A/N: this chapter is mostly Mabh's backstory. Thank you to all my readers.
"Maura?" Jane asked as she approached the groaning woman.
Maura attempted to stand but was wobbly, Jane tried to hold her but Mabh beat her to it and held Maura up. Maura looked at the ground and was silent.
"Who the hell are you?" Jane demanded.
"Watch it human. I may be old but I am much stronger than you think." Mabh warned then flashed her claws. Jane backed down.
"I can explain it all back at my house." Mabh said then waved her hand teleporting them all to her house.
After transporting them to her house Mabh started a fire and Maura groaned softly. Mabh offered to wrap her in bandages but Maura, wanting to retain what dignity she had left went to lick her wounds in private.
"What the hell is going on her? Who were those birds that attacked us? What do they want with Maura?" Jane asked.
"Child. You certainly ask a lot of questions." Mabh said.
Jane growled.
"Very well. It is a long story."
10,000 years ago- Wolf Mountain, Demon world
A young Mabh frolicked through the meadow, practicing her pouncing.
"Mama, daddy. I got the froggy."
Her mother and father were a simple folk working as gatherers to the tribe. A tribe which has been at peace for over 100,000 years. They have lived on the mountain since they conquered it 50,000 years ago. It was a simple society. The Alphas ruled the tribe, the betta wolves patrolled the area and kept out intruders, subordinates simply followed the pack and the omegas…let's just say they were lucky to eat most days.
"Mommy, why can't I be alpha?"
The brown wolf sighed. She put her tail down and picked her pup up by the neck. Then slowly walking she left the mountain. She set Mabh down let out a sad sigh.
"Mabh let me tell you a story. Long ago our kind wandered the world looking for food, shelter and family. Tribes from all over the world wandered aimlessly helplessly through forests and mountains, deserts and seas. The tribes all made it to this sacred mountain but only one could rule. For 1000 years a bloody war raged and a treaty was made. The clans would be divided into four groups within the massive tribe. Our tribe was given the role of gatherers and with grace we accepted it. We developed a way of gathering that was efficient for the entire tribe and with each generation we became better and better at it. It is what we do, now do you understand?"
"That's not fair…we gather for the tribe and what do we get in return?"
"Mabh... it's just the way things are. It's who you were born to be. You can't escape fate."
"But..."
"Shh now…you'll understand when you are older." The brown wolf carried the young Mabh back to the mountain.
1000 years later…
"Mama, what kind of animals are we supposed to get?" a young Mabh asked while walking through the forest.
"Deer and elk but since they are not in season we hunt smaller game instead."
"Why?"
"Well we follow the changing of the sky. If we killed all the baby deer, there wouldn't be any adult deer to make more. We must show respect to the prey we kill. We are all a part of the cycle of life."
"ok." as the women walked on their two legs a strange bird flew overhead. Its head abnormally large and its body slender with incredibly large powerful wings.
Mabh's mother picked up the young wolf and headed back to the mountain. Overhead hundreds of these strange birds flew to the mountain. Her mother sensed something was terribly wrong and put Mabh under a small bush.
"Stay here. I'll come back and get you."
"Ok. I love you mama."
With a strange sadness in her eyes Mabh's mother kissed her pup goodbye. She then transformed into her pure demon form (a powerful, tall wolf with massive teeth and claws that can rip through steel.) and raced through the forest.
Night had fallen and Mabh looked up, instead of the black sky filled with twinkling stars of hope she saw a sky of orange and red. She heard someone coming and headed for the mountain carefully. When she got to the summit the sight was repulsing.
The smell of blood filled the air as thousands of wolf demons lie dead. Elders, pups, leaders, omegas and betas they were all slaughtered. The birds picked at them like the savages they were. She looked up and saw a lone wolf limping behind her stood one of the birds.
"Mabh." the wolf said weakly.
"Mother! Stop hurting her!" Mabh growled while running to her.
"Tsk tsk. Looks like we missed one and a little pup." The bird said as Mabh got to her mother.
"Oh well the pup will be easy."
Mabh's mother wrapped her arms around the pup.
"Please don't hurt my baby. Please take me instead."
"Hmm. why should i?"
"That's enough." The leader of the birds said.
Approaching the pair the leader looked at the sight. After a moment of thinking she agreed to let the pup live. A bird held her as the leader approached her mother. The wolf sat up as best she could and smiled accepting her fate. She looked at her pup and with soft eyes spoke one more time.
"Mabh…my pup…I love you. Goodbye..."
The leader snapped the mother's neck as Mabh screamed a horrid scream.
"Mother!"
Mabh sobbed as the leader stood in front of her. Turning her on her stomach the leaders talons dug into the young pup, gushing blood out of the wound.
"Now listen here pup. This mountain is now ours. You will live but if you ever return we'll kill you. Understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good now get out."
Mabh slowly limped down the mountain, sobbing as she went. She looked back once more and whispered.
"Mother…"
She ran as far away as her legs could carry her and didn't stop till the sun rose the next morning.
Present day, Mabh's castle, Human world
"And that's pretty much how it happened." Mabh said with a slight tremor in her voice.
The group looked at Mabh with pity and Jane went to hug her. She pushed her off and growled.
"Don't…Don't you dare pity me mortals."
The group sat in silence for a few moments.
"So wait how old are you?" Frost asked.
"10,000 years old."
The group looked in shock and confusion. They couldn't believe there was a demon sitting here talking to them. Mabh stretched and tended the fire.
"So how did you end up in our world?" Korsak asked.
"There is a portal between your world and mine."
"So why aren't there more demons in this world?" Angela asked.
"Most of the demons are content with being in our world. I fell through the portal on accident."
"Why do you keep coming back to our world if you have your own?"
"You humans ask a lot of questions. But once I fell into your world, I discovered that your species interested me and I wished to learn more about you so I travel back and forth from time to time. I mostly travel the world but lately have been staying in Boston."
"Why?"
"No more questions." Mabh said and made the group dinner.
After the pleasant meal the group decided to spend the night and Mabh showed them to their rooms. Angela and Jane slept in one room and Korsak, Frost and Franky slept in another one.
She then went to check on Maura. When she opened the door she saw Maura sleeping on the floor, her wounds clearly not attended to. Poking her she woke the sleeping woman who growled in pain.
"What?"
"We have to fix you up."
"Fine."
Mabh gave Maura a bottle of whisky and waited until Maura drank the entire thing. She then put Maura on her back and examined her. Maura had some minor bruising on her head and face and some abrasions but most of her ribs and her left leg were broke. She went and got Maura a second bottle of whisky which Maura chugged and put a ball gag in Maura's mouth. Maura was slightly intoxicated so Mabh took her leg and rebroke it. Maura whimpered but didn't scream. Mabh then rebroke all but one of Maura's ribs. As her bones were moved and reset, Maura screamed in agony. The gag caught most of the screaming and when it was over Maura whimpered. Mabh wrapped Maura's body in bandages and tried to help the young half demon.
After taking the gag out and setting it aside Mabh looked at Maura.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Maura growled.
"You know better than anyone how bones heal."
"Yeah but it still hurts."
Mabh picked Maura up and carried her to her bedroom. Laying her down she curled around Maura as one would do their pups. Maura groaned but feel asleep as Mabh looked at her. For the first time in 9000 years she felt like she had a family.
"Sleep well my pup… sigh….mother."
Mabh laid down and fell asleep.