Beauty and Beastly | ✓

Chapter 20

As the evening sun faded, all kinds of horses trundled along the road, raising dust stormed in their wake. Fine grains of sand swirled in the air, and left a thick layer of dust behind.

The horse I rode neighed multiple times in resentment of this journey - his being a different reason than mine - but we were united in the idea of stopping and returning. We trudged rapidly forwards until we reached the outskirts of my home village. From then on, we slowly made our way, as I took my time to observe our new environment. From my recollection, nothing had changed. This left me uneasy. I wanted things to have changed, maybe because it would have made it easier for me to move on. 

I remembered at the meeting Xavier held in the palace in which I was invited too. He had told on the alphas below him to spread the word that I was going to be the Supreme Luna, his mate. And now I wondered if they knew me for the abomination that I am. 

The faces of people I had nearly seen daily, now looked at me like I was different to who I was back then. I couldn't quite make out all the emotions they were feeling. Where they frightened? Did they feel scared of me? The intense stares and the hushed gossip which I could hear clearly hear if I wanted to, but I chose to ignore it. 

I only kicked the sides of the horse and urged it forward faster. We only slowed down when I saw my cottage. Then I tied the horse to a tree before I made my way towards the place that I had once called home. I knocked three times and waited. I could hear the murmurs of my parents as they rushed to the door. The door swung open wide. 

"Katherine, oh Katherine!" My mother shouted as she hugged me. I could feel her tears stain my clothes. I hugged her back just as tightly. "I was right! I told you he would take you! Your mother always knows best!" She exclaimed hysterically. 

"Katerina...you-you're back." My father was obviously in shock as tears rolled out of his eyes. He wiped them with the back of his hand before he too he engulfed me with a hug and his warmth. My father pulled me back and cupped my cheeks as he stared into my eyes. "I've missed you." He whispered as he hugged me firmly again. He then kissed my head. 

Finally, he pulled back and then I saw Anastasia. There was a lot of distance between us too. I could tell she was  hesitant to come towards me. Her head was lowered but I could make out the glistening trails down her cheeks. "Ka-" I didn't let her finish. It wasn't her fault. I knew it deep down. So I just simply strode  to her and embraced her closely as I let my fingers brush through her hair. My anger towards her had not been well founded. I had let it get the better of me.

"I've missed you so much." I said as she sniffed into my chest. "I am only mad that you don't know how to climb." I giggled. "But things aren't as bad as you think they are."

Well arguably they are, but that's subjective.

 I took a step back and faced my parents. "So, Mamá...Papa... I need to show you something. It's something I should have done a long time."

With that, I got some spare clothes and went into the garden, with them tailing behind me, and shifted.

My father gasped but my mother didn't.

She fainted.

My wolf whimpered and cowered her head as she couldn't bear to see the pain we had caused our mother. It just made our pain worse. I silently shifted back and changed my clothes behind a tree. Then I helped Papa take my mother to W her room and I tended to her. She woke up an four hours later with papa and I by her side.

"Katherine, my beautiful girl. It's my fault. I'm so sorry. So so sorry." She sobbed quietly.

"Mama you need to rest. You're delirious. We will talk about this later." I said softly as I gently held her hand.  

"No Katherine, you don't understand. It's my fault." She cried. She squeezed my hand so painfully that I wanted to pull it back.

"What is it Mamá?" I asked confused.

"I-I am a daste witch Katherine." She said closing her eyes.  "I am ashamed of it. I am the last daste witch alive." My eyes widened as I stood up so fast I felt light-headed. I began to take a step back from her, but my father held my shoulders and pushed me down back to my seat. "Katherine please listen to me. It wasn't something I had a choice over. I was picked from birth. But I ran away. I ran away from my fate. I didn't accept myself. I've left that life behind long ago."

"Papa, did you know about this?" I asked doubtfully. 

"Yes, but we were mates. I couldn't deny the bond. We-we never thought it would effect our offspring, and we never planned on having children anyway. We're so sorry. We didn't know we would create a hybrid." He said with his head lowered. "She's my mate and your mother before anything else."

"Were you apart of the last war?" I asked Mamá. The war happened a centuries ago when the daste witches were still alive."

"Only for the beginning, then I ran." She answered inaudibly. 

"So how old are you Mamá?"

"I-I'm 419." She stuttered.

"I need go back." I stated flatly looking straight ahead.

"No you must not!" She exclaimed, sitting up. "You can't go back to him. You don't even know who he really is. He is Xavier; the King; the beast; the monster; the-"

"Enough Mamá!"

"I know him. He was ruthless back then and I'm sure he is like that now. " My mother gasped. "Don't leave us, please. You don't know him!" 

"Do I really know you?" I asked. 

"Katherine He killed his own brother, led the destruction of his people and my people. He's not merciful or caring, he'll kill you. To win the war, he gave up his mate. No one can do that willingly. Not if that person doesn't have a heart. He can't ever love you if he could disregard you/"

I sighed, knowing that what was spewing out of mouth was what nearly all people believed. Lies. That's what they were. I loved my lycan and I liked and respected Xavier. 

"That monster is dangerous and cruel. He'll kill you." She screamed madly.

I shook my head.

"Why won't you see it? I'm the real monster." I said, my voice wavering.

And I left the cottage, and got onto my horse and left.