The dragon within

4

                 ~Leon~

   I ran all the way home with her dead eyes boring into my soul and rage running through my veins. My body felt as if it was on fire and I arrived home much quicker than I normally do for some reason. I reach the door in record time sweating profusely. I thought the run home would help calm me but in fact in only helped build the rage inside me thinking about what they have done to that beautiful creature and I realized I didn't even get her name and the tunnel vision I've gained is getting smaller.I turn the doorknob to the main entrance and stumble through the threshold. I feel like I'm on fire when I look at my hands and I realize my hands literally are on fire! I hear foots steps running down the stairs so I turn my head and see my mother staring at me with wide eyes while my sister was behind her with the same shocked expression. 

   "Ma! What's happening to me!?!" I yell. I've never done this before in fact I've never been one to get angry like this. I mean sure I've been hurt, mad, or upset but never angry enough to catch on fire! She turns around to shoo my sister up the stairs and begins to walk towards me. As I see her coming closer i become even more confused as I begin to levitate off the floor. She then manages to pull me back down and take my face in her hands and tell me. "Son whatever it is that's made you so upset your sisters and my life depend on you calming down." I watch as the tears slide down my mothers face and i realize how scared she really is.  "Don't let the flames of your anger consume you love as soon as you calm down we can talk through this." I feel the fear subside and I stop floating. I look in her eyes and my anger turns to anguish and I break down sobbing in her lap like a little boy but I don't care. I just see those eyes of my mate. "Alright dear when you're ready we'll talk" i I hear her voice coo. We sit like this for about an hour her hand running through my hair and I finally sit up on the kitchen floor. I'm not sure when but I feel little Kaylas hand on my back. "Brother are you OK? You scared me." She says. I hate that I scared her my mother and sister have been my rock.  "I'm sorry love I'm fine why don't you go ahead and play upstairs so me and mommy can talk." I encourage her i don't want Kayla to hear about the events of today. She looks at momma hesitant but eventually gets up and plants a kiss on both of our cheeks to go play. After she left I sit for a while longer trying to get my barrings before I start to talk i don't want to get that mad again especially around these two. When I'm about to talk I hear my mother chime in "So I can see you found your mate." This statement kind of shocks me but none the less I proceed to tell her. "Yes and I seen the horrific things that have been done to her." My mom looks at me with a raised brow in confusion. "I seen her in the dungeon. They had her completely naked but she's so beautiful, Ma! You should see her." I say in defeat "I didn't even ask her name!" I say starting to get angry again. I think my mom felt it start to rise.

   "Her name is Joslin." My mom says with tears brimming her eyes. "She is the one your father was trying to protect when they killed him. Everyone was told she was dead but the whole pack could feel she was alive we just couldn't tell where they were keeping her and we're such a weak pack now I'm not sure if we could bring ourselves to fight back." She says. I am listening hanging onto every word she says. She proceeds to tell me the whole story of the battle. When she finishes I'm dumbfounded. "How did I not know of these events?" I asked. 

   "Because there was a spell put over the town the only reason it didn't reach here is due to us being so far from town." She says. 

   "What should I do? I mean they are slowly killing her in there she just looks like a shell of a human.  It looks like her soul is gone." I almost start to cry. 

   "My dear she has been doing this for almost 3 years by herself. Right now the best thing you can do is be there for her till we can form a plan to help her escape. Endure everything she does; its going to be the hardest thing you've ever done but we will get through this. I'm with you all the way." As she's saying this i can feel my heart swell. I know what she's saying is the right thing to do and for some reason it feels like she's talking from experience. "I have a few people who i know that might be able to help."

   "Hey Ma can I ask you something? " She nods in response. "Do you know why I caught on fire and i started floating?" She sighs hanging her head lowly shaking it back and forth. 

   "I was hoping this day would never come" she says. 

   "You ok Ma? What's wrong?" I say standing her up to sit her in a kitchen chair. She looks back up to me and tries to smile grabbing my hand in hers and squeezes. She looks so much older in that moment than what she already does. "Sit down son it's a long story and a hard pill to swallow." I pull another chair closer to her and I can tell this isn't going to be easy on either of us. I squeeze her hands back to let her know it's safe to start when she's ready. We sit in silence for just a little longer when she says "Samuel may have been your dad and he loves you just as his own but he wasn't your biological father." She begins to sob. 

   "I don't understand ma" I'm beyond confused right now. She straightens up a little and looks me right in the face and says it again.  That's when i know I heard her right and what she's saying is true. I sit quietly I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel or act to this news so I wait for her to continue.