Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 57

I watch each of them. Whatever Regan just said seems to have made Zeke angrier, Regan looksworried, and Lyon stares at Regan with an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Still think he isn't trying to kill us!” Zeke sneers, but I am lost at what they figured out.

“No, this is bullshit! There is no guarantee!” Lyon snaps, stalking out of the room. Regan glances athim over his shoulder before looking at Zeke.

"Ah, what is going on?” I ask.

“Nothing! We have a date; now get up!” Zeke snaps at me.

"Zeke?" Regan snarls, but Zeke shakes his head and holds up his hand.

“No, Regan. Choose which side you're on. Either you choose her, or you choose us! Either way, if hehas found a witch to break, it means she chooses who lives out of us, so make your fucking choice,Regan, your brothers, or some human you barely fucking know,” Zeke snaps, stalking over to me."What?" I squeak, stepping back from Zeke. Gnash growls at Zeke, and my eyes dart to the wolf."Daddy dearest fucked up if he thinks we wouldn't figure it out. I am not being no damn sacrifice!""Figure out what?" I ask, moving out of his reach again.

"That you're not here to replace our humanity. You're here to choose the two sons he's going tosacrifice to break the curse and save the other. That's why you're here. He can't fucking choose whohe loves more, so you'll choose for him! Not on my watch, you won't." Zeke snarls.

He grabs my arm, hauling me to my feet, and I shriek. Gnash instantly jumps to his feet and movesto tear into him. At the last second, Regan rips him back before he can attack Zeke. I look at him,but Regan won't even meet my gaze. Instead, he just holds Gnash in place while Zeke drags me outof his room

“Regan?” I murmur, he just turns away from me, and Zeke shoves me out the door, sending mesprawling onto the floor in the corridor. My head bounces off the floor with a sickening crack whenZeke slams Regan's door shut behind me. Getting to my hands and knees, I spot Lyon. Gone is hisplayful attitude from last night as he watches me crawl to my feet, only for Zeke to grab me by myhair. I cry out and clutch his hand, fisting my hair, and Zeke hauls me upright. However, Lyon looksat the wall as Zeke jerks my head back.

“Don’t look at them for help. They won't. Blood is thicker than water, especially when our lives areintertwined. Did you seriously think Regan would choose you over himself? Over his brothers?” helaughs, dragging me toward my room.

He tosses me inside, and I stumble to catch myself on the end of the huge bed, my hands clutchingthe wood, and my scalp burns fiercely. “That old fucking fool, did he think he could get away withthis just because he’s fucking dying!” Zeke screams, slamming my door shut.

My hands shake as I try to figure out what just happened and what puzzle pieces were put in placeto set this all in motion. “Get dressed!” Zeke snaps, and his eyes move around the room, and hesmirks.

"You old fool, don't worry; I will play by your stupid rules. Let's see you decide then!” Zeke spits, andI glance around, trying to figure out what he's looking for.

“I said get dressed. We have a date!” Zeke yells at me, pointing to the closet. I hurry over to it, andhe follows, shoving me in. I shriek leaves my lips as I hit the huge armoire that takes up an entirewall. The mirror cracks against the crown of my head, and I rub the spot, my fingertips turning redwith my blood.

“Pants, you can't run in a fucking dress!” he snaps behind me when I reach for the first thing on ahanger. He tosses some pants at me, and I flinch.

"Where are you taking me?” I ask worriedly, and he smiles wickedly.

“Hunting!” he says, storming out of the room, and my stomach drops.

My hands shake as I remove my pajamas and pull on my pants, turning I look for a shirt when Inotice my arms, all my runes have burned out, and the fluorescent blue-white they usually are hasfaded into pale scars, yet still, they stand out against my tanned skin. Twisting, I look at the onesthat travel down my spine. The first four have turned black; the bottom three are still their normalbluey-white. Yet I can’t take my eyes off the ones that changed color. Confusion sets in. Why didthey not fade and change like the others?

They now glitter like the night sky, darker, however, almost black; I try to make sense of themarkings and what granny told me they were for, what the colors represent. Blue is peace andprotection, the white hue surrounding it, is power essence, a blank slate. However, now they'vefaded; I know it means nothing good. The fading runes on my arms mean they're losing their power;the energy and protection they offered are now gone. They've absorbed as much negativity as theycould, and the energy has dispersed.

But the on the top of my spine are black. An abyss, yet they glitter like stars. Granny always said thatmost people fear black because they associate it with dark magic which is wrong. It's the intentionbehind it that makes magic a source of dark or light. It's the beholder, the one that yields it, thatcontrols its intention.

However, black to me has always meant protection, a watchful eye. Come to think of it, my armshave been rebranded multiple times, yet my spine has never. I thought maybe because it's hardlyexposed to the elements. Yet now I wonder what magick she infused in those ones.

