After a long while, he realized the only danger to him was his own mind.
*******
FOUR YEARS AGO,
APRIL 21st, 2017.
(ALEC'S POV)
"Son, who are you talking to?"
I look down at my phone before up at my father.
"I'm going to put you on mute for a second, okay?"
She smiles at me.
"Yeah. Of course. Take your time. I'll continue trying to figure out how the hell to do a damn Dutch braid."
I put her on mute, before focusing on my dad.
"Stella. I told you about her, remember?"
My dad smiles.
"Ahh, I remember. She's coming later today, no?"
"Yeah, she is..."
I give him a look.
"Why?"
"No reason at all, child. I'll make sure the house is nice and neat. Wouldn't want her to find any...human blood laying around now, would we?"
I shake my head as I hear her voice again.
"Was that your dad?"
I unmute myself.
"Yeah, Stella. That was my dad. He seems weirdly cheery that you're coming over. He's never excited about a damn thing besides getting in bed with my mother."
Stella snorts and I smile at her.
"He's probably just excited or happy that you're talking to someone instead of sitting alone."
I roll my eyes.
"Way to point out in a fucking loner, Stell. But maybe he is...it's just he's never happy about anything I do."
Stella shrugs before turning her head around slightly.
"I finally figured it out! Ish, I guess. I somewhat figured it out. It's hard."
She frowns at me.
"If only you were here, Al. You're oddly good at braiding. You also have nice hands. Makes me wonder what else they can do."
Stella grins when my face flushes.
"I'm just teasing you. You're adorable. And I wasn't kissing when I said you have nice hands. They're attractive."
I give her a look.
"I wasn't aware hands were considered attractive now, Stella, but I'll take it."
"Wish you were here..."
"Well you're coming soon...right? We'll see each other soon enough. Maybe I can help you braid your hair."
Stella grins.
"I'll take it! I'm going to finish getting ready...and I'll call you when I'm on my way there?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Alright, big guy. See ya soon!"
I smile.
"Bye, Stella."
She waves before hanging up, and I stand up, walking past my parents' room before pausing.
"When are we sending him out, Thanatos? When are we getting rid of him?"
"Soon, Nyx. It's almost his 16th birthday, and then we'll send him out, alright?"
What the fuck?!
They can't be talking about me. Then who are they talking about?
I walk past their room, erasing my mind if whatever the hell they were talking about.
*******
ONE HOUR LATER...
(STELLA'S POV)
I pull my bag over my shoulder, waving goodbye to my mom.
"Bye, mom!"
"Bye, moonshine. Love you."
"Love you too!"
I hurry out the door, and into my car to drive over to where Alec lives.
He lives in a more secluded kind of area next to a forest.
After a twenty minute drive, I ring the doorbell to his large home.
I hear the lock click and then the door open, seeing a smiling Thanatos.
Alec's father.
"Hello, Stella."
I smile back.
"Hi, sir! How are you?"
"Please, call me Thanatos. Sir makes me feel old. But I'm doing great, stellina. Thank you for asking. How are you feeling this fine evening?"
I nod.
"Actually, I'm feeling quite great, Thanatos! Is Nyx well?"
"Yes, yes. She is doing great. Come on in."
He steps aside, grinning widely when I walk past him.
I look around, and feel a hand on my shoulder.
"This way, child, my son is in his room."
"Okay."
He motions I go upstairs, still grinning.
"He'll be in the second room to your left, young lady. Have fun...but not too much fun. I believe I'm too hip to have grandchildren yet."
"Oh Jesus! He's only fifteen! And I'm sixteen...wouldn't that be odd?"
"With that boy there's nothing he wouldn't do. Go on now."
I nod, before hurrying up the stairs to Alec's bedroom.
I knock on the door, hearing some footsteps.
"Coming!"
The door opens, and he smiles at me.
"Hi, Stella!"
"Hey, Alec!"
I squish him in a hug and he pats my back, looking at me in confusion when I start laughing.
"Why are you laughing...?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just so funny that you do that whenever someone tries to hug you."
Alec frowns slightly.
"Is that weird?"
"No, no. You just don't like hugs! That's okay! Here,"
I stand on my tip toes, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"There. Better?"
His cheeks flush red.
"Yeah...? Thank you?"
"No problem, big guy."
I step inside of his room and he shuts the door, watching as I sit on the corner of his bed.
