A Queen Among Snakes: Chapter Twelve - Mei

Yesterday was full of revelations and ended up being surprisingly emotional, but I feel much better today and ready to start my training. Chris wanted to come with me for training, but I assured him I’ll be fine. I can’t rely on him for everything, no matter how much I want to. I know I can do it; fighting with my pack in battle proved that. Now I just need to not revert backwards.

Chris and I walk out to the training grounds together, and I see Setia dressed in a white sports bra and white leggings ready to begin. Everyone is looking at her with a mix of awe, intimidation, and desire.

Horny wolves: they just can’t seem to help themselves. Vitali should be the one to tell them from firsthand experience it will only cause them issues in the future if they’re not careful.

“If you need anything, anything at all, just call for me,” Chris reminds me as he places a soft kiss on my lips.

“Or call for me, I don’t mind going a few rounds with Tinkerbell over there,” adds Axel.

I smile and return Chris’ kiss as I rise up on my tippy toes, “I promise to call if I need it, but I’ll be fine. You two shouldn’t worry so much,” I say trying to pacify them.

Chris snorts, “Yeah, good luck with that. We will always worry about you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He bends down and kisses my mark, making me bite back a moan as pleasure and electricity bursts through me. He pulls back smirking and runs off to the rest of the training group as Tyson starts giving instructions. Evalyn looks over at me and gives me a thumbs up.

“You’re going to do great, kick butt, girl! I want all the details later,” sounds her voice in my mind. I giggle at her enthusiasm.

“I promise to fill you in on everything. Enjoy training,” I tell her back.

“Enjoy training? Training is the least enjoyable thing on the planet. What you and Tyson love about it so much is beyond me,” she says, and I watch as she rolls her eyes making me giggle.

“Everything will be fine. You can trust Setia, she won’t steer you wrong,” I now hear Amelia’s voice reassuring me through the pack-link. I look over to see her giving me an encouraging smile.

“Show her what you’re made of, we’re all behind you,” adds Marcus’ voice.

I take a deep breath smiling over at my friends and family. Having their support is something I never thought I’d ever have, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Are you ready to begin?” I look up to see Setia has walked over to me.

I nod enthusiastically. I actually now feel my most confident while I’m training. It’s when I am most able to push out the bad thoughts and memories and focus on the fact I’m not that weak little girl anymore.

Setia starts walking away from the training grounds and I follow her curiously.

“I thought it best we begin your training in private, I thought you may feel more comfortable not doing this in front of the pack,” she explains as if reading my mind.

“Oh, thank you. That’s very considerate.”

“Zarseti made another successful pairing I see. You and Chris are adorable together,” she says warmly, and I feel my cheeks heating up.

“I feel very lucky and blessed to have been given someone as wonderful as him,” I say shyly.

“If you were any sweeter I’d pour you into my coffee,” she laughs.

“Do you have an animai?” I ask curiously.

“No. None of my sisters do,” she says very matter-of-factly.

I pause in my steps, surprised by her answer, “None of you?” She shakes her head. “But I thought Zarseti blessed all supernatural beings with an animai,” I say in a solemn tone.

Having Chris has made me happier than words can ever describe, knowing such caring people as Setia don’t have that makes me sad.

“Don’t feel sad for us, we’re not going around broken-hearted over it. Perhaps she did it so none of us would be distracted from our purpose in life. After all, as we have seen over the centuries, animais are all-consuming and I think would most certainly impede our work,” she tells me, her voice and face calm and happy. I don’t have to question if she’s telling the truth, Amelia explained to me that irshiusts are unable to tell a lie, which I quite like.

“Doesn’t it get lonely?” I ask as we continue to walk along a dirt path through the woods – I think I know where we’re going.

“You make it sound as though I’m celibate,” she teases and again I feel my cheeks turn red; embarrassment flooding me. I shouldn’t have made that assumption, after all, it didn’t apply to the one Vitali slept with. “Your innocence is truly refreshing,” she says with a wide smile. “I have my… interactions, I’ll say. There have been people I have cared for, but never have I fallen in love, and I am fine with that.”

I guess all that matters is that they are happy, and it’s unfair for me to think they need a companion to be happy. At least she has her sisters, though I notice none of them seems to look anything alike.

We finally come to a clearing where on the far side is the pack’s temple in honour of the Goddess Morrtemis. I’ve been inside twice – both times were for funerals to say goodbye and honour those the pack had lost. Both occasions were heartbreaking.

“This will be your only warning, Mei. I will not go easy on you; I will not show mercy. You may hate me and even find this upsetting, and that’s fine, but it will change nothing. You have to learn to fight with everything you have and not hold back because in a real fight, your enemies will not hesitate to find a way to hurt you, and that doesn’t just mean attacking you, it means attacking those you love. Do you understand?” She says with a focused and firm look on her face as her skin and eyes glitter in the sunlight.

I won’t pretend I’m not nervous – I’m extremely nervous – but I need this. I want to protect myself and those I love, and I like to think she won’t kill me, so I can do this.

I nod standing up a little taller, “I’m ready,” I announce.

I wasn’t ready.

Faster than I could blink, something hit me hard in the torso and I went flying, crashing right through a tree, and rolling across the forest floor. I cough and groan trying to get my bearings and figure out what that was. This is what I imagine getting hit by a car feels like.

“Mei! Mei are you alright?! What’s happening?!” I hear Chris’ panicked voice in my head.

“Speak to us, Sweet One!” Now comes Axel’s equally panicked voice. I can hear and feel their worry. I look up to see Setia standing in the centre of the clearing with a cool, collected look on her face. I also see how far away from her I am now.

“I’m okay, I just started training. Everything’s fine,” I reassure them as I slowly get to my feet while I hold my torso.

Everything is protesting, but if I’m honest, it’s not so bad. I’ve suffered far worse pain and back then I was too weak to heal. I know what real pain is like, I know how to endure and block out pain. This is nothing.

As I straighten myself I see the sparkle of glitter in the sunlight as what the glitter is attached to connects with my face. Sharp pain radiates through my jaw as my head is whipped to the side and I watch the blood fly out of my mouth.

It hurts. I mean it really hurts. But this time I can heal, so I don’t worry about it. I feel she’s about to attack again and I don’t feel strong enough to fight her in this form, so I decide to shift.