The rest of the night we partied, knowing all too well that a potential challenge awaited us ahead. It didn't matter though, at least, not until morning arrived. The morning was decent, a healthy breakfast brought to my room had woken me up more then when I opened my eyes. Joey was already suited up in armor and had already eaten when he brought breakfast to my room.
"What's the issue Carla?" He called out as I locked myself in the bathroom to get dressed.
I screamed out in agony as I hid behind the door.
Joey, assumingly running at full speed. Tried to knock down the door to help me. A loud thud echoed and then the groaning of Joey. I opened the door, fully dressed, and looked down at Joey.
"What did you scream for?" Joey asked as he laid on the floor holding his shoulder.
I laughed and looked at him, "Do you not see my hair?"
My new bangs were standing straight up and I thought it would be funny to scream.
"You look like a peacock," Joey said with a smile.
"At least I'm not a chicken like you," I laughed as I helped him stand.
"How am I a chicken? I just ran full force into that door to save you," Joey said with a tilt of his head.
I shook my head and put my hand on his shoulder. My voice was serious, "Because you thought you could bust down a bombproof door with your shoulder."
"You did it yesterday," Joey shook his head at looked at the door to my bedroom.
"That's because I'm a professional at busting down doors," I laughed.
"You should change your profession to being a pain in the butt," Donte said as he walked into the room.
"You're not wrong," I shrugged as grabbed a hairbrush for my bangs.
"Who are you taking with you Hena?" Donte asked as he leant up against the dark doorframe. He was looking into my eyes with his own, something about the way he stared made me feel something... Something terrifying.
I looked down to break the eye contact. I gently shook my head and answered his question, "Yeah, um, just Gena, Eclipse, and Joey."
"What about Kaida?" Donte asked.
My head perked up and I looked at Joey in fear.
Fear for Kaida.
"Joey can you stay with her and keep her safe," I asked calmly, trying to chill my own indescribable fear.
"Yeah Carla, but you need someone with you to show you the way," Joey said with a smile, "Take Donte with you, he can help you get there."
My head shot to Donte who grimly smiled at me.
And thus began the weirdest day of my life.
--
Donte had tacked up horses for us, he insisted for us not to shift because we'd instantly be looked at as a threat.
I didn't trust him, not even slightly.
But he had a point.
We rode down a wide trail to the east, towards what used to be Maine.
The large evergreens reached to kiss the sky in every direction. The grass swept the forest floor, only there to feed the wildlife that danced among the trees.
Needless to say, the view was breathtaking.
Luckily the trip only took about two hours. We neared the gate pretty quickly. This Cachion clan had large stone walls to keep intruders out. The guards did not seem even genuinely happy to see us.
"I'm Donte, this is Alpha Hena Ariella, that is Beta Ethelwulf, and this is Delta Gavriela," Donte introduced us. Apparently Gena and Eclipse had hebrew names too.
The guard pulled out a radio. "The last living Hena is at the front gate," he spoke into it.
There was a short, quiet pause.
"I'm on my way," the voice on the other end said.
We sat quietly on our horses until a over exasperated man ran to the other side of the gate and pretty much tore it off it's hinges to open it.
He froze when he looked at me. I just rolled my eyes. Every Alpha stops when they look at me.
"Carla?" He asked, his eyes widened and tears started to form. I could see how watery his eyes were even on the horse. He had light brown hair and an accompanied beard. White flecks of hair appeared every here and there. He had light blue eyes and was only about six or seven inches taller than me.
I silently studied him up and down, I was trying to remember his face. I wanted to know how he knew me but all these Cachions seem to know me.
I swallowed hard before I spoke. "My name is Alpha Hena Atarah Ariella, we've come to speak to you about joining our clans together."
"My name is Alpha James," he said as he slightly smiled, "My guards will guide your horses to the stable. Would you like to come in for lunch, we can talk."
Everyone looked at me for an answer.
I shut my eyes and nodded, reopening them afterwards. Gena, Eclipse, and Donte got off their horses. I got off of mine and straightened my hood and crown.
The Alpha rushed to me. I stood straight and didn't move as he lifted the hood gently off my head. He gently grabbed my chin, looked into my eyes, and examined my face.
My hand was open with my palm facing his chest. When he realized, he took a step back.
"My apologies Carla, I must apologize for being so intrigued by the way you look. I assume you've gotten better with your powers since the last time we met."
"Last time?"
"Yes, Carla we've known eachother for a while. I'll explain at lunch, we should get going," Alpha James insisted.
I nodded and we walked to the castle. It was smaller than the one I was ruling in, it was still a big castle.
A brown haired boy with multicolored eyes stood at the doorway to the castle. "Father, who are these intruders?" The guy asked, he looked about Carter's age.
"They're family," Alpha James nodded.
I brought up the back of the group as we walked into the castle. The guy from the doorway walked behind me. I was walking slowly until the guy grabbed my arm and pinned me to the wall. His forearm pressed into my throat as he let out a low growl, "If you're here to harm my father." He breathed in harshly, "I will rip you apart."
I smiled, grabbed his arm, and in one swift motion had his face pressed where I was and his arm behind his back where I could easily break it if I felt the need to.
"Number one," I whispered, "You can't kill me or contain me." My voice went back to normal, "Number two, I'm not here to kill your dad. Now," I breathed in, "If you touch a hair on any of my friends or touch me again I will rip you limb from limb."
I pushed him further into the wall and let go. He spun around and looked angrily at me. New flash, I didn't care. I walked in the direction everyone walked and found the dining room. Everyone was already seated, yet they all sat awkwardly as if nobody had spoken.
"Carla?" Gena asked. She paused slightly and then resumed, "There's um. There's something you need to hear."
My eyebrows scrunched as I walked to the table and sat down.
"You said you knew me," I started, "But I've never met you before."
"Carla," Alpha James started, "Um. Do you remember the Commander?"
I nodded, "Of course I do."
"Okay, well," Alpha James took a sharp breath in, "She worked for me."
"Are you going to try to kill me like she did?" I asked.
"She tried to kill you?!" Alpha James seemed to be angry about that.
"Ye-yeah," I slightly stuttered, "Liam launched her into a tree after she stuck a sword into my chest. She got impaled by a branch."
"How are they?" Alpha James asked.
Eclipse signaled for him to stop.
"Carter, Madelyn, Liam, Nathan, Kathy, and Paige?" Alpha James continued.
I looked down at the table and then back at him with a look that could start a forest fire.
"Donte's brother slaughtered everyone," I said, "Everyone but Eclipe, Gena, and I. There are no more superhumans than whom are in this very room."
Alpha James's face sunk. I could tell he was upset with himself for asking the question.
"And Cornelius?" Alpha James asked.
I shook my head, "It's just us three."
Tears started to stream down his face, "Ahh I'm sorry." He wiped them away. "It's just, I want Matthew, Skylar, and Joseph to meet their brother and sister."
"What- wait what?"
"You're-"
"Wait the guy who shoved me into a wall and threatened to rip me apart is my brother," I groggily asked as I started to become more disoriented, "Wait, you're- you- you are my- my dad?"
"That's my sister?!" The multicolor eyed guy exclaimed, "The one you've been hunting down for years?"
My vision went in and out of darkness, gently fading between colors and pitch black. The last thing I heard was my chair hitting the ground and Eclipse shifting.