Chapter 9 Ep 9
So you're going to lock him in a cage!" I cried and struggled against him once more "Alone! For an entire week!"
"It's a padded room meant to protect both Human and Wolf. Ares is going to be shifting back and forth quite a bit until he can sync both his mind and his Wolfs"
"But you just can't leave him alone!" I said "He's a little boy, he's scared, in shock, and probably freaked out. He doesn't know what to do" 8
Rhys shook his head
"This isn't something I can help him with," he said "He needs to figure this out on his own. Trust me, I want to help him but I can't"
"Why not?"
"Because the process is different for everyone," he said softly "The bonding between Wolf and Human. It's never the same process for everyone. It takes time and patience for the Human to trust the Wolf and the Wolf to trust the Human. Only then will he be able to take control back"
"Then how do you know he needs to be in there for a week" I snapped
He grimaced "Because after a week if a Wolf and his Human don't bond, the Wolf begins to die" 5
My eyes widened "WHAT!"
He nodded "The Wolf inside us comes from the Moon Goddess herself. Every Wolf is created specifically for one person. Only One. So if that person doesn't trust his Wolf enough, he is essentially insulting the Moon Goddess herself, thus severing the bond between Creator and Wolf" 4
"Why is that important?" I asked in frustration
"It's important because the Wolves are directly linked to the Moon Goddess. She gives them the strength and power they need to protect us and in turn, they give her the joy of keeping her children alive" he sighed "If the bond between Creator and Wolf are severed, our Wolves lose power until they become non-existent. She created our Wolves to be loyal to Us and therefore, if we reject them then they can't draw power from her anymore" 1
"She's their life force" I concluded in shock
Rhys nodded
"So...I don't see why you can't help Ares" I pleaded "Just tell him what you just told me. He's smart, he'll understand"
"Even if I told him what I told you, it still won't help"
"Why not!" I yelled
"Because..." he said calmly, ignoring my outburst "Ever Pack has its own way of dealing with its transformation"
"So?" I asked annoyed "What's the problem?"
"The problem is I don't know what your Pack's customs are," he said "I can't guide him through his process if I don't know what it is" 3
"Why does it matter if you don't know what the stupid customs are" I groaned "Just guide him through the process"
"The processes are tests. In order for the Wolves to trust their humans, they must prove themselves"
Rhys 🌘4
"Kassi," I said softly "Do you want to come upstairs and rest for a bit? I'm sure your friends would be happy to watch Ares for a bit"
"No thanks" she replied briskly while continuing to glare at the door that separated her and her brother. 1
"Kassi" I sighed "It's been a whole day and you haven't eaten anything. It won't kill you to take a break"
She turned towards me and I was startled by her eyes once again. They were slightly glowing, a mixture of midnight blue and purple undertones.
I wasn't worried that her eyes were glowing, because it's normal for our eyes to glow right before we shifted, No, I was worried because ever since Ares her eyes have remained that color. 1
Not once did they dim nor did she shift, something that was really unusual.
"It might not kill me," she emphasized "But it might my kill my brother if I'm not here watching him" 6
"Kassi..."
"10 times" she gritted her teeth "I watched him shift 10 times already and each time he shifts back to a human, he begs and pleads for it to stop. For me to take the pain away. Do you know how much it kills me to watch him suffer and not being able to do a damn thing about it? I can't even comfort him because of these stupid rules of yours. I can only watch him through this freaking one-way mirror" 18
"That's normal..." I began
"NOT TO ME!" She exploded before pointing her finger towards her brother "None of this is normal. I don't think you get it, Rhys. I wasn't raised like you were, I wasn't raised to believe that Werewolves were real. I wasn't raised to believe that everything I read in books or watched in movies was true. I was raised, human. We were raised, HUMAN. I can't handle this. I'm about one step away from having a mental breakdown" 24
"Kassi" I stepped closer to her "You might not have been raised like us but it's who you are. You can't deny that a little piece of you knew that this existed all along. You knew that you were different. Now you know why"
She flinched "Yeah, but I didn't expect my life to turn into the Mortal Instruments" 378
I raised an eyebrow "What?"