"Don't just stand there, silly! Come!"
He sits next to me and I rub his arm, smiling.
"You're too cute. You're all confident until I show up in person."
"You'd understand if you were me, Stella. It's not as easy at it looks to talk to someone so—"
"Cute? Hot? Sexy? Stimulating?"
He pauses before responding.
"All of the above. I'd be lying if I said otherwise."
I sit there for a moment, before laying in his lap.
"Anyone ever tell you that you have really nice eyes?"
Alec gives me a look.
"I mean...no? People say my eyes look like shit if that counts."
"No...more like creamy milk chocolate if you get what I'm saying? Also a tint of honey...with a few red specks. They're more auburn then anything."
"Really? I only see dark brown. I will probably get colored contacts...I hate them."
I stare up at him.
"No! I like them! They're pretty. Silver eyes aren't really my thing."
"Better than brown, Stella."
I release a breath, closing my eyes.
"Wanna give me a massage?"
"A massage? Stella, I don't know how to do a massage."
I grin, opening my eyes to give him a sky look.
"Remember what I said about your hands? How I really love them? I want to know what they'd feel like on my skin."
*******
(MYRA'S POV)
I hold out my hand, with both threads in it.
"Just take them!"
"You made the right decision, girlie."
He takes both threads, handing me a blue one I assume is Aiden's.
Thanatos grabs Alec by the hair, grinning when he struggles to get his hands off him.
"You're coming with me, my weakling son. Couldn't handle even a little pain? Maybe a stay with me will make you stronger. And have a higher pain tolerance."
He disappears into thin air with Alec, and my wide eyes move to Aiden who's now sobbing on the floor.
Goddamnit.
"Why didn't you just let him take me?! Kill me?! Who knows what he'll do to him?!"
Along with the other girls, we drop down to her level.
"Hey, listen, Aiden, he's really strong."
Stella says, rubbing her back.
"It'd be worse if he took you, Aiden, you don't know how to defend yourself yet."
Mal adds on, and I grimace.
"I have a plan, alright? I wouldn't just give the boy up without one. Channeling my energy will allow me to track the boy's location, but it isn't that simple when I don't have any DNA or objects from him."
Ryder runs her neck self consciously before looking at me.
"I'm one of the Fates. If I can get in contact with Carden or Hazel we'll be able to easily find his location. I just don't know where the hell any of them are."
I look back at Aiden.
"They couldn't have gone far. Or they could've. If he doesn't escape on his own we will be able to find him...I just have this nagging feeling he's back in his home."
"His home?!"
Aiden gives me a look and I sigh.
"His home back on earth. The home where he was turned into a shapeshifter."
*********
(HAZEL'S POV)
I rub my arms, looking up at him.
"It's freezing!"
"That's the fifteenth time you've said that, Hazel! Do you think I don't know by now?!"
I glare at him.
"Shut the hell up you fucking oven! No one just produces heat from fucking nowhere like you do!"
Alaric rolls his eyes.
"Just deal with it."
I grumble something under my breath before hugging my arms across my chest for warmth.
After around five minutes of walking I get smacked in the face by something, letting out a yelp.
"What the hell?!"
I look down to see a sweatshirt, looking back up to see—holy shitsticks.
Alaric, yes. Shirt, no.
Alaric with no shirt.
Sweet baby Jesus I'm going to act up.
I snap my attention away, smiling.
"Thank you, ab—Alaric!"
He gives me an odd look.
"Did you just say ab, Hazel?"
"I...umm...no? You didn't hear anything. I wasn't ogling your very prominent v-line and abs. You were imagining things."
Alaric raises an eyebrow before grinning.
"You weren't? Oh what a shame...you're really missing out on some delicious—"
"Okay! I was staring at your damn muscles! Happy?!"
"Very."
I pull on his sweatshirt, letting out a sigh of relief.
"I think there's a heater in this thing...it's so warm."
I look down at it before back at him.
"You're cute."
Alaric snaps his head towards me.
"What?!"
"Uhh...nothing! Nothing! I said nothing!"
I look away, whacking my own head.
Idiot! Fucking idiot!
Alaric stops walking and I run straight into him, making both of us fly forward and into the dirt.
"Ow!"
"Eek! Sorry! I didn't realize you stopped...I wasn't paying attention!"
I lift up my head, staring down at him.
"Woah, well...this is awkward."
