Feral Lust [18+ mature]

Indignation

Elliot didn't know what to feel or do with the new piece of information that his escorts had provided him with. At first, he had considered it to be a rumor, a way of torment but later Elder Zachariah had confirmed otherwise. It was his last week in the Elder's tribe. However, it struck a chord in his heart to remember that going back home would mean going back to a world without Lea; the world where everything he ever knew would have been completely altered.

Elliot had always thought of having a future with Lea, and now thinking about one without her devastated him. It blinded him with fury against the vampire who had ruined anything. Michael, that's what his father had called the leech. He wanted to murder the vampire, but the wolf inside him wanted to make that monster suffer. Despite being a part beast himself, he was glad that his family was not on the wrong side.

After giving him the news of his departure, Elder Zachariah had told him about the events that were to take place.

"Elliot, son, apart from that one incident no one wants to talk about, you have performed extremely well. You have surpassed all our expectations and proved to be Xavier's son. However, without a final assessment of putting you through real-time danger, we cannot let you leave the tribe, no matter how skilled you become." Elder explained the tribe's ways.

"This week, beginning now, you will have to take a blood oath, where you will swear not to share with anyone, what you saw in this tribe. As my people prefer to live in seclusion, and away from the modern day lives, we prefer that only a chosen few should know about our existence and to others, we must be akin to a myth. Later, you'll be tested for all your abilities by facing the best of our tribe in each skill. You get today as a preparation day and tomorrow we take you for the blood oath, whilst the next day onwards, you'll face your opponents for one on one combat and other skill testing battles. There would be no use of weapons or your lycan strength; only muscle for the first one, though."

It wasn't difficult to fight for Elliot as he had trained himself to his best. However, there was something that worried him.

"Elder, how can you be sure that the opponent and I won't be using the lycan strength? How can you assure that I won't lose control in the middle of the fight and won't shift?"

The Elder nodded in appreciation, "It's good to know that you're concerned about such things and asking the right questions. It seems that the moon has chosen the right person." The latter part confused Elliot but his concentration shifted when the Elder began to explain the rules.

"The Elders of the tribe possess the power to summon magic and use it for good. We'll be pushing the other part of you into the crevices of your mind so none of you lose control. The day next to that, you'll be facing Lloyd's mate, Isla. You'll get to choose a weapon of your choice to spar against her. She might be a tiny little thing, Elliot, but she is equally vicious. The last test would be a wolf on wolf battle, and because you will have an upper hand on the opponent, being feral, the fellow Elders have decided that there will be a barrier that will prevent you both to bring down wrath on each other and only the one who gives the other a blow that seems fatal, will be declared winner."

"That's it?" Elliot gulped.

"First blood wins, Elliot. I'll warn you, though, that if this time you lose your control over your lycan, we'll be forced to put you on trial."

"I won't," Elliot whispered softly, lowering his head in shame and guilt that he was so used to by now. "But what if I am not able to shift back to my human form?"

"You should not concern yourself with such minute details. We have it handled." The Elder noticed the stiffness of Elliot's shoulders. "All is not bad news, Elliot." His eyebrows furrowed when the Elder smiled, "Tomorrow you'll see what I mean."

The morning after the discussion, Elliot was fidgety, more so than usual. Elder Zachariah had said that something good will happen that day but having nothing to do with his time was making Elliot nervous. What if I lose control of my beast? What if the Elders' magic isn't strong enough to keep the wolf at bay? What if another one of the tribe members loses his or her life because of me? Would I be able to live with another murder on my conscience?

"Trepidation does not become you, Elliot." He jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. Is it possible? Is he here?

Elliot turned around to see his father smiling at him from his room's entrance. He had been so involved in his thoughts, he hadn't heard Xavier arrive.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Elliot's face broke into a grin as he rushed forward to hug his father. Xavier hugged his son tightly, patting him on his back.

"It's so good to see you, Dad." His voice cracked towards the end and then he stepped back, composing himself. Another thing that Elliot had learned in the tribe was self-composure and at this time, he was grateful for that. He didn't want Xavier to be disappointed in him as much as he was the last time they had seen each other.

