A Queen Among Snakes: Chapter Twenty-Eight - Chris

Once we return to pack territory Axel follows Zara in the direction of the pack hospital which confuses me. When we arrive a nurse is waiting out the front with a change of clothes. Zara shifts back into Amelia and Amelia quickly gets dressed in a baggy shirt and shorts and Axel and I do the same. At this point, I just feel like I’m running on autopilot.

“Tyson and Vitali are coordinating with the warriors and patrols to try and find Mei, I have Marcus contacting the Delegation for me,” Amelia says as she walks into the hospital.

I follow behind her confused. As grateful as I am – and it pains me to say this – a missing pack member isn’t the kind of thing they worry themselves about.

“Why are you contacting the Delegation?” I’m surprised how emotionless my voice sounds even to my own ears.

“Whoever took Mei attacked Setia, she’s badly hurt. They needed to know their sister was hurt on my territory, on top of that, we don’t know how to treat her. Maybe they do,” she says, her voice cool and collected. She’s keeping things professional, focusing on the task at hand. Right now, I wish I was able to control my emotions the way Amelia can.

We eventually come to Setia’s room, and it’s only now I can take in the state of her. She’s laying on a hospital bed, still in her workout clothes of black leggings and a black sports bra, but her face, neck, chest, and palms are badly burned and blistered. But instead of the burns and blisters being an angry red colour like with most people, hers are all golden.

What the hell happened to her?

Amelia walks over and gently strokes her hair and Setia slightly responds to her touch, which tells us she’s awake.

“Have you given her anything for the pain?” Amelia asks a nurse. I didn’t even notice her standing there. I really am out of it.

“I’m afraid not, Alpha. None of us has the training or knowledge to treat her,” the nurse says regretfully before nodding and stepping out.

“Setia, Marcus is calling your sisters. Will they be able to treat you?” Amelia gently asks. Setia manages a small nod of her head. “Just hold on a little longer and we’ll get you patched up in no time,” she says with a comforting smile.

I was about to ask Setia what the hell happened, but when I heard her strained breathing, I forced myself to bite my tongue. I want and need to find Mei, but I can see Setia is badly injured, and it looks like she can’t do much talking either. I’m left no choice but to wait.

I sit in the corner of the hospital room; its lights have been turned down because they were hurting Setia’s eyes – which were also burned. Time seems to have gotten away from me. I haven’t been paying attention to anyone or anything. Axel isn’t talking, he’s just curled up in a ball weeping. I’d join him, but instead, I’ve been focusing so hard on trying to reach Mei, but still nothing. I’m not giving up though.

My senses return to me when I hear an airy voice yell Setia’s name. I look up as a woman with chestnut hair, and glittering latte skin walks into the room in basic pyjama pants and a tank top. I recognise her, she was the Delegate who stopped Alpha Ivan from killing Mei – Defne. She rushes to Setia’s side, a look of deep concern on her face as she begins speaking to her. I can’t understand what she’s saying though; I don’t speak the language of the Gods.

A moment later another woman enters the room. She’s the same height as Defne at 5’5”, but she has creamy white skin and long wavy red hair that reaches her ass. She’s wearing a sheer-black long-sleeved top, black slacks, and black stiletto shoes. Her top is completely transparent and if it weren’t for her thick, long hair I would be able to see everything I’m not supposed to because she is not wearing a bra.

I don’t know who this woman is, but she’s clearly not an irshiust. I can’t tell from her scent what she is, but she’s looking at Setia with concern, so I’m guessing she’s a friend and not a foe.

“Thank you for having your Luna call us. Alpha Amelia, you remember Aulen, one of our resident makkares back at the Kartheca,” she introduces, while Amelia shakes hands with Aulen.

“It’s very nice to see you again, Alpha Amelia, but if you wouldn’t mind stepping back so I can tend to Setia,” Aulen says in a calm and gentle voice.

“Of course, please do what you have to do,” Amelia says taking a step back along with Defne.

Aulen steps towards Setia and hovers her hands over her. Her eyes snap open to reveal pitch-black orbs with silver pupils as her hands begin to emit a purple glow. The glowing moves from her hands and surrounds Setia as if she’s being encased in a purple bubble. The temperature in the room has gone up and the energy from her magic is making me feel jittery. After doing her little magic trick for a few minutes, Setia’s injuries have completely healed. The glowing has stopped and Aulen’s eyes have switched from their black pools to… huh, she has heterochromia. Her left eye is a beautiful light blue, but her right eye is dark brown.

Aulen’s healing isn’t the same as Mei’s. Mei can heal any injury in seconds, whereas for Aulen it took longer for her magic to do her bidding. If Mei was here she could have healed Setia in no time.