Alaric looks at me on top of him before grinning.
"How do I know you didn't fake that fall, Hazel? Maybe you wanted to feel my abs and this was the only way you could think of."
I look away, scared at his widening grin before standing up off him, brushing myself off.
Alaric stands up too, grimacing.
"You okay?"
"Yeah I think so...wanna tell me if there's anything on my back?"
He turns around, and I try not to get distracted by the overwhelming amount of damn muscles before seeing a bleeding spot on his back.
"Shit! I'm sorry!"
I look down at the large rock on the ground, before back at him.
"You didn't feel that?"
"Feel what?"
"That huge rock? You're bleeding."
"Well I didn't, but thanks for the info, babe."
I reach up, plucking a twig from his hair.
"You had a stick in your hair."
"Of course I did."
Alaric reaches his hand back, healing the wound before looking back at me with a smile.
"I just stopped because I found the entrance to the werewolves' base."
He motions in format of him, and I look over to see the small village, and the bluish force field keeping it shut.
********
(CARDEN'S POV)
"Convert me?! What?!"
A female with pure gold eyes giggles.
"Yes, convert you to one of us! A shapeshifter..."
"Oh no, I don't—"
"Shhh..."
I let out an inaudible squeak when I feel someone's finger run down my lips, then a chain looping around my neck and dragging me backwards.
I choke, coughing when the person lets it go.
"We know you need it...you need power, dearie."
I back into the corner, only to run into a male with razor sharp teeth and pure black eyes.
"Don't be scared, darling."
I hear another giggle, snapping my head around to see a dark haired girl.
"It'll just sting a little..."
I look around frantically, seeing eyes everywhere.
"Please don't hurt me!"
"We just need a little blood...a little sacrifice."
I feel someone grab me by the hair, dragging me backwards.
I start screaming when two hold me down, and another slices my shirt down the middle with a knife.
"We just need to carve something in your nice, soft flesh, sweetheart."
I start flailing, screeching.
"Let me go! Help! Help!"
They start laughing before the male drags the knife deep in my stomach, creating a large, blood dripping X.
My heart thumps in my chest when the pain continues to get worse, and someone's finger drags across the wound, making it burn even more.
"Blood...delicious. Almost as good as flesh."
He begins to carve letters into each section.
D, S, I, and R.
I continue sobbing, as they start to take syringes of my blood.
One by one.
"Sorry for hurting you, darling...we need to finish the blood sacrifice to His Majesty."
I jump when I hear the door open, getting sliced again across my chest.
I let out a scream, hearing footsteps.
"You six! Get away from her!"
I hear four gunshots, and the creatures run away when someone comes over, bending over me.
My eyes begin to drift shut, and the person grabs my face.
"Hey, you'll be alright, dearie, I'm Adrienne and I'll help you, just what's your name?! Tell me your name!"
Through my blurry vision my eyes snap on a woman, with light mint green hair and pale blue eyes.
"C-Carden..."
"Don't worry, Carden. You'll be okay. That excuse of a man will regret throwing you in here."
********
(ALTHEA'S POV)
I get thrown in a dungeon with Pandora, my back hitting the cold stone, hard.
"Ouch!"
Pandora lets out a yelp, and we both flinch when the door slams shut.
"You two will regret this! You will! In fact, I'm going to kill your asses now! I—"
We both jump when we hear a sickening thud, looking up to see Hazel standing there, wide eyed, with a wooden plank in her hands.
"Uhh...did I kill him?!"
We hear a sonorous male voice echoing down the stairwell.
"Hazel?! Is that you I hear?! What the hell happened down there! I told you I found the—"
"I found Althea and Pandora!"
"What?!"
We here more footsteps and someone peaks their head in.
"Alaric?! Hazel?! What the hell?!"
Pandora's eyes switch between the both of them, him shirtless and her in his shirt.
"Is there something we should know...?"
"Not important, Dora!"
I smack her head, and Pandora grumbles underneath her breath.
Alaric looks down at Dax's body, before back at us.
"Good job. It'll make it easier to get this little shit's blood."
"Blood?"
My face pales as Alaric bends down to grabs Dax's body, dragging it by the feet.
"Wait! Alaric! Help me get them out!"
Alaric drops Dax's body, walking back over to us.
"Alright then."
He snaps the bars, smiling at Hazel.
"There you go, hazelnut."
