming-of-age ceremony, he refuses to admit that he loves me and my brother. However, one thing I hate about Odin is that he constantly tries to tell me to stay away from my flesh and blood. "You cannot change your destiny, Desmond, nor can Dante. You need to learn to let go." Odin's voice was like ice water pouring over my soul. "I will NEVER abandon my brother Odin, and we can change our future. You choose to be ignorant that it could be possible." I wouldn't say I like arguing with Odin, but he does not seem to get that I am not leaving or abandoning my brother for anyone. "Then you two will just have to learn the hard way," Odin scoffed at me as he laid down to go back to sleep in my mind. I took my time cleaning myself thoroughly even though I could not seem to calm myself. After talking to Odin, I did my best to consider what I could do to stop that nightmare from happening. I would deal with my Menyaka later, so I quickly put up a barrier between my Menyaka and me so that I could think without being interrupted.

Menyakas are powerful beings like werewolves or Lycans, but we are also unique in our particular way. Alphas shift into their Menyaka for the first time on their birthday as it is their birthright at the age of 14, Betas shapeshift on their birthdays as well at the age of 16, and Omegas can shift on their birthday up to the next full moon following their birthday. Omegas can shift at any time from 18 to 20 years old. When we are young, we harness the power of our Menyaka through magical properties. This helps us control our Menyaka once we meet them for the first time, just in case they are stubborn or easily emotional creatures. Where the werewolves and Lycans have their Moon Goddess, we have Gods we pray to as well, in a place called Sanctuary in our homeland. Sanctuary is a place where each Menyaka's Birthstone resides. It tells us if our loved ones have passed away or still live amongst us when they are away from the kingdom. Our birthstones only reveal themselves to us. Where we can store our memories, pray for or to our loved ones, and how we can feel connected to someone who is out of reach. Sanctuary has kept us safe from outsiders during wars thanks to our ability to use them to track our people and even communicate if their magical abilities can communicate through the birthstone. We all harness light and have heightened senses; some can even sense when the atmosphere and intentions in another person change.

As I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry myself off, I could not help but catch myself in the mirror. I looked like I had not been sleeping well, and I know it was because, for the last week, I had been having various nightmares about how my brother would be taken away from me on the day of our coming-of-age ceremony. "But which coming-of-age ceremony is it going to happen at?" I thought to myself as I began wrapping my towel around my waist and walked back into my room. I ran a hand through my wet hair and began to let down the barrier between Odin and myself. The ways in which Dante would be taken from me always change, but one thing is constant. His eyes were always missing, replaced by an empty void, and black veins ran out of them over his face. His lips were always purple like he had died, and the same black veins came from his mouth. "But why?" As I asked the question, Odin's voice startled me, forgetting I had put the barrier back down after I got out of the shower. "You need to go to sleep, Desmond; we have a busy day tomorrow. It is a special day for us, and we need rest to fulfill our duties." I sighed inwardly, knowing he was talking about our second coming-of-age ceremony. I collapsed on my bed heavily as I lay there; I knew it would be a long night ahead of me. "Good night, child of light." Odin's gruff voice drifted away as he fell into a slumber. I tossed many times before my exhaustion took me back into nightmares.