The First Chimera.

Chapter 4

Ria's POV

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I sneak through the packhouse, every sense on alert in the silence. Through my bond with the Alpha I can sense how the pack is sleeping... well, nearly all. Desire and s'ex floods through me in waves, causing arousal to build in the pit of stomach. I shut the bond to the pack off, the unsettling disconnection causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.

"No need to worry, no one is going to notice," Zane whispers, a knowing smirk tilting his lips.

"Let's go, before it's too late," I roll my eyes, my beasts eager to spend time in control of our shared body, even Theia, who'd spent hours playing with our family, running through the forest with Dakota, Sam, and Zane, is eager to be free again.

Zane holds my hand as we sneak out of the packhouse and make a run to the lake. The full moon hangs in the night sky, and the lilting laughter of the goddesses drift pass me on the breeze.

"No one is out, I can't see, scent or sense anyone nearby. Your in the clear," he says, glancing around us, double checking no one will see us vanish. Magic shoots through me, and crackles across my skin, dancing in the air around us as I stop pushing it back and telaport my brother and I to our lake.

Zane steps back and strips down to his boxers as I finally feel like I can breath again. I let the glamma I wear everyday vanish, and watch as my skin becomes dappled, sun-kissed with splotches of alabaster, siren and dragon scales scattering across my skin. Zane's sharp in take of breath is all the confirmation we need as all parts of me push forwards together.

Without needing to utter a word I send six small balls witch light across the lake's surface and strip my clothing off until I'm naked before diving into the fresh water lake, Selkie pushing forwards. My skin turns a pearlescent white, my legs vanishing into a tail, my hair turning a firey, copper red. She takes off under water, chasing fish and exploring the little changes, her curiosity piqued.

Zane's foot tapping the waters surface catches her attention and she rushes up, breaking the surface to grin at our brother.

"I've missed you, I've missed you all," he breaths, pulling her in for a hug, Kakoa on the surface. Selkie touches his face, her beautiful red, white and gold tail swishing through the water as she gets reacquainted with our brother. Splashes of crimson, gold and white scales littering our lower abdomen and back.

"I missed you too, we all have" she smiles, grabs his hand and drags him into the water, playing with him as though he's also a siren, squirting water in his face, blowing bubbles, rolling herself around and on him under water.

Zane wraps his arms around our neck, holding tight before kissing our cheek and whispering.

"Come on then, miss dolphin," and that's all the encouragement Selkie needs before she's diving down and shooting up in an arc, swimming oh so fast, leaping and twisting in the air, always careful to allow Zane time to drag air into his lungs as she plays.

Until dawn Zane plays with all parts of me, him and Kakoa chasing Kasumi, Theia and the other were-creatures within me, or clinging to our neck as Seren flies, dives and spins in the air, tossing him high into the sky only to catch him minutes from crashing into the ground. My fae, Angle, walks with him through the forest, playing with her magic the whole time.

By the time he tells us it's time to head home, we can see he's exhausted, happy, but exhausted while I feel replenished as though I've slept well for the first time in nearly a year.

"Come on Ria, we've got to get back. I need to be at the training ground in an hour's time," Zane pulls me in for a hug as tears well in my eyes, not wanting to return to where we must hide what we are. I nod against his chest, and telaport us straight into his bedroom.

"Thank you," I whisper and kiss his cheek before telaporting myself to my own room and trudge into the ensuite. I turn on the shower and stare at my reflection. Kasumi's purple galaxy eyes staring back at me.

"We can't stay much longer can we?" She asks, although they all know the answer. Because no we can't. It'd be torture to allow only one part of myself freedom, and deny and hide the rest.

Zane will only become busier when he graduates school and begins to train by our father's side for the role he was born to inherit. We won't get many nights like last night. We might never get those kinds of nights again with him. He's the next Royal Beta, he'll be leading beside Alexander when he takes the crown. He has a heavy responsibility placed on his shoulders.

The witch, phoenix, and vampire sides of me now cause pain to rack my body if I deny myself for too long. My magic leaks out of me at any and every opportunity and it's getting harder and harder to suppress it.

If I stay, I'll become a danger to the pack. If I stay and continue to hide myself behind a Beta's bloodline I could harm innocent people, innocent children. If I stay and continue pretending to be something I'm not... I don't even want to think about what we're capable of if we snap again.

Memories I've suppressed surge to the surface. The faces of those who tortured me six years ago, their words echoing, distorted by time and trauma. The scent of blood as we tore them apart, the scent of burning flesh as we burnt their bodies to husks. We left one alive to send back a message to his leader. We burnt a brand into his skin so we'll be able to hunt him down one day and finish what we started.

