The First Chimera.

Chapter 2

Alexander's POV

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"If I remember correctly, you discovered that little secret when I was kidnapped in your place." My hands curl into white knuckled fists at the mind-linked jab. Zane's younger sister, Kimaria, taunting me, rubbing salt into a wound that's never healed as my muscles tense at the memory.

"What do you think the pack will think if they learn their twelve year old Prince left their Beta's daughter behind while he ran for his life? Wouldn't it be a shame if they thought you a coward?" My wolf, Erebus, snarls at her lack of respect, but also at the guilt that slices through the both of us.

"You should respect your future Alpha. Your Alpha Prince," Erebus snarls down the mind-link, pushing forwards so that he's on the surface. Sam glances at me, and grimaces as my arua fills the air around our group, crackling across my skin. Zane rolls his eyes at me, and frowns as he pulls me to a stop, forcing Kota, my future Gamma and Sam, my future Delta, to stop also.

"Respect is earnt, not demanded. You've done nothing to earn this mix-breeds respect," At that Erebus roars and tears the mind-link with a savagery that worrys me. Kimaria is the only person who can get this kind of reaction from my wolf, the only one who can play his emotions like a puppeteer pulling strings.

"Have you and Erebus finished tormenting Ria, now?" Zane deadpans, his gaze hardening. Dakota groans with annoyance and I huff while Sam shakes his head as we carry on our way to school. My unit fed-up of my treatment of Ria.

As far as I'm aware Dakota and Sam are still friendly with Zane's adopted sister, and have already stated they miss the old days, but they don't understand, how could they.

Other packs future Alpha's and their units probably drive to school, but our parents believe that we should spend as much time as possible walking among our pack. My father and mother have brought Eliza, my little sister, and I up knowing that my role as future Alpha King, and my sister's role as an advisor, is a duty.

My duty is to serve and protect my people, not their duty to serve and protect me. I lead them, but I am not better then them. My life is one of service, and duty, not luxury and parties.

We get to school, and the four of us are surrounded by our fellow pack members. Girls flirt, flicking their hair, and fluttering their eye lashes and reaching out to touch us in an attempt to get attention from us as we push our way through the crowd. Now, don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed a few one-night-stands with female pack members, or the daughters of visiting packs beta's and alpha's, but having the girls throw themselves at you gets tiring and annoying when they get clingy, or get crazy ideas of becoming my chosen mate.

I've only recently turned eighteen, but that pull to find and claim my mate, the one the three goddesses chose for me is overwhelming. I already know I'll never take a chosen mate, even if I have to wait half my life-time. We paranormal creatures have a long ass life span, I could wait a hundred years to find my mate, and she'd be worth it.

Besides, the girls only want me because I'm the Alpha Prince, not because they actually care about me, or accept me for who I am.

A flash of red-gold hair catches my attention, and my gaze following Kimaria as she strides pass the crowd as though none of us matter.

Erebus prowls in the back of my mind, his agitation itching under my skin. He wants to be near her, to protect her, be the wolf she turns to for comfort, just as I long to be the person she relies on, but we can't, we can't be that for her.

Her scent, a confusing yet delightful combination, floats through the chaotic explosion of pack members scents, somehow decernable through the perfumes and colones. Her scent something that has always confused and fascinated us all. Subtle hints of lavender, and mixed spices, the ocean breeze and forest wildflowers and something else I've never been able to name. Smoke? Incense? Magic? Sunshine? Whatever it is, it has my muscles tensing and relaxing in the same second.

If only she knew why I torment her, maybe then she'd understand. We used to be inseperable, the best of friends.

That changed though when she was kidnapped in my place. I don't think I'll ever forget that day, or the weeks, months, or years that followed. Guilt sits like a lead weight in the pit of my stomach, my chest tight with it. It's as though I haven't been able to take a full breath since it happened.

She was kidnapped because I'd wanted to see the boarder of our packlands. I'd stolen scent masking sprays, so we could sneek away from school. Zane and I had been twelve, and Ria had tagged along, not wanting to be left behind. Ten years old, yet when we'd fallen into one of the ditches near the boarder and I'd broken my leg it was Ria who'd remained calm, and got Zane to help her drag me out of the ditch. It was Ria who'd first heard the rouges, and it was Ria, a ten year old girl, who'd splinted my leg and told Zane to get me back to the packhouse before she'd taken off at a sprint, distracting the rogues from my location and giving Zane the time needed to get me back.

It was as she ran that I caught what the rouges said as they gave chase. "Get the little mix-breed,"

When we had gotten back and told my father what had happened, all hell broke out. Dispite the search parties and getting our best trackers and warriors out there, it took my father and Beta Chase six weeks to track the rouges and find her.

