Chapter: 34
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Rafa arrived Autumn and immediately went into the Manor in search of his Birth Omega, but he wasn't in the kitchen like usual. He ran out of the kitchen and nearly stumbled into a maid who was rushing to take an order for tea and pastries when she saw his bloodied clothes. "Alpha!" She shouted, stopping abruptly. "What happened?!" She reached for him instinctively, touching a hand to the bruise on his neck that had already begun to heal. But before she could touch him, he jerked away violently as if burned by her presence. The servant drew back with surprise and fear at being rejected so vehemently.

He stared around wildly before landing his gaze on hers once again. "I'm sorry," He apologized quickly. "Where is my Birth Omega?" He demanded urgently.

She hesitated only briefly before answering, "The Alphas had their Rut two days ago, and Luna is still recovering. He's resting in his room..." She trailed off uncertainty as if unsure whether or not it would be wise to say any more than that, but the urgency of his expression told her otherwise. "Would you like to wait until he wakes up?" She inquired softly, looking at him apprehensively as if hoping he would refuse.

He shook his head vigorously. He couldn't wait for him to wake up, he was going to have to wake him up. This was urgent. "No time." He said hurriedly and rushed away from the woman in black. His feet flew over the floor as fast as they would take him. The mansion was big enough for him to run through with ease, but it didn't feel that way anymore. It felt oppressive, claustrophobic even. Like he was running toward death. His heart was racing so fast, that it felt as if it might explode any second. He breathed hard through his nose as he dashed down hallways, ignoring all the other maids that were moving about in their tasks. His eyes never left the floor as he hurriedly made his way to Luna's Wing. It didn't take much effort for him to locate it; there were no other doors except the ones leading to the private chambers of the Alphas. Once he found Luna's golden doors, however, he halted, frozen midstride.

His body stiffened at the thought of what he was about to learn from his Birth Omega. Would he even learn anything? His powers aren't what they used to be when they were younger, although he knew why, yet he was hoping to find some truth today and maybe a remedy to his Mate's sudden illness. He took another deep breath and steeled himself against whatever his Birth Omega would throw at him. He lifted his hand and placed his palm on the handle, twisting it open slowly until it popped open and a wave of cold air hit him as soon as he stepped inside. The room was large, maybe bigger than he remembered it being in his youth. A tall glass window with red curtains allowed the sunset to flood across the marble floor where the light reflected onto a large mahogany bedside.

A beautiful bed sat alone in the center, its canopy embroidered with flowers and vines. There were cushions scattered around the foot of the bed to support the occupant should they need it. At first, Rafa saw nothing, but then movements on the bed caught his attention. A figure stirred beneath the rich quilt as if sensing his presence. He felt awful waking him up in such a manner hearing what rough nights he's had the past two days. There was no sign of his fathers around and he knew their Omega must have kicked them all out so he could sleep and recover. Rafa stood rooted in the entryway watching as the form under the bed shifted and curled up into a ball. He looked so weak; the mane of blonde hair stuck up and tangled, almost covering the face entirely. He looked small and fragile. Rafa approached cautiously. There was another stir on the bed and a pale arm emerged with little effort. As gently as he could, Rafa touched the slender wrist with his fingertips; it was ice cold but still soft and supple. He pulled the limb closer towards himself and brought it up to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss upon it.

"Good morning, Luna," His voice was barely above a whisper and yet it came out strong and full. The words echoed off the walls and seemed to resonate within the entire room. He waited with bated breath, for his Birth Omega to fully awaken and acknowledge him properly. After many minutes passed, Rafa began to wonder whether or not he'd waken him at all. The man in the bed remained curled up underneath the covers and he was just beginning to think that perhaps he was still asleep, when his eyes blinked open blearily. They were blue, like a winter sky, and Rafa couldn't help but notice them. They reminded him so much of the sea.

Phoenix slowly sat up, blinking drowsily. "What time is it?" He asked with a groggy tone, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Rafa could see that he was dressed in a white nightshirt that looked too big for him.

"It's still very early, it was urgent I couldn't wait for you to wake up," He explained apologetically.

