Chapter 17 Ep 17
Kassi 12
Blood
So much blood
"Ethan" I shook him "Ethan?"
Silence
"No no no no no" I cried, shaking him harder "Ethan, wake up!"
"Ethan, please" I sobbed, trying to get him to wake up and give me one of his stupid grins15
My eyes met Rhys, who stared at me in stunned silence
"Help him," I said, my voice sounding far away even to my own ears
My Blood was pounding in my ears and I felt woozy
Time seemed slower than normal and when I looked around, I could have sworn everyone was going in slow motion
"Kas...Kass...Kassi"
Ethan's weight was taken off me
Hands gripped my arms and shook me "Kassi!"
Kaden shook me again, his eyes desperate for me to focus
"Kassi" he urged "Come on"
"B-But" I cried, hugging Ethan's body to me "He's...he's" 1
"Shhh..." he cupped my face, making me focus on the unshed tears in his green eyes "It's..."
"I killed him!" I hiccuped "He's dead because of me" 24
"Kassiopeia" Kaden said, his tone harsh "We need to get this chain off of you now or else these Hunters will try to kill you again and Ethan's death will be in vain"
He grabbed my face
"Look around Kassiopeia" he urged me "If you don't pull yourself together, right here and right now, everyone who loves you and is willing to help you are going to die. Do you want that? Do you want all these innocents to lose their lives because you couldn't put your grief on hold?"
"But he was my best friend..."
"AND HE WAS MY BABY BROTHER!" Kaden roared, his voice cracking towards the end of his sentence106
I shrunk back in shock
All these years that I've known Kaden, he's never once yelled at me or lost his temper. Not even after the numerous times I embarrassed him in front of Sky or got him in trouble with his parents.
It shocked the hell out of me but at the same time, I knew he was right.
I had to put a lid on my grief right now or everyone I loved was going to die.
And I was not letting that happen.
I will not let another person sacrifice themselves because of me
"Rhys already tried to get this shackle off me" I dried my eyes, "We think a Witch spelled it"2
Kaden cursed and mumbled something under his breath
"Move Alpha," a soft voice said before pushing him to the side
"It's you," I said as I stared at the pale face of the young Witch who I met earlier. 6
She ignored me, focusing all her attention on the lock
Her eyes flashed as she mumbled Latin words 1
She yanked on the chain
Nothing happened
She cursed and tried again, her eyes burning brighter before dimming substantially
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
"Damn it!" she yanked on the chain again
I winced
"What's wrong?" Kaden asked, fighting off a Hunter who came up from behind us.
"I don't have enough power," she said in frustration "My Coven's draining me and transferring the powers to someone else"
"What do you need then?" He yelled, "We need that chain off her now!"
"I'M WORKING ON IT!" She snapped "GIVE ME A SECOND!"
She looked around wildly before her eyes settled on me
"What?" I asked
"Witches gain more power if they channel something" she stated "The more powerful the item is or the more history it has determined how much power we temporarily gain"
"So, you need something to channel?"
"Someone not something" she lept at me, grabbing my face between the palms of her hands "What better to channel than the Queen of Wolves herself"
"What..."
"Hold still," she said before mumbling Latin words
Electricity flew through me and I had to grit my teeth at the pain. It felt like I was being electrocuted from the inside out.2
Her eyes flashed brighter and brighter and when she took her hands off me and touched the lock, it unclicked without a problem.
"Come on!" Kaden said "We need to get you out of here"
"Where is Rhys?"
"He's hunting down the Bastard that killed my brother" Kaden gritted his teeth 3
I jumped off the altar and winced
Kaden noticed
"What's wrong?"
"I don't..." I touched my side and when I brought my hands up for inspection, crimson blood coated them.
My adrenaline must have been so high that I must have missed the bullet puncturing my skin.
Kaden cursed and went to touch it when a voice rang out
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Julian said "Not unless you want your wife to be a widow and your children to be fatherless"
"What?" Kaden spat, stepping toward him "What did you just say?"
I held him back
"Why would touching my wound hurt Kaden?" I gritted my teeth as nausea and light-headedness rolled through me
"Because those bullets my son used were specially injected with an aconite poison that travels through the bloodstream and shuts down all your major organs once it makes contact with skin" he smiled "Go ahead, take a look"
I lifted my shirt where the bullet was located and noticed that my skin was turning gray as dark veins spread throughout my whole body. 11
"That boy was a fool for dying for you," he said smugly "Because the moment that bullet touched your skin, you were already dead" 5
I snapped
Rage like I've never felt before bubbled up inside me and right when I went to lunge for Julian, something flew past me and attacked him.
