Athena Laurent

"Fleur? Is that really you? Oh, I can't believe I found you!" Find me? I'm the one looking at you from outside of the cell? Who found who, exactly?

"Brigitte, calm down. What are you doing here?" Athena repeats herself, not knowing what else to stay. It's been so long since she's seen her sister. Seven bloody years. She can't believe it's really her sitting here. Locked up in a cell in the same pack they just freed.

Brigitte Laurent, her sister. Her full-blood vampire sister. She's everything Athena isn't. Blond, pale, a fan of blood, and tolerated by their father. Athena inherited all her physical features from her mother. The brown hair, green eyes, and cream-colored skin made her stand out from all the vampires in her clan. She used to hate it until she realizes what it meant. She looked like her mother, the woman who loved and named her. Brigitte, however, is the spitting image of her father, which is probably the reason he favoured her over Athena.

"I ran away, Fleur. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go!" What had the bastard done to her? Athena always thought he had left her sister alone. It was part of the reason she could convince herself she had to leave everything behind. Her father liked Brigitte; he wouldn't hurt her.

Right?

"How did you find me?" she asks while signalling Darius to come. Brigitte rises and steps closer to the bars. "I stole a spell from the coven in Paris, but it wasn't very precise, so I got lost. And then I got captured by these werewolves and now... you're here. Thank the Goddess," her sister exclaims happily in French. Athena hadn't even noticed she had switched back as well into her mother tongue. She stares at her sister again. Despite the mud in her hair and the thirst visible in her eyes, her smile lights up her face. "I am so glad to see you. It's been so long."

"Athena, is everything all right?" Thank the Goddess, he is here. Darius slows down his steps when he's beside her, and he looks at Brigitte in confusion.

"Athena? Who's Athena? What's going on, Fleur?" Brigitte asks, switching her eyes from her to Darius. "I'm Athena, Brigitte. I changed my name," she answers impatiently, before turning to Darius. "Darius, meet Brigitte, my sister."

"Your s-sister? Here? How?" Darius whispers to her. Athena shrugs; "I have no idea; this is too weird right now."

"Who are you?" Her sister's tone is immediately suspicious, and she looks at Darius with squinted eyes. "Brigitte," Athena responds warningly. "This is Darius. The new Alpha of this pack and also my mate." Brigitte's eyes widen in surprise. "You found your mate? And he's a werewolf?"

"Uhm. Yes," Athena says, unsure what else to add to the conversation. Her mind is blank; all she can do is stare at her sister. Luckily, Darius's here to reduce the level of awkwardness between them. He gestures to the warrior to unlock the cell door to let Brigitte go. "Would you like something to eat?" he asks.

"I'd rather have something to drink. If you don't mind," she answers with a chuckle while she steps out of her cell.

"Right, yes. Vampire," Darius murmurs embarrassed.

Without a warning, Brigitte wraps her arms around Athena. "It's so good to see you. You have no idea what I've endured to find you. I must tell you everything!" Athena joins in the hug a bit guarded. "Great! Does that mean you'll be staying with us for a while?" Brigitte retreats to look her in the eye. "Of course. Where else am I supposed to go?"

---------------------------

While her sister leaves to hunt for her supper, Darius and she clear the prison completely. Quickly after, they return to the field where only a couple of hours ago, Darius won the battle against Christian Tyson. Athena's surprised to see the field is unrecognizable. It's clean, and the bitter atmosphere has completely vanished. Although that might be just the balloons.

Yes, there is a party tonight. A feast to celebrate many, many victories. Darius's return, the defeat of Christian Tyson, the inauguration of the Alpha, Beta, and Luna of the pack, and last, but definitely not least: the birthday of Annika Ivanov.

After lunch, Athena had decided she needed a little time for herself after everything that has happened today and these last couple of weeks. And so, to clear her mind, she has been walking around the pack for the last half-hour. She always did the same thing back in London. Whenever the coven became too much for her, she'd walk through the busy streets of her favourite capital.

Walking around Darius's pack is very different though; it feels great and weird at the same time. Everybody is so kind to her. It makes her feel included in a way she has never experienced before, and it excites her as much as it frightens her. Even though she doesn't want to admit it, she wishes–for the first time in her life–she could stay a bit longer in the same place. She loves this pack. She likes the freedom she feels; as if the world isn't hers to carry for a few hours. It's such a relief after traveling for so long. Not just these couple of weeks, but also the two years before that. Always running, always leaving, and always searching for something.

