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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 18

Liquid silver, wolfsbane bound together with Oleander...this is what it took to weaken mom. Abigail was poisoned, a ticking time bomb under the right conditions.

That's not what killed her, but due to mom's sudden weakened state, the poison residue on Abigail's hidden blade was Arsenic. Mom couldn't heal faster than the toxicity plagued her body and killed her...

When my mom died...

...all of the memories I held when I was a very small child surfaced. The moments she showed me of love is what causes me the pain I feel with this loss. She was a horrible mother...but I never wished her dead.

My heart hurts more for my dad, because I've never seen him so distant. Everything is broken...

...our family is torn and I can't stop the tears from trailing down my cheeks as I curl up on my bed. I've never seen someone who is part of my family die. That's the thing though, she didn't just die...

...this was a planned assassination.

The burning of my mom's body was only hours earlier, after the council had been summoned and those who knew her. Grandpa Keir hasn't stopped crying, because she was his daughter.

They are all in a meeting, many urgent issues being talked about...mainly...what appears to be a war on the horizon.

There's a knock at my door and I furiously brush away the tears, composing myself as I rise off the bed before I shakily whisper, "Yes?"

When the door opens, it's Lailoken that moves into my bedroom. He takes one quick look over me before he shuts the door and crosses the distance to me. There's a tightness in my chest when I release a sob and breathe out, "Lailoken."

He draws me into his strong arms, holding me close to his chest as I begin crying all over again. It hurts because I'll never be able to reconcile with my mom, I'll never be able to tell her that I do love her, despite everything that's happened...

...my heart can't handle it and I nearly scream into Lailoken's chest.

Lailoken whispers gently to me, "Acacia, you are so strong. You are loved and don't ever think you are alone...even when you feel like you are."

I don't know what to do.

I feel so lost.

I lift my chin and meet his gaze, steadying my breathing as I say, "This game is too dangerous..."

"There is an uprise and war coming," Lailoken nods and releases a sigh, "they wanted to take out the queen, they did...yet," he pauses and kisses my forehead, "...they didn't."

"Lailoken?" I ask him with confusion.

He presses his forehead to mine and says, "You are the true queen, Acacia."

"If they could kill my mom so easily like that..." it makes me quite scared at the elaborate lengths they'd gone to ensure her death, "...I'm mortal, they don't need everything they did to Abigail to kill my mom...to kill me."

Lailoken release a breath before he states, "The royals and the council did not treat Mercury and his loyal followers as a threat and they paid for it with the Hybrid Queen's life."

"He wants what the world was once like..." my voice trails off, "...so we have to think differently?"

"Yes," he brushes the remaining tears from my cheeks, lowering his lips to mine as he whispers, "though magic is blatantly involved. You're brilliant kitten...think and tell us what you need done."

There's a lot I've been thinking about.

Releasing a slow breath of air, I pull away from Lailoken slightly to state, "Abigail had been abandoned at the estate for awhile, that much is certain because there's no way they would have known when we were coming," I pause a moment as I think it over, saying, "those stars were left there and I felt the energy when I was brought back to moments and memories the place held. What if it's a gateway?"

"That's entirely possible," Lailoken nods before arching a brow.

Another quick knock at the door, followed by it being abruptly open, causes me to halt my train of thought. Dante stands in the doorway and states, "It's time, Acacia."

I shake my head and as I'm about to reply, Lailoken states, "Perhaps it's not the brightest idea to announce Acacia as queen and place a target on her back."

"She already has one," Dante retorts, Lailoken standing himself differently. He then replies, "How do you think the rest of the world will think if we're too afraid to place the next in line on the throne? We can't show fear to this uprising, we need to be united."

Mom was a symbol to humans of their equality and freedom...

...with her death, I can imagine the spark of doubt and fear in their mind.

Mom was more important then I'd ever given her credit for...

At this point, they'd have to rely on the council to uphold her laws...but will they? That's the doubt I'm sure Gabriel brings with representing the humans.

"I will speak to the council..." my voice is weak, but I need to understand what is happening. Lailoken follows alongside me when Dante leads us down the hallway toward the council meeting chamber. I see Taron and Rian waiting around as they've been a little out of place since everything that happened...

...this isn't their home and they find no safety and comfort here.

I don't blame them because I hardly feel those sentiments that should be simple.

