The First Chimera.

Chapter 12

Ria's POV

****

I watch my family, the second's and heirs leave the room. My stomach roiling with anxiety at what I'm about to do. Ocean turns back, her eyes wide with panic as the door shuts in her face, the echo loud in the sudden silence.

I hate feeling Zane's anger at my decision roll off of him in waves through our sibling bond. He's never glared at me like that before, or been this angry with me before. I don't like it, but this needs to happen. I need to protect them, just as they've protected me all these years.

"Time to put your sheild away sweetheart, and stand armed with your sword," Luna Queen Anabelle states through a mind-link and I sigh, already hating this. Swallowing hard, I release my hold on the Beta bloodline I've been bonded to since I was adopted. I've not severed my connection to my family, instead I let the scent of Beta go, so they may understand my real rank.

"Why is your Beta's daughter still here?" Oliver asks, a smug smirk curving at his lips. Uncle Zavier winks at me before standing and holding a hand out for me to take, helping me to my feet so that I stand beside him as an equal.

"Try again King Oliver. The girl before you all today is not Beta blooded. I'd like to introduce to you all my Beta's adopted daughter, Kimaria Rivers," He bows to me, a full show of submission for all in the room to witness. Many gasp, but this is all apart of the show. The atmosphere in the room changes near on instantly as I let go of everything that hides me, my glamma, the blood bond with my family, purposefully with-holding my aura to allow others be comfortable in my pressence. It vanishes, leaving the person I see only in my reflection.

"What is that abonination?" Covern Leader Alice hisses, her magic crackling around her. I scoff and roll my eyes. I can suppress her magic easily enough she's not any real threat to me.

"I'm sure my mothers will find it most interesting that the Witch that carries the blood of the first witch mother Hekate made would call another one of the goddesses creations an abomination." Her shocked, wide eyed look is rather amusing, the blood draining from her face.

"Was that a secret?" I send to her through a mind-link. It really is entertaining to watch a person's reaction when I mind-link to those outside of my pack. Only pure blooded Gypsy packs can mind-link to anyone they so choose, unless you're a Chimera. A handy talent to say the least.

"But to answer your question, I'm a Chimera, the first of my kind, created by Selena, Hekate, and Artemis. Our Goddesses," my voice rings across the room, the power there unmistakable. The truth undeniable.

"And what is a..." Alpha King Jengo asks, his hand on his Luna, protective to last lions are. Mbali snorts in amusment at his assumption I'm a threat to them. It's not a wrong assumption, I can be a threat if I so choose to be, right now though I'm no threat to them.

"A Chimera," I finish for him, and smile, because how do I explain that without showing them?

"I'm a combination of every race the goddesses ever created. Witch, vampire, phoenix, dragon, siren, wolf, kitsune, the list is long but it's the truth. I can shift into every form that has a shifter side. Even Fae. My witchcraft is powerful as I'm sure Covern Leader Alice can attest to that." Alpha Jengo's mate Ashura stands and walks away from him, her Lioness of the surface, the both of them staring into my eyes. Mbali pushes forwards, a deep rumbling purr resounding from our throat at finally being seen by her own kind.

"It's true Jengo, she has a lioness," she whispers, her beast bowing her head in submission. I near giggle at Mbali who decides she wants to play and bats her hand with mine. Her eyes widen at the show of innocence and playfullness.

"Please excuse my beasts, this is their first time being face to face with their own kind," I laugh at Mbali who again pats at the Luna Queen's hand, wanting to play, to run with her own kind instead of always being hidden away apart from on those rare nights with Zane.

"That only means she is a wolf and lioness hybrid, it doesn't mean she's the goddesses daughter's," A low menacing growl erupts from Seren at the current king of the dragons, a man who is weaker than us on so many levels it amazes me he's retained the throne.

"Deny me do you kin?" Seren bellows, and Luna Queen Ashura stumbles back away from me, at the heat that crashes into her from my dragon. Silence descends as my dragon stops the Lioness Luna Queen from falling, and then turns on her own, golden scales rippling up my arms for all to see.

"What must we do to prove to you that I'm very much a reality?" My voice hisses, and my tongue changes to that of Seren's fork tongue. A strange sensation to say the least to somewhat shift in our human body.

"Uncle, you might need to calm her down, you know she doesn't like being questioned, or her existance denied," I mind-link to uncle Zavier, who's smirking from his spot beside me. I want to shake my head at him, the man it seems has no intention of calming my beasts down.

"They need to understand what you are Ria. They need to see and feel that you are not just a hybrid but a Chimera. Someone far more powerful then they could ever be," He replies, I roll my eyes and wrestle control back from my dragon.

"I wouldn't question my dragon if I were you. Afterall, your own beast would have already told you if I was lying," Which is the truth, I can sense their beasts probing my mind, sniffing out for a lie or a half truth, I can even hear their nervous questioning of my own beasts.

