The Original Beginning
Chapter 1:
"Who is she?"
"Embry found her on the edge of the reservation just within the boundary"
"She's covered in blood, you didn't think to clean her up?" A woman's voice admonished.
"I did-"
"You shouldn't of brought her here. She needs a hospital. We can't help her." The tone, I recognise it. It's strong – Alpha.
"Those cuts, they are new. Something is off Sam. No one has touched her but 3 slashes have appeared since I brought her here, something tells me a hospital can't help either." Brought me here.. he must be Embry. I take a deep breath, whimpering as I feel the cut on my ribs twinge. Everyone stops talking, I can feel their eyes watching me but below that a deep sense of longing. He's here. I whimper quietly, fighting to keep myself where I am.
"Make them see what cannot be, green eyes to make him flee." I say breathing heavily with the effort to keep my voice steady. I feel a strong tingling cross my eyes and I know the spell has taken place. I open my eyes, sitting up slowly, arms across my ribs. I study the area around me to see 5 large Quileute males and a little female with long scars on the side of her face -claw marks- standing in front of the door and window -my only exits- watching me. I carefully keep my eyes away from theirs.I didn't stay away all this time and work so hard to acknowledge the imprint now. I need to go. The longing pulls in my chest. Pulling me to the Quileute to my left, I ignore him and move to stand up.
"Careful sweetheart, you are bleeding an awful lot." The woman darts towards me, hands out to stop me. I flinch as the tear in my arm grows. Shaking it off, I ignore the scarred women and stand anyway.
"Who are you?" A curious voice asks. Not him. The voice belongs to a black haired male with brown eyes. Tall, at least 6'4.
"Who am I?" I ask irritated. "I wake up in an unfamiliar place with shapeshifters blocking my exits." They stiffen. "I think you should be the ones answering that question. Or at least the pretend alpha should." I state nodding towards the male in the middle currently glaring at me.
"I am not-" He begins angrily clenching his fists and jaw.
"Not the true born heir of Ephraim Black." I state simply, looking him in the eye. "You are a Uley. A beta, nothing more. You shouldn't be the alpha of the Quileute shapeshifters, so why are you? Where is William? Why isn't he here?His son should be in charge." They all look taken back. I shake my head. "What has this tribe come to?" I mutter to myself pushing past the shocked men, to get out the door. I freeze in the doorway.
"Cassandra?" A quite voice asks.
"William?" I choke, my heart drops and I fall to my knees crying. "I'm sorry, I let you down." I sob. I look up at the man, his black hair past his shoulders now. His black eyes lowered in sorrow as he watches my form bleeding on his floor. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I whisper over and over.
"Stop. Stop, Cassie." He whispers his voice breaking. He reaches his arms out to pick me up, I whimper as the full amount of agony I'm holding back hits me. "The curse? Its still intact?" I nod slowly.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here. I need the alpha to lift the command." I stand up, "But he isn't here, is he William?" He meets my eyes, guarding his emotions, but I know him better. "I see the shame William, why hasn't your blood stepped up? Wheres the alpha the tribe needs?" I ask, looking at the men in the room till my eyes finally settle on a tall russet skinned, brown eyed male.
"So, why haven't you stepped up?" I ask, stumbling over to stand in front of him.
"Who the fuck are you? What bloody business of-"
"JACOB." William yelled, Jacob flinched lowering his eyes. "You will give Cassandra respect."
"It's fine William." I say. "I am Cassandra Elliana Hazelwood, the first of my name, first Protector of all things natural,pure in heart and spirit, one of five creators of the cold ones and joiner of wolf and man. I am the reason you are what you are. I am an Original." I smirk at him, the shock in his eyes amusing me.
"Woah." I hear one of the boys mutter. I know that my eyes are glowing a little as my power fights to show them all exactly what I can do. Children, with no discipline or respect. Have they not learnt the true legends of Taha Aki... of me?
"Whatever you are, little girl, you have no right to walk into my pack and say that I'm a pretender, that I'm not the true alpha." A man steps forward his eyes blazing. Ooh, really?
"You're not though are you?" I challenge. "You may have the alpha tone and command now but it is nothing next to a true alpha. You're waiting for him to step up, so that you can focus on your imprint, not the responsibility of running this pack and eventually the whole tribe." His eyes glare at me, evidently someone doesn't like a challenge. I hold my ground and eventually he nods a little. I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank the Spirits, no alpha to fight. "I'm not here to cause trouble for your pack. I'm here for your help." I look around at them, avoiding contact with the one I want to stare at most, all of them staring back at me.
"How can I help?" He says. I shake my head.
"Not you.."
"Sam." I nod.
"Not you Sam, him - the true alpha." I look towards Jacob. "Your ancestor Ephraim used blood magic to try and keep me off the reservation." I say.
"Then why should we undo what he did? You are no one to us." His voice. I whimper at the anger that's directed towards me.
"She is the future of this tribe. She is everything to us." William answers in a gruff voice. We all glance at him. I glare, closing my eyes.
"The future of the tribe, shes just a girl, she doesn't even belong here." Jacob states.
"Dont belong here?" I mutter. "I have a bigger right to this land then you do." I sigh.
"Many years ago, I had a vision of myself on a cliff overhanging first beach, holding a small baby in my arms and a small child by my side. We hear a quite growl and turn around to face a giant silver grey wolf." They all stiffen. "The small child ran to the wolf and cuddled in to his chest." I turn to William. "I never felt fear, only pure happiness and love. I have never in my long life felt anything like that. Something so pure."
"An imprint." Sam whispers behind me.
"I told my best friend at the time about my vision, feeling both fear and excitement but Ephraim responded in anger he wanted me removed from the reservation because I am a pale face and he didn't want a pale face with a Quileute or to have half breed children as he saw it. He told me I would dirty the blood line, that our children would be abominations. He contacted another Original in the area and asked her for a curse that would keep me away. She told him of a complicated blood spell but she never told him that it would carve into me if I came here or what it would cost him. That it was only fear that would keep me away. All of these cuts, all this blood - they are the claw marks off an alpha wolf. They heal and reappear over and over again. Until my heart will eventually give up, because it cant handle the pain." I continue, breathing harshly as a new cut appears on my arm. "Only an alpha of his blood can remove the order and break the spell." I turn back to Jacob with disappointment. "But he isn't here."
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