Chapter 3 An Abomination!

• —Fiona—
• Heaven doesn't look like a pleasant place. At least not for me. I have no idea if I have dissolved in the stomach of the repulsive demon or if my soul was simply floating.
• Ahead of me is a lovely palace made from gold and shiny colors. Yet the dark clouds that surrounded its sky loomed danger. I can feel the fear in my bones but something keeps pushing me forward.
• Inside the chambers. Past the dungeons. To a wooden door that smelled familiar. Dangerous yet thrilling.
• My gaze drifted around, landing on a subtle inked carving just around the silver knob. A crest of some kind. I leaned forward when I heard the thudding of wood and screams on the opposite end.
• ‘Let me out! Let me out! You wench! You are an abomination! All of you. Let me out! LET ME OUT!’
• The last thud drove me backward. An invisible force that whimpered all my locomotions and made me a pool of jello on the ground. The crest turned slightly, a dangerous feminine voice grunting on the other end.
• Scared, I scrambled around as I stumbled against clay walls, artifacts and mosaics and ran out. Away from the abode that smelled like home yet more like my end.
• “It's normal that people scream when they are about to die.” It was the first thing I heard the rogue king say once I was conscious enough to make it out of that horrible dream.
• I wanted to speak as well but my mouth was heavy.
• “She isn't breathing.” Alpha Christians sounded concerned. “She might be dead.”
• “We should kill her to be sure.” The rogue king suggested and a cold metal touched my neck. I am not surprised he is pushing for death.
• King from the West, and Alpha of the Roan pack, Xander Robinhood is famous for being a professional killer disguised as a king. The man may wear a clean suit but his bird nest hairstyle, those flirty green eyes, the constant subtle hint of smirk and his popular title of being Sternola's King of Pussy picked him apart from the other kings. Being a rogue, he was blunt in his words and uncaring towards the laws.
• And his jawline, it's widely known that Alpha Xander has the sort of jaw that would carve the lycans gold. Yet the man's murderous instincts are synonymous to that of a demon. Despite all, the rogues and more than half the priestesses in the country favor him.
• My body was trying to fight but from the way no one said a thing, my internal struggles weren't quite reaching the conscious world.
• “You saw what happened Christian. You can see the mark on her.” Alpha Elijah paused and I heard a silent curse.
• “We don't know for sure if the lady is dead.” I heard the lycan argue.
• I am not fucking dead you three idiots!
• “Dead, alive? It doesn't matter. How do we this mark?” The hands around my neck moved to my shoulder, gently caressing before hissing loudly. “They sent us a human!”
• “Just because she can't shift doesn't mean she is human.” Alpha Elijah's voice countered.
• “You know judging by the fact that she is from your Cardinal, this is looking a little suspicious for you.”
• The lycan King was the only one who spoke as Alpha Xander further pressed the metal to my neck. “I suppose the witches set us up with this. If we kill her, we might fall into their loop completely.”
• “I am not saying you aren't right. I have thought of the possibility. But we will be better off arguing that she died in an accident than explaining that a demon placed its mark on someone who is supposed to be a wolf.” The rogue explained.
• A Demons mark on me? No. It can't be. I struggled with my movements, doing my best to escape from the prison my own body put me in.
• My life is complicated and terrific enough as it is. A Demons mark is never found on shifters because we have an impregnable resistance to the demon genes. It's why a pure bred demon and a shifter cannot produce children.
• Demons are natural enemies to shifters even though they are a form of shifter themselves. For any Sternola citizen, it's difficult to have a demon mark unless it was directly imprinted to mark the person as one in cahoots with the demons. Which is an act right next to treason.
• I may be unable to shift but I shouldn't have it because my father is a full wolf which enables me for wolf blood.
• Alpha Christian later offered. “Let me do it.” Warm huge palm circles on my neck and replaced the cold blade. “This could start another…”
• I jerked awake and immediately scooted back until I met a solid surface. They looked shocked. A little scared even.
• “DAMN YOU ALL!” I angrily cursed. I tried to get on my feet as Christian moved closer. “Not another step.”