"Never mind" she grumbled
"Oh," I snapped "Is that the show where the guy from the Maze Runner's best friend becomes a Wolf?" 204
"Unfreaking believable" she muttered "Ironic that you know Teen Wolf but don't know the Mortal Instruments" 48
A whimper sounded then and I turned and watched as Ares curled up in a ball on the floor.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Kassi jumped up and pushed me out of the way, making me stumble towards the stairs.
"11" she whispered as Ares began crying and calling out for his sister. 6
My heart broke and I winced when she gave me a look that screamed "Get Out and Leave me Alone"3
"Remember, you need to rest," I said softly "I'll be back in an hour to check up on you"
Silence
I sighed and went upstairs where both my friends and Kassi were anxiously awaiting my return.
"So?" Taylor asked while biting her lip "How is she? How's Ares? What Happening?"
I sat on the couch, my shoulder slumped in defeat "She's having a hard time wrapping her head around us. I think, under different circumstances, she would be taking this better" 6
"What do you expect?" Mia said softly "Her brother just shifted into a Wolf for the first time and won't stop. Everything she's ever known has been a lie. Her whole world has shifted" 27
"That's what she told me and I get it" I groaned "I really do but she's making herself sick over something she has no control of"
"It's not her fault Rhys," Everly said "She's handling this the best way she can"
"I know"
"Are her eyes the same?" Matt asked
I nodded "I don't know why they haven't changed back yet but I have a feeling that it has to do with Ares' shift"
"Could she be the Alpha?" Ethan asked "The only person I know who can keep his eyes like that without shifting would be Kaden" 3
Everyone's eyes shifted to Kaden
"I can only control my shift if I'm concentrating solely on that. One little distract and I'm done" he sighed "Besides, the longest I was able to remain in control was a half-hour" 2
"I highly doubt Kassi knows what she's doing, let alone concentrating on her control" Sky replied
"Than what is it?" Taylor asked in frustration 7
"I don't know" I replied
"What do you know?" she asked and my friends growled at her. 5
Taylor's brothers stood in front of her protectively, growling back at them. 8
Tension thickened the air
"Enough!" I said to my Pack "She didn't say it to be rude or disrespectful. She's frustrated just like us"
"I didn't mean to sound disrespectful" she apologized to me before my Pack "But, as your Alpha said, I'm frustrated. Kassi and Ares are part of my family and I worried for them. Plus, anyone has yet to tell me why we were asked to come here in the first place"
I looked at my Pack and they all gave me grimaces.
All the Matthew siblings stood straighter
"What was that look like?" Taylor asked before turning to her brothers "You guys saw that too?"
They nodded and waited for me to explain.
I groaned, hating this part and stupid Wolf Moon Prophecy.
"Do you guys know what a Wolf Moon is?"
The Twins stiffened
"Not possible," Ethan said
"No way"
"What is it?" Sky asked, "What is this Moon thingy?"
They both looked at him with mournful faces.
Taylor had tears in her eyes and Ethan's face was pale.
"It's the night Kassi's supposed to die" Ethan whispered and Taylor let out a sob "We saw it while we were sleeping. Blood was everywhere and she was laying on some kind of rock" 3
2
I sat up straighter at the new information and was about what they knew when a delirious cry sounded out.
Everyone turned and with wide eyes, we watched as Kassi stood at the top of the basement stairs. 4
"Oh this just keeps getting better and better" She laughed hysterically "First my brother turns into a dog and then I find out that we come from a long line of dogs and that my parents have been lying to me for practically my whole life. Now, as soon as I start to accept the fact that this is who were are now, a bunch of people who I considered my friends are talking behind my back about my death that's going to take place during some Moon" 72
Kassi gripped her stomach and continued to laugh
"Kassi..." Taylor began to approach Kassi.
Kassi stopped laughing and straightened up, her eyes glowing brighter.
"Stay where you are" 10
Taylor paused and tried to take another step but couldn't. She looked at her siblings in panic "Why can't I move?"
