Chapter 16 Ep16

Kassi

"Dad?" I whispered "Dad? Is that really you?"

"Kassiopeia Nyx?" he said, with wide eyes "No, No, No. You can't be here. You aren't here"

He dropped to his knees and started rocking back and forth.

"No, No, No, No, No" my father kept on muttering "This can't be. She can't be here. This is just a nightmare. Another nightmare. Just an illusion that the Witches are projecting onto me"

"Julian, you sick bastard!" my mother snarled, tears streaming down her angry face "YOU STOLE MY HUSBAND FROM ME! MY CHILDREN'S FATHER! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

Julian's face darkened and he grabbed my mother roughly by the hair

"MOM!" I shouted

"I was supposed to be your husband!" he snarled "I was supposed to be the father of our children!"

She spits in his face "So, after all this time, this is still all just about your bitterness for me not marrying your psycho self"

He released her and wiped the spit off his face

"No my sweet Carrie," he said "This is about me winning the Endgame. Achieving the one thing our ancestors never could"

151

He started chuckling "Torturing you and your family was just a bonus"

"Are you seriously going to attempt the Ceremony?" she laughed in disbelief "It was never successful before you and it'll never be successful after you"

"It was never successful before because they didn't have the missing piece of the puzzle"

"Which is what?"

He looked at me with a crazy look in his eye "The Moon Goddess"

My Mom starting laughing "My daughter? You think my daughter, the child I birthed and watch grow, is the Moon Goddess? You've really lost your delusional mind"

"Not her, not her, not her" My father kept muttering from behind us

"Are you trying to tell me that I am some reincarnation of a Moon Goddess?" I snickered "Someone's been smoking the bad stuff"

He ignored me "Tell me, girl, have you heard the story of Selene and Endymion?" 1

When I refused to answer, he nodded to some other Hunters and they pulled on my restraints

I gritted my teeth "Yes"

"And did you happen to hear the story about their children?"

"Yes" I snarled when the restraints became impossibly tighter "Selene created her first Packs by mating off her fifty daughters to the remaining members of the Alpha Chief's Pack " 2

Julian grinned like a lunatic "At least your grandfather was useful for something before I killed him"

My heart stopped "You killed him?" 3

I mean, I know we didn't have the typical grandchild/ grandparent relationship and that I spent more than half of my time hating the guy but that didn't mean I wanted him to die. Not after his heartfelt confession about redemption.

He ignored me and continued "Do you know why she had fifty children?" 5

"No" I growled "Why the hell would I know that?"

"Because it's part of your history Mutt," he said, pacing back and forth "She had fifty children because she was trying to create the perfect vessel" 10

"The perfect vessel for what?"

"The perfect vessel to walk this earth again"

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, eyes widening "Walk this earth to do what?" 5

"To reunite with Endymion" my father's weak voice came from the ground 34

"Ooh, Daddy Dearest has finally come back to planet earth," Julian said in glee 7

"And why the hell would she want to reunite with her eternally sleeping, lover?"

"Because it is the only time she can see him" Dad whispered "During the Wolf Moon" 9

"What?" I asked, "What does that mean?"

I then looked at my psycho captive

"And what the hell do you care about this Wolf Moon"

"I care because..." Julian said with a wicked grin "This is the one time that a Goddess could be killed" 23

I choked on my own saliva

"Killed?" I said in shock "You want to kill a Greek Goddess? Are you out of your Goddamn mind?" 22

"What better way to become a God," he said with a deranged look in his eyes "Than to kill a God" 239

Kassi

"Are you insane?" I struggled against the restraints"How the Hell are you going to become a God let alone kill one?" 4

"Tell me mutt" he ignored my question "Do you know what the Wolf Moon is exactly?"

"The night in which the Goddess Selene bound wolves to Humans," I said "Right?"

He ignored my question again "And do you know why it's called the Wolf Moon?"

