Chapter 10

(3rd Person POV)

Two horse sized wolves crashed into the moonlit clearing, one a sandy color with black undertones and the other a chestnut color.

They both started to shake viciously as their bodies shrunk and their fur receded to reveal sweat slicked human flesh.

"What the hell was that Wick?!"

The male raked his hands through his shaggy blonde hair as he started to pace around naked as the day he was born.

"Echo, I think we imprinted on two of them. Wells and Finn will kill us when they find out."

Echo let out an annoyed groan as she plopped her naked ass on a fallen tree nearby.

"What are we going to do? Has a shifter ever even imprinted on a parasite before?"

Wick immediately rounded on her.

"Don't call them that! We are mated to two of them Echo. We can't call them that…"

Echo was silent for a few beats as she watched Wick continue to pace.

"Pacing isn't gonna solve anything idiot. What the hell are we gonna do about this?! We can't go back to the den like this, Finn is already suspicious. He picked up on the shift in our scent. It will only be a matter of time before the other's pick it up as well."

Wick knew she was right, a wolf's scent immediately changes after they imprint on their mates almost like they finally hit maturity. No longer pups, ready to breed and be bred.

"Can vampires even have pups?" he asked Echo sadly.

She shrugged and got up off the tree she was occupying.

"I don't know but I wasn't planning on having pups anyway, so it makes no difference to me."

She started to walk off in the direction of the pond they liked to frequent on full moons. It had been their place ever since they were kids well before their first change and while they were still living in the local foster home.

"I guess I never really wanted any either. Would have been nice to have the option though."

Echo glanced over her shoulder at her idiot best friend before shaking her head and continuing down the path that would open up to the pond.

"You haven't even really met her yet and you're already griping about your missed opportunity to knock her up?"

Wick sighed almost dreamily.

"She was beautiful though wasn't she? I bet we would have made gorgeous pups, whole litters of them."

Echo reached back and pushed him into some nearby bushes before laughing and carrying on down the path.

Wick popped up beside her only seconds later with leaves and twigs in his messy blonde hair.

"Don't act so unaffected Mrs. Strong Silent Type. Don't think I didn't notice you staring at the mind reader. I'm surprised he didn't get a vampy boner after hearing your thoughts."

Echo pushed him again, but he saw it coming and was able to avoid being deposited in the bushes for a second time.

"Shut up Wick! I wasn't thinking anything dirty." He looked at her skeptically and she blushed brightly under his scrutiny confirming his suspicions.

"Whatever E.T., I'll race you to the water. If I win you have to break the news to Wells that we've imprinted on the enemy, if you win I'll have the honor and the misfortune."

He immediately broke into a sprint in his human form with Echo hot on his trail.

(Lexa's POV)

At around two in the morning the rain started and from the sounds coming through the closed window it didn't seem as if it planned on letting up for a good long while. Clarke remained sound asleep wrapped up in my arms as the thunder and lightning increased in frequency.

During the night she'd rolled over to face me instinctively wrapping her arms around my torso and holding on as if for dear life. In the dark of her bedroom I was able to make out all of her features without difficulty but every time lightning struck her skin almost seemed like it was glowing in the darkness and I felt an intense pull toward her.

I want to be even closer…

Instead of caving to my instincts and inadvertently waking my mate I relaxed my mind in order to enter a meditative state with Heda.

(Meditation Chamber)

Heda: Vassal.

Lexa: How are we to protect her Heda? Did you know our mate would be human?

Heda didn't respond immediately, the chamber remained eerily silent for an indiscernible amount of time.

Heda: We will do what we must. You will do what you must Vassal.

Lexa: We cannot lose her... Callie believes I should start training again…

Heda growled in annoyance at the prospect, having never been a fan of Callie's suppressant training. There was a vicious snarl in her voice when she spoke next.

Heda: She is a fool for trying to suppress your ability. You and the other Berserker Goufa.

Lexa: Maybe it is not such a bad thing, if Octavia and I have our ability under lock and key we cannot unintentionally hurt those we love.

Heda rounded on me immediately and I could feel her hot breath wash over me from the shadows.

Heda: Do not be weak in the head Vassal! Your ability could be the very weapon to use in defending our mate! Do not allow the misguided gentility of your coven delude you into thinking being a pure blooded Berserker is a curse.

Lexa: Do you not remember what happened the last time I lost control?! I massacred an entire village Heda! That cannot happen again, I will not allow it.