"She can control us," Kaden said slowly while keeping his eyes on Kassi "She can make us do whatever she pleases" 9
Kassi grinned a wolfish grin and I was surprised to see how much of a Wolf she truly looked like at that moment. 30
"Can I?" she asked while grinning "Well, in that case, everyone stays where they are" 44
Everyone grunted and struggled with the invisible force, except me.
"How can she do this?" Taylor asked, "Why can she do this?"
"She's a Descendant from the First Wolf Pack" Kaden answered "They were blessed with gifts that no other Pack was blessed with. No one knows what gifts they were blessed with but I'm pretty sure this is one of them"
Everyone continued to struggle and I've had enough of this nonsense.
I stood and Kassi continues to grin at me but the surprise was reflected in her eyes.
"I take it that the same rules don't apply to you?" she asked me
I nodded and continue to stalk toward her like the predator I was. 11
Slow, calculating steps. 2
If she wanted to play this game then so would I. The only exception is that I wouldn't lose.
She might be the Descendant of the First Wolf Pack and the Princess of Wolves but I was her Mate. Her Equal. If the Moon Goddess didn't expect me to rein her back in whenever she went into Princess Mode then she wouldn't have Mated Kassi to me. 13
"And why is that?" Kassi asked as I stood face-to-face with her
"You already know the reason" I answered gruffly "You read those supernatural books and watch those shows. You're not stupid Kassi. You know exactly why I'm immune to your commands" 23
She nodded
"You're my Mate" she said simply and my heart stammered a little bit. 9
My wolf growled in approval "Yes I am and as your Mate, it's my job to tell you when you're being a brat" 93
"You may be my Mate Rhys but I'm going to let you in on a little secret" She leaned closer to me "You can stand there and tell me whatever you want to tell me until you're blue in the face... the question is if I'll actually be listening to you" 87
With that, she turned on her heel and went back downstairs towards her brother.
Everyone sighed in relief when she was gone. 5
"We need to figure out everything and anything about her Pack and this Wolf Moon as quickly as possible" Kaden grimaced "Before it's too late
Kassi15
I stomped down the stairs, angrily wiping my stupid tears away. 9
I can't believe this!!
First I had to accept the fact that we were part of some mythical world and that my parents lied to me my whole life. 1
Which, under normal circumstances, wouldn't be so bad. I mean, we all read books or watched movies that have some type of mythical or fairy-tale element and then day-dream about what you would do in the character's situation or how you would act if you were born with special powers and abilities, so who wouldn't want that chance at a situation like that?
7
No, I'm not upset at that.
I'm upset with the fact that their lies are negatively affecting both my brother and I's lives. 9
Not only is Ares suffering because of his constant shifts, but I'm also suffering because I have no idea what to do, let alone how to help my brother and his wolf. 18
And then there's the fact that I might die because my parents chose to lie to us instead of preparing us. 20
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that gives me the right to be a little angry and bitter about my current situation. 38
I looked in the stupid room where my brother was being held and sighed.
After Rhys left, he shifted one last time before passing out in exhaustion. He was breathing and okay for right now but the shift did little to ease his pain. He was still whining and twitching, his little paws scraping against the padded floor. 5
I sighed again before taking a step back and looking at my reflection. 1
My hair was a mess, sticking up everywhere, my eyes were glowing purple and red-rimmed with bags underneath them, and I'm pretty sure my nails were bloodied from my constant chewing on them all night.
"UGH!!" I screamed before kicking the stupid chair Ethan brought me last night "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!!"
I screamed and cursed some more, yelling out all the questions I had for my parents, wishing with all my might that they were here and could answer them.
I stopped cursing when I heard a whine close to the mirror.
I turned and saw my brother struggling to sit up, a foot away from the mirror. His head was turned to the side and although I knew he couldn't see me because of the one-way mirror glass, I felt that he somehow knew I was right there.
"Hey buddy" I touched the mirror "I know you can't hear me but I'm going to make it stop. I'm going to get you back to normal"
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
He continued to look and me and suddenly an old memory came to mind. 1
The wolves were howling and I whimpered in fear, scooting closer in between my parents.
When my dad saw what I was doing, he laughed.
"What's the matter Kassiopeia?" he asked before sticking another marshmallow on his branch and putting it through the fire.