She stares at him as he effortlessly drags his body up the stairs, looking back at us.
"He didn't hurt you right?! That guy?!"
"No, no. He didn't hurt us. He was going to though. But how in hell did you guys find us?! And get in here?"
Hazel opens her mouth to say something when we hear a yell, and a howl.
"Hold that thought."
Hazel reaches through the bars, grabbing my hand before grabbing Pandora's, pulling us both out.
"You guys good?!"
Pandora and I nod.
"Yeah."
"Okay. Come on!"
We follow her out of the dungeon, running up the flight of stairs and into the open to see—oh fuck.
Alaric is standing there, dagger in hand with a whole ass group of angry wolves.
Hazel gasps.
"Fuck. Alaric?! You good?!"
He flicks his eyes over to us, nodding.
"I'll be fine. I'm manly enough to handle a group of puppies."
We hear a growl and cringe when we hear a chomp.
"Ow, fuck! This rabid, mutant thing bit my fucking leg!"
Alaric kicks it with his other leg, watching as the wolf goes flying.
"Weak ass bitch."
Pandora let's put a scream, and me and Hazel turn around to see her getting dragged backwards by a really chunky one.
I throw a ball of magic at it, watching as it flies back with a thud.
"Pandora?! You okay?!"
"Fine! But I don't think Alaric is."
We all turn around to see him getting attacked by the wolves, each one trying to bite him.
"Oh gosh."
Hazel runs forward, throwing out her hands and watching in terror as all the wolves get lifted up with black magic, getting thrown into the houses.
She drops her hands, staring at all of us.
"What. The fuck. Did I. Just. Do?!"
Pandora throws a pebble at one of them, turning her head around.
"Like I would know, you magical witch bitch!"
Hazel's eye twitches before she looks down at Alaric.
"Hey. Alec's twin brother? You good?"
"I have a name other than Alec's twin brother, Aiden's older sister. And I'm fine. Those fungus looking dogs didn't do too much harm."
She looks at the blood on his face.
"Yeah right. Do we need to go over there and get their blood?"
"I think it's only necessary we get the leader's, which I already did."
He holds up a container with a large grin before coughing out blood next to him.
"Don't mind that. Now...before those mutant chihuahuas wake up...we should go."
Me, Hazel, and Pandora nod.
"Agreed."
*******
After trekking through the forest some more, with Alaric leaving a trail of blood behind him, we stop.
Hazel looks at him with concern.
"Alaric?! You okay?"
"Fine."
I grimace.
"You're bleeding everywhere."
He turns his head over his shoulder, grinning.
We all grimace at the paleness of his face.
"Althea, my little princess? You're imagining things."
Pandora crosses her arms across her chest.
"Yeah. She's imagining that you're leaving my period behind you. Seriously. You're bleeding everywhere. Before long we're going to get hinted out by some—"
Pandora stops mid sentence when we hear a feminine giggle, and then a growl.
"Look what we have here?"
We all snap our heads around to see a man and a woman, both with tails.
I grimace.
"Coyotes."
"Ooh! Someone knows who we are! Well...I'm Sakura, and this is my lovely brother Kai. We happen to like to eat people...and your friends blood smells really tasty right now."
*******
(AIDEN'S POV)
"How do we get back there?! We're in the Twilight Zone."
Myra nods at me.
"I'm a native of here so I can easily get in and out. You guys'll just come with me."
"Okay..."
We all stand up, and Davina sighs.
"We're really going back to earth?! I haven't been on earth in at least a decade."
"I haven't been on earth ever. Only when I was first born."
Myra says, motioning we come closer.
"We're all going to have to hold hands so we can teleport. This will take a lot of my energy since I'm teleporting use straight to his home. And that's way over a million miles above us. Ready?"
We all join together, and nod.
"Ready."
Myra teleports us, and when I blink we're in front of an abandoned looking home.
Ryan grimaces.
"It looks like no one's been here in ages. I miss this house, honestly. I lived here with Alec and his family for a while after my parents dumped me."
Mal frowns.
"Poor baby."
Ryan kisses Mal's cheek.
"Love you."
"Love you too."
Ryder grins.
"You two are really cute, but at the moment we have a whole ass man to save. Any idea where he could've gone?!"
Myra shakes her head solemnly, as does the rest of us when Stella jumps.