Realizing it wasn't one of the maids in his room, Phoenix glanced to his side and gasped. "Rafa?" He spoke, surprised. Then his eyes widened. "You're here!? When...? Why?" Phoenix took a better look at his son. He looked like a different person. Dark circles ringed his eyes making him look almost hollow as if he hadn't slept in days. His skin was paler than normal; not sickly, but rather drained from lack of energy. Even his long silky dark lashes drooped sadly, showing how heavy they were. He was covered in a thin layer of sweat and the tips of his eyelashes shone wet with it. His clothes were bloodied.

He looked almost dead. He looked... scared, Phoenix realized suddenly. It seemed that he had never really seen his son that way before. Not even a couple of months ago when he thought he had murdered his Mate. "Did you run all the way here?" He questioned worriedly. Rafa nodded curtly. "All night?" Again he nodded. "Why?" He pressed curiously. Rafa shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "And the blood?" He asked,  pointing to his clothes.

"I ran into Dare on my way,"

"Another fight with him?" He nodded shamefully. "Did you provoke it?"

"No! He's the one who seems to be provoking things,"

"Like the night you slept with him?"

"He pushed me, bit into my neck and I lost control, yet he keeps blaming me for it... It's not like he objected to it, he kissed me first, Luna!" He almost cried.

"You should have known better, he has a personal vendetta with your father and somehow you took some of your father's treats in you. You led him on just like your father did to his brother when you could have stopped it from escalating any further."

"He came after me!"

"For whatever reasons I can not say, it seems the same pull that drew his father to yours, dragged him to you, but the situation would have been dissolved if you hadn't fallen into him."

"He Hates me more now than he did before, and I don't know why."

Phoenix sighed. "When a Lycan sleeps with an Alpha or a Dominant Rogue, you provoke a shift in their Wolf, for Dare, you made him an Omega when you bit into his neck that night, and I warned you not to leave a mark in any of your plays, yet you disobeyed me, why?"

"I don't know. Something happened that night between us two, I don't know what, but I swear he is the only one I ever marked... Only him. I didn't think much of it since he's a Rogue and therefore can not be claimed."

"Well, you certainly did not claim him, you changed him!"

"I should apologize, but I can't because each time we meet he fights me and whenever we fought, I grow weak like he has a spell on me,"

"I'm not surprised," Phoenix muttered thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?"

"You have come here for something, let me hear it first," He looked into his face and noticed the wetness on his lashes beginning to shine brighter and Phoenix knew they were tears, not sweats. "Talk to me... You came here for a reason right?" Phoenix prompted after some pause. His voice was hoarse and quiet now.

Rafa sighed heavily. "It's Caleb..." He started shakily. Phoenix looked confused but didn't interrupt. Rafa continued, "Last night, he... he shifted into his godly Form, and even worse, he seemed dead, barely breathing." He choked out bitterly, clenching his fists tightly to stop them from shaking. His face contorted in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks. His voice shook, unable to hold back the anguish and grief, "I don't understand, I don't know what I did wrong!" He cried hysterically, unable to keep the tears back any longer. His voice broke with every word.

His chest was heaving violently and the tears poured faster than ever, falling freely from the corner of his eyes. He collapsed to his knees beside the bed, clutching tightly the edge as if to prevent it from floating off from his grasp. Phoenix watched his son sob brokenly next to him. In his distress, he gave him a moment to collect himself and allow his own emotions to subside, trying to stay calm for his son. "One minute we were happy, he even fought Seamus for me, killed one of his boys, and picked Art for me to purchase, and now he's... he's just lying there unresponsive." He rambled incoherently, completely overcome with emotion. Phoenix reached out to stroke the top of his son's bowed head hesitantly, trying to offer comfort.

"This is bad, Rafa," He stated quietly. Rafa whipped his head up quickly to meet Phoenix's gaze.

"What do you mean, by this is bad?!" He questioned incredulously, shocked by Phoenix's response.

"From what you have said, Xiher could be dying,"

"What?!" Rafa choked brokenly, looking utterly bewildered. How could such a thing be possible? Hadn't he just recovered fully? Wasn't he passed the dying stage? What was going on? "How can that be!" He shrieked vehemently.

"It seems Mariana won't let you two be together," Phoenix told him honestly.

"Why does that name sound familiar?" He inquired softly, his eyes still wide open and filled with horror.

