Deva squinted her eyes open even though they felt sore like the rest of her body. What did she do, run a marathon? Her gaze shifted around the room and found the people she held most dear looking at her with concern.
"Deva," Marcus was first to break the quiet atmosphere.
"Hey," she spoke weakly. Her mouth was strangely dry.
Julia moved closer to the bed with a cup of water to bring to Deva's lips. The liquid ran down her throat like a soothing medicine.
"How are you feeling?" Julia asked placing the cup down.
Deva raised her hand to her still throbbing head. "Okay."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Julia's voice sounded angry catching Deva off guard. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what Juls?"
"That you have cancer." Deva was shocked with no words to say back so Julia continued. "Adamarius told us everything. He saved you by awaking the lycan inside of you. Deva, why didn't you tell me?"
Deva closed her eyes because she felt all of their wondering eyes staring at her. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you. I promise. It just happened. I found out a week before we were brought here."
"So that was your secret?" She heard Marcus reply from beside her.
"Yes. I have cancer and I didn't want you all to know." She opened her eyes again and found Lucian at the end of her bed.
She wanted to smile because he was finally back but couldn't bring herself to do so. "Especially after Lucian told me that people with cancer only have a 50/50 chance of surviving a vampire transformation. I'm sorry Loosh. I didn't mean to hurt you by keeping my secret. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
"So that's why you drink so much?" Darius was dumbfounded for not seeing the picture sooner.
"Yes." It was the reason for many things including the way she acted towards them. She didn't care if they wanted her there or not she figured she was going to die anyway.
"That is the reason you wanted to go home so badly. You wanted to see your family one last time." Izzy questioned.
"Yes."
"You should have told me Deva. I would have...I would have..." Julia tried to start but Deva cut her off.
"There was nothing you could do. Julia I didn't want you to act differently towards me."
Marcus took Deva's hand in his own. "Well you're fine now. Adam woke up your lycan blood which in turn ate all your cancer cells. Your blood is now ten times stronger and active."
Deva nodded and rested her head back onto the pillow. A sudden exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Where is Marius?"
"He stepped out. He figured you wouldn't be too happy to see him."
Deva laughed to herself. The mutt knew her well. "Dang!" She shouted randomly.
Every person in the room moved closer to her. "Deva what's wrong? Does it hurt?"
"No."
"What is it?" Izzy asked curiously.
"I guess I can't call the guy mutt anymore or crack anymore jokes about his doggy ways."
"Yes let's add another dog to the equation." The King expressed his disdain for Deva's new metamorphosis.
They had left Deva's room so that she could rest in peace and continued their conversation in the study room.
"They're probably more loyal than the backstabbing leeches we have in parliament." Izzy's sarcastic comeback was meant to offend.
"Touché sister, but I believe dear old father would disagree. He'd put them down before they could ever prove themselves." Marcus snickered.
"How did we not see it?" Lucian was baffled by the news. Deva had cancer and lycan blood in her veins and nobody had noticed. But how was it that Adamarius knew, he wondered.
"It's blasphemy. How is she to rule a vampire kingdom now?"
"It changes nothing. It is time for a new order. We can no longer live in the past. Making peace with the lycans will advance our kingdom." The Queen voiced her thoughts.
"Advance our kingdom to destruction." King Asher had no more hope for Deva.
Darius shook his head because he truly believed peace with the lycans would cause anything but destruction. "No she's right. This tyranny over the lycans must end eventually. Other kingdoms have accepted them into society. Why can't we adapt to them as well?"
Lucian agreed. "If we treat them like beasts, then beasts are what they will become."
It had seemed like his entire family was against him. King Asher bit his tongue and held back his colorful opinions.
"How did we not see she was a descendant?"
"Because only lycan alphas can detect another lycan." Adamarius walked in, butting into their private conversation.
Well technically he was family now.
"Her lycan blood was calling to me. I knew what she was the moment I laid my eyes on her."
"Is that why you attacked her the first night you met her?" Darius' vindictive hatred gave him probable cause to tear off his half-brother's head for the attempt alone.
Adamarius' lips curved up a bit. "I hadn't seen another lycan in years. My animalistic side took over. I believe my lycan wanted to mark her and claim her as my own."
The room went silent but the death glares from the brothers did not go unnoticed. The heated tension was like toxin in the air.
"That's not going to happen, pup." Lucian threatened through clinched teeth.
The Queen tilted her head to the side as if debating the idea.
"She'll feel rejuvenated and new. The energy that will surge through her will also ignite her thirst. She'll be twice as lustful for blood than any of you. Knowing Deva she'll probably suppress the urge till it overrides her will power." Adamarius warned.