"It's good to see you too, son." Xavier smiled and then sighed as he remembered what the Elders had informed him about. "I heard about what happened." He said sitting down on the edge of Elliot's narrow bed. Now that Elliot had been through months of physical training, he had become larger than before, with wide shoulders and muscles which although looked good on him, made him feel intimidating as well. His father sitting on his bed seemed smaller to him now.

"Of course, they would have told you. Did they also tell you that I shredded him to so many pieces, it was difficult to identify his face even?" Elliot said with disgust churning inside him towards himself. He could not even say Lloyd's name without revisiting the haunting memory of his screams and then of his mate's cursing words.

Xavier shook his head, "I'm disappointed that you couldn't even control yourself enough to let that poor man live."

"Disappointed? Do you have a right to be disappointed in me? Isn't it completely your fault that I am an abomination; a monster to his own kind? How is that fair to me, Dad? How can you be so selfish, blaming everything on me? I didn't f*****g know who I was three months back, and you expect me to practice a control of eighteen years in mere months?" He growled, turning away from Xavier. Elliot took deep breaths to calm himself. He didn't want the wolf to take control now that he was trying to prove a point.

"Elliot I am-" Elliot turned around and faced his father with a rage in his eyes that could set fire to the anything. He growled, baring his fangs, "Don't f*****g apologize when you have no idea what you've done to me. I lost Lea because of you, I killed Lloyd because of you, shifting pains me more than hell because of you and it's only because of you that I am a f*****g feral beast. I have become a monster that I was afraid of becoming. Who's at fault, father?" He mocked. "You."

Elliot left the room, trailed by his guards who kept their distance from him. They were right to do so or they would also have suffered Lloyd's fate.

He practiced his combat skill against both his guards and when it was time for the blood oath, the three of them made way to the center of the tribe. The Elders and his father were already waiting for him. Other members of the tribe soon joined them. Now that his anger had dissipated, he couldn't manage to look his father in the eyes. He felt guilty for hurting Xavier when he had only been protecting his family through the years. He thought of apologizing for his anger after the ceremony.

The area where the ceremony was to take place had been set with a raised platform in the center where Elder Eairdsidh was waiting for Elliot. As soon as he saw him approach, the Elder began mentioning the importance of the oath.

"For as long as our kind has been alive, we've given a major significance to blood oaths in order to form a life-long bond to bind our warrior kinfolk to heavily guarded secrets of the angels and goddess Luna. A blood oath is irrevocable once offered and then commenced. Our initiate, Elliot Crawford has entered to the revelation of certain mysteries which makes him an associate of Angel Qaphsiel and the moon." The crowd erupted in cheers at the mention of celestial beings.

"In order to accomplish this feat, the initiate must be reborn; he must die to the old life by cutting off the ties and unifying his blood with that of the Elders and his clan mates. He must accept this new life of a warrior wolf, an heir to the alpha and forget what all bounds him to the human world. He must take an oath of being loyal to his clan and pack but also to not reveal the unveiled secrets of this tribe to anyone but his mate."

At the mention of blood fusion, not only the clan but even Elliot was stunned to silence. The hundreds surrounding him were ushered into a line, leading up to a bowl. On the opposite side, the thirteen Elders stood in a queue; their faces stoic, unlike that of the tribe. Elliot saw his father standing on the sidelines, concern etched on his face.

"Elliot, come forth and witness the sacrifice we make for you." Elder Zachariah's voice boomed. Tentatively, Elliot followed his instructions and stood in front of the bowl which was deeper and wider than he had previously realized.

"Let the ritual begin."

With that said, one of the Elders stepped forward, taking the knife and making a vertical cut in the palm of her hand and let two drops fall into the bowl. One by one, the other Elders added theirs. Once they were done, they gestured the clan to begin with their part of the ritual.

It was then that Elliot noticed the horror and the disgust on the clan members' faces.

"Do we have to inflict pain on ourselves in order to provide him the honor of being a part of our clan?" It was Gavin who spoke with revulsion clear on his face.

"He killed one of us, he shredded my mate to threads and we're going to honor him?" Lloyd's mate's voice was full of anger as she stepped away from the row and took a menacing step towards Elliot.

Elder Cliamain raised a hand, stopping the girl where she was.

"You dare debase our decision and judgment? Are all of you pure of heart? How many kills have you made, Isla? From what I remember, more than a dozen, and the worst part? You wear that number as a badge of splendor. What makes you better than Elliot? Why should we not cast you out?"