We are a dangerous creature, one that even myths and legends portray as driven insane by the conflicting nature's of its body.

A snake wanting to sink its fangs into the lion, a lion wanting to feast on the goat, and a goat who wishes to flee both the lion and the snake.

I'm a Chimera, one day I'll be driven insane too. That's the sad fate that awaits us.

"We'd never hurt our family Ria," Esha, my Tiger, croons softly, but I can't trust that. Sixteen years of pretending to be a Beta, of pretending to be a "pure" blooded wolf. Sixteen years of denying us the freedom we crave to be ourselves. If we were to snap, if I was no longer able to control the warring instincts inside me.... What would happen to the people we love, to the people we care about?

"No, we can't stay for much longer,"the sorrow that crashes through me in waves at having to leave the only family I've ever known eminates from every part of my soul, tearing through every molecule of my body.

"Besides, the goddesses have got to have had a reason for creating a creature like us, we need to figure out what that reason is," I stare at my eyes in the mirror. Every beast coming forward, every part of me becoming one. Black eyes stare back at us with twelve different coloured irises moving independently of each other.

Such a strange sensation, and yet one I am achingly familiar with. Without another look at myself I head into the shower and wash the soothing scent of the lake off and get ready for another day at school. Another day of playing pretend.

"Ria, I'd like to see you in my office after school. Your not in trouble, I'd just like to catch up with my favourite niece after yesterday,"Alpha King Zavior's voice drifts through my mind.

"I will see you after school Al ... Uncle,"It's becoming hard, painful even, to call another man "Alpha". He's not my Alpha, but in a way he is. It's confusing, the dynamic between me and the pack.

"Are you alright? Your mind feels very.... crowded this morning,"it brings a smirk to my lips. Only Zane knows how crowded and loud my mind gets. He's the only one brave enough to mind-link us when we're in our true form, all together.

"I'm well Uncle, just having a conversation,"it's a lie, and he knows it, but uncle's smart enough not to press me for answers.

I get dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a black long sleeved t-shirt and a deep red woolen jumper. My eyes swirling with colours as I pull the glamma around me, hiding it, unable to push my beast's back.

No, that's not right, I don't have the desire to hide them. Even my Alpha aura is a struggle to hide, pulling hard on the Beta bloodline I was bonded to upon my adoption to keep that hidden.

"It's ok Ria. Come down for breakfast, mom and dad are worried, and Jayla and Tao,"Zane mind-links, my beasts purring in response of his consideration. I chuckle, and sigh, knowing I'll probable have to talk to Uncle Zavior about me leaving, it's always been something we've had to consider. Hopefully I can last another two years before pretending becomes unbearable.

"I'm coming, and thank you for last night, we had fun," I mind-link back and Zane chuckles, Kakoa purring and chuffing in return to the chorus of different sounds of endearment that fill our link. Even Asha, my Hyena, chuffs with affection for our older brother.

"Your all welcome, I enjoyed it too, I've missed seeing you so happy, so... free,"Zane says softly as we let go of the mind-link. Humming to myself, I head out of my bedroom, out of the Beta suite, my school bag in hand as I take the stairs down.

Only when I reach the ground floor, I slam into a wall of warm, solid muscle with an "oft". Stepping back, I glare at Alexander who stares down at me, curiousity glinting in his eyes.

"Alexander," I grit out. Erebus's eyes flash behind Alexander's violet ones and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the growl clawing the back of my throat.

"Your wolf, what's her name?" He asks, I tilt my head a little, and watch letting the silence settle between us. Alexander shifts, his wolf prowling just under his skin, his aura probing. He's not trying to force submission, but he is encouraging it.

"I don't believe I have to share that information with you Your Highness." A muscle in his jaw ticks, and my lips quirk up in a half smile. Instead of flooding the hallway with his aura, attempting to force submission, he takes a deep breath, his hands fisting before relaxing. I go to push pass him when his hand grabs my wrist, holding me in place until I turn to face him.

I stare at him, my gaze tracing over him, noticing the changes. How he's grown from the boy I was once best friends with, the boy who once protected me, who would spend hours with me in the woods, playing, laughing, sharing secrets. What happened to that boy? Where did my friend go? Why does he hate me? The questions hang in the silence, stuck in the back of my throat like rusting nails.

"I'd like to meet her," Alexander brings my attention back to him, Erebus, right on the surface, watching me as intently as I had been staring at him. His sudden change in attitude only has me stiffening.

"As if I'll ever let you meet her," I scoff and jerk my hand out of his grasp, my beasts anger shimmering under the surface as we stalk away, intent of staying as far away from the Alpha Prince as possible.