"You know nothing about her." Lucian felt the need to point that out.
Adamarius ignored him. "I only speak from experience."
"The council must be told about this immediately."
"They may reject her." Izzy stated what everyone else was hoping to avoid.
"Then we will stand by her. Deva is our future queen. The council has limited power. In the end it is royalty that makes the decisions."
It had been that way for years. The council was there to express the voice of the public. They mattered in the ways of politics but ultimately in their kingdom the king and queen had all the power.
"I'll meet with them now." Lucian took up the responsibility, not trusting his father, in fear he might sway them against Deva.
"I'll join you." Queen Emma followed her son out into the hall.
Eventually one by one the room emptied till only Darius and Adamarius remained.
"Is there a problem brother?" Adamarius taunted knowing Darius would rather claim a pig as family then him.
Darius said nothing but his muscles flexed as he crossed his arms over his buffing chest.
"Is this the part where you threaten to kill me for turning your forbidden love into a dog?"
Adamarius was having too much fun fueling Darius' overactive temper.
"Let's get one thing clear I don't like you-"
"I never would have guessed." Adamarius cut him off.
Darius took a few strides forward and stared him down. "I see through your bullshit. I don't know why you're here yet but if you try to mark your claim on Deva in any way I will dispose of you myself and make it look like an accident."
Adamarius chuckled in delight. "What if she likes it and begs me for more?"
"Touch her and I'll break your ability to howl at the moon." Darius snared.
Adamarius inched closer into Darius' proximity. "You may have been able to torture me through you mind tricks but here in reality I can physically break every bone in your body before you ever get the chance to father another child."
Adamarius' hybrid strength was twice as potent as the normal vampire. Besides that Adamarius enjoyed wounding Darius' ego.
"Why are you really here?" Because the way Darius saw it Adamarius had no trouble with his lycan transitions.
"I told you already."
"I don't believe you." Darius leaned back. "If you've come to claim a mate, our queen is off limits."
"Perhaps for you." He rubbed in Darius' face.
Darius sealed his jaw and marched away. The conversation was over but the competition wasn't.
"Run along lover boy, lick your wounds." Adamarius whispered to himself.
Technically he couldn't hurt Deva. His lycan wanted to mate with her and please her. From now on nothing was going to stand in his way of showing her he was a changed man. Her first impression of him was far from his true character. It was time to prove his worth.
The constant worry was really getting annoying but there was nothing she could do about it. They had never cared for a lycan before so Deva was now on full watch mode.
Adamarius had not come to see her and she was grateful for that. She wasn't sure if she was mad at him for making her what she now was or should thank him for saving her from death by cancer. Eventually somehow Deva convinced the family that she was fine and no longer needed to be babied around.
She felt beyond energized. She wasn't human anymore and it was an interesting adjustment. They couldn't treat her like a pathetic weak human anymore. According to them Deva was twice if not more stronger than they were. Lycans were built stronger but not necessarily faster.
Deva wasted no time in putting on some workout clothes. She needed some air to think and figured a run through the woods would surely help her with that problem.
The sun was still slightly in the sky when she past the abundance of trees, leaves, and nature. She noticed her new found senses were at their maximum peak. Her vision was clearer and her smell was impeccable as well as her hearing.
It was crazy for her to believe that she could actually hear the waterfall from where she was standing since it had to be at least 3 miles away. She was enjoying every minute of her senses and sudden freedom as she wisped through the trees.
Then a random snap of a twig caught her attention. She stopped running and didn't even feel out of breath.
"You know stalking is not a very attractive quality," she spoke thinking back to when Adamarius told her that drooling wasn't attractive.
She heard his vibrant chuckle come from a cluster of bushes. "So I see you've been using your senses."
"It's hard not to smell scum from a mile away."
"Is that anyway to speak to the man who gave you another option other than death?" Adamarius mocked as he walked towards her from around the cluster of trees.
"I don't want to be this way." She confessed.
"But it is who you are, who you were born to be. All I did was awaken what was already there."
Her eyes flared. "You gave me no option. You bit me before telling me what was happening."
"Deva quit whining and accept what you are," he shouted in anger.
"I don't want to be what I am," she spat back. "I don't want to be like you."
His jaw contracted. "Well I guess that's too bad pet because you already are."
"I will never be like you."
Adamarius raised his brow. "And what am I exactly, except for being devilishly handsome?" His playful intendances were driving her to the brink of madness.
"You are scum off of the bottom of my shoe. You care for no one but yourself and you would kill without batting an eye. You sicken me in every way possible."