When they brought her home, she was covered in wounds, and fresh blood, and her eyes... I'll never forget the dead look of her eyes as Beta Esmay scooped her battered body into her arms.

The first thing she'd said to me after she'd been cleaned up was to ask if I was OK. She's never blamed me for being the reason she was kidnapped, never blamed me for the torture they subjected her to. No, she wanted to know if I was OK, and if my leg would fully heal.

No one spoke of what happened to her, and the only thing Zane would say was she suffered from nightmares for years afterwards.

It's stupid, but pushing her away, bullying her so she keeps her distance gives me the space the breath.

The guilt won't let me breath when she looks at me as though a part of her misses our friendship, as though she still cares.

We push through the crowd, and head to our lockers, gathering our books for our first classes, I'm so glad this is my last year of schooling, I'll be able to focus on learning how to rule our realm, and the packs after this. The sound of a body being slammed into a locker not too far from us grabs my attentio.

I turn and spot the familiar red-gold hair belonging to Ria, a surge of rage nearly consuming me at seeing a boy, a senior, holding her against the locker, pressing his body against hers, his hand around her throat, squeezing.

How dare he!

I might be a prick, but I've never laid a hand on Ria! Zane stalks forwards, pushing people out of the way until he's punches the guy in the stomach and pushes him to the floor. Kakoa's roar of outrage jolts me into action and I dash to my Beta's side, placing myself between Zane and the sorry excuse of a pack member.

"How dare you lay your dirty paws on my sister!" He snarls, his gaze trained on the coward quivering behind me.

"Zane, Kakoa, he's a pack member. We don't hurt our pack members. We will report him to the head master, and our father's, ok?" I say to try and placate him, my alpha aura pouring out of me trying to calm him down. He lunges, and I act fast locking my arms around my friend's waist as Sam and Kota join me, their hands grabbing Zane, holding him back.

"She's just a mix-breed! She's worthless!" The boy behind me yells, even with his voice quivering and I flinch at Kakoa's bloodthirsty growl.

A small hand reaches out and presses itself against Zane's shoulder and Zane freezes before whirling around so fast I almost lose my balance, forcing me to let go. We stay close, ready to prevent him from ripping the poor fool to shreds.

He's a trained killer, we all are so we can protect and defend our pack. Kimaria though is the one subject that brings the bloodthirsty side out of my normally calm, mischief making friend.

"Shh, its OK. Look, all healed up already," Kimaria says, her voice only slightly hoarse as she soothes her brother, letting him and his wolf check her for injuries. Erebus growls softly at noticing the deep bruising that begins to fade around her throat.

"Mix-breeds don't belong here. Our Beta's were crazy to bring you into the pack," the i***t behind me snarls and Dakota growls back, the sound low and threatening.

The light in Ria's eyes dims, that spark of fire I've always admired vanishes in a blink and my stomach drops.

"I suggest you run pup, before we let our friend pound you into the ground," Sam snarls. I don't need to watch to know the kid scampers down the corridor of students.

"See, brother, I'm ok now. He was just a low rank warrior who thought he could impress your Alpha Prince by bullying me," Ria says, holding her brother's face between her hands to stop Kakoa from hunting the boy down.

Her words slam into me, realisation a shot of ice through my veins.

I'm the reason that kid was trying to choke her? Because he wanted to impress me? It's sick, no, twisted to think I'd be impressed with a man laying hands on a woman.

I watch as Ria's eyes slowly turn from blue to a pinky, red colour and I swear, Sam's and Kota's jaws hit the floor as I try to contain my own shock. A chorus of surprised gasps fill the air as Ria's wolf steps forward.

"Brother," a slightly gruffer version of Ria's voice purrs, the sound sending shivers down my spine, just as Ria's laugh used to.

Goddesses, when was the last time I heard her laugh, I miss it.

"Are you truly OK?" Kakoa asks, Zane's mix-matched eyes bleeding to a forest green.

"A little sore, we've been through worse," she shrugs, and Ria's eyes bleed back to blue and she swallows, wincing slightly.

The bell goes off, signalling the start of school and the students watching us scatter to get to class. Ria let's go of Zane's cheeks after giving him a peck, grabs her bag and strolls towards English. Her shirt rides up a little and I spot the deep bruises on her back that slowly vanishes.

"Are you happy now Xander?" Zane turns to me, his gaze torn between pain and betrayal.

"What's that supposed to mean? I've never asked another to bully the girl," I shrug even as that unease sinks further into my bones.

"Because you bully her, because you exposed her secret, you gave everyone else permission to bully her!" Zane shouts, throwing his hands in the air before turning his back on me.

"I once thought if anyone was worthy of being Ria's mate, it would have been you. Now I don't think you're worthy of being anyone's mate," he spits out and stalks off, Dakota and Sam following him.