I was getting agitated which only increased Heda's agitation. The subject of my Berserker birthright was always a point of contention between us. Heda believing it to be an ability that needs to be fostered and I sided with Callie in being cautious about the way it is handled.

Heda: Weakness will be our downfall and it will risk the life of our mate Vassal.

Lexa: I will find a way.

Heda: You do that. Be sure not to forget my warning. Allow the training but do not suppress the ability, it could prove useful to us.

Heda's presence in the chamber faded slowly into the darkness and the light surrounding me dimmed to a never ending blackness.

(Exit)

Once I was fully conscious again I could feel that Clarke had broken out into a heavy sweat in her sleep. I pulled the covers off of us and lined my body up along her front to aid in cooling her down.

I remained in this position for the next few hours while I waited until it was time to wake her up. The rain outside was falling even harder now, the sound of it beating down on the house accompanied my warring thoughts of Heda's warning.

Yet another thing I have to worry about…

When Clarke's alarm clock went off at 7am I reached over and silenced it before placing light kisses across her furrowed brow as she began to stir.

As soon as her eyes opened she grinned at the sight of me hovering over her until her phone started to ring.

She shifted towards her bedside table to retrieve it and I moved over to the other side of the bed to give her the room to do so.

"Hi Dad, what's up?"

Her voice sounded deep and sleep ridden and I used my vampire hearing to tune into the conversation she was having with her father.

"Hey Princess, looks like you have the day off of school."

Clarke sat up completely in bed before responding.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"Nothing too major, the rain caused a mudslide and took out the road leading to the high school. No one can get in or out of that area until we get it cleared and we can't clear it until the rain stops. Just stay in today, it's horrible out here and it doesn't look like it will be letting up until later today or tomorrow."

As Clarke continued to talk to her father on the phone I got up from the bed and opened the blinds to assess the situation for myself.

It was clear that Jake was correct. The clouds hanging in the sky were heavy and a deep shade of gray bordering on black. Thunder continued to roll in the distance and the rain continued to fall in heavy sheets making visibility for human eyes close to impossible.

As I looked into the trees surrounding the property my enhanced sight picked up movement. Something was moving in the shadows but I couldn't make out exactly what it was.

Before I could investigate any further I felt Clarke slip her arms around my midsection from behind.

"My Dad says I should stay home today."

I turned in her arms and she moved to wrap them around my neck instead as I wrapped my own around her waist and leaned down slightly to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I know, vampire hearing, remember?"

She chuckled at my response.

"Sorry, forgot."

"Nothing to be sorry about. What would you like to do today? I could leave if you need some time to yourself."

She tightened her hold on my neck and pulled me even closer shaking her head in the negative.

"No, can you stay here with me? I want to get to know you better. I have questions if you don't mind answering them."

I pulled her arms away from my neck and tugged her back to the bed as we crawled under the covers again, leaving the blinds open to let in the gray light from outside.

I sat up slightly placing a few pillows behind my back so that my upper body was propped up against her headboard. Clarke curled her body into my side and laid her head on my chest as she looked out her window at the rain.

"What would you like to know ai hodnes?"

She lifted her head slightly and looked at me before responding, "For starters what does that mean and what language is it?"

"Ai hodnes means 'my love' and it is Trigedasleng my human mother tongue. Only myself, Lincoln and Callie know and use it in our coven and Marcus knows enough of it to get by and understand us."

Clarke didn't even bat an eyelash to the term of endearment and Heda preened at this.

"So, you and Lincoln are actual brother and sister, can you tell me a bit about your lives before you were both changed?"

I thought about the few memories that I still have of that life and picked the most prominent and clear one to share with her.

"Of course, I'm an open book to you Clarke. You can always ask me anything."

She smiled and dropped her head into the crook of my neck breathing in my scent. I know her senses aren't strong enough to really pick it up in its entirety but the gesture offered comfort to both Heda and I as I started to share the memory with her.

(3rd Person POV)

**495 years ago – Amazon Rainforest, South America**

"Leksa, get out of the tree... The elders demand your presence in the village."

Linkon paced around the base of the large tree where his stubborn sister had taken up residence for the last five hours.

"It's not all bad. Jodek will make you a good houmon. He is strong and loyal, Father chose well for you."

Leksa pelted him with yet another rock from the high branch she was perched on. She'd been chucking rocks at him since he found her sitting in the great tree two hours prior.

"Come on Le-"

"Shof op Linkon! I will not join with that branwada! You can tell Father and the elders that I choose exile!"