She knows she has to leave in a few days, but seeing Darius in his natural habitat, she realizes he doesn't have to. It's her mission, and he's an Alpha now. How can she ask him to go with her when he has an entire pack to take care of? Already, only a few hours after he returned, he's busy reading and changing the current laws, talking to pack members and other Alphas from neighbouring packs. This is his home. His family is here; his life will be here again soon. If he leaves, she'll be the reason he's separated from everything. And I don't think I can carry that burden.

"Fleur!"

Speaking of family. She hasn't seen Brigitte much since she and Darius released her, but she already suspected her sister would look for her soon. "Hey, Brigitte."

"Hi. This pack is huge. I've been searching for you for an hour," Brigitte says, smiling. She looks a lot better than this morning, and Athena can only assume it's because she has fed. "It's really beautiful, though. Will this be your new home?"

"No, I don't think so. Not yet, at least," Athena declares vaguely. Brigitte frowns. "So, when do you leave again?" she asks, causing Athena to sigh. "Soon." Her sister's mouth widens into a smile. "Okay, so where are we going?"

We?

"You really want to come with us? Why?" Athena asks, surprised Brigitte is just assuming she can tag along. "Yes, of course, we. I'm your sister, and as I said, I've nowhere else to go. Besides, I left home to find you, and I finally did. Is it so weird I want to spend time with my sister?"

Honestly. Yes. Athena can't really think why Brigitte went to look for her in the first place. They are not close. They never were. Their father was always standing in between, preventing the development of sisterly love. Sure, Athena cares for Brigitte, but more out of obligation than anything else. Besides... "I thought you hated me," Athena admits. She looks at her sister but averts her eyes when she sees them widen in shock.

"Hate you? I don't hate you."

"Really? You're not furious I left you behind with the monster who calls himself our father?"

"I understood why you did what you did," Brigitte answers immediately, and Athena raises an eyebrow in disbelief, causing Brigitte to sigh. "Eventually... maybe, I was angry at first. I thought or hoped we were in this shitty life together. A united front against an evil father. Even though we grew up practically separated, I thought we would have each other's backs, and then you left."

"I am sorry, Brigitte. I truly am," Athena murmurs, ashamed.

"Did you ever even consider it? To take me with you?" Brigitte looks at her while asking. Her eyes are curious, but Athena still detects a hint of anger in them.

"Of course, I did. You were my sister. But father was kind to you back then. I thought you liked it at home," Athena says softly. The moment she says it out loud, she realizes how ridiculous it sounds. Even though it was the truth.

"Well, we all pretended, didn't we?" Her sister laughs humourlessly, making Athena shift uneasy. "Anyway," Brigitte continues. "Things got really ugly when you left, you know. Father was furious. He hurt many people trying to find you; tortured them until they would talk, even though he knew they did not know where you were." Athena's heart clenches. So, this was her father's punishment for her? Instead of forcing her to kill people herself, he hurt them in her name.

"Do you know why father wanted me back so badly?" Athena asks her sister, who shakes her head. "No, do you?" Athena nods slowly. "Yes, I do." Brigitte stays silent in anticipation of her sister's next words. Athena inhales nervously. "It's because I'm not just a vampire. I'm also a witch."

"What?" Brigitte's eyes widen in shock and Athena feels her heart rate rise.

"I'm a hybrid, Brigitte. That's why father wanted me back. I'm powerful and he used me to achieve his selfish and terrible goals."

Her sister is speechless and seems only able to watch her sister in disbelief. Athena can't read the message in her eyes, which scares her a little. It proves she doesn't know her sister well. She never did.

"Why did he never tell me? Tell anyone?" Brigitte asks when she has finally found her voice again.

"I don't know," Athena answers honestly. "To keep me a secret? I don't think he told anyone. Whatever the reason, it was sure as hell not for my protection."

"No, I guess not," Brigitte agrees. "Is that why you changed your name? To stay hidden?"

"Yes, but that's not the main reason. I also changed it because it's the name my mother had chosen for me."

"Your mother? Father told me she died?"

"She did."

"Oh." Brigitte stays silent for a moment. Athena can't blame her for not knowing how to respond to that. "Look, I'm not asking you to forgive me; I just hope you can understand why I had to leave."

"I do understand, Athena. That's why I can forgive you. I know we're not close, but I think we can be," Brigitte says in a quiet voice. Perhaps. One day.

"I think so too," she says to her sister, although she's not sure it's the truth.

"Great, now let's go! I hear we have a party to prepare for."

