The First Chimera.

Chapter 15

Xander's POV

***

I hit the ground and roll, pushing back onto my feet, and sprinting for my father as he collapses onto his side, blood exploding from his lips as he coughs, his skin pale and clamy, his lips blue as he gasps for breath.

"Dad!" My eyes burn at the sight of my hero so weak, but I push the emotion clogging my throat away. He doesn't need me breaking down, he needs me to take charge. Kneeling in front of him, I survey his injuries, his muscles lax from exhaustion, his sharp gaze fixed on Ria as though she's his saviour while I'm still struggling to wrap my head around the fact she's part dragon! As gently as possible, I roll him onto his back.

"Alpha, it's ok now." Zane states, ripping my father's shirt open and applying pressure to the puncture wound to the side of his chest while I apply pressure to the gapping wound attempting to cave his chest in. Father grips my wrist weakly, his lips moving although no sound comes out. Pain outlines every feature as the both of us feel pack members severe from us, the battle still raging in the North. A painful reminder that there is something bigger at play. Something I had no knowledge of.

Another secret.

"Wasn't what you witnessed six years ago enough to scare you away?" Ria's voice echoes strangely, as though there are many voices speaking as one, each voice unique and distinct. Zane stiffens, while my father weakly tugs my wrist. My gaze snaps down to him, his attention darting between me and what's happening behind us.

Ria's demand that no matter what we hear, we keep our backs to what's happening rings in my mind and I stiffen, suddenly unsure if I ever knew the girl I'd grown up with. Erebus paces in my mind, our instincts screaming that danger is close, that we need to face the threat.

Shifting, my hands shake from the amount of blood pouring out of my father, as I place myself so I can defend him while Zane positions himself opposite me, blocking any view of Ria and the group of Rouges.

"Our alpha wishes to speak with you." A male voice states, the slight tremble indicating the man's growing fear.

"I don't talk with Alpha's who feel it's fair to kidnap and torture children." Ria snaps, her voice still holding that strange echo. A loud scream of pain and the gruesome sounds of flesh being torn apart and bones being snapped follows. A low, menacing growl filling the sudden silence. Ice fills my viens and every instinct screams to run, to grab my father and get the hell out of here, but I'm frozen unable to move, torn between trust and fear. The air fills with the static of magic, and a heavy arua presses down on us, refusing to let us breath, refusing to let its grip around my chest go.

"Go back to your Alpha and tell him I have no interest in talking to a man who delights in the senseless murder of others. If he values his life and the lives of his pack members he'll leave me, and the packs alone." Ria states, a comand in her voice that ripples across the land, washing over me and I shiver at the sudden compulsion to bow to her.

What follows next will forever haunt my nightmares, screams of agony, waves of magic and the scent of burning flesh and blood.

Seconds stretch for an eternity, minutes crawling by. Not even my first lesson in torture can compare to the guttural screams, or the pleas for mercy that go unanswered.

Time traps us in the wrath of a person I once believed as being too forgiving. A heaviness settling over the land until the screams fade, leaving only the whimpering of a single survivor, and the scent of piss that's soon lost to the over powering scent of blood.

"Tell your Alpha what you've witnessed. Tell him how your comrades were slaughtered without mercy. Tell him what it was like to face my wrath." Each demand is followed by a frightened scream of agony, punctuated with the scent of burnt skin.

"You now carry the mark of my enemy. You have forfeited your life and your mate's life. When we next meet, you'll die." Ria's quiet voice rings through the sudden silence, something unspoken echoes through each word, heavy with emotions I can't name.

"Go." She whispers, and I look up, staring in horror as Ria approaches, her naked body covered in blood, her hair dripping red while a man shifts into a Hyena and runs, tail tucked between his legs.

Behind her is a c*****e I'm struggling to wrap my head around. Bodies ripped to broken pieces, one still burning, the blackened corpse turning to ash before my eyes. Blood soaks through the earth, killing the grass and wildflowers, leaving patches of barren wasteland.

Without a word Ria kneels beside my father, her eyes unseeing as silent tears roll down her cheeks, mixing with the blood. Before I know what's happening Ria moves fast, burying her fangs onto my fathers neck and sucking, the strange marks tattooed onto her skin glowing white, heat raditating off her body in waves, light seeping from her closed eyelids and fingertips.

"What the fu'ck! Ria, stop! Get off him!" I scream, moving to grab hold of her, to push her away.

Zane's arms wrap around me, pulling me back as I fight, watching in horror while Ria places her hands on his wounds, my father's moans of pain morphing into a slurred scream as the girl I once thought I knew and loved becomes a stranger before my eyes.