The door opens and Dante holds it open for me. Taron and Rian move forward, but Dante states, "Your presence is not required here," before nodding to the hallway. Rian appears taken aback and his eyes hold concern and worry for me.

"Acacia is our ma-"

"She is royalty, you are not. You're children and this meeting is f-"

Taron growls and Dante is cut off, shaking his head and pointing again at the hallway. Lailoken steps behind me, readying to enter when Dante turns on him next, "You are n-"

"You failed at protecting your mate and your lack of instinctual judgement falters where mine will not," Lailoken confronts Dante and then glances at Taron and Rian saying, "be calm, we'll be short."

Taron nods while comforting Rian, Lailoken shooting Dante a sharp look before we both enter into the meeting room completely. When I glance at the table, my heart stops in my chest at the somber looks on their faces. It's a different aura that settles on the council, each holding back their fears though it shows clearly on their faces.

Dante nods at the head of the table and I shake my head, remaining at the end of the table closest to the doors while stating, "I'll stand here."

"You're smarter then that...opening your back to an attack?" Dante's demeanor has changed drastically after mom's death and I hold my tongue for what I will talk to dad about later.

"At least she has someone to defend her at every turn," Lailoken is back at Dante again, never missing a beat as he defends me.

Dante says nothing, walking toward his seat near the other end of the table. I glance and see dad...he rubs his forehead and appears disconnected, knowing the pain he feels...

There's many that look to me, and when Lailoken rests his hand on my lower back, it gives me the strength I need when I address them, "I relinquished my claim to the throne, because I didn't want to be a puppet queen..." as my voice trails off, I garnish more looks as I state, "...I will be your queen, but I don't want the throne."

"That makes no sense," Aspen shakes her head as the look on her face says it all.

Grandpa Keir states, "It makes perfect sense."

"Acacia..." Gabriel speaks while cutting out the rest of the arguments that are about to rise.

"Yes?" I ask with hesitation.

"We spoke about this earlier, but you need to hear as well," Gabriel's hesitation comes when he receives looks from Aspen and Dante, but he continues to speak stating, "there are whole human cities that are being killed by vampires and hybrids. They move fast and during the cover of night."

"I-"

Gabriel pleads and says, "They don't kill everyone, taking some as hostages or prisoners...because the death count doesn't match city population," after a long pause, he says with earnest, "they're afraid for their lives. They're afraid since the death of the Hybrid Queen Rose, they're afraid that their lives are less and mean nothing compared to the rest of the world. They're afraid they won't be protected and no one will come to their aid or save them."

Edeline nods and adds, "There are those who are turning against one another, species that once got along are slowly slipping back to themselves."

"What do you mean?" I'm slightly confused, though it comes to light a moment later.

"We've pulled all faeries from the school," Nyx nods as she flutters into the air, "the old barrier is to be restored as the trust of who we can and can't hold ties to is growing very thin."

Shaking my head in disbelief, Aspen is the next to throw in, "I'm going to forbid the use of the pendants, restricting us to the safety of the ocean once more."

"You do know your daughter is a supporter, don't you?!" I snap immediately on the queen of the ocean and she casts me a dark glare.

Aspen snarls back with a hiss, "I'm well aware of Niamh's treason! That girl sees nothing but the blindness leading her and she is not welcome in our realm any longer...her fate is already sealed should she ever try to return to the water's edge."

Hearing them go back and forth, I finally cut through the noise and say, "We're suppose to come to each other's aid and be strong...unified...what's happened, it's tearing us apart," I pause as I gather their looks once again, "running...hiding...it's going to get everyone killed as they are picked off one by one."

"How do you overcome an unseen force?" Lars asks with curiosity.

"They're favored..." that's all I can say because I don't understand how Mercury is able to keep those who follow him safe.

Banging comes from the closed doors behind me, Lailoken immediately shielding his back to mine before the doors open. It's...

...one of the coven members.

He orders to Dante and dad, "Turn on the news...now."

It's not long before the screens light up and the news spreads. There's many different stations covering attacks, but the worst is the bloody carnage that is of Meliorist Sanctum. The coverage is shown in gory detail of those who have been killed...

My heart stops in my chest, sickened by the way those who are recording it, are the ones who once recorded raping me.