Those were the most painful runes she ever did, I could live with the torture of having my armsdone daily if it meant the ones on my back were never done again. My mind takes me back to thatday, and I shudder. Not wanting to remember it. That day I remember cursing Granny's name andshe looked at me, tears streaking down my face. My hands tied down as my small child body wasshoved over a rock.

"You hate me? That's ok. I love you too.” she had said. I spat some colorful words at her that day,words I did not know the true meaning of. Words now I wish I could take back.

“I don't love you, I hate you. They're right! You're nothing but a wicked witch. I hope you die!” Iscreamed at her.

Hate has always been a powerful word, the energy it takes to harbor it, is enough to lose your soultoo. Death I learned was never final, a loop, a never-ending life source. But hate would travel withyou into the next life. Bringing on karma.

“Well if you hate me, you must truly never want to get rid of me, therefore you must love me to giveme that sort of power over you!” Grandma quipped, breaking off pieces of aloe vera.

“No, I hate you!” I spat at her, and she laughed.

“It uses the same amount of energy, maybe more. Are you willing to lose yourself by giving me thatpower, child? To hate is to consume. You become absorbed by what you hate that it becomes allyou know, so do you hate me or love me enough to carry me into the next life with all that hatred?Is that what you want, for me to become your karma, a new life lesson?” she questioned, and Iremember being confused.

“Because if you hate me, then why are you giving me such energy? You can be angry, you can besad, but don't stay in that cycle. Let it go. You only hurt yourself by holding on to it." she said as shesqueezed the aloe vera from the plant into the clay pot.

“And death? You don't wish death on your enemies, child. Death is a beginning not an end,” shesaid, coming over to me; she sits on the rock next to me, and I turned my head to look at her. “It'snever death, it's rebirth, to die you must live first, and to be reborn, and gifted life, you must die...” Inever understood her crazy words then, but now I understand them with clarity so deep, I can feel itin my soul.

"You are angry with me now, child. One day, you'll see,” she said, slathering the aloe vera down myspine.

“It burns.” I hiss at her, struggling against my restraints and arching my back.

“Nonsense, pain means you're alive, worry when you feel none, for that is the in-between.”

“What did I do to you?” I sobbed, wondering what punishment I was receiving this for.

“Nothing; I did this because I love you. One day you'll realize it is me that always had your back, thatwhen left with nothing, remember these words child. You have the spine, so use it. It is me thatbleeds power for you. One day you'll need it because one day you'll awaken and there is no greaterpower than knowing how powerful you are. Until then, I will protect your power.”

“But you said these were for protection?” I whimper, the pain becoming unbearable again, and myeyes flutter.

“They are, child. One day, you'll understand, and when you do. You'll replace you're infinite, just likeyour mother. Her sacrifice was your gain. Her blood became your power. We all make sacrifices, andthis is mine to protect you!”

“By burning me?” I cried

“No, these protect you from the monsters that seek us,” she says, dabbing at the runes she justburned into my flesh. I cry out, but she ignores me and keeps talking.

“My blood and power. When they turn black, my power protects you, just like your tourmalinestone, just like the runes on your arms. Only these are different because these are your backup,power that will awaken with fear. But you need not fear anything, for I'll always have your back untilyour power awakens. For now, we just need to nurture it and let it grow until you can handle it. Untilthen you have your runes, and if all else fails you me. Four elements, four chances, and four daysbefore they fade, so be sure not to waste them.”

"How will I know when I will awaken?” I murmur. My vision is tunneling as the pain I feel steals it.“You'll know because with death comes rebirth. Just like the elements, everything is linked. Air helpsus let go, and release. Water cleanses. Earth recharges but with fire we not only cleanse, but we alsorise. We're reborn, recalibrated, and recharged. Ready for a new cycle, only then will—" I passed outbefore she could finish telling me, yet fire unfortunately I never was one to harness, or water; sogranny never bothered to teach me. So I guess my cleansing days will never come.

"Human! What is taking you so long?” Zeke yells, and I rush to tug a shirt over my head. I pull itdown with one last glance in the mirror.

“Now I know what you mean...” I whisper to her. Knowing the markings on my back are her power,her own blessing, it explains why after that her power was limited. This explains why she aged faster.And now I know why; she gave it to me. She had my back. Like she said when all else fails, she'dhave my back.

Grabbing my boots, I walk out of the closet just as Zeke barges in. I sit on the edge of the bed andpull them on, then I stand.

"Ready?" I ask with a smile before shoving past him and out the door. And once again, she is right,there is no greater power than knowing how powerful you are. Granny has my back. Now Zekebetter watch his.