The First Chimera.

Chapter 14 - Part 1

Xander's POV

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I watch while our pack Doctor tends to Zane, injecting him with something to combat the drug in his system. It doesn't make sense why the King of Vampires would attack Ria. Whatever they'd talked about eariler must have been what set this up. But what was it? It's times like this that I hate all the secrets surrounding her. I know I've bullied her for six years, but that's because I can't handle the guilt of being the reason she was tortured. It doesn't mean that I stopped caring about her, I've never stopped caring about her, or wishing things could have been different. Erebus and I are already struggling not to hunt the bastard and rip him limb from limb.

Father had the vampire taken to his second in command, a woman by the name of Ocean and she stated that, as Oliver had broken the oath they made with my father to not feed or harm any of our pack members father may do with him as he pleases. She had looked almost relieved and had asked to use my father's office to inform those back in their kingdom. There must have been something more to it then that, she didn't even attempt to protect her ruler, if anything she seemed happy with the outcome. Maybe there is a power struggle within their kingdom?

Father put the bastard in our dungeon for now. Said he wanted Ria to be there to see his death, but I don't think she needs to be there to see that. She's not the type of person who'd want revenge. She's far too forgiving for her own good.

"Xander?" Zane fidgets, glancing at the door Ria had stumbled out of over an hour ago.

"Yes Zane?" I raise an eyebrow at him, needing to hear him ask me. I know what he wants, he's been itching to chase after Ria. Beta Chase had to put a Beta Order on his own son to make sure he kept still and recieved medial treatment.

"Ria hasn't returned. I can't go and find her so will you go and check on her? Bring her back here so I can check she's ok? She had that vamps fangs in her too, she could have been drugged." He asks, his hands curling into tight fists and his expression tightening in pain as he tries to stand, his father's order holding him in a tight grip.

"I'll go, but you need to listen to the doctor. I don't want to Order you as well Zane. You're in no condition to be running around after her," I watch him chew on his lip before he nods and leans back, his eyes closed tracking that tether he has with her.

"She's at the lake," he mutters and yawns. I surpress a chuckle and glance at our Doctor, Dr Terence Robinson. who gives a short nod.

"I'd like to examin the young lady as well Alpha Prince. She was injured as well from my understanding," I get through the mind link.

"I'll bring her in. Hopefully her wolf was able to heal her," I mutter down the link and head out, trotting down the omega stairs, Erebus stands in my mind, head low, ears back, tail flicking side to side, itching to track her scent. It's stronger than usual, probably due to the bloody hand prints dried on the wall. A shiver passes down my spine at what could have happened had she not mindlinked my father to inform him of the intruder.

I refuse to let my mind wonder to her half naked state. Refusing to think over the tattoo's that cover her skin. When did she get them? Why did the Beta's let her? I shake the thoughts off and push out of the packhouse, and into open air. Stripping, Erebus rips out of me, his nose to the ground for a moment until he finds a blood trail. I frown from inside Erebus's mind, concern for her filling the both of us. Her wolf should have healed her. Did that vampire use something on her? Is that why she's not healing? She didn't look well when she left, seemed almost afraid to stay. She'd been pale and her skin had been clammy, her eyes wide, almost wild really. When I steadied her Erebus had whined at her state and I'd wanted to hug her, comfort her. Only, I don't have a right to do that.

Erebus takes off at a run, tracking the scent of her blood, the wind rushing through our fur as Erebus pushes himself, using our Alpha strength to go faster. Coming up to the lake, Erebus stops dead, his fur standing on end at the energy that surrounds the area. A powerful aura blanketing the lake and the land around it, the forest is silent in awe at the magic that shimmers in golden threads through the air, and weaving itself through the grass. Slowly, Erebus creeps closer, Ria's scent growing stronger, the drops of blood leading us through the trees to the lake, filling the air with her delightful scent.

A flare of fire passes us and Erebus's ears flatten against his head. The moment we spot Ria at the lake my jaw drops inside Erebus's mind as a phoenix lands on Ria's shoulder and croons softly, affectionately rubbing its beak against Ria's cheek before is vanishes becoming a ball of flames that travels down her arm to sit in the palm of her hand. Ria stares at it for seconds, minutes, I'm not sure, time seemingly stretching in a infinity, holding its breath, awaiting her command before she absorbs the flames into her body, a gentle glow eminating from her skin, as though she's seeping light out of her like a star.

"Ria?" I open a mind-link to her, hesitant as I watch her stare out at the water, obviously lost to her thoughts. Tears roll down her cheeks and Erebus lets me take control so I can shift back. Not wanting to be naked in front of Ria I back away and check a nearby bolt hole in a tree, grabbing a pair of shorts and a large T-shirt. I pull the shorts on before approaching her, keeping my gaze fixed on her face, but the t-shirt ready in case she wants it.

"You didn't need to mind-link me Prince Alexander," Her voice cracks as she turns to stare at me, those tattoo's covering her skin seem to almost glitter against the moonlight. But it's her eyes that near break my resolve, my heart aching at the utter devestation that resides there.