There were gasps and murmurs of agreement. To everyone's surprise, one of Elliot's guards stepped forward, taking the knife he looked at Elliot with something akin to respect and pity. "We have been keeping an eye on his every move for more than a week now and we have witnessed his sorrow. We have seen how grief-stricken Elliot has been over losing control and that is what makes him better than us."

Fueled by his little speech, the other guard stepped forth, "He knows well that he did wrong, he made a huge mistake that should be punishable as well but he knows how to live with it; to never repeat it. Isn't he suffering enough for what he did? He's punishing himself. How many of us can do that and not die of shame?"

Both of them made the cuts and let their blood mingle with that of the Elders. Tears lined Elliot's eyes as he mouthed 'thank-you' to both his sentinels. As if awakening from a deep slumber, the others also started with the ritual. Eventually, Gavin and Isla joined the clan.

Once the tribe was done with their part, Elliot was asked to step forward and make a cut on his arm instead of his palm.

Feeling lighter than before, he made the cut without faltering. He bit his lower lip to stop himself from wincing. The blood flowed from his arm down to the bowl. As soon as the first drop made contact with the collected blood, a bright silver light emitted from the bowl; almost blinding Elliot.

The light kept growing as his blood kept assimilating with that of the clan and Elders, engulfing him wholly.

At the pack house, Greta had everyone preparing for her son's arrival even though it was a week away. Waiting to see the one for whom Xavier had abandoned them, the pack was full of buzzing energy; some positive and a few negative as well.

Celeste was least bothered and she kept to herself most of the times. However, every night she had made a routine of her own to visit Dante and Scott in the dungeons. Although, seeing them tortured and treated like filth failed to give her the joy or satisfaction as it should have. It felt as though a hollow space had been carved out of her chest that ceased to be replaced by any other emotion.

She realized it was her mother's doing. She hated her, hated Xavier and his too good to be true wife but most of all, she despised the infamous heir because of whom everything had to come to a point that Ben had to be fought and her father had to pay the price. Everyone, it seemed, had become an object of loathing for her. She wanted her old life, her old self back but wishing did her no good.

By the evening, she was enraged more than usual when she heard that Greta was going over the top preparing for her son. Apparently, the latent heir had been through a lot. He had only lost his girlfriend, who wasn't even his mate, to a vampire.

It was a futile task for her to comprehend how anyone could compare all of what her father's pack of rogues had gone through to the heir's measly misery.

No one had even celebrated the victory properly let alone mourn over their lost warriors. Tyra had a similar mindset but unlike Celeste, she knew better than to voice her opinion.

"I don't understand what's so extraordinary about him," Celeste said, passing through the kitchens where Greta was discussing about the heir's favourite food with the pack chef.

"No one even held a memorial for our lost ones." She continued growling in anger which resulted in bringing Greta out of the kitchen.

"Is anything the problem, my dear?" The old woman asked.

Tyra shook her head, squeezing Celeste's hand, requesting her to remain quiet as the woman in front of them was their Luna. But Celeste, seething in fury, was having none of it. She took an intimidating step towards Greta, except it didn't faze the Luna by much.

"What is so special about your son's anguish?" She asked.

Greta's eyes widened by a fraction; surprised by the unexpected question. Composing herself, she replied calmly, "My son didn't know he was a wolf and he didn't even know that he had such a big family of his own. He lost his girlfriend and-"

Celeste interrupted her, "Dominic and many others lost their parents, many of the parents lost their cubs. My father lost his ability to shift or even walk. Where were you when we were mourning them? Where were you when we won? Where were you when Dante and Scott were ruining me? You call us your son's family? Where were you when you and your mate abandoned our pack to fend for ourselves against our biggest enemies? Your weakling of a son doesn't even know the meaning of hurt or pain but do not worry my dear Luna, I will make sure he does."

Without waiting for a reply, she exposed her fangs, making Greta take a stumbling step back. Then she walked past the pack members, including her mother, who had gathered around. Colina tried to stop her, but Celeste brushed past her, "Don't you dare touch me." She snarled, soon after she ran out of the pack house and to the dungeons. She needed to let out her anger or she would explode and she knew just the ones who deserved to be meted out with more pain.