"Haven't I mentioned her before?" Phoenix asked, but when he saw the expression on his son's face he proceeded. "She's Caleb's mother and a Scarred Witch." He revealed and Rafa's heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach like a stone.

"The last known Scarred Witch was supposed to be dead," He whispered in shock.

"So we all thought. The Coven sadly was kept in the dark too. The Executional assigned to kill her let her go instead and she had a son who is now your Omega." He informed him.

The words sent icy daggers stabbing into Rafa's heart. He felt the blood drain out of his face, leaving him almost paralyzed. "No!" He muttered to himself in disbelief. "It can't be..." He mumbled numbly. "And his father?" He asked, "Who is his father?"

"A Weretiger, but one whose Werewolf Mate rejected... I heard he wandered off and was never seen again... He could be dead for all we know. The last to have seen him before he disappeared was Caleb."

"How did you know all this?" Rafa questioned, feeling slightly dizzy from all the information he had been given.

"You know my powers aren't what they used to be... but this much I could gather over the months since my last visit to River Bay."

"What does she want?" Rafa asked quietly. "Why won't she leave us alone?"

"She laid those curses on you and gladly the Elders intercepted in time but somehow her curses, and evil spell kept getting to you... It's not normal, it's like there's a window open to her, a place where she could easily get to you and your Mate whenever and however she likes..." Phoenix paused briefly. "I would like to unveil what or who that mirror is." He added.

"You think it's a person?"

"I strongly believe so. You're a Lycan, Rafa, the strongest Werewolf to ever live in this time and age. You have great resistance ability to certain things, spells especially. Your immunity should be enough to protect you from anything that comes your way; even her magic. An advantage against her evil power... But somehow, this is not so with you. Instead, you seem to be more prone to her spells... easily affected by them. There is a weakness within you, Rafa. Something or Someone close to you is feeding her these weaknesses, and she is able to hurt you through this person, whoever they are."

"But why do you think it's someone close to me, Luna?" Rafa asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Because it could only be someone close to you," Phoenix explained simply. "And it seems that it's been this person for quite some time now; probably since you found them or had dealings with them."

"Dealings?" He asked, confused.

"Sexually," Phoenix clarified simply. "Men, women, can you remember everyone you've slept with?" He questioned, knowing the answer already, yet being sure that he needed to ask, so Rafa would be able to form a clearer mental image in his head.

Rafa bit his lip, thinking hard, "No, you know this, Luna. I was young and stupid, I did lots of foolish things, and slept with a lot of people too, I can't remember anyone who would want to do this to me nor can I remember what wrong I have done to them to deserve this punishment. I would do anything to appease them should I find out or know who they are, but I don't."

"I figured," Phoenix muttered.

"I'm sorry," Rafa bowed his head in shame, feeling like a disappointment to his Birth Omega.

"It's alright, like you said, you were young and foolish, with your Mate's late arrival, I know what hurt you went through during that time... I was there remember?"

That made Rafa crack a thin smile. "Do you think this Masked Person you speak of could be Dare?"

"It could be anybody, but until we are certain you must not be pointing fingers,"

"How then do we find this person?"

Phoenix smiled tenderly at him, "It's okay. We would both figure it out slowly... But, it comes with a price." He added, earning a curious look from Rafa.

"What kind?"

Phoenix took a deep breath. "One, you will have to Reject him and send him back to his mother until we have fixed this. Second, you let him die and return to the Calms."

Rafa looked horrified, "What!? No! Absolutely not!" He pleaded tearfully, "No, no no... Please... no. I can't do this, I can't do any of that. I won't Reject him again, I c-can't... It nearly killed him the first time, nearly killed us. How then... how then can you ask me to do such a thing... It Will kill me... it will kill us! Please, anything else, but not this... P-Please!" Rafa broke down in streams of uncontrollable tears, his body racked with violent sobs as he clutched at the bed sheet and buried his face in his hands.

Phoenix pulled him into a tight embrace, stroking his hair gently and soothingly murmuring soft words of reassurance and love into his ear. "Rejection is the best and only option we have, my son..." Phoenix swallowed his own threatening sobs. "If you leave him like this he will die, and if he dies you can't save him anymore, he will return home... Far away from your reach and you will die as well... And you know what will befall your Pack and the many Packs under your protection should you die?" He exhaled deeply and continued. "But should you Reject him, he would be alive, while we find the source of your Weakness and rid you of this person who seeks your death and his..."