A Wolf with incredible speed and power mauled him, disappearing behind him once second before reappearing right in front of him the next and attacking. 3
Julian screamed, begging for someone to help him 6
"Did...did that Wolf just vanish?" Kaden whispered
I huffed out a laugh before falling to the ground, trying to catch my breath
"Kassi!" he caught me
"She's playing with him" I wheezed out "Giving him a taste of his own medicine"
"She?"
I nodded watching as the wolf kept attacking him.
At this point, he was missing a right arm and left foot. 1
"Finish him" I whispered 5
The Wolf gazed at me for a second, her purple eyes shockingly vivid and bright against her Black fur.
She nodded before lunging one last time at Julian and ripping his throat out.
He clutched at it, blood gurgling from it as he gasped for air one last time.
The Wolf howled in Victory
"Do you know that Wolf Kassi?"
"Yes" I wheezed out, my breath becoming shallower
"Who is she?"
I smiled, a tear falling from my eye as the Wolf came closer
"She is me," I said "And I am her" 66
We gazed at each other
"She was my Wolf," I said as the darkness encompassed me
Kassi
I gasped for air, clutching at my chest until my lungs were satisfied with enough precious oxygen.
5
"Where the hell am I?" I asked out loud, taking in my surroundings and noting an eerily quiet forest.
A forest that clearly wasn't surrounded by bloody heads, Hunters, and Wolves. 2
"Where..." I trailed off when all my memories flooded back to me
Particularly the one where I died
I died...26
I...freaking...died5
Great1
Oh God, I must be in heaven...
Or a really, really deceiving Hell 34
I stood, realizing that my once tattered and bloody clothes were replaced with a similar clean and white pair.
2
Not really sure why I needed the clean clothes since I'm dead but, Okay.
Suddenly, children's laughter sounded around me, echoing in the forest and calling to me on a level I didn't quite understand.
Creepy
I ignored my horrid thoughts and made my way towards the children's laughter.
As soon as I saw the scene playing out in front of me, I stopped dead in my tracks.
"You guys are ruining the flowers!" a ten-year-old Taylor whined
A ten-year-old Ethan laughed as he continued to wrestle with a girl with short pixie hair.
33
Me
"Lighten up Tay" Ten years old I said as she punched Ethan's side "There are plenty of daisies here. It won't matter if we mess up a few"
"You heathens are messing up all of them!" she whined, picking up a couple of more flowers "I need some undamaged flowers to give to Mom as part of her present"
"Wait Wait Wait!" Ethan said, pushing ten-year-old me down the hill "Mom's Birthday is today!"
1
Taylor smiled smugly at him "Why do you think I brought you, two bozos, out here? As a company?" She snorted"As if"
Ten years old me snickered
I smiled
"Wow E, how did you forget your own Mom's birthday?"
"Does Kaden know?" Ethan ignored her
Taylor nodded, giving us a mischievous grin
"He's out with Sky, picking up her present"
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
"I am so never living this down!" Ethan groaned "I'll hear about this for the rest of my life!!"
1
"Ain't that the truth!" "Taylor laughed "I love having a Latina mother"
Suddenly the scene before me shifted to the time where the three of us broke out Nanny Matthews from her retirement home when we were sixteen.
"You two ready?" Ethan asked
"Are you?" I heard myself taunt back
Ethan pinched me "If we get caught, I'm throwing you under the bus"
I laughed
"Oh yeah?" I said "Do that and I'll tell Nanny that you said she was crazy and deserved to stay in that home"
"I never said that!"
"She loves me more than she loves you" I grinned "Who do you think she'll believe more?"
"Damn Kaden" he muttered under his breathe "For stealing the Favorite Grandson spot"2
"Are we doing this or not?" Taylor said, looking at her phone "Because the home stops allowing visitors soon"
I cracked my knuckles
"Let's do this Tweedledee and Tweedledum" 11
"Don't call us that!" They shouted in unison
I snickered and walked toward the entrance of the home
"Hello Kassi Dear" a voice called from my right side
I turned and found my other favorite elderly person
"Rob!" I said with a smile "How are you doing handsome?"
His eyes sparkled
"Oh hush with that handsome talk, you know if Marge hears you she will nag me senselessly about trading her in for a younger model"
I laughed
"But she stole you from me!" I pouted "I saw you first!" 3
He chuckled, his eyes crinkling even more than usual
"So, what brings you here so late? Don't you and Kat's grandchildren usually visit after school"
I looked from side to side, making sure no nurses overheard us
"Can you keep a secret?" I whispered, urging him to come closer
"For you, anything," He said solemnly "Cross my heart and hope to die" 12
I smiled
"The twins and I are breaking out Nanny for the night"
Rob's eyes widened and he began chuckling
"Only the youth"
I laughed
"Anyways" I smiled "Do you know where Nanny is?"
"In the Recreation room hustling people out of their money" 2
I snickered "And how much did you lose?"
