Athena Laurent

"Why do I have this feeling we shouldn't have left them alone?" That thought has been bothering Athena since she and Darius left the group to pick up some necessities before their departure in a few hours. Even supernatural creatures need food, clothes, and gas for a trip.

"Because they all possess the maturity of a toddler and they will most definitely fight because we aren't there to stop them," Darius answers her, clearly amused by his own response. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave the group, but they both had felt the need for some quality time with just the two of them. Unfortunately, nobody but Shani seemed to have gotten the hint, so they had decided to take care of the much-needed hunt for supplies.

Darius takes her hand and together they walk past the shelves of the supermarket, taking everything they need. His hand feels amazing in hers. The constant reminder he's close to her is soothing and makes her want to forget her surroundings altogether. "It's nice to be alone with you for a change," she murmurs to him. Darius answers by lifting their hands to place a kiss on the palm of her hands. "It really is. We keep getting interrupted every time I try to kiss you," he says, clearly annoyed by that situation. Athena's mouth curls up in a smile automatically after the gesture, and she blushes lightly, causing Darius to chuckle proudly. "You're so tough, and yet, so incredibly cute," he whispers in her ear, "it's an intoxicating combination."

"We have to focus, Darius. Come on," she says, trying to sound as serious as possible, but a smile escapes. Focusing might be the last thing she wants to do right now.

With three bags filled to the brim, they return to the car and carefully place the bags in the vehicle. Before Athena can open the door to her seat, Darius pulls her close, placing her back against the car. They've purposely chosen to shop when nobody's around and Athena's certain there isn't a single soul witnessing them. She touches his cheek when he comes closer, and she brings her lips to his. "We should have rented a place for the two of us, at least for one, peaceful night," he moans softly in between kisses. With a playful smirk, he places small kisses from the corners of her mouth to her chin and her neck, where he takes his time to find her most sensitive spot, the place where one day, his mark will shine proudly.

"I totally agree," Athena sighs breathlessly as he bites her ear softly while his fingers are following their own way to her waist before slipping under her shirt. Her hand, formerly placed on his cheek, is now sliding through his hair, forcing his mouth to be close to her. But it's not enough. She wants him even closer.

He understands immediately what she wants when she cracks her legs and quickly narrows the space between them. Athena gasps when she feels him between her thighs, feeling intensely happy by his touch and the sounds he produces. She uses her empty hand to move up his shirt, uncovering his warm body.

She's surprised when she feels him stiffen underneath her touch. And not in a good way. "There are werewolves here, I think they're watching us," he whispers so softly, she can barely it. It could be nothing. The werewolves could be part of a small pack that is living among humans, which would make them harmless. Athena has heard more shapeshifter families are doing it lately; they're tired of hiding in the forest. Besides, a city has its perks. Even though many packs have installed all the technical advantages humans seem to have, the city has its charm.

"They're gone," she whispers after a few minutes.

"What do you think we should do?" Darius asks her.

"They didn't show any signs of anger and violence, but I think we have to play it safe. Let's get out of here as fast as we can," she suggests. Darius seems to agree.

The ride back to the forest is silent; Darius's mind seems somewhere else. "What are you thinking?" she asks, while placing a hand on his thigh. He looks conflicted.

"My sister's birthday is in four days, she would have turned eighteen," he says. The sadness is immediately visible, draped over him like a heavy blanket. Her heart aches for him. There isn't enough comfort in the world to lessen the feeling of loss, no matter how desperately she wants to ease the pain. "Not a day goes by," Darius continues while taking her hand in his, "I don't think about her, about them."

"The broken faces of my mother and Annika, when he killed my father and when they got dragged away from me. It's the last memory I have of them. It's the image that has been haunting me for the past six years."

"You must have good memories of them too, can you tell me about them?" Athena tries.