Linkon sighed loudly and ran his hand over his bald head getting progressively more frustrated with his uncooperative sister.

"Why did I have to be the one sent to come find you?" He said this more so to himself as he took a seat at the base of the tree and leaned back against it.

Leksa laughed dryly as she dropped her weight so that she was dangling upside down from the branch above her brother's head her knees hooked onto the tree to keep her in place.

"Because they knew I would have probably killed anyone else they sent?"

It was rhetorical but Linkoln knew that the possibility wasn't much of a stretch considering the scene she made when the announcement of her arranged joining was made.

"I know you don't like it, but you have a duty to our family. This arrangement was made before we were even born."

Leksa huffed in annoyance and dropped from the tree righting her body on the way down so that she landed with a soft thud in a practiced squat.

She plopped down in a seated position in front of her brother and looked up at him with hurt and angered eyes.

"Laik ai nou a Gona? Haven't I proven my worth to Nontu as a defender of the trikru?"

Linkon's shoulders slumped and he sighed in defeat reaching out to grasp one of her sisters shaking and balled up fists.

"Strik gona… You are a better fighter and hunter than almost all of the gonas in our village, but being the daughter of the Chief does not excuse you from your duty to our people."

Leksa violently pulled her hand away from his and stood from the ground.

"What duty to our people involves becoming a breeding maid Linkon?!" She kicked at the soil beneath her feet and let out an irritated growl. "My duty lies in defending our village, protecting our weak, and being a strong leader that our gonas and people can look to, ai souda gonplei!"

Leksa and Linkon didn't notice the other individual that stepped into the clearing they were occupying.

"So it's true then…"

Leksa quickly turned around at the statement and upon seeing who it was she immediately ran over to greet her.

"Kostia!" She had a wide grin on her face as she closed in on the other brunette but that grin quickly dropped when she registered the tears in the girl's eyes.

"Kos, chit ste em?"

As Leksa got closer she could see that the darker girl's eyes were bloodshot and puffy indicating that she'd been crying for quite a while.

"I was in the market this morning when I overheard that you are to be joined to Jodek by the end of the season."

Leksa hung her head and tried to pull Kostia into her arms but she took a step back.

"Kostia, I do not want this. I did not agree to it and I won't agree to it."

Linkon stood from his spot at the bottom of the tree.

"She doesn't have a choice Kos, you know that as well as I do."

Leksa whirled on him again.

"Shof op Linkon!"

She then turned back to Kostia who was once again shedding tears.

"I will fix this. I will find a way Kos, I promise. Just you and me, remember?"

Kostia nodded and finally allowed Leksa to pull her into an embrace.

Linkon watched his sister and the girl he knew she really wanted to be joined with. The two of them have always fit together and he knew that had one of them been born male they would be joined by now.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case, their union would never be accepted by the elders or the people. Leksa and he are the only children of the Trikru Chief and as such they were expected to join young and produce yongon with strong warrior blood.

"We should go back to the village before they send others to find us. We have time to figure all of this out, running is not an option Leksa, gonakru nou run."

(Still Lexa's POV)

**Present Day**

"I remember going back to our village with Lincoln and Costia that night. My father was livid at the disrespect I'd shown to my future houmon and the elders by running out at the announcement. He forbade me from leaving the village on my own leading up to the joining ceremony to be held at the end of the season."

Clarke shifted against me so that she could slowly rearrange herself into a seated position with her legs crossed in front of her.

"What about your mother? Did she support the arranged marriage?"

"From what little I remember of my human life our mother was a gentle soul. She wasn't necessarily subservient to my father, I believe they truly grew to love each other, but for the most part she supported and stood behind his decisions."

Clarke nodded in understanding and reached out to grasp my hand that was resting uselessly on my own thigh, "Did you have a good relationship with them?"

I wish I could remember more about them…

"Lincoln's memories of our human life are much clearer than mine, but from what he's told me we were both loved and our parents took great pride in us. My father allowed me to be trained as a warrior from a young age, which was unheard of for the daughter of a Chief-"

"Women were not allowed to be warriors." Clarke sounded righteously offended.

I chuckled a little at her reaction.

"You have to realize, this was almost 500 years ago and even though Amazonian women held a little more independent social status compared to other places in the world of that time period, highborn women from old bloodlines were still raised to be mothers and nothing more. My people believed that women from old bloodlines gave birth to stronger and fiercer warriors and they depended on us to maintain the strength of our clans. My bloodline just so happened to be the oldest in our clan and in our area and Lincoln would have been our next Chief or I would have been if he died."

