New Breeds

Riley

I clumbered after my sister, anger bubbling under my skin. Don't get me wrong, I loved pops, but god damn it, he could over step. I made it upstairs, hearing her rush into her den. I let out an exasperated sigh, quickly going after her.

The door creak in protest of being opened so slowly, there was no need for me to do such, but it was a weird sign of respect.
"Ria?" I slipped in, leaning back on the door to close it.
Maria's room was dark with the departing winter light, a desk to one side, and a dresser in front of the closet on the other. Her bag hung off the door, though I have no idea how it got up here. There was no bed, Ria didn't seem to use one, so it wasn't needed. Instead there was an unholy amount of cushions and pillows of all sizes stroon in some chaotic order, with a crochet blanket and her favourite pillows set in the deep windowsill, where Maria was curled in a tight, childish ball. 
It took some effort to stumble over the mind field of cushions, sliding up to the window across from her. She was cradling her neck with one hand, the other wrapped around her face as she stared out the window. Her usual fiery autumn eyes were dull, lost in her own thoughts.

I leaned forward, laying a soft hand on her forearm, "Ria?" She didn't acknowledge me. This was normal when Maria was like this, feeling ashamed and changrid. I gently reached for her other hand, coaxing it away so I could survey the damage. The small scratches had already healed over, but the area was still red and angry.

"Oh, Ria.." I cooed, pulling her towards me. She was resistance at first, but soon succumbed to her inait need, leaning against me, desperately fighting down sobs.
"It's ok." I murmured, beginning to whisper sweet nothings.

"I, I- I just." The small thing fought to both keep herself together and translate her whirlwind of emotions. "I tought I-I, I c-co-ould he-help." She pulled herself closer into me, choking back dry sobs and whimpers.

I couldn't hold back my laugh, "You thought your could help by challenging another alpha?"

"Hindi!" Maria's eyes were big and pup like, hurt by my accusations; those being telephoned to me by Felix.
"I, I set up ng meeting!" -She pulled herself up to my eye level.- "S-so, so we can pigure out d-da terrain. To oboid pight!" I pulled her down-, both literally and emotionally, holding her close to me.
"And pops didn't believe you?"
She nodded, nuzzling into my chest like a small child.  

But she was still a child,- just not a small one, age wise at least, but she was too small for her age.
One of the many issues with our family -not that I kept a list or anything- was Maria.

~
Though they would never admit it, Thomas especially,  we couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear when she entered the room. It wasn't because she was our alpha, her in-concealable air of regality and ruthless authority didn't come from that. Yes, Maria had been an alpha for as long as I can remember, but she hardly acted on it beyond trying to keep order- as she was taught to do.  No, that eerie sense came from what she was.

Sigbin are vamperic, a primal breed made of litteral shadows and hunger. There was nothing romantic about vampires, she laps up people's literal life blood like a cat to milk.

Back in germany there's a small cave. It was a crack in a bunch of rocks on the river bank, split open by a great elm. It was our secret hideout when we were kids, having too small an opening for Tino or pops to fit through.
When I was eleven, Mathias and I were playing hide and seek. I went to the hideout to find if Maria wanted to play, only to find a stranger's dying corps.
He was bloodied and horribly mangled, claw marks and gouges left mince of flesh that printed through his clothes, bruises watercolouring the skin beneath the coating of grime and blood.
And his heart beat... My god, the guys heart beat.
It was inconsistent and fading.

His chest then renched, fresh blood sputtering from the tear in his neck, still too weak to open his eyes. How had he not died from his wounds or drowned in his own blood? Even at eleven I knew he should have died already, I was horrified. The sign of life broke my frozen state, and I ran back to the house in hysterics. It took Xander almost an hour to calm me enough to get a coherent sentence out of me, I was so shaken and shaking.

I don't know how the guy got through the cave's small opening, or how pops got him out, but I knew one thing;
Maria had put him there and was using him as a throl.

I've hardly forgiven myself for telling our pops, Maria's punishment lasted and repeated for days. Being the alpha she had to have known that I had been the snitch. Even so, she didn't care, she was a nine year old who'd been through hell and just needed a hug.
And to this day, I will never, ever forgive myself for being to scared to give it to her.

As I said before, our alpha terrified us without even trying. It was wholly irrational and wholly damaging.
~

I smoothed her hair, syncing our breathing in an effort to calm her. Long moments passed with Ria resigning to playing with my hair, pulling softly at the springy coils.
"You finished sulking yet?" I jostled her China doll form.

She sighed, nodding and pushing off my chest, cold air rushing in her absence. The dark girl rubbed her eyes, the childish scene shattered as she visibly steeled herself. Back straight, eyes dulled, chin raised.

There was a knock at the door. "You girls ready to leave?" Pops' sun sweet voice filled the dark room like a
Fog light.

I looked to Ria, she adjusted her shirt and nodded, offering me a hand as she made for the door.