He looked around, scanning the room for his wife
"Fifty bucks but don't you worry your pretty little head" he rustled my hair "I'll win it back before Marge finds out"
I gave him the stink eye
"Fine" he pouted "I'll tell her"
"Good!" I said, walking to the Rec Room "Or else!"
"AND 21!" a familiar voice rang out "Pay me my money!"
I leaned against the wall and watched the scene play out in front of me with amusement
"Which sucker's next?" Nanny Matthews asked without even looking up from counting her money "Dave? Round two?"
"I'm in," I said loudly, drawing her attention "If you can handle losing"
Her head snapped up and she grinned when she saw me
"My sweet Kassi!" she stood and came toward me "How is my granddaughter doing?"
"Better now" I hugged her, inhaling the sweet scent of her sugary vanilla perfume
"And the Twins?" she asked, pulling back from me and pinching my cheeks "You're not eating enough"
"I ate a whole pizza before I came here" I snickered "And the twins are distracting your nurse"
Her eyes lit up
"Tonight's the night?"
I nodded
She giggled lightly before going back to the poker table, collecting her winnings, and saying goodbye to her friends.
"Bye losers" she snickered "I'll see you tomorrow" 7
"Come on Kat" a man groaned "One more round!" 2
She shook her head "Can't, my family's here"
She looped her arm through mine and dragged me toward her room
"Come on" she whispered "I managed to loosen the lock on my window yesterday when the others were practicing Tai Chi"
I laughed
"One day they're going to put you in the room without the door right by the nurse's station on the third floor"
"I want to see them try" She snorted before opening the door to her room.
There was a light tap on her window and Ethan's face popped into view
She went over, unlatched the window's lock, and pinched his cheek so hard that he flinched1
"Ow!! What was that for!!" he cried out, cupping his cheek
Nanny shrugged "Just felt like pinching you"
I snickered
"NANNY!" he whispered harshly "You've never pinched Kaden or Taylor like that before? Why is it always me!"
"Just something about your face" she stroked his chin in thought "Is just so pinchable. Like your father's"11
"Or punchable" I suggested 3
He shot me a dirty look
"Are we doing this or what?" he asked his grandmother with an exhausted sigh "Or am I leaving you're old behind here?"3
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
His eyes widened and he slapped his hand over his mouth as he realized what he said
Nanny's eyes narrowed into slits
"Nan...Nanny...I am so sorry!" he pleaded "I didn't..."
"Save it" she smacked his head "Or this old behind is going to whoop yours"
She gave him the evil eye "You're not too old for my belt" 28
He winced
There was a knock on her door and we all froze
"Is everything alright in there Mrs. Matthews?"
"Yes Dear" Nanny called out "Just taking a number two"6
"Gross" Ethan whispered loudly
Too loudly
"What was that?" The nurse called out
Nanny smacked Ethan's head twice and I shushed him
"Nothing Dear!! Just finishing up"
"Okay," The voice said, sounding farther away "Let me know if you need any help" 5
"Will do!" Nanny called out before climbing out the window 1
I followed her and gently closed the window behind me
We all made out way to the car where Taylor sat anxiously waiting
"What took you guys so long?" She asked, starting the car "I've been here for half an hour!"
"Stop complaining," Nanny said as she smacked her granddaughter's head "And drive the damn car"2
Taylor grumbled under her breath
"What was that?" Nanny asked, raising her eyebrow and cupping her ear "I couldn't hear you?"
"Nothing Nanny," Taylor said quickly "I was talking to myself"
"Good" Nanny smiled "Now turn left"
"Why?" I asked, leaning forward between the two front seats "Where are we going?"
"To a strip club," Nanny said casually 26
"WHAT!!" The Twins and I yelled
Nanny snickered
"Do you guys really think I would take you to a strip club?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow
"Well, Dad said..."
"Your father exaggerates" she rolled her eyes
"So you didn't beat up a lady winking at grandpa?" Ethan raised an eyebrow
"Oh I did"
"And you didn't bite a kid who bit dad when he was younger?" Taylor added 18
"Different times" Nanny defended herself before engaging in an argument with the Twins3
I smiled and leaned my head against the cool glass car window as I listened to them argue
"Take the next right" Nanny instructed
"Where are we going?" I asked
Nanny turned in her chair and winked at me
"We're going to a street race"
Suddenly, my other memories began playing out in front of me. 4
Memories that all involved Ethan 10
I dropped to my knees, tears streaming down my face as I watch my friends and I laugh together, cry together, and even argue together.
"Why are you doing this" I yelled out, wiping angrily at my stupid tears "I did what you wanted, took every single thing you threw at me with stride, died at the stupid moon just like you predicted. Is it so hard to ask for peace in the afterlife?!"