"What about Costia? Was she your lover?" Clarke's voice hitched a little on her second question and I quickly looked up to see the subtle signs of jealousy ease its way onto her features.

I smirked and gave her hand a little squeeze causing her to look up at me, "Are you jealous?"

She blushed brightly and shook her head in the negative but I didn't believe her at all.

"Costia was also highborn but her bloodline wasn't as old as ours. To be honest, I'm not really sure if we were lovers or not... I have few solid memories of her, just hazy snippets of her smile, her laugh, me chasing her through the forest when we were young and carefree. Lincoln says we were very close, that we all grew up together and that Costia and I were very rarely seen apart. I know she was very important to me, but I feel like if we were lovers I would have remembered more of her after the change."

Clarke seemed to accept this explanation and I knew what question she would ask next.

"Why does Lincoln remember more about his human life than you do?"

I stood from the bed and walked over to the window to look out at the rain that was still coming down in dense sheets.

"When a vampire turns a human that is not their true mate or one of their potentials it can sometimes compromise the human's brain chemistry and synaptic transmissions. It's rare, but there are times when the human loses most if not all of their human memories. They are little more than ravenous animals when they wake to their immortal lives."

I knew that she would want me to explain further, but I was dreading it.

These are the painful memories…

"Is that what happened to you? Can you tell me about when you were changed?"

The memories surrounding my change and the day after it leading up to Callie and Marcus finding us are the only other memories that I have that are crystal clear. I knew that I would need to hunt before I could reopen those painful wounds.

"I'll tell you what, why don't you get up and get something to eat for breakfast and I'll go hunt really quickly. When I get back we can continue this conversation."

Clarke nodded and we both got up from the bed. I started to put my pants and boots back on as Clarke opened her bedroom window for me and briefly stuck her head out to have a good look at the rain.

Once I was prepared to head out I stood behind her and cleared my throat. Clarke jumped slightly and pulled her head back inside before turning to me.

"This will take less than an hour, I won't go far. As soon as I'm done I'll come back. I can just go on a longer hunt later for bigger game."

She moved closer and placed a kiss on my cheek before stepping aside to give me access to the window. I quickly jumped through and landed on the soft rain soaked ground below.

Looking back up I could see her close the window and wave down at me before I turned around and quickly made my way into the woods surrounding her house.

When I was about a mile deep I slowed to a stop. The rain was a little lighter in the tree coverage and although all the scents around me were washed out I could still pick up the faint smell of a herd of deer close by.

I began to follow the smell but I could almost swear that something or someone was watching me. I turned in a circle surveying the area but I couldn't see or feel anyone. I could only smell the close by deer and I chalked it up to paranoia.

Heda was getting agitated though and she was clawing at my insides in warning, almost as if she could sense that danger was close by and I couldn't.

We'll make this quick so we can get back to Clarke without incident Heda.

Once I located the herd I isolated one of the smaller ones and broke its neck quickly while the others scampered away at my sudden arrival. My canines elongated as my eyes faded to black.

When my teeth finally pierced the deer's neck and its warm blood started to pour down my throat I finally felt a little calmer, a little more ready to head back to my mate and reveal the most painful memory that I have locked away.

It has been centuries since I'd revisiting the memories of my turning. It was a traumatic event for both Lincoln and I and now that I have finally found my mate I am even more thankful that Callie and Marcus were in the forest that day.

20 minutes later I was finishing disposing of the deer carcass and washing my hands in a nearby stream so that I could head back. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end again and I started to once again feel like something or someone was watching me.

Heda was now passed agitation and slowly building up to aggression.

Something was stalking us and no apex predator enjoys the tables being turned as they are stalked like the prey they normally hunt. A second problem quickly made itself known and Heda all of a sudden became deadly quiet and my stomach started to roll.

It's been a long while since I've been human, but I knew the feeling to be nausea immediately. My body hunched over and the rolling feeling in my gut slowing turned into stabbing pain which then caused my body to break out in a light sweat.

Whatever was in the forest with me was still watching and I was briefly panicked when I realized that if it chose to make a move I would be at a disadvantage since my body was currently not cooperating.

Just as the panic started to really set in I felt the blood that I'd just ingested start to make its way back up my throat.

No, not yet. It's too soon.

I figured out what was happening well before the first taste of blood hit the back of my tongue.

My body was starting to reject the animal blood. It wants Clarke's blood.

