Demon's Genesis

Chapter 5

"What?! I..." my breathing hitched. "I—I was born half dead?"

    "Yes, you were, Lloyd."

I stood up, unease crawling through my pelt like ants, making me shudder. I felt suddenly dizzy as his words echoed around my head, blocking out any other thoughts. Confusion and disbelief suddenly slammed into my chest with such impact I stumbled, nearly losing my balance.

I was born half dead. Half dead. I could have died. I couldn't have if it hadn't been for.. Wait...

"How did I survive? If I lived, then why did my sister die? What if she was the one meant to live? How did she die?" Questions gushed from my mouth so fast I barely had time to catch my breath before Pa gently closed his jaws around the still lose skin on my neck and pulled me towards him, holding me close to his chest. Even though I was nearly half the size of him, I still felt as vulnerable as a newborn kit. He hushed me and gave my head a few short licks.

Stop being so overdramatic! An angry voice in my head told me. You're only embarrassing yourself, you stupid idiot!

I ignored the voice and instead buried my nose into my father's fur. All of my worries suddenly crashed onto me like waves in a storm, flooding my senses so I could barely breathe. I only felt one emotion, overwhelming fear, fear that I wasn't good enough, fear of what was happening with my relationship with Kai, fear for my mother and father's relationship, fear for the future.

"Don't say that, Lloyd. I saved you because I knew you were the strongest. I knew you were the one which would push through. You're a little brave warrior, and you've never been afraid to defend yourself—even if you can be a bit snappy."

"Some warrior I am," I scrunched up my muzzle in distaste. "Hiding in your fur at this age."

    Pa purred in amusement. "You'll never be too old for that. At least, in my eyes."

We stayed like that for what seemed like days. I felt myself calm back down as I listened to the soothing thrumming of his heart, and the deep rhythmic sound of his breathing. His fur still smelt of dust and grit—it would always be comforting to me, in a strange sort of way.

"Well after the three of you were born, I realised that you and your sister weren't breathing. So I had to make a choice—" his breathing was shaky, as if the mere memory terrified him. "I—I had to choose which kit to try to save: you, or your sister." He rested his muzzle on my forehead. "I chose you."

My insides felt warm and fuzzy and in that single moment, I felt all the love of a kind hearted father soak into my fur like gentle rain.

I heard a quiet rustling and opened my eye just a crack to see Kai standing at the entrance of the log, his fur stuck out at all angles causing him to look like he had just been electrocuted.

We made eye contact and although he had just woken up and looked like a complete mess, his eyes were burning with an angry amber flame.

Confusion clouded my mind as he tore his gaze away and stormed across the clearing.

Geez someone got up on the wrong side of the nest.

We made eye contact again and his gaze hardened before shoving himself through the foliage. My eyebrows furrowed, why was he so upset? Has he had a nightmare? Did he want me for something?

"I took you outside and tried everything I could—" Pa's voice snapped my attention back to him and all the worries and confusion about Kai vanished "—I scooped all the gunk out of your throat and tried to get you to cough up the fluid in your lungs. But you didn't respond."