"I think I might know something! I remember a few years ago, I was talking to Thanatos, he told me of a bunker he and Alec sometimes went to for gun training. Do you think by any chance they'd be there?!"
Davina shrugs.
"It's a reasonable possibility. We should go check it out."
We all nod, running towards the looming forest.
Here we go again.
******
After we're a good five minutes into the forest, we start to hear noises.
Unsettling noises.
Screaming. Laughing. Thuds.
And whispers.
I don't like it.
"Why is this so fucking creepy?"
Mal grimaces.
"I have no idea. But I can't be the only one who keeps hearing someone whisper "barn" in my right ear. There's no fucking barn in the middle of the forest!"
Stella shakes her head.
"I don't know. Maybe we went the wrong way?! It's just getting less and less familiar."
"What other way could we have gone?! Back to the house?!" Ryan sighs. "This is completely and utterly useless."
Myra looks exhausted.
"Well, we aren't getting anywhere fussing like this. Maybe—"
"You ladies need some help?"
We all snap our heads around to see a man leaning against the tree, black hair, chocolate skin, and the most mesmerizing emerald and brown eyes.
"My name's Oakley, you young women seem to be lost."
He grins, and we frown slightly.
"We do need help, but I don't think you'll be able to help us."
"Trust me, I will."
His eyes spark and we all stare at him.
"Mind control..."
Davina whispers quietly, and we all gaze blankly in his eyes.
"I'd love to help you, all you have to do is hand me the girl."
Stella looks disoriented as she tries to get out words.
"The...girl...what girl?!"
"The one right next to you."
She looks to her right at Ryan, and the man chuckles.
"No, silly. To your left."
Stella looks at me then back at him.
"But...Aiden?! Why Aiden?!"
"I need her...and you're going to give her to me."
"Give...you...Aiden?"
"Yes. Give me Aiden."
Mal tries to move to grab my hand but Stella's sluggish hands take me first, dragging me over to Oakley.
"Wait! Wait! Stop! Stella?!"
"Give him Aiden."
She whispers softly, and Oakley reaches out to take me, grinning.
"You're friend is underground. Good luck, ladies."
They all look in fear and my heart drops.
"Wait?! What?!"
Oakley disappears with me, and Stella falls forward onto her knees.
"Huh...? What...what happened?!"
"You were just hypnotized?! And you just have Aiden to some random ass man!"
********
(ALEC'S POV)
My eyes shoot open to feel something hot burn my cheek, letting out a grunt.
I look up to see my father, with a cigarette but against my face.
Burning it.
"Ow, what the fuck?!"
I jerk my head away, and Thanatos grins.
"It's about time you woke up, son. How are you feeling?"
I give him a look.
"And you're asking why...?"
"No reason."
I look down, grimacing at the large cut marks in my stomach.
"What the hell did you do?"
"I didn't do it! Rowan did!"
"Ro—you have Rowan?!"
"She's my little slave girl. Rowan?!"
I hear light footsteps and see the same blue haired girl come in, frowning.
"I'm sorry..."
She mouths, and he smiles at her.
"I'm sure you loved to cut him up, didn't ya, darling? And besides, the boy needs to experience some pain. He got lucky because of the damn immortality."
Rowan sighs.
"It wasn't a choice, Alec. I didn't want to hurt you, I—"
"Shut up, little girl!"
Thanatos slaps Rowan and her head goes to the side a little, and she grimaces.
"Sorry. I'll uh...I'll go get the other stuff ready."
She disappears out the door and I glare at him.
"Oh, so now is this an abuse women fest?! That was uncalled for."
"Since when did you have sympathy for women?"
I roll my eyes.
"Since I learned how to be a decent fucking human being, Thanatos."
Thanatos cocks his head to the side.
"You are a disappointment, Alec Jay Walker. I raised you to be a strong man, not a weak little bitch."
"Weak or not, Thanatos, at least I'm not a damn monster."
Thanatos appears in front of me, gripping my chin.
"Hah! A monster, Alec?! I'm not any less than you are! You know you're like me, deep down inside that quaking little black heart of yours. It's filled with darkness, it's filled with anger, not live. You can't live that emo bitch if you tried! You're lucky I didn't actually give the wolf Aiden's real life thread."
My eyes widen as he holds a thread, a pure white one, grinning.
"This is her real life thread. And if you don't do exactly as I say, this piece of shit is burning along with your chopped up body!"
********