"I'm guessing because of the Moon that night," I said sarcastically

"The Wolf Moon" he started "Originally, was a secret Ancient Ceremony passed down in the Dimitriou Line. Every fiftieth daughter born to the Dimitriou line would participate in the Wolf Moon Ceremony, a ceremony in which all the members of the Dimitriou Pack would welcome their creator with open arms"

He started pacing "Do you know why the Wolf Moon came to be?"

I shook my head

"The Wolf Moon was created as a way for Selene to reunite with her lover," he said "After Zeus granted him eternal slumber as an alternative for death, Selene grew tired of watching him from afar. The Wolf Moon was a way for her to obey Zeus rules while also satisfying her need to see her lover again" 1

He gazed up at the shining moon

"Your family thought it was an honor to be chosen as the Vessel," he said quietly "To be the flesh of the Creator herself was...unimaginable" 3

"And to be the only Pack that was given that prestige caused a lot of conflicts between the fifty Packs" He smiled "Which worked out perfectly for me"

"Continue with the damn story" I snarled "Why do I have to die for this damn Moon?" 5

"Oh?" he perked up "So you do know something about the ceremony"

Damn it, I didn't mean to blurt that out

"For the Ceremony to work, certain...requirements must be met" he smiled "A life for a life. That's how it works. For her essence to take flesh, your essence must be drained" 4

"And only a daughter born from the Dimitriou line can fill this?" I asked

"Not just any daughter," he said "But the fiftieth daughter. The chosen one" 16

"Selene had fifty daughters for a reason" he continued "Not only did she need to have a woman to 'body snatch' her host but she also needed to be able to retain her powers in her temporary body. The first forty-nine daughters only check one of those boxes" 7

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

"But the last one didn't?"

He nodded

"The fiftieth was special," he said "She matched the strength and power of her mother within the confinements of her mortal body"

"Once Selene had found her vessel, she made a deal with the Goddess of Fertility to ensure that this specific daughter's line will continue to exist for generations" He looked at his watch "After the deal was in place, Selene mated her daughter off to the Alpha's son, Anicetus Dimitriou"1

"If this was such a super-secret Dimitriou family secret then how do you, a Hunter, know about it?" I asked, challenge lacing my tone "And how do you even know this ceremony works?"

He slammed his hand down next to my head on the alter

"It will work," he said, sounding a little hysterical "Why else would people, all over the world, still be practicing this type of ceremony?"

"Why does any culture or family pass down their traditions or beliefs?" I said solemnly "To remember what once was and to honor all those that came before us"

"You sound just like Aunt," he said with disgust, backing away from me "Foolish to believe in such notions"

"Sometimes you gotta play the role of a fool to fool the fool who thinks they are fooling you" I smirked, quoting one of my favorite quotes. 82

Julian frowned, contemplating my words 10

"The other Packs hate your family" David blurted out suddenly

"What..?" I said, looking at Julian's spawn "What are you saying over there?" 1

"The other Mutts hate the Royals" he repeated, glaring at me "Because of who your ancestor was, Selene thought it was best to have a ruling family to watch over and guide her species. What better candidates than the line that shares her powers" 3

"Over the years, the Dimitriou line has been declining" Julian started after his son finished "The other Packs were tired of having a ruling family telling them what to do or how to act, so they took it upon themselves to eliminate their competition...permanently"

"And boy did they" David piped in, acknowledging his father's statement "Managed to wipe out ninety percent of the Royals by themselves"

"Impossible" my father spat from the ground "My sister..."

"Your sister killed herself two weeks ago" Julian smiled "Right after we raided your last little secret compound" 1

Dad paled and started to shake

"Minerva..." he whispered 26

"Oh, don't be too sad," Julian said in fake empathy "She put up a good fight, even managing to smuggle a few kids through the air vents. Almost didn't catch them until she slit her own throat. Little buggers couldn't keep quiet when they saw that"

I think I was going to puke

"You're telling me that no other Dimitriou's exist?" I asked in shock, remembering a few cousins my age that I used to play with we I was younger. 1

He grinned

"From where it stands right now, after tonight, your brother Ares will be the only one left of the Dimitriou Pack"

'But what about Orion' I thought "Either Julian's a really good actor or he really, truly doesn't know that my older brother is alive

"If you touch one hair on his head..." I threatened, trying to keep my emotions at bay.