Brigitte's right. They do have a party to attend to and there isn't much time anymore before it begins. Apparently, feasts in this pack start early and continue until the next morning. She had spoken to Annika earlier, and she wasn't exaggerating when she said the pack was looking forward to celebrating Darius's return and her birthday.

In a few hours, Athena watches a variety of wolves placing tables full of food all around the packhouse. When she leaves to change, she can still hear the music blasting through the speakers from afar. Slowly, the night falls and the pack gathers around the enormous square in front of the packhouse. Within half an hour, the place is crowded, and the atmosphere is fantastic. These wolves know how to party.

Athena travels from one table to another, making conversation with everyone she encounters. She hasn't seen Darius in over two hours, but she doesn't feel as lonely as she thought she would. This pack is amazing. She loves everything about it. The enormous land is gorgeous and the people are amazing. And they seem to like her as well. Well, they don't seem to think I'm a monster, which is already better than many, many others. But the only reason they don't hate her already is probably because they don't know she's a hybrid. Yet.

Way to ruin your mood, Athena. Well done.

She distances herself from the crowd by walking a little into the forest. "Hi there," she hears suddenly a voice say. How did I not notice him before? Right in front of her, she sees Hinote sitting on the forest ground. Clearly, he's also celebrating far away from the partying werewolves. "Hey."

She can't place what he's feeling, which is odd for someone who's used to determine what's going on inside a person's mind. She still senses his usual anger though, deep buried inside his chest, but she can also feel some of it is gone. Hinote had told them werewolves took his home from him; killed his family, so she can only imagine what it must feel like to be surrounded by a whole pack of them. Of course, he must have realized not all werewolves are bad, just like she has concluded not all vampires are evil.

She lets herself slowly fall down next to him. They both stay silent for a moment until she hears Hinote suddenly speak.

"So... your sister's here. That must have been quite a surprise," he speaks, a bit awkwardly, causing Athena to chuckle. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Do you not like each other?"

"I'm not sure," she answers honestly. "You can't dislike someone you don't really know." Damn, that sounds sad. "Is it because she's a vampire?" Athena looks up in surprise. "No, that's no-, I don't despise my sister for being a vampire," she says in defence.

"But you dislike vampires, even though you are one yourself. Why is that?" Hinote adds. Athena can tell he's curious, and for some reason, she doesn't mind. Perhaps it'll help to talk about it.

"I haven't seen myself as a vampire for a long time. Not since my father started to treat me differently than the others in the clan. Not when he forced me to feed off of humans so often, I became addicted and I didn't feel like myself anymore. It was horrifying; his voice was the only thing that was clear to me, so I listened to it," Athena explains. Saying the words out loud sends a chilling down her spine.

"I wasn't a vampire anymore; I was a monster."

Hinote's quiet for a moment. "I guess that experience can damage someone's judgment of vampires for a long time," He then admits softly. Athena can only nod in agreement. "He made me do so many horrible things, things no fifteen-year-old should be doing and I thought it was normal; that all vampires were like that. Now, I know it was only my father's twisted mind, but I've not felt comfortable around vampires ever since. Until now."

"What happened?"

"You did! You're the one who finally changed my view for the better. I think you might be the first and only vampire I actually like," she chuckles.

"I'm honoured," the vampire responds with a smile.

"Even though you tried to kill my mate," Athena adds, causing Hinote's grin to fade for a second until he realizes she's joking. "Yeah, that wasn't my best moment. I do still feel terrible about that," he tells her with a shameful red on his cheeks.

"You should," Athena jokes a bit more. "I guess I should apologize for almost killing you too."

"No, you shouldn't. I deserved it," Hinote answers grimly. "I seem like another person when I look back."

"You shouldn't feel too bad about your actions when we first met, Hinote. I can't imagine what it feels like to go through what you've been through and how much pain and anger that experience left behind."

"It changed me," Hinote says while staring at the stars above him. "I've been so enraged for so long; I didn't realize I wasn't just angry and sad anymore. I was lonely, but so blinded at the same time I let only my anger guide me."

Hinote looks up at her. A small smile reappears on his face. "I like to think now, I've changed for the better because I joined your weird group."

"To be honest, I had no idea what Darius was thinking when he asked you to join us. It was a terrible idea," Athena responds bluntly, causing Hinote's smile to widen.

"I agree, but I'm incredibly thankful he did. I wouldn't be where I am today. And not just geographically. I'm still not at peace with what happened to my family; I don't think I'll ever be, but I'm experiencing what it's like to have a family again, and that's the best thing I could have hoped for."

