He planted his hands on his hips as he waited for his father to finish talking to some of the workers of the tribes.

He knew why he was called. He knew it and he was ready to fight this battle out as well. All the time, his father would criticize and complain about him, making him feel like the lowest form that lies at the end of the food chain when all Yisrael does is work hard to win his approval.

Today he wasn't going to. He hadn't done anything wrong. The oath still stands and he also couldn't care less if it didn't.

Once they all left, Yuri's violet eyes moved to his. "Son."

"Father."

They stared at each other. Waiting for one of them to at least crack.

Yisrael remembered one particular incident in his childhood that resembled this. His father had taken him on a hunt to show him how to catch a capybara.

Except he didn't need Yuri to help him.

He was a smart one and he learned quick, except his arrogance was his own downfall. When he aimed the blowgun at the capybara, he didn't sense his surroundings.

He forgot to see a full adult jaguar waiting for him. If it hadn't been for his father to yell his warning, he would have been killed that day.

His father had looked down at the little boy version of himself with piercing violet eyes, waiting for the apology.

At first, Yisrael resisted but then he realized the honest truth. His father saved him that day and so he knelt down, bowing his head.

That was the last time Yisrael acted on sheer conceit. He always remembered that no matter how old you grow, the vessel for learning never over flows.

It will never be full. He remained open to learning some things every single day.

But today, he was on the high stand of defense. He knows he hadn't done anything to feel the culpability that was sleazing in his veins.

After a while of tensed silence, Yuri sighed. "You know I want what's best for you."

A deep feeling of uneasiness settled in Yisrael. Guilt is an artery to the heart. Once it's cut, the hollowness grows just bigger and worse till you simply wish for death to take you away.

Yet he stayed true to his side. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Yet. You haven't done anything wrong yet."

Sweat broke out on his forehead and he bared his fangs at him. "I don't understand why I need this useless verbal nonsense. I'm good on my word. I will marry Yuh anyway. What's the point?"

Dauntingly, Yuri enunciated his words.

"The point is this will teach you. Test your limits. It proves to show that sometimes temptations come in various forms, trying various ways to defeat our self control. Our purpose in life. Making us lose our mind in order to allure us to take and take what we don't need in the first place."

His honesty was making Yisrael feel trapped.

Yuri continued on. "I will not say anything further because you have grown to an age where you will make the decision you see fit."

His father knew how to stab the sharpened spear into his heart.

A grim expression fell over Yuri as he smoothened a hand over his silver hair. "At the moment, I need you to find out what is their real deal is. Something tells me that archeologist is digging for something that isn't his. I want answers and you are going to deliver them. Maybe it will keep your mind off other things. I'm sure you have ways to ask the girl."

He whistled low cunningly when he finished the last sentence.

Ah, fuck. His father had heard her scream.

Yisrael frowned then when he registered his father's words. "Why do you think girl has the answers?" He demanded.

To think River would go behind his back and try to double cross him made Yisrael clap his molars hard together.

One thing he couldn't stand was betrayal. He can understand and handle the rejection but it's the betrayal that lacerated him.

"The girl is the one who brought him over. I'm sure she will get half or more of whatever it is the archeologist wants to sell."

Holding his breath from lashing out, he speaks the one sentence that always follows through when they have 'guests' over. "You know they will steal the red flame stone."

Yuri shrugged. "Our race has been here for eons to come. We may not be immortal but we are stronger, faster and better and like always, humans will do anything to steal it."

Hence, they had covered their covenant from the outside world where humans wouldn't find them.

"Then why didn't you kill them in the first place?"

Even as he spoke, Yisrael felt the first thump of the kindle of misery searing in.

It ran past his throat, into his lungs and touched his animal soul. To see her dead, no, to kill her himself created a new hole.

Self-loathe.

Yuri reached over, gripping an old parchment. He read it over like as if he already knew what was written.

Handing it over with reverence like manner, Yisrael studied the handwriting. He stated. "It's from mother."

Running a hand over his face, he sighed deeper. "I know I don't talk about her often. Never, actually but it's time you know the truth."

He didn't even read the inscriptions because he looked up when he heard the white hot agony thicken in his father's voice.

He already knew what his father was about to say.

"Mother was killed." Yisrael felt his body quake. "Wasn't she?"

"Yes." It was so soft, he hardly would have registered it if he hadn't been listening to Yuri so intently.

Yisrael hissed as his temper surged. "Who killed her?"

"She was killed by a human."

Just like that the cord snapped. "You waited so long to tell me this? You couldn't have said it when I was moaning with my brothers over a loss we didn't even know how it occurred."

"I didn't want you boys to worry."

He growled. "She is my mother. I will worry. I have the right to know what happened to my own flesh."

He couldn't handle it. His temperature rose thinking how all these years he never knew the fatal reason and only coming to know his own mother had died by the hand of some common low life human.

This is why humans were killed when they get too close to the tribe. They were bullies to things unfamiliar to them. They grew hostile and attack the things they don't follow or understand.

Anything new comes along, the only way for humans to react to it were to destroy it or experiment on it to find a weakness so that it can be used against them. Abused to a point where only a wreck was left behind.

Just like his mother's wreckage cast off and he had been insensible all these years.

Yuri closed the distance between them and placed a hand on his shoulder but Yisrael jostled him off.

He sighed. "Yisrael, your mother would have been so proud of you. Seeing you become the man you have grown up but you need to listen-"

"I have nothing to say or listen to you, father."

He whirled, stalking out of the tent. Yuri called him back but he didn't once turn.

He strode straight towards a narrow lane bushed with trees. His mind fluctuated with revenge, torment and lastly deep rooted sadness.

His beautiful mother who loved each and every one who belonged in the tribe. Be it a worker, a hunter or anyone.

Her love was never discriminated. It was equal to all. And yet she died at the hands of a puny human.

He reached over the rocky cliff. The dark empurpled clouds reflected his anger and hatred for humans.

She died. No one to protect her. Where was he when this happened? Then, a cruel episode flashed in his eyes. He was too busy bedding women.

His world shattering around and he drew in a deep breath and emptied his lungs with a savage yell.

The sound vibrated the leaves on the trees behind him. They flared almost violently, wanting to run away from the wild man.

He bellowed till his throat burned like as if it chest was dipped in raw acid. When he swallowed, he couldn't gulp it down. All the frogs in the world were stuck in his throat.

He felt no solace. Only repentance was left.

That's when he saw River walking the trail down below with Chris. His temper returned hot and sharp.

He marched over to them in quick silent big steps. His thighs ingesting up the distance between them.

Only one sentence kept echoing in his mind. Their kind was responsible.

With a soundless snarl, he walked behind River and yanked her back to him. She raised her mouth to scream but he clamped his hand over her to muffle her bawl.

Her plush body was struggling to get away from his hold, his arm banded around her waist tighter.

He breathed her musk through his nose, his body already hardening but he shook his head. No!

River's eyes widened as she saw Chris walking ahead, unaware of her dire straits. Is he that unobservant of his surrounding?

She stomped her legs to make some noise and tried to lick Yisrael's hand or bite it but nothing deterred both the males.

"It's time I show you what I truly am." She wriggled from his hold as his hot breath wafted into her sensitive ears.

"A merciless monster."