"You're not in any position to be threatening me Princess" he snarled, grabbing my hair "After all, the dead can't keep their promises, now can they?" 20

~~~~~~~~~

After Julian, the Lunatics crazy profession of becoming a God and his history lesson, one of his men whispered something to him before he took off with a couple of men. 3

"Tie them to the tree" he nodded towards my parents, specifically my mother "Make sure her hands are separate and that you keep your eyes on her the whole time. She might not be an active Hunter but she is a Hunter no less"

He took a step to leave but then paused and looked at my parents again

"Make sure you give them a good view of the show" he smiled that deranged smile "Wouldn't want them to miss it"3

My father snarled and lunged toward him but being that he was so weak due to the aconite, he couldn't get very far. 7

After my parents were secured to the trees, with their arms bound above their heads on separate tree branches, the Hunters began their guarding duties.

"I'm sorry" I whispered to my parents, looking at the darkening moon

"What are you sorry for?" my father asked

"For everything"

"It's not your..." My father started but stopped suddenly when the Moon began to illuminate brighter and a fog started to surround us.

"What...the...Hell?" I choked out, watching in equal parts amazement and fear as chanting hooded figures started to surround the alter I was strapped to. 3

"It is time" Julian's malicious voice rang out "Now brothers..."

His voice was cut off by a loud, heart-clenching howl.

The howl of a Wolf looking for his Mate.

Kassi

The Howling sound grew closer and closer

"Ooh" I taunted "Someone's about to get it"

The Hunters ignored me and continued with their process, only faster now

"Where's the damn Witch" Julian snapped

An older woman stepped forward, wringing her hands together nervously

"Our sacrificed was captured by the enemy and we don't have time..."

"GET ME A NEW WITCH" Julian roared "NOW!"

"But...But" she stammered "Our powers will-"

"I don't give a damn about your powers," he said "Find me a new witch ASAP, or else no one from your Coven will be walking away from this"

She shut her mouth and nodded before scrambling away

"Sir" a Hunter ran to Julian "It seems that a few wolves broke through the Northern border"

"How far away are they?"

"I would say-" The Hunters voice cut off when multiple howls were heard, sounding closer than before

Julian cursed and turned to me "Make one sound and Mommy gets it"

My mother flipped him off

I smirked

"I don't think I have to say anything," I said wiggling my wrists

He looked at my wrists and noticed the blood dripping down my arm

It hurt like hell and took forever but I managed to rub my wrists enough against the chains to make them bleed while Julian was spewing his nonsense.

I wasn't stupid

I knew that if I didn't keep Julian busy he would have caught on to what I was doing so I kept him talking just enough to implement my plan.

Lucky for me he likes to hear himself talk

"You stupid little Bit..." My father's snarl cut him off

"FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Checkmate," I said, staring into his eyes "You lose"

He stood there, fuming

"GET ME A WITCH!" He roared, walking toward a group of people "NOW!"

I leaned my head back against the cool stone alter, watching as the moon continued to darken as the minutes ticked by.

The fog continued to roll in, faster and heavier than before.

I turned my head and met my parent's eyes, giving them a small reassuring small

It's all I really could do at this point.

Just smile and reassure them that everything will be okay, that'll we'll make it out of this together no matter what.

Even though we all knew the truth

Even if, by some miracle, we did manage to escape this cursed Moon and delusional Hunters, our lives will be permanently changed forever.

The secrets of our past, my family's past, will always hang over our shoulders.

A constant reminder of who I am and who I was born to be.

A destiny conceived for me the moment I was born

A Pawn in an Age-Old Game

RHYS

"RHYS WAIT!!!" My Uncle roared as my figure retreated

I ignored him and pushed my Wolf faster and faster, dodging in and out between the trees faster than we ever had before.

I had to reach her

We had to save her

I needed her in my arms, in the place I knew that I could protect her from all the bad things in life that want to harm her.