"I don't allow myself to think about the good times we've shared," Darius responds eventually. He watches straight ahead, avoiding Athena's gaze. "Don't you think you owe it to them to remind the best of them?" She asks him and her mate is silent for a moment. Athena isn't sure whether he's thinking or ignoring her. She knows it's the latter when he begins to speak:

"It was a few days after Annika's first shift; she was so excited to let her wolf out again. This time we would run as a family, all four of us together. She got so nervous, she wasn't able to shift fully. Her eyes just kept glowing, but nothing else happened. So, I shifted back, and we just ran. As humans. After a few hundred meters I distracted her with a story through the mind link, told her about the time I couldn't make my canines go away. We went to a human high school, so I had to make up a story about how I used the wrong glue for my Halloween costume. She laughed at me and was distracted, so when I suddenly shifted, she did too without thinking about it. It was amazing to watch; she was so happy about it and kept playing in the forest; I think she was only ten years old, but she was quick and kept challenging my father for a race," Darius chuckles. "He said yes, of course, and immediately ran off. I can still see her crestfallen face when she saw him almost flying away, but mom encouraged her to run after him and she did. Her face changed so fast from sad to determined, and she sprinted after him. I'm sure my father wasn't running his fastest, and as Annika came closer and closer, laughing her ears off, he just watched her coming for him. And then, she just jumped on my father's back and made him run further with her on top of him."

"Your family sounds amazing, Darius. I'm so sorry about what happened to them."

"Me too."

"The sadness might never fade, but one day you'll see it's not your fault. Don't let the guilt guide you, because it won't place you on the right path."

"Who did you leave behind?" he asks after she spoke those words. He sees everything, doesn't he? Every little change in her eyes or twitches in her mouth, he notices. He knows me well.

"My sister," she says. "But our situation was very different. We were estranged from each other because we grew up separately; my father didn't want me around her. When I left, she was the only person I felt guilty about leaving behind. My father adored her, so I knew he would never hurt her, and even though I barely saw her, she was still my sister."

"Do you have any good memories of your first home?"

"A few. But I think the happiest memory I have isn't even my own; it's my mother's. One night, a couple of months after I had run away, I had a dream about her. Even though I never saw her, I knew immediately who she was, and that it was more than a dream. She was smiling because I was laughing. She called me 'Athena', her happy hybrid. It was strange because back then, my name wasn't Athena, it was Fleur, the name my father gave me. But I still knew she was talking about me."

"Fleur?"

"Yes, I used to love the name, until my father used it to manipulate me. Anyway, the next morning - after that dream- my witch powers presented themselves, which came as quite a surprise for fifteen-year-old me. I had been a vampire all my life; I did not know how to deal with the amount of power I suddenly possessed. So, I hid my vampire side, changed my name to Athena, the name my mother wanted me to have, and joined the coven in London as a normal witch."

"It must have been weird to suddenly live among a whole different species?"

"It was. It took me years to see myself as a witch, and even then, I knew I wasn't. But I wanted to fit in so badly I didn't care where it would be. I thought if I really was the only hybrid, no place would ever feel like home, so when I got kicked out of the coven for not being like them, even though they didn't even know I was a hybrid, I traveled the world to find someone who was like me. But I never found another one. There really isn't another hybrid."

"That's why you want to find the pack in the North? Because you want to find someone like you?"

"It's practically the only place I haven't looked. Besides, it sounds quite nice, doesn't it? A place where vampires, werewolves, and witches live together in peace; it makes me hopeful. It means there are people out there who aren't afraid of something they've never seen before."

"Let's just hope we find a new clue soon," Darius says grimly staring out the window; they are nearing the forest. It has been difficult to find new leads about the location of the Pack in the North. The only rumors they've heard these last days didn't help at all. Athena's wondering why this pack even needs more protection? Nobody seems to believe they're real and even if they wanted to find them - as Athena does - they're practically invisible.

The last few hundred meters, they run on foot. It's quicker and they both feel the urge to leave this place as fast as they can. Even though Darius's old pack is not around the corner, they both can't shake the uneasy feeling in their stomach. Maybe we should have stayed in the human world like we did yesterday. Even though it was a complete disaster, they felt safe. Athena quickly scans her surroundings. One apartment for the seven of them? They should have known it wouldn't have worked. But right now, Athena wishes she was back in that small house where they could hear every soft curse one mumbled to another. Where every shapeshifter left the room at least once, in order not to lose control.

Using her magic, Athena senses a couple of supernatural creatures, including a large group of werewolves running in the forest. They're not approaching their group, but even so, she and Darius don't want to take any chances. When they arrive, the group is sitting together, not fighting for once.

