The First Chimera.

Chapter 1 A Chimera in a Wolf Pack.

Ria's POV

****

"Ria, you're gonna be late for breakfast!" My older brother, Zane, mind-links as I tie my shoe laces and grab my school bag. My reflection catches my attention and I sigh in frustration. My hair a riot of red-gold curls moves like living flames tickling my face as it licks at my skin. I try in vain to tame it with a hair tie only to groan and quickly plate it in a halo around my head in an attempt to minimise the "oddity" of my appearance.

I hate this.I stare at my reflection, the dark blue of my eyes now only a ring surrounding the pure white around the iris, a reflection of the full moon tonight. The constellation of scorpio and the pink star that is the planet Venus just visible in the reflection of what tonights sky will look like. The only night of the month I feel my connection to the goddesses that created me.

I wasn't born from the love between a man and a woman or even a mate bond. I was created by the three goddesses of the moon, and while I am loved by my adopted mother, father and siblings, I can't help but be a little jealous of them. Even their beasts have, or will have, that family bond, and I... I only have that bond because they adopted me.

"We have a family bond with them too Ria, a good strong bond," my dragon, Seren, says gently. I smile, watching my eyes swirl with colour until they shine a firey gold. More colours swirl, my other beasts pushing forwards to lend me their love and support. They blink to full black, my sun-kissed skin paling to alabaster with the appraoch of my siren, understanding passing between us. A siren's connection to their family, to their pack, is on a far deeper level then what wolves and other creatures experience and sometimes I think as a chimera I need that close bond like the sirens have. Something I may never experience.

With a heavy sigh I cast a glamma, turning my eyes a lighter shade of blue, hiding another oddity behind a veil of magic.

"I'm coming," I mind-link Zane and huff. Magic glows softly at my fingertips in an attempt to escape my body. Something that's been happening more and more with my limited use of it.

"Just what we needed today," I roll my eyes at the chuckles, chortles and giggles that echo back at me from the inside of my mind.

Yeah they can laugh, but we all know I'm suppose to hide my magic, and the fact that they're already with me. I've had to hide them since I was four. My parents, and the Alpha King and Luna Queen felt it would be better for me to grow up with the other children thinking I'm just like the rest of them. Were-wolves meet their wolf counterparts when they're sixteen and experience their first shift the first full moon after their sixteenth birthday. They're then able to meet their mate from their eighteenth birthday. Meanwhile, I've been more like a siren in that I've been able to shift since I was created.

My sixteenth birthday was ten days ago, a quiet family celebration with uncle Zavior and auntie Annabelle and their children.

However, the pack expects a large celebration for tonight because I'm Beta Chase's adopted daughter. Tonight I'm expected to shift, and present my wolf to the Alpha King, his family and the pack. I'm not exactly sure how that'll go, but Theia, my wolf, is excited to run with our family, to no longer be hidden away.

I make my way downstairs to the dinning hall of the pack house, passing by pack members. The adults wishing me well for tonight. Already omega's and pack members are busy setting up behind the pack house for tonight, and my skin crawls from all the attention.

Walking into the Dinning hall, I head for my place at the head table next to my parents, the Royal Beta couple. Alpha King Zavior, who I get to call uncle, dips his head in respect, something that we've learnt settles my beasts for when I'm in a large room with lots of wolves and possibly other paranormal creatures. My mom chuckles as I take the seat beside her, her fingers gently helping to tame the loose curls the plate missed. Luna Queen Annabelle giggles as she helps while Alpha King Zavior and my dad shake their heads, a warm smile on my dad's face, his eyes shining with pride.

My older brother, Zane, strolls into the room, his best friends, and the future royal gamma and delta beside him while the Alpha Prince brings up the rear, all four of them laughing and fresh having showered after their morning training session.

I stifle a groan, fumbling to put on my gloves as quick as possible as my beasts retreat inside my mind. Over the years, I've learnt to hide what I am, mainly because of Alpha Prince Alexander, or Xander as he prefers to be called.

"You ok?" Zane mind-links me as I help myself to the breakfast laid out on the table, passing things to the adults as I keep my gaze trained on my plate, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

"Hands are still glowing, so I'm wearing gloves, and.... I'm worried about tonight," I reply. Zane pats my shoulder as he takes his seat beside our father. He's almost a cabon copy of Chase Rivers, his brown hair short where our father's has remained long. It's his eyes though that bring a smile to my lips as he winks at me. His right eye is hazel, while his left eye is grey, his shaggy brown hair cut short on the sides, but longer on top, with natural honey gold highlights running through it.

Many of the packs she-wolves have been interested in Zane, he's good looking and a member of the future leadership who'll not only lead the Sakura Lake pack, but all of the were-wolf race so it's natural that they're interested in him.