What rises up above the choirs of cries for help, is Ciarán with Mercury as he says, "Don't worry, the true king will bring this world into a much brighter age."

"Turn it off!" Dad yells and the council is swarming again, fear rising.

"There's nothing that can stop this force!" Gabriel cries out and he also receives a nod from Nyx, Aspen soon agreeing. Magic is a turning point, but it appears even it can't stop the sheer amount of followers Mercury has.

Grandpa Keir is hesitant as he also says, "I fear for the lives of my pack and the packs of this world. We were once hunted and I can't allow it to happen again, we can't wait for a solution that might come too late or never come altogether..."

I don't blame him...

...he's protecting the ones he loves.

"Acacia, What is your decision?" Gabriel asks me and I can't find my voice. This is above my knowledge and I fear that whatever is silently helping Mercury, even if Mercury is unaware of it...what it wants is what it's going to get.

Apparently...I'm silent for too long, because many of the council members rise and begin to exit the meeting room. My heart beats fast in my chest, seeing them all leaving behind any sort of way we can come together to defend our world...

Grandpa Keir has sadness in his eyes, his wolf regarding me briefly before he says, "I will always love you, but no one wants to make a stance together."

They're all gone in a matter of minutes, even Lars turning to go, though he gives me this long look and I see the shift slightly in his irises...

...it's an electric blue.

The air catches in my lungs as I shake my head, not wanting to believe that perhaps the only way to stop this force, is with his help. He leaves though, Dante and dad the last to remain as I see the hope flickering from dad's features.

"That was useless..." Dante growls lowly.

I can't do this any longer...

"If mom had her true hybrid mate...perhaps she would still be alive. Perhaps my life would have been different, perhaps EVERYTHING would have been different!" I snap at Dante, watching the way his eyes snap onto me.

"What did you just say?" Dante regards me and I see dad's eyes shift from Dante and then to I. Dante looks above me and at Lailoken stating, "What are you poisoning Acacia wi-"

"Don't say a fucking word to him!" I step forward and snap, "He's been the only one to stand by me regardless of the situation, to love and believe me unconditionally!" I breathe out harshly, "You are not mom's true hybrid mate! Because of you, Ciarán exists! Because-"

Dante snarls angrily, "Watch it-"

"No!" I feel Lailoken's presences backing me, feeling Taron and Rian also enter the room.

"Acacia...what's going on? What are you talking about?" Dad asks me with such a brokenness it hurts my heart all over again.

I tell Dante, "You killed your mates, for mom..."

"Of course I did! I didn't want the jealousy of-"

"True hybrid mates share one beloved and one wolf mate..." my voice resonates in the council meeting room, bringing a deafening silence.

Lailoken nods and also sounds, "You chose the Hybrid Queen, your innate instincts of wanting to procreate and pass on stronger genes is what drove you..." the air catches in my lungs as Lailoken sheds light on what Dante must have known, "...it also didn't hurt she was royal and next in line for the throne, now did it?"

"Dante?" Dad asks, uneasiness in his voice, "The dark pull?"

Lailoken answers, "You're a hybrid's beloved and would understand and feel the dark lustful pull to another hybrid...but that's not how a true and real mate pull should ever feel."

"You're saying..." dad's voice trails off with complete disbelief, "...everything we've fought for...everything we did..."

Dante glares at me and retorts, "There's nothing wrong with a choice mate!"

"There is when you made your 'mate' believe you were her true one," my voice is even as I say this, understanding now that the blood in this family has been distorted before I ever came into existence.

💫--To Be Continued--💫

Yes, I'm back from vacation early, so early update for you all.

I had a very amazing and wonderful opportunity while on my vacation and driving back home from Canada. I got the chance to meet one of my readers, a Rosebud and pack member: MsEmmaJane along with giving her two signed copies of my very first book that was published just over seven years ago.

It was an encounter I'll never forget and I'm glad the opportunity presented itself as I look forward to many more with other Rosebuds in the future.

Yes, because I know y'all are going to ask about the book, it's more of a nostalgia of where my writing started in the public eye and I'm embarrassed of it to be honest. I have a four part series planned for it that I'll probably revamp and get back to at some point now that my writing is where it is at now.

Any who, here's the cover of it and if anyone is interested, you can find it on Amazon:

Yes, my maiden name is Brown as this was published before I was married. All future works published will be under: K. A. Young

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