"Guys, we have to leave," Darius alerts them, gesturing they need to hurry. A little confused, they all stand up to grab their things. They all heard the alarming tone he spoke with.

"What's going on, Darius?" Demir asks when he returns with his packed possessions. Darius explains quickly the two suspicious werewolves they saw and how they won't be taking any chances. "Darius, something's wrong. I can feel the hostility in the air, but I don't feel their presence," Athena whispers. She's worried now. If the atmosphere is changing, why aren't they hearing, smelling, or feeling them? Only witches can hide scents, but witches don't live in the forest, especially not in a forest populated by werewolves. Unless...

"On your knees, or this claw goes into her throat..." The threatening voice appears out of nowhere; like its scent just created itself out of thin air. But Athena knows that cannot be true. This is something only a witch can do, but that doesn't explain why the scent belongs to a shapeshifter. The werewolf walks slowly towards their group; Kara walks in front of them. In her eyes, the fear is clearly visible, and she shifts her gaze from the group to the claw around her throat.

"Darius Ivanov, it's been too long..." another voice says as another werewolf enters the scene. Darius growls, but the man doesn't look very bothered by it. He seems rather... amused. This must be a warrior of the alpha who killed his father; a werewolf who came after them to finish the job. "You got yourself an interesting pack, Alpha... you must have been very desperate to associate yourself with a vampire and not one, not two, but three humans."

Three humans? You wish. They haven't been here for more than a minute and already they're underestimating us. Big mistake.

"The alpha told me not to bother bringing you to him alive. We can just kill you right here right now. But don't worry, I'll tell your sister you said hi," the man continues, smiling.

What?

"What?"

"Oh-oh, you don't know," the bastard chuckles, causing Darius's anger to rise. "I'm so sorry to tell you, but your sister, little Annika, is very much alive. She's grown beautiful too, I might add. Yeah, the future alpha will have some fun with that sweet, little she-wolf when they mate. She's almost eighteen, isn't she?" He asks Darius, not expecting an answer. He shouts in excitement.

"Oh, the irony, you finally hear your sister is alive just when you're about to be killed." He's taunting Darius mercilessly. Once again, big mistake. Athena can feel the anger that's accumulating in her mate's chest; he's about to burst and unleash hell on every single asshole standing in front of him. And she's going to help.

The claw around her own throat doesn't bother her that much. She already used a protection spell; that hand won't leave a single scratch on her. It's the others she's worried about. She can't protect them without revealing herself. It's best if they keep thinking she's human until things go south, which will - from the looks of it - happen soon. Not only Darius is ready, but Leon's arm is also shaking, showing he's waiting to attack. Athena knows Shani will follow as soon as something happens. With her reflexes, she'll have the wolf holding her on the ground in no time. This means she'll have to take care of Kara and Denise, knowing Demir will also have no problem fighting these bastards. Her eyes find Hinote's, who's the only one facing her directly, and with one gaze towards the two humans, they silently make a plan.

Then they wait. They all just wait. Athena knows exactly where they are all waiting for. They will linger until Darius makes his move. She doesn't know how it happened exactly or how it even works, but Darius is their alpha. She might be the reason they've met in the first place, but he's the glue holding them together. Without him, this group would have fallen apart the minute things got difficult.

That man had no idea when he said their pack was interesting. Big mistake. He has no fucking clue what he walked into. And yet, he still thinks he holds the power. He keeps mocking Darius with tales of his lively sister, who will soon be thrown into the power of the future alpha of his old pack. Darius's anger's still rising, Athena's surprised nobody seems afraid of him. Well, they'll be soon.

"I'm sure you would have been an uncle in nine months... if you hadn't been a dead man right now."

Snap.

Then a moment of silence follows until the sound of a body falling on the ground makes everybody look up. The man who was mocking Darius a second ago is now lying lifeless on the ground. His neck is wrongly shaped, and a bruise is spreading like an oil stain in the rough shape of a hand. The other warriors gawk at Darius, shocked by the sudden death and the speed and strength he used to break their leader's neck like it was nothing but a straw. They never saw it coming. The asshole itself never saw it coming. Oh, well, they should have known better than to mess with an Alpha.

Very. Big. Mistake.