• My shoulder hurts and a harsh stinging wave almost made me tumble over as I reached the tree behind for support.
• “Oh wow! Just who we were hoping to see!” Xander gave me a smile that was genuinely fake and I rolled my eyes.
• “You were going to kill me!” I shouted, my voice echoing back at me in the forest.
• “Calm down.” Christian took a step forward and I took another backwards.
• It felt like my shoulder was on fire and Elijah looked like he would rather be asleep than deal with this.
• “I will report this to the general Elders.” They can't just kill and always get away with it.
• “And say what?” Elijah rubbed his eyes before spreading his arms out, that gentle expression still on his face. “If you walk that corner and get to the main road...all you will find is a wrecked car, dead driver and nothing else.”
• “Liar…those…those…creatures..” the flagellatas. “...did you kill them?”
• “They vaporized into God knows where after it tried to digest you. It marked you!” Xander answered. “And you are human!” He further exclaimed, gesturing to my shoulder.
• “An atrocity on its own.” Christian added.
• “I am not human. I just can't …”
• “Shift yet? Correct me if I am wrong Fiona but you are way past fifteen aren't you?” My lips were sealed. “Way past the shifting age. Something that should have been told to the council of general Elders.” Elijah's eyes darkened with an interesting flow.
• “The fact that it wasn't, means that you didn't tell anyone you have no wolf yet.” Xander's voice has never sounded more displeasing at the moment.
• They found out my fucking secret. I had managed to hide it since I was thirteen and thankfully it was easier because I was the pack's least favorite. I pretended to be a weak omega and hid myself away when the pack went on general hunting.
• I had found out when I was fourteen about the country’s rules when a boy my age was put away. Any shifter who isn't able to shift by fifteen, is a curse on Sternola. I would be banished to the land of the unliving where the demons and black magic users can use my soul for horrible things.
• “You can't…” I was trembling all over. My body was hurting and weak.
• “Listen, the only reason we wanted to kill you is because we don't want you waking and telling the witches about the demon attack. They will frame us for it. But the demons are nowhere to be found now. No evidence except what we all know.” Christian explained, midnight eyes focusing on mine to get the hint across.
• I leaned against the tree, craving support. His tone was clear. The general Elders consist of people who favored the witches. It will be easy for the witches to pin this blame on them. Especially since they claim there isn't any evidence.
• “So I shouldn't say a thing?” I carefully suggested looking from Christian to Elijah.
• Elijah gave me an adequate nod. “Exactly. And I hope you have cloth that covers your shoulders?”
• I finally glanced at it. Somewhere between the dent of my clavicle and chest bone was the grime black demon mark. “This shouldn't be possible.”
• “Last time I checked, we are a country that strictly doesn't harbour humans.” Xander reminds.
• “I have my father's wolf blood. I am no human.” But their silence proved to me what I already knew. That not having a wolf yet equates to being human.
• All three men glanced at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. For men who were supposed to be enemies, they sure look too chummy together.
• Christian finally stepped forward and extended his hand to me. The same sign that sealed a gentleman's deal. “We will find you a spell to rid the mark.” I am glad they don't think I planned the demon attack. “We will keep your wolfless secret and offer protection for the next one month.” My eyes flickered to the strong palm. He wants something. “In return, you promise to keep your mouth shut about the demon attack and grant each of us a wish when the time comes.”
• This is the best way to stay alive for the next month even though it sounded like I would be getting more than I bargained for.
• I grabbed his hand and he returned it with a light squeeze, dark eyes holding secrets that were beyond his age.
• As I glanced at the kings, I couldn't help but feel a strange connection between them. The force of a bond. I may have sealed a deal but I know for sure these men feared something other than the demon attack being known.
• Something that I might have seen but can't remember. Something I can destroy them with.
• Knowing I am wolfless would lead to them asking questions and snooping around me. Questions that might drag out my real secret of having a forbidden ability.
• My secret is only safe with me and I will make sure they end up like him. Like the one who first knew.
• The one whose body has been fertilising my father's crop for the past three years.