The Beast And The Blessed

Thirty-Eight: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

The door had been ripped clean from the frame and was now leaning up against it as a barricade against the elements. The front window had a large hole in the left side that had webbed through the rest of the glass.

I wrapped my arms around my torso as I approached, terrified that the slight disturbance of air caused by my walking would send the shards tumbling down.

"Why are you here?' My mother asked. Her hoarse voice made me flinch, but I remained calm as Killian moved forward and lifted the door before placing it off to the side.

As the interior of the house was revealed, I felt my lungs collapse in my chest.

Blood was splattered on the walls, and the rancid smell of vomit washed over me, making me grimace. All of my childhood memories were scattered over the flood, destroyed in the battle that had occurred here.

I stepped in carefully, hearing the glass beneath my foot crunch as I moved into the living room. Killian was close behind me. I could feel his chest gently brushing against my back as he stood alert, scanning the surroundings when I came to a stop.

My mother was only a few feet away, curled up in a ball against the living room wall with a puddle of dried blood the size of a bear. I knew from looking at her that it wasn't hers, but someone had suffered from a fatal blow in that very spot.

She looked gauntly and pale. Her veins were purple beneath her skin as they struggled to pump blood through her body.

"Mom?" I asked as I rushed to her, crouching down until my knees hit the floor. "What happened? Are you okay?"

growled at me. Her hand grabbed my legs, ripping my knees off the floor and sending me tumbling backward,

situation was replaced by confusion when she began to run her fingers over

to shake as my mother's nails dug

Killian said as I righted myself and tried to

coiled up like a snake ready to spring at anyone who dared to

face. She turned her head to turn to Killian, and I gasped as I was able to see the infected bite mark on her neck. If I had to guess, it wasn't the only one she had. But the raised edges of the wound were dark like they had been burnt over a fire. The center was red and purple, seeming to visibly throb as she stretched her neck to be able to

me mercy!" The coarse plea was followed by a rough round of coughing that speckled my forearm

she didn't hear me.

she continued to trail her finger over

Him? Not the Goddess.

then that I understood. I had assumed it from the moment we arrived, and I had seen how upset Haylee

is dad?" I asked, tearing my horrified gaze from her and

latched around my arm, pulling me in closer to her. Killian growled but allowed it as I looked back into my mother's eyes. They were

the pack to take you in after we found you. He didn't know you would be human. We would have left you out there if we had known." Her hold on me tightened as I tried to pull

you mean 'found me'? I'm your daughter. I was born into the pack. ’ I insisted. Hearing the words from her mouth made everything clear. I didn't look

made eye contact with Killian in a direct challenge. "You're just a human that we found in the woods as a

pulled my arm free, cradling it to my chest." Mom, it's the venom from the bite talking. This

got to my feet to stand next to Killian. "We have to get her

claws extended, puncturing through the hardwood floor to prevent us from moving her as she laid her cheek back down on the dried blood.

at her. He placed his arm around me, trying to