"Zane was asking for you," I say and hold out the t-shirt out for her, but she doesn't even glance at it. I force my hands to remain at my side while she climbs to her feet. Erebus takes a deep breath, scenting the air, and growling softly at the scent of fresh blood, meaning she's still actively bleeding. Just as she moves to pass me I grab her arm, blood leaks from one of the cuts. I glance at her neck and a low gutteral growl emenates from my chest, Ria raises an eyebrow at me, confusion crossing her features before she schools them into an emotionless mask.

"You need to see the doctor for that," I tell her, my fingers running across the wounds edges. She doesn't flinch, but I can sense her gaze on me, the silent question that hangs between us. I can almost hear it. "Why do you even care?"

"I'll be fine," I flinch at the emotionless echo to her words and glancing up my stomach drops to my feet at the dull, lifeless stare that greets me. Something I've hoped I'd never have to see again.

Ria yanks her arm out of my grip and pushes pass, wondering back to the packhouse. I follow just behind her, steadying her when she stumbles. Thankfully she doesn't shake me off, but something's not right. She's silent as the grave, and unable to walk in the straight line, like she's here physically, I can reach out and touch her, but she's so deep in thought she's unaware of the world around her.

"Zane, something's off with Ria. She's...not herself,"I send through the mind-link and instantly sense concern for his sister flood through it.

"What do you mean? Didn't Theia heal her? What's wrong?"Zane sends a flurry of questions and I chew on my bottom lip, unsure how I'll explain it. He presses into my mind, and I let him see through my eyes, even Erebus moves further back so Zane can assess his sister's condition.

"She's still injured. I don't think she'd answer any questions but she's... her eyes... they look like they did the day she was returned to us,"Silence greets me and for a moment I think he's gone.

"Thank you for bringing her back Xander."With that Zane vanishes from my mind and a heavy sigh leaves my chest. The weight of guilt still as heavy as ever, a boulder on my chest.

I take Ria up to the Beta suite, and watch as she moves pass everyone unseeingly, right into Zane's bedroom and closes the door behind her, the lock sliding into place. Esmay and Chase glance at each other, concern and parental love in their eyes, even though they don't make a move to go in and check on their daughter.

"Thank you Prince Alexander," Beta Chase says, effectively dismissing me from his suite. With a nod, I leave them and head to my room.

The night passes with me staring at the ceiling, or prowling around my suite. Every now and then I reach out for Zane's or Ria's tethers. Only every time I reach for Ria's tether, that connection that every Alpha has with their pack members, just reminds me how different Ria has always been. The tether I have with Ria is odd to say the least, it always has been. She feels like a pack member, but there's something else there, as though she's an alpha to her own pack, which is ridicilous. Or maybe it is better to say that Ria felt like she was, but wasn't a pack member.

Dawn comes and go with me getting no sleep, a headache forming behind my eyes. Frustration simmering in my blood. Getting dressed in a tank top and shorts, I head down before everyone else, heading to the gym to beat the living shi't out of a punching bag.

The secrets have to come to a stop! The Beta family put their own adopted daughter at risk of being attacked rather than share her secret, whatever it is, with the pack that could have kept her safe.

Why the secretecy? What did mother mean by stating she made a vow to beings too powerful to defy? What was the vow? Who else made this vow? What the fu'ck has been going on in my own pack that my parents haven't made me aware of? As their heir I should know, how else am I going to protect our people? Our pack? Is Ria dangerous? Is that why they won't share this secret with me? Because their scared?

Nothing that has happened in tha pass week has made sense. The other leader's reactions to Ria when she was introduced. How she's never submitted to anyone, not even to me or my father. The way the other heirs are overly curious about her, and Zane's reaction when they tried to understand her scent. At the heart of all these questions is the one girl I've always prayed the goddesses would gift her to me as my mate. The one girl I can never allow myself to have. The girl who was kidnapped and tortured because she was protecting me and Zane.

By the time I've finished, the punching bag's sand is leaking out, and stuffing litters the floor. My knuckles are bleeding, bruised and cracked but Erebus is already working on that. Sweat drenches my workout clothing and trickles in little rivers down my back. The sound of a throat clearing snaps me out of my thoughts and I glance up to find my future Beta eyeing me with wary concern.

"You and Kakoa alright?" I ask, my voice hoarse and I clear my throat, before taking a sip of water.

"Kakoa healed us up during the night. What's this about?" He asks, gesturing to the now sad looking deflated punching bag swinging.

"It's nothing," I shrug, unable to meet his eye.

"As if I believe that," Zane scoffs and chucks a towel and a clean t-shirt at me.

"How's Ria this morning?" I ask, catching the towel and t-shirt. Zane walks over to the wall next to me, leaning against it, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze assessing.

"She.... seems alright," Zane mutters, an emotion flashes in his eyes but it's gone before I can catch it.

More bloody secrets! Erebus growls, my chest rumbling with it. Zane keeps an wary eye on me as I strip the sweat soaked tank top off and wipe myself down. Throwing them on the bench I dress and storm out of the gym.

If I want answers I'm just going to have to get them.