"The Wolves" I whimpered louder and allowed my nine-year-old self to snuggle closer to his side, just in case the Wolves tried to attack us.
He laughed louder before pulling the marshmallow out of the flame and handing it to my mother.
She smiled and made her s'mores sandwich.
My father then turned towards me and picked me up before placing me on his lap.
"They won't hurt you Prinkípissa" he kissed my forehead "Do you want to know why?"16
I nodded my head and snuggled even closer "Why?"
"Because long ago, it was believed that our Ancestors made a deal with the Wolves. Part of that deal was that they couldn't hurt us"
I looked at my father in confusion and he smiled down at me "What deal? How is that possible? How does that help us now?"
My father glanced at my mother quickly before pinching my cheeks "Long ago, in the time where Gods and Goddess roamed the earth it was said to believe that they used to test humans to see if they were worthy enough to inherit the earth" 21
I sat straighter "Really?"
He nodded
"So...how does that have to do with us? And the Wolves?"
"Well..." he paused "Selene, the Goddess of the Moon, supposedly fell in love with one of the Mortals that roamed the earth. It is said that she wanted to make him immortal too but the only way she could do that is if he passed 3 of her tests. If he passed, she would present her evidence to Zeus who would decide his fate" 20
"What were the tests?" I asked excitedly "Did he pass?"
My parents chuckled at my eagerness
"Since Selene was the Goddess of the Moon, she had the authority and power over every creature that roamed the night. For the tests, Selene thought of a way to better her Love's chances. She thought by pairing him with the most stubborn and intelligent creature in the land, he would overcome his hardships and win immortality
"The Wolf" I said in awe "But how did she pair him with the Wolf?"
"Before the first test..." My father patted my cheek "She met with the Pack Alpha. Since she had control over the nocturnal creatures, communication with them wasn't a problem. She asked the Alpha to lend one of his Wolves to aid her Love in his Journey"
"Did he do it?"
"At first, the Alpha was hesitant because of the way humans treated Wolves" My father looked at my mother briefly "Back then, Human Hunters used to viciously kill Wolves for fun. When Selene asked for a Wolf, the Alpha lost 10 wolves prior to an attack earlier that day. He only had a few remaining members left in his Pack and couldn't afford to lose anymore. The entire Wolf race couldn't afford to lose any more wolves"
"Oh" I deflated "So, the Alpha didn't give the Moon Lady a Wolf?"
Dad chuckled "No, he did"
"Really?" I asked, once again excited
My father nodded "Selene empathized with the Wolf and promised that if he helped her, his kind will would never go extinct"
"Really?"
"Yes" my father watched the flames dance in the fire pit "Since the Alpha believed the Goddess and her word, he decided to comply with her terms and join her love on his journey"
"The Alpha chose himself?"
"Yes"
"So..." I demanded after a moment's silence "What happened next? What were the tests?"
"Patience Kassi" my mother scolded 1
I grumbled and Dad laughed
"The First Test had to do with Trust" Dad stated simply 3
"That's it?" I deadpanned "I thought it would be more exciting. Like with Magic and Swords and Stuff"
"Do not underestimate the Power of Trust Kassiopeia" Dad scolded "If you trust someone, you are putting all your faith in that person and their ability to keep you safe. It's not hard to wield a sword by yourself because essentially, you are controlling the sword. It's much harder to give that control away into someone else's hands" 6
I grumbled again at my second scolding "So... who did the guy have to trust? The Moon Lady?"
"No" Dad replied "He had to trust his Wolf"
"What?" I exclaimed in shock "How do you trust a Wild Wolf? Did the guy have powers too?"
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
"Nope. He was completely Human"
"So... Once again, How do you trust a Wolf!" 6
"The same way you trusted Taylor and Ethan on the first day of school" he smiled "You got to know them"
"How do you get to know a Wolf! He doesn't talk!" 2
"I don't know how he did it" Dad shrugged "But he did it and was able to pass the first test" 5
"Wow" I exclaimed "So what was the second test?"