The powerful pounding of the earth and low familiar growls sounded from behind me, alerting me that both my Pack as well as the Matthews siblings and my Uncle had followed.

'SAVE MATE!!! SAVE MATE!!!' My Wolf chanted continuously in our head, increasing his speed to an almost blinding rate.

The moment I caught her sweet scent mixed with the metallic tang of blood, my Wolf lost it and forced our shift.

'MATE DANGER!' My Wolf snarled

'I KNOW!' I snarled right back

A Witch stepped into the middle of our part, mumbling what I assumed to be a spell, and before she could even finish, my Wolf lunged for her and bite her head off.

At this point, we're done playing the civil and dignified Alpha.

We're sick and tired of playing by the rules when it's clear that everyone else is obviously not.

If you step in our way of getting to our Mate, regardless of who you are, we won't hesitate to rip you apart piece by piece.

Consequences are damned

I waited for my Mate for as long as I could comprehend how special Mates were

FLASHBACK 1

Rhys, 6 Years Old

"Mom, what are Mates?" I asked my Mom as I watched another one of my Pack members introduce him Mate to my Father "And why are they so important?"

My mother, startled by my question, stopped decorating my birthday cake

"Mates?" She asked, coming to pick me up and depositing me on one of the Island chairs "Why do you want to learn about Mates Sweetie?"

"I dunno" I shrugged "Matt kept going on and on about Mates and how he was going to make Mia his Mate one day and since Dad is always introducing us to newly 'Mated' people I wanted to know what that meant"

"You don't need to worry about Mates right now Sweetie" She giggled, ruffling my hair fondly "I'll tell you about them when your older"

I frowned

"I'm going to be the next Alpha," I said matter-of-factly, "I think I deserve to know now"

"Deserve to know what?" My father asked, walking into the kitchen and wrapping an arm around my mother

She giggled more

I sat up straighter "I want to know what Mates are"

My father stilled and his face grew serious

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

"Mates are the most precious things in the world son," he said, looking me in the eye "They're the other half of your soul, the one thing in the world that pushes you to be a better man. Your world rises and sets around them. When they're around, your smiles are endless, your heart is full. When they hurt, you hurt. When they cry, so do you. Life before them is meaningless and life without them is worthless,"

I stared at him in awe, absorbing every last detail he was sharing with me

"Hear me, Son, Mates are sacred and deserve the utmost respect" he glanced at my mother with a loving look in his eye "They are your equal, in every sense of the word, your partner for life and death. Even if you don't remember all that I spoke to you of today, remember this: Be worthy of your Mate. Although you have not found yours yet, treat them with respect. Do not mess around or fool with others' hearts. Respect your body in the way you would want your Mate to respect theirs. Most of all, be proud and honored to have the other half of your soul by your side. No matter who they are or where they come from, love them with everything you have"

The memory I kept so close to my heart for all those years faded as the smell of her blood became more pungent as we got closer to the edge of my territory.

I broke into a wide-open cleaning and froze when I saw her chained down to an alter, blood running down her arms and panic clear in her beautiful face.

"Rhys!" She cried out, struggling against her chains "Leave! Turn around! Go home before it's too late!"

I shifted

"I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU" I vowed fiercely, making my way to her "I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH MY LAST DYING BREATH"

I kissed her quickly but passionately, tugging on her chains as I enjoyed her soft lips. One chain easily fell apart at my tugging.

She was surprised and reciprocated right when a shot rang out from behind us.

My hackles raised and my muscles tensed

"Rhys he's delusional" Kassi whispered "And dangerous. He killed Marcy. Shot her right in the head"

I tensed, even more, eyes locking with the Hunter

"So she was the mole" I concluded

"You knew?" Kassi asked, desperately trying to remove the other chains