"If this is true, then why were we not informed the day you were adopted into the Royal Beta's family?" The Luna Queen of the Hyena's, Eden asks, her beast whooping and I chuckle at Asha whooping back. A very Hyena thing to do. I turn to face her, watching the relisation set in that my and her beasts are having a very interesting conversation.

"My parents felt that it was in my best interest to be kept a secret until such a time as I was ready to reveal myself. Mainly so I could then defend myself if I was threatened. It's pretty obvisous the reason why. This whole week the majority of you have been pushing for a law that'll see hybrid children left in orphanages, or their parents, and themselves banished from their homes. I'm sure you can understand my parents desire to keep me safe," I raise an eyebrow at her, Asha chuckling to herself.

"I would like to ask however that you asks your beasts to back off. I already have a crowed head, but listening to your beasts is going to give me a heachache," I grumble and rub my forehead, the walls of my mind closing in on me at the amount of voices.

An Alpha aura washes through the room forcing everyone but myself and one other to kneel, their throats bared. The Queen of the Kitsune's is left standing, staring at me.

I raise an eyebrow at her, Kasumi laughing at the woman's assumption that I'll submit. Instead of baring my throat, or being on bended knee before her I walk across the room and stop about ten strides away from her.

"Alpha aura's do nothing to me Alpha Luna Sloan. It doesn't even annoy me, tickles at best." Her aura drops and I hear the sighs of relief. Sloan frowns at me, unsure how to handle a creature that's unaffected by show of dominance.

"The goddesses created me, Sloan. They understood what could happen if I was.... manipulatable. So I cannot submit to an another Alpha's or Luna's aura. An order from any Alpha or Luna would do nothing to me, I'd feel no desire to comply and I'd feel no pain upon defying such an order. It's physically impossible for me, although I can show respect, I'm unable to submit. I might be young but I stand before you all as your equal," my voice, though quiet, carries across the room. Understanding dawns in Luna Queen Sloan's eyes and she bows her head in respect.

"How are we to trust that you can't be manipulated?" Another ruler asks and I sigh heavily, exhaustion pulling at me. These people will always allow their fear to control them, their fear of the unknown.

"Because people have tried and they failed," I state truthfully staring at King Oliver who's frowning at me, his gaze calcualting.

****

Sunset streaks across the horizon, my shoulders slumping as I close the door to the Beta suite behind me. Loneliness tugs at me and I reach out for Zane, seeking comfort only to be shut out of our bond. Theia whimpers at the disconnection but I can understand his anger. Zane has always been my protector, we've always had a strong bond and sometime I feel as though the goddesses blessed us with it so I'd have a connection to someone no matter what happens. His anger comes from that desire to protect me at all costs, and the fear I'll be taken or hurt and he won't be able to protect me and now I've gone and painted a target on my back by revealing what I am to those who rule our world.

I pace the room, chewing on my bottom lip, waiting for Zane to walk through that door and yell at me, but as dusk turns to night and there is still no sign of my brother returning, and with Jayla, Tao and my parents staying in a different suite in case Oliver gets cocky and attempts to attack me in my home, or tries to harm my family to try and get me to comply, I'm completely alone. It sinks like lead to the pit of my stomach.

My back and chest burn, and I gasp as the pain spreads down my arms and torso. Sweat beads on my forehead and trickles down my back as I stumble to the bathroom. A cry of pain escapes my lips and I claw at my clothes, my beasts howl and roar with the pain, screaming out as it burns through us. I collapes to the floor, writhing in agony as something burns through layers of skin to brand my bones, to brand the very essense of my soul.

I tear at my clothing, the sound of fabric tearing loud as I pant and gasp, biting back the scream that claws it's way up my throat. I claw at the hardwood floor as I drag myself towards the bathroom and sit under the shower, reaching up to turn it on.

"Zane!" I scream out for him through our bond, but there's nothing. Silence echoes back to me. The pain grows hotter, as though molten metal is being poured onto my skin. My magic a riot of energy, dancing across my skin and arching over the ceiling. My eyes grow as hot as my body and palms, magic pouring out of me, filling the air and room until it feels as though I'm drowning. I turn the water as cold as it'd go, tears streaking down my cheeks, burning into my skin like trails of blood.

"Daughter, it's time you accepted yourself and all your power," mother Hekate's voice drifts through my mind, her presence surrounding me like a blanket of warmth. My vision clears, leaving me a shivering mess under the cold water, aching as the heat drains out of me.

Time passes and there's still nothing from my brother. With a sigh I drag myself to stand up, my knees near buckling under me. When I've gathered what little strength I have left, I push out of my en-suite and stare at the grinning Vampire King casually leaning against my bedroom door.

"Did you miss me?" He asks, and my stomach drops when I follow his gaze to find Zane passed out at his feet.