"Retrieval" Dad said "After they learned to trust each other, they had to use that new bond to work together and retrieve a lost personal item of Selene's" 1
I yawned "I thought these tests were supposed to be hard?" 1
Dad rolled his eyes "Only you would think they're boring Kassiopeia"
"Let me guess the next test" I snickered "Hide and go seek?"
My parents chuckled "One day your brash attitude will get you in trouble Kassiopeia" Dad warned 3
I rolled my eyes "Next test please"
Dad sobered up "The final test had to do with Combat"
I perked up "Fighting?"
Dad smiled sadly "The Final Test wasn't supposed to have anything to do with Combat. Unfortunately, one of the lesser Gods got involved when he wasn't supposed to and meddled with the mortal's test"
"What happened?" I whispered, dreading to hear his next words
"Both the Wolf and Selene's Love died," Dad said quietly "They fought bravely and trusted each other until death. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Lesser God"
"But that's not fair!" I jumped off my father's lap and started pacing "All that for some nosy God to ruin true love! How dare he!" I seethed
"The story's not done Kassiopeia," Mom said with amusement
I looked at my dad and he patted the seat next to him
I sat down
"Selene, who was so distraught over her Love's death made a choice. She decided to bind the remaining life forces of both the Wolf and her Love to save them. Essentially, she created a new species and because the Alpha and Mortal trusted each other so much, she managed to save them both"
Dad sighed "But neither one was ever the same. You see, when Selene combined life forces, she essentially bound them together. Into 1 being. The man could now shift into the Wolf and the Wolf could now shift into the man" 6
"Cool!" I said "So, everything was fine then? The Lady and Guy were happy?"
"No, when Zeus found out what Selene did, he punished her" 12
"Why?!" 1
"She had no right to save both souls," Dad said "Souls that belonged to Hades the moment their hearts stopped beating"
"Too bad, so sad" I muttered "So what? Apparently, he didn't claim them fast enough. You snooze, you lose. If he really wanted them, he would have claimed them all" 47
"It doesn't matter," Dad said "They weren't hers to save"
"So what did Zeus do?" I sighed, sick of all the obstacles in this story.
"Well, Zeus felt some pity for the Lovers and instead of killing the Man, he wiped his memory of all things that involved Selene and the Gods. The only thing the man was allowed to know was an intricately woven story of how he came to be both Man and Beast"
"No fair!!" I cried "That's messed up"
"I know it is" Dad shrugged "But what was Selene supposed to do? It was either accept Zeus' punishment or risk the life of her Lover. Considering that she just saved him, I'm pretty sure option B was out of the question"
"So she just had to watch him, her love, make a new life with someone else?" I said 35
My parents nodded
"And even before he died, Zeus granted the man eternal slumber and immortality. He knew what his decision did to Selene so he decided to spare her the pain of losing her Love once again" 6
"I bet it still didn't make it any better" I muttered under my breath before looking at my parents "So...What happened with the Alpha's Pack? Did the Moon Lady keep her word?"
Dad nodded "After the ordeal with Zeus, Selene spread out the remaining of the Alpha's Pack and when they died, she bound their souls to Mortal Babies. Like a reincarnation. The Mortal and Wolf would grow together and when it was time, they would work together like the Alpha and Man did to pass all of Selene's tests" 4
"She still gave them tests?"
"Yep," Dad pinched my cheeks "It is a great honor to be born with the Wolf Spirit running through your body because it was a gift from a Goddess. If you do not pass the tests as the Man did, then why should you be worthy of a Gods gift?..." 6
"Son of a..." I cursed as I ran back upstairs. 5
They did tell me something! 1
Albeit, I thought it was a meaningless story because of all the mythical elements, but still!
They didn't leave me in the dark!
I don't know why this particular memory popped up now, hell, I didn't even remember the story until now but I'll take whatever I could get. 1
Best not to question the Universe
I slammed open the door and I saw everyone huddled in a circle. 3
When they heard the slam, they jumped up in surprise
"Kassi..." Rhys started but I cut him off
"I know how to help Ares"
"What?" Rhys asked in shock "How?"
"How much time do you have Mr. Alpha?" I glanced at the living room clock "Because, after the story, I'm about to tell you, we're going to need to start planning"10
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