I clenched my jaw, ignored the presence still watching me and forced myself to swallow back the blood in an effort to retain whatever nutrients I could in order to stave off my hunger until later in the evening.

After a few minutes of repeated swallowing and heavy breathing I felt safe in relaxing knowing that the blood wouldn't try to come up again. I straightened my posture and survey the immediate area trying to sense the presence stalking me again but it was gone.

What the hell was that?

I remembered that earlier in the morning I saw something moving in the woods bordering Clarke's property, this must have been what I caught the glance of.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath trying to scent the air for it, but all that came back were the natural scents of the rain soaked forest. I almost wanted to pick up the putrid smell of one of the wolf shifters just so that I could put my mind at ease.

Something else was out here, I could felt it like an oppressive weight on my consciousness. Heda sensed it too so I couldn't have just imagined it.

As I ran back towards Clarke's house I made a mental note to bring the experience up to Callie next time I saw her.

Time to get this out of the way, the sooner I tell her about how I was changed the sooner I would be able to lock the memories back up.

(Clarke's POV)

**Still present day**

By the time Lexa got back from her hunt I was done eating the small breakfast I made for myself, I'd used the restroom, brushed my teeth, and washed my face. I was laying out on the bed with a book to pass the time when she jumped back through my window.

I'd left a towel hanging from the back of my desk chair for her to dry off with when she got back and once she closed the window behind her and noticed it she smiled over in thanks and proceeded to strip back out of her jacket, boots and pants.

I watched the corded muscles in her arms, shoulders, and midsection move as she used the towel to dry her face and hair; it almost caused me to stop breathing.

How can one person be this attractive?

Once she was dry she moved over to the bed and kissed me on the forehead.

"Thank you ai hodnes." I blushed at the term of endearment and started to realize that it was a preferred way of addressing me.

The corners of her lips tipped up slightly as she noticed my blushing and when she pulled away I expected her to get back on the bed with me, but instead she moved back over to the window.

Lexa kept her back turned to me and continued to gaze out at the rain for a solid 10 minutes. She was only dressed in her tank top and black lace boy shorts that hugged the curves of her ass like a second layer of skin. I was in awe of her and really didn't think that I'd ever seen anyone so attractive in my life.

The gray light coming through the window from the heavy storm clouds outside wrapped around her sculpted lean body. I could make out every curve of the beautiful musculature in her shoulders, back, and legs. It made me want to pull out my sketchbook and some charcoal so that I could immortalize the sight on paper.

Dear god…

I shifted around in the bed stretching my legs out in front of me as I moved to occupy the spot against the headboard that she'd vacated earlier. As soon as I got comfortable her lingering scent on the pillows wafted up into my nose and that along with the view forced me to squeeze my thighs together in an effort to alleviate some of the throbbing that started to manifest at the juncture of my legs.

This is so not the time…

Before I could ruminate further on my body's reaction to Lexa she started to speak in a controlled and monotone voice.

"These memories are the ones that I revisit the least. They are the most painful that I have but they are also the most important, so I really do need to share them with you. It was only two weeks after it was announced that I was to be joined with Jodek that we were all taken and our lives were violently changed…"

A/N:

Trigedasleng translations for this chapter:

Goufa - Child

Ai Hodnes – My Love

Houmon – Husband/Wife

Shof op – Shut up

Branwada – Loosely translated to idiot, someone who is worthless or foolish

Laik ai nou a gona? – Am I not a warrior?

Nontu – Father

Strik gona – Little warrior

Ai souda gonplei – I must fight.

Chit ste em? – What is it?

Yongon – Offspring

Gonakru nou run – Warriors do not run

Had to break it off here.

This is apart one of one massive chapter that completely got away from me. Next chapter picks up exactly where this one left off and you get the full story about the circumstances surrounding Lincoln and Lexa's change.

I'm wondering now how many of you guessed correctly about the two wolves and who they were. I have big plans for those two knuckleheads and I can't wait to write more about them! I hope you are ready for that.

The next part of this chapter is literally already written. I'm just adding some final touches and you will only have to wait until Lupa has some free time to edit it before it's posted (Sorry guys, I'm trying here! ~Lupa). Could be as early as today, could be as late as a couple days from now. Who knows (I do… ~Lupa). Point is, it's already written so at least you know it will be posted sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, please let us know what you think. This chapter and the one coming up were not originally planned. I literally just inserted all new content into my plot layout on a whim and ran with it. So let me know how it takes, the next chapter gives me tingles and I can't wait for you guys to read it. (^_^)