Raised By Wolves ✔

Nineteen

Zarriah had sent one of her maids up to the attic to look for the book, giving her a detailed description of the book's cover and strict instructions not to open any of the books at all costs.

"I don't want the poor girl to burst into flames." She had laughed, while the maid looked terrified.

We had been here for an hour and a half and the maid still hadn't returned. Zarriah forced Julius to make frequent trips to the attic to check on her progress. He kept saying the same thing: "She hasn't even made it halfway through all that junk."

I was quickly discovering that Tiberius and his siblings seemed so different yet were quite similar. Tiberius was sweet natured and wasn't quick to lose his temper. Zarriah was pretty much the same as Tiberius except she was blunt and this air about her that just demanded your time and attention. Julius was rude and abrasive, vastly different from his brother and sister, and he was a bit of a hot head. Zarriah had said that it was just his way of showing he cared. Tiberius had told her she was full of it.

Zarriah had served us lunch in the dining room that was decorated like the living room. White walls, a scattering of paintings and potted plants, and a few family photos hung together in a collage-like placement. She had made small talk with us and caught up with Tiberius. During all of this, she had been glancing at me, studying me for a few seconds and then flicking her eyes away. Tiberius was watching her too, his eyes moving with hers every time she looked at me. He breathed in then out, sighing heavily.

"Out with it, Zarriah," Tiberius ordered.

Zarriah opened her mouth to speak but Tiberius cut her off.

"If you have something to say, then just say it." He continued. "And don't say it's nothing."

Zarriah sighed as well, reaching up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, Ti."

"Sorry?" He asked, confused. "What could you possibly be sorry for?"

Zarriah looked up at Tiberius, a sad look in her pale eyes. "After Father died I suppose I closed myself off a bit. I'm not ashamed to admit that even though I appeared to be dealing with it fine on the outside, I wasn't handling it. It didn't get any easier when Julius finally came home. I was so angry with him for leaving and skipping the funeral. I know you've noticed how different he's been. He's angrier than he's ever been before. And he took it out in you. Never me, just you. Maybe it's because you look like him the most. I'm not sure.

"The point is when neither of us felt up to attending that emergency conference with the five families and you stepped up to the plate, you chose to represent us on your own, it woke me up. I had abandoned all of my duties to this family and left you to take up the slack when Julius wouldn't. I also didn't believe anything you told me about the meeting. You told me all about the Angel Blood prophecy and wrote it off as a hoax. I was so hard on you for months afterwards, I wouldn't take anything you said seriously."

Zarriah paused for a moment, bowing her head. She was clenching her fists and taking deep breaths. Tiberius furrowed his brows and reached out a hand to gently unfurl her fingers. He took her hand and rubbed small circles on the back with his thumb. She looked up at him slowly, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I should have believed you." She continued, her voice breaking slightly. "Cassiel is living proof that it's all true even though your word should have been enough."

Zarriah stopped for a minute, letting out a quiet sob and a couple tears. She quickly collected herself before going on.

"And Lydia." Zarriah whimpered. "I'm so sorry Ti. If I had have known what happened between the two of you, I would have contacted you sooner. She was the love of your bloody life and then...then..."

"Is."

Everyone's heads snapped around to see Julius leaning against the doorframe, staring sadly at the floor.

"You want to repeat that." Tiberius leered.

"Lydia is still the love of your life," Julius stated. "Not was."

Tiberius stared at his older brother, uncertain as to whether or not he was being genuine. Fabian and Sage flicked their eyes between the two brothers, unsure of who would speak first. Zarriah had zoned out, staring at the hand that was still gently holding on to hers.

My head suddenly began to pound, my vision blurring. I quickly stood up, pushing my chair away with a loud scraping noise. Black edged its way into my peripheral vision and quickly receded, only to come back seconds later. My limbs felt heavy and I was struggling to keep myself upright.

There was a loud ringing in my ears that drowned out all of the noise around me. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor on my side. I felt hands on my body as I was rolled onto my back. Sage appeared in front of me, worry painted all over his face. He looked like he was shouting at someone as my vision blurred until I couldn't see anything.

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Dark and cold. Those were the only words that could describe the room I was in. I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position, the ache in my head still pounding away. There was a faint light coming from a half-closed door set in the wall furthest from me. I slowly stood up, cradling my head in my hands to help protect it from sudden movements.

I slowly shuffled towards the door, only one hand holding my head now. I could hear faint voices coming from the room behind the door. I paused outside of the door, hesitant to push it open. I was scared of what I would see on the other side.

I didn't want to see anyone I knew on the other side. I didn't want to see Tiberius or Fabian all bloody and bruised. I didn't want to see James, Anna or any of the other pack members strapped to a table with their insides on the outside. I didn't want to see Sage dead on the floor, drowning in a pool of his own blood.

I dismissed all of those thoughts, pushing them to the back of my mind. I gently pushed the door open, its hinges creaking with old age as it slowly swung open. A scream of pain erupted from inside as the door hit the wall behind it. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened.

Blood. So much blood.

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Hey guys, gals and fridges!

I know, I know, I was supposed to update in Monday but truth be told writer's block is a fucking bitch. But I still updated this week so bonus!

Anyways, thank you so much for 837 reads and 144 votes! It really does mean a lot!

Thanks for wasting your time on me!

~Daxton🌈