"And after that is done?" Rafa inquired shakily.

"You let him go... but, at least he would be alive."

"I can't accept that!" Rafa exclaimed angrily, turning around to face Phoenix, his eyes blazing with anger and determination. "I won't accept it. He's mine. I have put him through so much already, I can not make him suffer all over again what he had suffered before. I promised him. I Marked him. I will not go back on my promise. I would much rather he dies and return to the Calms as a god than die and return as a Rejected Weretiger. I will not do it. I will not Reject him."

"Oh... Rafa," Phoenix cooed sympathetically, pulling him back towards him and wrapping his arms around his sobbing son once more, rocking him gently whilst running his fingers through his thick curly locks soothingly. "You're not thinking rationally, you need to consider-"

"There is nothing to consider," He snapped and Phoenix nodded, accepting his decision.

"My sweet boy, do you realize what a huge burden this would be upon you?"

"Yes," Rafa admitted with a shaky breath. "I know, and I am ready to bear it all..."

"If he should die, so would you. This is what she wants, and it does not matter if her son dies in the process, as long as you are dead, only then will she stop,"

"Then if I should Reject him and send him back, would she stop chasing me to kill?"

"Yes, she doesn't want you and her son Mated... But then again, she is a Scarred Witch, her thoughts can not all truly be seen for they are as deep as the abyss itself which lies beneath the earth and sea. Her true intentions can not all be unmasked. She's a dark spirit, one created from bitterness and rage, driven by vengeance and hatred... She has no compassion. As a result, her actions are bound to be influenced by a darker side which only makes her more dangerous. However, if her son is returned to her, it can only be hoped that she does not bother you anymore."

"She does not scare me,"

"I know, and it is not her you should fear, but the one who holds your Weakness in their hands... the one who is using your Weakness to bring upon you her dark spells... That one is whom you should fear."

"How can I fear someone or something I do not even see or know?" Rafa said, puzzled.

"You cannot because you don't know," Phoenix stated. "I will do my best to unmask this secret but a lot of things would have gone sore before then... You must go home to your Mate, and speak with him, I will give you a tonic, it should be strong enough to keep him in his human form for a few hours, tell him the truth and what is it you intend to do concerning him, get his consent first before you decide his fate."

"What about Caleb?"

"What about him?"

"He is a god, is he not?"

"Yes, he is."

"Could he not stop his mother's curses, her spells?"

"Only if he kills her."

"Then shouldn't he kill her? Is it not best if she is dead?"

Would you kill me should you be in his shoes?"

Rafa's eyes bulged at his Birth Omega's question. Would he kill him if he was the one? He could not think of a single reason to answer it; he knew he wouldn't. Hate yes, he would hate him for bringing so much pain in his life but he didn't think he had it in him to kill his Birth Omega, no matter what he may have done.

Phoenix sighed, "I thought so." He mumbled. "He loves her and unless he finds it reasonable in himself to kill her, you can not ask him to kill his own mother," Phoenix replied sadly.

"But can he at least stop her curses from getting to me?"

"If he is affected by her spells then it is most likely he is aware she is behind it all and he is allowing it."

"Why?"

"Maybe to protect you. He could be taking her spells for them not to get to you."

"He would rather take her spells than hurt her?" Rafa didn't know if he should be disappointed or shocked by the revelation.

"She is his mother..." Phoenix whispered. "One does not easily kill their mother and in his case, I do not think he ever will."

"So he would much rather die and doom both our lives instead?"

"At least you would be re-joined in the Calms after death." Phoenix reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a bottle of tonic. "Give this to him when you are ready to talk, but you must be fast, he could be dying as we speak." Rafa took the bottle and bowed in gratitude. "Be sure to think again about the Rejection," He added.

Rafa shifted and began walking to the door, his emotions were all over the place, they made his legs heavy and his heart ached with every step he took. Phoenix watched him leave, sadness in his eyes. Rafa was just as devastated over the possibility of losing Caleb as he was of losing his only son. He hoped he wouldn't make any irrational decisions due to the shock he was currently going through. This was an extremely hard blow for him to take, one that hit him so hard.

Mariana must be stopped.