"I had my suspicions," I said, widening my stance to protect my Mate "The Hunters knew about your existence too soon. I suspected Orion but realized that Hunters knew things about my Pack even before you got here. There were too many 'Accidental' Hunting deaths"

"Sorry about that" The Bastard smiled smugly "Slippery fingers"

He pointed the gun at my head

"And as much as I enjoyed your disgusting reunion, I've decided that I've seen enough of this lovey-dovey crap. Glad your got to see her one last time before you die,"

I watched as his finger twitched on the trigger

"And don't worry" he smiled "I'll make sure she's good and taken care of. If she's good, I might even let her hang your fur in our son's nursery"

I... SAW... RED

I was about to lung for him and rip his throat out when a grey blur knocked him to the side.

Matt

"HE'S MINE" I snarled and shifted, running toward the soon to be dead and mangled Hunter

Growls and shots broke out all around us and in less than seconds, the clearing became a bloody battlefield.

Blood spurted everywhere, hands and heads flying in the air as I made my way toward my prey.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as the Matthews formed a triangle, their backs pressed against each other as they took on the Witches in Human form.

My Uncle and his inhuman speed ran past me, his eyes dark maroon as he tore into a fellow vampire's neck, ripping a huge chunk of flesh right off the man before cleanly swiping his head off.

I finally reached the Hunter and was about to pounce when another Hunter stepped in my way and hit me with a knife.

It must have been laced with Aconite because it hurt like a Bitch

I lunged for the Hunter, managing to lock my jaw around his throwing arm. Blood flooded my mouth and before he could counteract my attack and stab me again, I shook him hard. The sound of bones crunching and his screams were music to my ears.

Another ambushed me from behind and was about to shoot me when Ethan snapped his neck

"GO!" He yelled, nodding his head toward Kassi "BRING HER HOME! END THIS!"

I nodded my beg Wolf head, shook the crying Hunter one last time for good measure, and threw him against a tree 30 feet away.

I ran towards my Mate, who was struggling to get the last chair on her ankle off

I shifted again and tugged on the chain

Nothing happened

"I think they spelled the last chain," Kassi said frantically "Right before you got here, a Witch touched it. She didn't say anything nor did her eyes glow. She just touched it"

"Don't worry" I grabbed her chin "We'll get you out of this"

"EVERLY!" I yelled for my Third as she finished up with 2 rogues, slashing at their throats with a huge sword she got from God only knows where

"Yes Alpha?" She kicked them away from her, running a hand through her now bloody blonde hair

"Where's the Witch we captured?"

She stabbed one vampire with the sword while using her claws as a shield from another one

"Back at Base with Shawn and Alpha Kaden's Mate" she grunted at a Hunter knocked her down to the floor

"Cheap shot Bitch" she cursed at him as he picks up her sword

The Hunter smirked and was about to stab her with the sword when she kicked him in the nuts

"Lucky for you, I'm the Queen of Cheap shots" she stuck her tongue out at him before stomping on his package with her steel-toe boots

"GET ME THE GIRL!" I Yelled, "HURRY!"

"AYE AYE CAPTAIN" She yelled back

"Rhys," Kassi said quietly, pulling me back to her beautiful face "I need you to do me a favor"

"What is it?" I answered, pulling the chain harder than anything in my life

"I need you to take the others and leave," she said quietly, so quiet that I almost didn't hear her

"What?"

"I need you..."

"I heard what you said" I cut her off "I just can't believe you said it"

"I can't let you guys die," she said, clawing at my shirt "I just can't be responsible knowing that I'm the one that caused this. That I'm the one that forced so many innocents to die"

"This war would have happened either way" I caressed her face gently "It has nothing to do with you. This has been brewing beneath the surface for a long time"

"But..." she started

"We're all here because we care about you," I said "We knew what we were risking when we came here"

"Watch out!" Someone yelled from beside of us before pushing me to the ground

2 Shots fired

A second later a blood curdling and heart-wrenching scream rang out

Taylor's scream

I watched in horror as Ethan slumped against Kassi, red blood oozing rapidly from a gaping wound in his skull.

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