The Darkness

Chapter 9

Tania took a deep breath, before walking into the shed. Dad was inside, working on a project. "Dad?"

Dad turned and looked at her, wiping the grease off his hands. "Yes, my dear?"

Tania hooked her hands together twisting them nervously. "Well, you see I, um..., I need you to trust me about something, and-"

"Tania, enough with the stuttering and rambling, just tell me," Dad interrupted.

Tania nodded, "Ok well somethings coming Dad, I can feel it! I mean with my scars acting up, and then getting attacked by those wolverines, that's not a coincidence!" Tania finished breathlessly.

Dad stared at her for a moment. "Oh, Tania, I- you- I'm sorry."

Flustered Tania shook her head, in confusion. "What?! Why?!"

"I know you think I don't care for you like you were my own daughter, and I wish I could've been a better parent to you." Dad told her, shaking his head. "I wish you weren't so hesitant around me, like you were telling me what you just said."

"Dad where is this coming from?" Tania asked, nervous energy making her voice shake.

Dad sighed, "Part of the pack wants to go to war with the vampires," Dad held his hand up when Tania tried to object, "don't worry I said no, but that's when Jonathan declared a fight for leadership."

"Dad!" Tania breathed out on shock.

Dad shook his head, and looked down. "That's not what got me all worked up. The terms are that if he wins, he becomes pack leader of course, we go to war with the Vamps, a-and he marries you."

Tania felt her world slipping out from under her. Jonathan had always been cruel to her, teasing her about being a human. If Jonathan married her, she wouldn't be his wife, she would be his slave.

"Tania, baby, say something." Dad's voice dragged her out of her numbed state.

"I pray you win, not only for my sake, but for your own too." Tania said, vaguely. Her shock seemed to make her voice echo in her mind.

Dad let out a breath and walked toward Tania, wrapping her in a hug. Tania buried her face into his shoulder. Breathing in his familiar smell, of sweat, wind, and grass.
~•~•~•~
Susan giggled and ran away from Jay, she had been living with the werewolves for little over a year now.

Jay laughed and chased after her, purposely running slower so Susan could run from him.

"I'm gunna get you Sue!" Jay shouted, smiling when Susan shrieked and tried to run faster.

While Susan ran she tried to look behind her, trying to watch Jay. She suddenly ran into something hard. "Oof!" Susan fell hard on her butt.

She looked up to see Dad standing above her. "Oops! Sorry Daddy!"

Dad looked down at her, rolling his eyes. He never really responded when she called him Dad. "Just watch where your going!" He growled.

Jay had stopped a foot away, watching the encounter with wide eyes. Dad slowly walked away, Jay waited until Dad turned to corner, before helping Susan up.

Susan pouted, crossing her arms. Tears started leaking down her face. "Why doesn't he like me, Jay?"

Jay wiped his sisters tears away. "Don't worry about it, Sue, there's no reason to cry."

Susan sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Right, warriors don't cry."

"That's right! And what are going to be?"

"Warriors," Susan answered, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Come on, I want to show you something," Jay said, holding out his hand for her.

She held his hand, as they ran into the streets and over to a small crowd that was gathering.

An older women was in the middle of the crowd. "The story I'm telling you today is one of our history. The history of all Darkened," The older woman began.

"Our story is that werewolves had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. The first werewolf had been created by the Dragons, along with all other Darkened, like vampires, shape-shifters, etc."

"Life was good on our planet, our species all got along, there were no wars, no fighting, no dividing. Werewolves and vampires lived peacefully under one leader, the king dragon, Baltizar."

"Now Baltizar had many children, and one of those children, Scaldar decided to go against his fathers wishes and create a new species, humans. Knowing his father would hate them, he spread them all over the universe, on as many different livable planets possible."

"Baltizar was deeply angered by this defiant act from his son, so he banded him from Mountain Glorious," She continued.

"For a while we still lived peacefully, but one day a human crossed into our land. In a confrontation from a vampire the human had ended up being killed."

"In response, the humans retaliated, killing hundreds and hundreds of Darkened. It became so bad that the dragons decided to move us to a different planet."

"That was our first falling." The old women finished the back story.

"After every falling, we live waiting for humans to overcome their fears, and enter The Darkness. Once they do, enter our territory, they start killing us all." All the people who gathered grumbled and parents all glanced at each other, then looked protectively at the children.

Susan looked down at her hands, she was a human. She was confused, why would humans want to hurt her family? Her pack?

"Susan, are you ok?" Jay asked behind her.

She turned around, looking at Jay. "Don't call me that?!" She snapped before running away.

"Susan?!" Jay's voice called trailing behind her.

Susan continued running before turning and hiding behind a corner. Susan sat on the ground, tears burning her eyes.

"Susan?! Come on, Sue!" Jays voice called to her.

She must of sniffled or something, because he found her pretty quickly.

"Susan! You can't run away from me like that?! Don't you know what Mom would do to me?!" Jay told her exasperated.

Susan wiped her face. "I-I know, I'm sorry."

Jay sighed and crouched down in front of her. "Well, I'm sorry too. I didn't know Madam Sarah would be so harsh against humans. Normally she just tells stories."

Susan sniffled, shaking her head. "I-It's ok, just, I don't want to be a human, or have anything to do with them."

"Sus-"

"Like my name! I don't want it! Why should I have a name that my human parents, who abandon me, gave to me!" She exclaimed.

"But it's your name? What else are we supposed to call you?" Jay asked confused.

"I don't know, maybe Mom and Dad could name me again?!" Susan asked.

Jay hesitated, before nodding his head. "Yeah, ok, let's go."