Our younger siblings join us, along with the Alpha Princess, and conversation flows like water between us. Everything from school to pack politics and the war between the races discussed, and how we've managed to hide it from the humans for so long. Laughter and siblings messing around with each other a common accurance at our table, with pack members coming up to talk freely with their Alpha and Luna, or Beta, Gamma or Delta couple. Despite being the leaders, and future leaders of the Were-wolf race, there's still a warm, cozy, family atmosphere around our table.

A wave of lonelness eats away at me. Because even though I'm here, even though I'm connected to the pack, to their Alpha King, I'm also not. My wolf, Theia, whines softly in the back of my mind, because even she knows that no matter where we go, or who we meet, we'll never truly belong in another Alpha's pack.

"One day we'll make a place where we belong," Seren hums softly, while Selkie the siren part of me sings a song of comfort softly. Their emotions flood through my chest, that bittersweet feeling of love and lose that never goes away. Even surrounded by my family it's there.

A hand pats mine gently, I flinch and look up into the violet eyes of the Luna Queen, her gaze filled with compassion.

"Have you met your wolf yet Ria?" Eliza asks near bouncing with excitment. Alexander's sister beams at me even as her brother scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"I have, thank you for asking," I force myself to stay in control, Theia tentatively approaching to give the Alpha Princess a glimps of her. Her anxiety of wolves outside our immediate family seeing her for the first time flowing into me.

"What's her name?" She asks, her smile turns dazling as Theia comes forwards more, curious about the girl. My lips twitch with a smile as Alexander stiffens, his eyes narrowing on me as his wolf pushes forwards, his eyes changing colours, one gold, one a violet silver, his aura crashing over me in waves. While those around the table, except our parents, bare their throats in submission, I continue eating, his aura having no effect on me.

"Alexander! What do you think you are doing?" Uncle Zavior growls, his own aura slipping out to suppress his sons.

"A new wolf should submit to their Alpha, or future Alpha. There's something wrong with that girl, her wolf hasn't submitted," he grounds out while Eliza gives me and Theia a tight smile. Theia snorts, dismissing the Alpha Prince as she retreats.

"I'm sorry Eliza, she doesn't wish for me to share her name with everyone at the table," I try to smile, ignoring Alexander's glare that burns into my skin.

Conversation returns to tonight, and I try my best to appear nervous about shifting. No one ever tells you pretending to be someone, or something, your not is exhausting.

****

Once breakfast is done, I help Teo and Jayla, my younger brother and sister, collect everyone's plates and take them into the kitchen for the Omega's, before kissing mom and dad's cheeks and patting Zane's shoulder as I head out for school.

I get half way to school before I hear the taunting snarl of their Alpha Prince.

"Poor little mutt all alone again" Alexander's voice mocks from inside my head through the mind-link, followed by loud snarls from my beasts. I grit my teeth, magic singing in my veins as I struggle to maintain control over my body, scales and fur appearing and disappearing in ripples as I fight a silent war to maintain in control.

"Focus on your own pathetic life instead of being so infested in mine," I growl back, pushing my beasts back and placing a block so I can attempt to calm down, my hands shaking from the effort. He growls at me through the link, and I'm half tempted to sever it, but considering it's considered rude, and he'll give me sh'it for it, I bite my tongue.

"You should be very careful how you speak to your future Alpha, mix-breed. It'd be such a shame if the rest of the pack was to learn your little secret," Alexander, and his wolf, grounds out, and I can just picture the pissed off look twisting his face at the fact I show so little respect to him.

His threat does nothing. The school population already bullies me to try and carry favour with their future leader.

That "pure" blood mentality really gets under my skin and I flinch at the memory of how he "discovered" my supposed "secret". A darkness lingers in my heart, a heaviness settling in as the memory of the last time I was kidnapped threatens to force itself to replay in my mind.

"If I remember correctly, you discovered that little secret when I was kidnapped in your place. What do you think the pack will think if they learnt their twelve year old Prince left their Beta's daughter behind while he ran away? Wouldn't it be a shame if they thought you a coward?" I grit out, forcing myself to take deep breaths.

"You should respect your future Alpha. Your Alpha Prince," His wolf roars at my threat.

"Respect is earnt, not demanded. You've done nothing to earn this mix-breeds respect," with that, I feel the mind-link tear savagely. If I was truly a Beta, it would have hurt, but it only tickled. I tilt my head back, and stare at the sky, wondering why the goddesses created me in the first place. What purpose could they have for a being like me? It didn't make sense, all they'd done was give me one hell of a lonely life to look forward to.

"Stupid little Alpha pup needs to grow up," Kasumi, my Kitsune, snarls then grins showing off her sharp teeth, mischief sparking in her eyes.