"For one's true nature to be shown, death must be known" a voice whispered from behind me "For death creates life, and life ascends the Throne"4
I turned around and gaped at the figure in front of me
It was me
A more ethereal and regal me but still, me nonetheless
"How is this possible?" I whispered, scrutinizing every little detail of myself
Fake Me smiled
Light-bulb Moment 5
It wasn't me standing in front of myself
It was Selene, the Moon Goddess 8
"Hello Kassiopeia" Selene greeted in a light tone "I've been expecting you"1
I squinted at her
"If you want me to talk, you can drop the disguise" I sneered "It really doesn't help your case"
She smiled
"I assure you this is no disguise" she clasped her hands in front of her "This is truly what I look like"
I gaped
"You're trying to tell me that we're twins?" I asked in disbelief
Fake me, who I was 100% sure was Selene at this point, laughed melodiously
"No my child, we are not twins" she gestured to me "It just so happens that my daughter, your ancestor, took my likeness when she was created. Therefore, all the others like her in your line also happened to take my likeness as well"25
"How convenient" I sneered "For your little body-snatching scheme"
She tilted her head to the side like she didn't understand what I was saying
"Body...snatching?"
"Don't pretend like you don't know" I said angrily "I know about your little 'Return to your dead Lover's side' plan. I know that once we're done here, you're going to use my body for as long as the Wolf Moon lasts to spend time with him"
Selene remained stone still but her eyes betrayed her 3
Mentioning her dead lover struck a nerve
A nerve I was going to keep striking until she felt the same pain I did
"I don't know what..."
"Oh, save it for someone who actually cares!" I snapped at her, moving closer to where she stood "Because I don't give a damn about you or your fake words. They mean nothing to me. You mean nothing to me. You're just a typical Greek Goddess who upset the balance of the world to save her mortal plaything, a plaything you would have got bored of when he stopped being useful and exciting to you!" 28
"ENOUGH!" She roared, her once perfect image distorting with anger and rage.
Her skin began to glow, taking on a luminescent hue and the sky, which was once bright and sunny, began to grow darker and cloudy with each passing second
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
"You know nothing, you insolent child"
"I KNOW ENOUGH!" I snarled "I know that you Gods and Goddess love to cause trouble for your creations. You would rather see us mortals struggle than watch us succeed. Admit it, you created your Wolves because you enjoy watching us fight and kill each other. You take pleasure in watching us fall" 25
"I created you to give other species a chance at survival," she said softly "Just like Prometheus created his mortals"
She waved her hand and an opalescent throne appeared along with a stool.
She ascended the throne and nodded at me towards the stool. 3
I remained to stand
She sighed
"When the mortals were first created and the fire was gifted to them, they began to hunt every species out there, from boars to lions, and even Pegasus, they would stop at nothing to satisfy their need to hunt. Soon, their bloodthirst drove them to hunt more than the need to provide for their families did, thus causing an unnatural shift in the balance of the world" she paused and looked at me, making sure I was paying attention "And also, unbeknownst to Prometheus at the time, created the Hunters. An organization dedicated to the extinction of Mythical Creatures"13
She sat straighter on her throne
"The more and more species they hunted down, the more the world began to shift the balance" she waved her hand and an illusion of hunters chasing different magical species appeared in front of us. The species range from Wolves to Nymphs and even Centaurs. The illusions were so real that when I went to touch the Centaur's beautiful mane, he hissed at me.
"The Wolves came to me one night after a group of Hunters ambushed them outside their hunting grounds. They pleaded for me to save their species and, at the time, I admit I had no use for saving their kind"
She had the decency to look slightly ashamed for a moment before she snapped back into Goddess mode.
"But after..." she trailed off "After my...Mate died I had to fuse his soul with that of the willing Alpha to save both my love and the Wolves"
The illusion changed and this time I watched as the soul of a wolf fuse with the soul of Endymion.
Two small, glowing orbs encircle each other before fusing into one and traveling into Endymion's lifeless body.
Suddenly, his body began to glow and he began to shift from man to beast.
It was honestly like the ending scene of Beauty and the Beast where the Beast transformed back into a man, except this time, the man was turning into a beast.
When the transformation was finished, Endymion looked nothing like the shifters do now. Instead of looking completely like a wolf, it was like the two souls that fuse couldn't decide which gene needed to be more dominant so they decided to split themselves equally, which resulted in him looking like the Wolf Man.
"Thus resulting in the first Wolf Shifter"
I glanced at her and was surprised that she graced a small smile on her face.
"The Wolf Moon was created on accident," she said softly "It was a result of saving my Mate"
"But the books said..." I struggled for words "And the Hunters said..."
"Mortals have misinterpreted history before," she said "It hasn't been the first time nor will it be the last"
"Then what the Hell is the Wolf Moon all about?" I asked in exasperation "Because honestly with me being dead, this Wolf Moon isn't looking too great"