If I weren’t sitting down I’d fall down as the reminder that the woman I love is gone hits me yet again. I need her back. I can’t handle this; not having her close, not knowing if she’s okay. This is soul-crushing torture.

“How are you feeling?” Defne asks her sister, handing her a glass of water.

“Much better. Thank you, Aulen,” she says, taking and sipping the water.

“Happy to help,” she nods.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, they’re going to need more of your help,” Setia says.

Aulen arches her perfectly shaped eyebrow, “Oh?”

“Think you can tell us what happened now?” Amelia asks. “I respect your position as a Delegate, but my Delta and good friend is missing and you’re the only one who knows what happened,” she says, projecting her Alpha Spirit.

“I completely understand and will do all I can to help,” Setia says sincerely, but then her eyes land on me; they’re full of guilt and sympathy and just seeing it is crushing me more. “Chris, I am so, so very sorry. We were caught by surprise. I didn’t hear or smell anything, it was Mei who noticed him first. She felt his vibration and I immediately knew who it was,” she says, her voice turning hard.

Defne’s eyes widen, “Zixin? So your theory was right?”

Setia nods, “And it seems he is still working with a makkari like we thought . I can’t think of any other way he’d have been able to find Mei or conceal his scent other than with magic,” she deduces.

“Cloaking and tracking magic is incredibly easy, so it definitely sounds like a makkari is involved,” Aulen says with disdain. “I’m determined to find the bitch. If it’s who I think it is, she’s in for a world of hurt when I find her. She’s broken too many of our covenants,” she says, balling her hands into fists.

“Hold up,” I say as I get to my feet. “Who the fuck is Zixin, how the hell did he overpower an irshiust and what the fuck does he want with my animai?!” I shout.

Everyone is speaking so calm and casually while I’m over here feeling as though I’m dying. Do they not understand that my sole reason for being has been taken from me? Do they not fucking understand that she has already been through hell? Do they even fucking care?!

Amelia quickly walks over and wraps an arm around me, “Just breathe. I’m worried about her too and we’re going to get answers. I need you to keep it together a little longer,” she tries to console me.

I take a deep breath and do my best to rein myself in. Aside from Amelia, I’ve always been the calm one in a crisis. Tyson and Vitali usually end up snapping at each other and either Amelia or myself have to play mediator. Now suddenly I’m the unstable one.

“Like with any supernatural species, we too have our weaknesses. We just tend to keep them pretty well hidden given our line of work. I don’t know how he learned what they were, but it’s reason for concern. He had powdered devil’s tongue. He blew it directly into my face as soon as I charged at him. It was burning my flesh and my insides; it was agony,” she shudders. “I wanted to protect Mei, Chris. But devil’s tongue to an irshiust is like lupine to a mutolupus. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her,” Setia says through clenched teeth as she looks away in shame.

“I’m sorry you were hurt, I am. But who is he and what does he want with Mei?” I ask as my voice trembles. Amelia tightens her hold on me.

Defne and Setia share a tentative glance with each other and that tells me they don’t have good news, “Zixin is the Emperor of the Nagata. He is the Onyx Snake of Death and the descendent of Wei’s line. He’s clearly been following Mei. She said she recognised his vibration from the club last night,” says Setia.

Amelia and I both stiffen, “Fuck!” Amelia cusses.

My whole body now shakes with rage. He was there. He was the one watching her. It wasn’t some creepy human; it was some fucking snake emperor. I should have checked the entire club; I should have been more vigilant. He was right there; I could have stopped all of this. I failed her. I fucking failed her!

“Stop! Chris, stop!” Amelia’s voice floats into my ears.

It’s like I blacked out or something because when my senses come back to me I realise I’ve been pounding my fists into the wall and Amelia is pulling me back. My chest is heaving, my hands are bloody and yet I can’t feel a thing. All there is, is anger and despair drowning me from the inside.

“What the fuck does he want with Mei?” I ask breathlessly. They say nothing. I turn to glare at them, I don’t give a fuck who they are. “TELL ME! WHY DID HE TAKE HER?!” I scream, my Delta Spirit pushing forward with more ferocity than it ever has before. I’m holding on by a single thread here.

“Nothing we say is going to make you feel better, in fact, it’ll only make you feel worse,” Defne warns.

“I don’t fucking care, just tell me or I’ll go out and find some devil’s tongue and finish what he started,” I seethe.

“CHRIS! STAND DOWN!” Amelia shouts projecting her Alpha Spirit, forcing me to bow my head in submission.

The moment she forces me into submission I feel some of my anger slip away, leaving only pain and sadness behind. A whispered sob escapes my lips, “Please, I need to know. Who is he?”

“The one person I hoped would never find her,” Setia says taking a deep breath.

What she says next I never saw coming and sends me spiralling out of control with no end in sight.