He narrowed his eyes trying not to show how her words affected him. "Then perhaps this scum will let you fend for yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"I came here to help you accept the new lycan inside of you and teach you how to control your new emotions but I guess I care for no one but myself." His lips turned into a menacing grin that almost made her heart stop.
That was not a good smirk he was giving her.
"Evie love you can come out now."
She saw the bushes rattle before an innocent looking Evie popped out, walking towards Adamarius.
Deva was hit with the strong scent of human blood running through Evie's veins. Deva had only seen Julia that first day but the impulse of her blood did not smell as alluring as the smell of Evie's was now.
The hunger and thirst burning in her throat and stomach were turning into an intense pain.
Adamarius watched as she struggled to keep her beast locked up and he almost laughed. There was no way she was going to keep it up for long but secretly he did hope she could control it.
Adamarius began to play with the strands of Evie's hair, lifting a curl up to his nose to sniff it.
"Mmm Deva she smells simply divine."
"Why are you doing this to me?" She cried in agony.
The scent of Evie's body was giving her bloodlusts she never had before. She was scared she wouldn't be able to fight her inner demons off.
"I want you to accept what you are and what you're born to be."
"Nooo," she growled in a malicious tone.
He laughed with glee to her response. This was going to be more fun than he thought. Adamarius raised his hand to the nape of Evie's neck and used his nail to pierce her soft skin and draw blood.
The whiff of blood instantly hit her nostrils and Deva felt a strong urge of desire consume her. The blood was taunting her and calling her name.
"Adamarius stop." Her cold loud voice echoed through the trees.
"Sorry pet but this is the only way you will learn."
He spoke softly and caressed Evie's neck with his hands. His nail once again pierced her skin, deep. Evie didn't try to pull back or even looked frightened.
"Marius, please." Deva begged as the smell was getting to be too much of a temptation.
He knew there was only one way to get Deva to form into her new life.
"Evie I want you to run."
Deva flashed her blood lust eyes towards his face. Adamarius smiled with pride as he saw the red rims around her brown orbs indicating her beast coming alive.
"No," she shouted knowing that if Evie ran it would only provoke the predator inside herself to run after the girl.
"Evie run." Adamarius commanded in his alpha tone and Evie rushed off without hesitation.
Deva fell to the floor as she clinched the dirt between her fingers. The roars of an inner battle escaped her disturbed lips before she started to twitch.
Deva could hear the soft footsteps that belonged to Evie stumble through the dark woods. She felt and sensed the fear coming off of her prey as if it were her own.
"Fighting it will only lead to your destruction." He paused pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh I also forgot to tell you that you are also part vampire. When I bit you, you still had Darius' blood in your system. So the need for blood is twice as empowering as any regular supernatural vampire."
Deva couldn't handle it anymore. She thrust herself off of the ground before feeling her figure change.
Adamarius watched like a proud father as Deva's warm brown eyes turn into an icy velvet color. Every lycan had their own distinct eye color after transformation. It was a part of the cycle that stayed with them.
Her bones began to crack just like she saw the night Adamarius shifted in front of her in the cell. The pain was excoriating as every fiber in her body began to tear and transform. Her body morphed into a large and hairy beast with claws and sharp edged teeth. Fighting it only brought more pain but resisting it gave her a small sense of peace.
Deva sniffed the air and began to run in the direction she knew Evie was going. Her long sharp claws dug into the earth pushing her faster to her destination. Her lycan beast was enthralled with nature of the kill.
It wasn't difficult to track down the scent. In moments Deva found herself facing a frantic Evie.
Evie screamed at the approaching beast. Deva couldn't even process the fear. She was too engrossed in the concept of the blood. She was for the first time in her life being driving by the lust of human blood.
Her thought process had shut down and her animal instincts and survive was taking over.
Deva lunged forward, attacking the scared girl and leaving all her human morals behind.
Deva was consumed with the wonderful savoring feeling of her claws running down Evie's fragile human skin. She tore into the body causing blood to splatter all around her and stain the earth. When it was all over and there were nothing more than pieces of the remaining body Deva stopped. Every limp was detached from the trunk of the body.
Deva blinked several times as her conscience started to settle back into her soul. The scene unfolding in front of her was a horror moment at its best.
She had done this. She had killed Evie.
But the pain was gone. The burning sensation of hunger had disintegrated to nothing.
Was it worth it?
Deva fought back her inner demon and shifted back into human form. The transition was almost as painful as the beginning.
She was left in her own flesh and suddenly the night breeze felt like ice hitting her skin. Her clothes were tore the moment the beast took over. Naked and covered in blood Deva sunk to the cold ground.