"I'm glad you feel like that. It can't be easy to open up. That I can relate to. I think we all can," Athena answers. "For such damaged individuals, we make a pretty great team."

Hinote nods. "Perhaps that's why it works. We understand and respect each other's boundaries, but at the same time, we challenge each other to be better."

"I think you're right," she agrees. "We wouldn't have been here if we hadn't challenged ourselves." She looks at Hinote, who's observing her like he wants to ask her something.

"What?"

"I wonder. Do you still drink blood?"

"No. I haven't touched it since the moment I ran away seven years ago," she answers quickly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm afraid if I taste even one sip of it, I'll become that same monster again and I never, ever want to be that again." It's hard to admit it. She hasn't felt powerless in over seven years, but only the thought of some human blood running through her veins makes her feel weak. Why? Because she misses it. She misses how it made her feel; so satisfied, so happy. Until it made her miserable...

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Athena. I don't think you would allow yourself anymore to become something you're not. You're not just a vampire or just a witch. You're a freaking hybrid. I know you'd feel stronger if you would drink blood once or twice a month. Why shouldn't you use both of your powers?"

"Because I lost myself while drinking blood. That never happened while I was using my magic. Being a witch feels a lot safer. I don't need blood to stay alive. And you're right, it might strengthen my vampire skills, it's also my greatest weakness. Besides, I'm happy with who I am now. I'm not sure I want to change that."

"I understand," Hinote responds. "But I'm sure when you do drink blood again on your own terms, it won't become the terrible experience you fear it to be. You are a vampire, it's not a shame to admit that. Besides, you use your vampire speed very often, which means your body has to recharge, and I'm not convinced your magic is strong enough to do that forever. You should really consider other methods."

"Perhaps," Athena murmurs. This is not what she wants to hear, and he knows it. She hasn't felt the taste of human blood in seven years and even though that's hard, she knows taking it regularly will ruin her. And I have to prevent that no matter what.

Hinote stays silent, waiting for his words to sink in. When he realizes she won't say any more about the subject, he changes the subject. "You know, something has changed already. I'm really glad you don't think all vampires are evil anymore. We're not."

"And I know that. I really do, but some habits are harder to change than others," she answers. Hinote nods, showing he understands. "Does Darius know?" he then asks.

"Yes, he does," Athena says softly. Her mind automatically goes back to the kind words he had spoken to her when she told him about this part of her dreadful past. "He would agree with you," she says to him. "He really thinks it isn't a shame to embrace every side I have, even the one that feeds of humans; a side I consider monstrous."

"You're not monstrous, Athena, and you're lucky to have a mate who sees and appreciates all of you. I can only hope I'll meet mine one day."

"You will. Everybody does. Eventually," she responds.

Hinote sighs. "I hope it doesn't take too long."

"Many people believe soulmates meet only when the time is right. Perhaps there is some unfinished business you or your mate need to take care of before you're ready to meet," she tells him. It's what Alexis used to say to her. Soulmates are rare within the witch community, but Alexis still knew a lot about them. Athena always suspected her mentor told her about them to give her hope. After all, Alexis was one of the few who knew Athena was not only a witch, and perhaps she knew the Moon Goddess granted even a hybrid a mate.

Hinote brings her out of her daydream when he laughs softly. "I thought ghosts have unfinished business. I may be pale, but I'm not that pale," He responds to her philosophy.

"What I mean is that I'm sure you'll find your mate," she says, laughing along with him.

"You know, I think it's almost midnight, which means Darius is going to give his speech soon. Shall we go back?"

Hinote nods and they both quickly rise from the ground. "We vampires should at least hang in there until the morning, right? We're supposed to be the ones who never sleep," he chuckles as they walk back to the packhouse at a pleasant pace.

"Hinote! Athena. Come dance!" Athena hears when they approach the party. She turns around and sees Kara running straight towards them. The human looks ecstatic, and she doesn't have to think twice about why. Athena refuses kindly. "I have to find Darius, but you should go," she tells Hinote. He nods and lets Kara drag him away. Their friendship might be the strangest one I've ever seen. It still amazes her; a vampire and a human getting along. That is not something you see every day. And that includes the weird dynamic between Demir and Denise. One moment they're fighting and biting each other's heads off and the other they finish each other's sentences or gossiping like teenage girls.

There aren't many secrets within their group anymore and it's mainly because of their talent to mingle with everyone. They're the bridge between all the members, collecting all the information they can get. In other words, the gossip king and queen know and share everything. Nothing stays a secret for long if they're around. And perhaps that's for the better. Most things are better to handle when they're wide out in the open.