"She's helping him Xander, let her help him!" Zane grits out as I thrash, fighting against his hold, desperate to stop her from killing my dad.

When Ria pulls away she's pale and clammy, her lips turning blue as she wipes my father's blood off her lips. She stumbles to her feet and staggers a few steps away her gaze glassy and unfocused.

Zane let's me go and I race over to my father, his breathing steady, his heartbeat stronger then before. His cheeks starting to show some colour, his gaze sharp and lucid.

"Dad? What did she do to you?" I demand, Erebus pressing forwards, scenting our father.

"The wolfsbane and poison are gone." Erebus growls, confused. My eyes widen further when I spot his wounds healing rapidly, the skin knitting itself together when it shouldn't be possible.

The sound of retching grabs my attention and glancing up, I find Zane holding Ria up as she vomits blood, her body convulsing violently, her lips blooming black bruises.

"She put herself at risk to save me," father whispers, his gaze trained on Ria's face, scrunched in pain, her blood now dripping down her chin as she bites her lip to stop herself from screaming.

Zane holds her close, his eyes misting with tears as she becomes dead weight in his arms, gasping for air.

"What is she father?" The question slips out and as I turn back to help him sit up, he grabs my shoulder, his grip painful as he stares into my soul.

"She's our salvation son."

****

Ria's POV

****

I gasp for air, my muscles lax and weak from vomiting uncle Zavier's tainted blood from my system. My body shaking, as I weakly cling to my brother's arm, while my Beasts press close, giving me comfort and strength with their presence.

Feeding on his blood was my only option even if it's risked my life. By the time I'd gotten to his side, the poison was already in his system. Magic could only do so much. I did the only thing left, combined the vampire and witch sides of me and fed from him while using Magic to redirect the poison, absorbing it into my body no matter how much it burned down my throat.

"We need to get Uncle back to his Luna. We could only heal a small portion of the wounds. His wolf will heal the rest faster with his mate beside him." Theia states and I know she's right but I don't think I have the strength to shift.

"I'll fly him back Ria," Seren says gently and we both know we're playing with fire. Shifting again while I'm so weak could undo mother Hekate's magic suppressing the shift, and after how we handled the rouges I already know I won't make it to the full moon before we shift into the thing very thing we fear the most.

"Let go Zane, and get Uncle ready," I whisper, my voice crackling and raw, already resigned to the fact that I'll need to leave as soon as I've settled uncle in his bed.

It's too dangerous for the pack if I stay longer.

Slowly, Zane sets me on my feet and steps back, only letting me go when he sees me standing on my own two feet. With a nod he turns and jogs the short distance to Xander and uncle Zavier, who's now sitting up with the support of his son.

Seren pushes forwards, while I step back, noticing for the first time the wave of warmth that floods my viens from the fire in her blood.

"Rest, the poison will take the flight to be burnt from our system." Seren murmers and shakes her wings out, lowering herself and waiting patiently as we watch Zane and Xander support their Alpha King.

Seren rumbles her support, blowing small white and perfect rings of smoke, pulling a tired, pained chuckle from uncle Zavier.

"Thank you for getting here so fast, sweetheart." He says, reaching out to pat Seren's neck. Seren chortles, and lowers her neck, using her front leg to help him up, earning an amused grumble of.

"I'm not old you know."

She in turn, rolls her eyes and waits as Zane climbs on in front of his Alpha and helps Xander up. Seren's grumble rumbling through her when he accidentally nearly tears a scale from her skin. She hisses and it takes Uncle Zavier's calm and steady hand checking the area to ease her concern.

Seren staggers to her feet under the sudden weight, the rest of my beasts and I lending her our combined strength to help.

"Are you and Seren alright Ria?" Zane asks, keeping the mind-link open, and I can sense his Alpha Prince listening in.

"The poison. We'll be ok," I'm too tired to lie, too emotionally overwhelmed to even think of a convincing lie to tell. Seren snorts and leaps into the air, flapping her great wings. Her take off less then graceful, even with Angel using her magic to help lift us. I chuckle when that warm tingling washes through me, Angel using my magic to aid Seren's flight.

A strange yet comforting ability we have, my beasts and I. Able to push and pull and combine our strengths, make up for each others weaknesses and always support each other.

I can hear Xander talking to Zane, although the words are muffled and I can't follow the conversation or Xander's urgent tone. Already, he's asking questions about what happened and why I spoke to the rouges. My heart sinks when through the haze of wolfsbane, poison and exhaustion I hear the word "Traitor".

Seren, along with the rest push me further back in my mind, Selkie cutting my emotions off before singing. The song resonating with the sorrow that has taken root in my heart.