Fires of furry built inside of her as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
She heard his footsteps creep closer and closer but she refused to acknowledge his existence.
It was his fault. He let it happen.
Adamarius placed his shirt around her shoulders and Deva quickly slipped her arms through the sleeves before buttoning it up. She tried covering up as much revealing skin as possible.
"You could have stopped me," her cold voice filled the thin air.
"That would have defeated the purpose."
She snapped her head to the side. "What purpose!"
He understood her anger and frustration. "I wanted you to stop yourself."
His words struck her across the face and made her ten times more horrified. She was beginning to hate herself. Why couldn't she stop herself?
"I'm sure that was it or perhaps you get a kick out of seeing me loath myself for being something I hate."
He felt heat rise through his body. "That's just it. You must accept what you are now Deva."
"I never wanted this! I hate this, I hate what I've done, and I hate what you did to me."
He clenched his hands into fists. "Did you want me to let you die?"
"Isn't that what you've always wanted," she turned her head to face him without moving her full body. Her new velvet eyes were illuminated by the setting sun which made her stare that much more intense. "Me dead?"
"No, I would never want that."
She laughed an evil cynical laugh that Adamarius never heard come from her mouth before. "So our first meeting was just a harmless tasting?"
"Deva I would never hurt you. I can't hurt you."
Their new lycan bond just wouldn't let him even if he did want to.
"You already have," she turned away to the distorted face of what used to be Evie.
"Deva-"
"Leave me alone!"
Her loud menacing voice echoed through the night and Adamarius knew there was no hope in reasoning with her now. So he did as she said and left her there in the deep woods to wallow in her own destruction.
Deva pushed her small crumbling frame back against a tree truck and wrapped her arms around her knees so they were hugging her chest. That was when she let the salty tears finally escape and run down her cheeks.
Accepting what she did and what she now was, was too hard of a request at the moment. Was it always going to be this hard to control that side of her?
In the dark night Deva let the cold guilt consume her; glancing down to the shredded body she had stolen life from. There were bite marks all over her body from where Deva forcefully sucked her blood leaving her dry.
But there was no guilt or ounce of regret for killing an innocent person. Deva's insides twisted into knots of unimaginable new concepts of processing emotions. She should feel guilt or even be horrified at the sight of what she had done but there was none. There was no trigger in her mind telling her to scream or hate herself for what she did.
The only guilt she felt was the guilt for not even feeling awful about ripping the girl's throat apart or taking out her heart with sharp claws.
It wasn't even eating away at her like she hoped it would. She knew if it did that it would just mean there was still a small part of her human but it didn't. There was no remorse or pity now that the scene unfolded in front of her.
When she was done feeling guilty Deva stood up and headed back to the castle. The hallways were empty expect for the presence of one in particular.
"Deva," Darius' voice cried with concern as he took in her appearance. She didn't care to look up when she explained her situation.
"Evie is dead."
"Deva what happened?" He moved in front of her to get a better look. She had small blood smudges over her face and body.
"I killed her in the woods."
"Deva-"
"I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop." She spoke with no emotion and when she didn't look up Darius cupped her face.
"Deva it wasn't your fault," he breathed. "It is natural to act on your instincts."
"I don't need your sympathy." Deva pulled away from his grasp and he looked disappointed. "I didn't like her anyway."
She didn't care if she didn't sound like herself because in all honesty she didn't feel like herself. Everything was new to her and she knew she had a lot to learn.
Darius watched as she walked away from him and he had to do everything in his power from walking up to her and pulling her into his arms. She was going through a tough time and she needed someone. He hated himself for not being that someone anymore.
Deva walked into her bathroom and turned the shower on. The water was warm and soaked up all the blood as well as all her guilt. She vowed to never feel that kind of guilt again. There was no point. She was never going to be normal again because this was what she was now. Accepting her new life was what she had to do.
When the clear water in the tub turned pink she knew she had to get out. Wrapping herself in the towel she wandered over the mirror. In between her shoulder and neck Deva noticed the bite mark.
She traced the scared tissue with her hand. She remembered Adamarius bite so clearly that it almost hurt to think of the pain it caused her.
Wasn't it supposed to heal?
It didn't make sense to her. Her new body since the transformation was firmed and sculpted to perfection. She had no visible scars from her human life but yet this mark that he left her was still here, on her flesh.
She wasn't sure if she liked it or hated the idea of the memory.
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Thank you all for reading. I've read a lot of complaints about blank pages. When I go back to check on the editing nothing is missing. I guess the glitch has something to do with the Wattpad website. I'm not sure. Hope they fix it soon.
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