Chapter 9 - A great evil is born

***Callums pov***

“Aayla” I've heard the name before, maybe around the fire as a child.
“Yes, Aayla. She was the child of a wolf and a human. The first human to be born with a wolf's soul.” Zandra began.
“Her mother and a wolf fell in love. For them to be together the gods remade the wolf into a man. As Aayla was born her father died and it would be many years before she knew about her heritage. As she was the first of her kind, the gods were afraid, this was not their creation but a creation born of true love and the Gods knew there is no greater power. Since Aayla lived among humans, the gods bound her wolf spirit so it never would emerge, so she would never know it. But Selene, our goddess, left in a loophole.” Zandra chuckles proudly.
“What was the loophole?” I asked, rubbing my forehead, and silently cursing all the whiskey I drank last night.
“For her wolf soul to be touched by another wolf.” she answered.
“Since I’m sitting here, I guess she was? Or I mean her soul was, spirit, whatever?” I yawn, immediately regretting it as I feel the sharp burning pain from Zandra’s cane on my leg.
“Now you listen up pup, because I don't like repeating myself.” Her voice loud and clear as she looked me hard in the eyes.
“Sorry, sorry, please continue, I will listen I promise” I said, my hands in the air, trying to charm her.

She snorted at me and went on with the story.

“There was a man, Ambrogio, both blessed and cursed by the Gods. His mission, to erase the union of Mateivia and Mateusz. The parents of Aayla. He was the one Mateivia was promised to before Mateusz came to be.” she explains.
“Mateivia and Mateusz.. Like in, mates?” I asked and I felt my wolf perked up in my head.
“Yes, like mates, the original mates, actually. Now, stop interrupting me!” She says in a stern voice, but I can see she’s pleased with me showing interest in her story.

*"When word of Mateusz’s death reached Ambrogio, he returned to the village he had left several years earlier with the mission to finally claim what was his.
He tried to court Mateivia but she wants nothing to do with him as he previously tried to kill Mateusz.
One night he enters her house to force himself on her. With his seed growing inside her, she would not be able to deny him any longer, he could get rid of the wolfs spawn and all would be as it was meant to be. He almost succeeded, but all the commotion woke her father, who came to her rescue. He tore Ambrogio off her and demanded that he leave the house. Furious at his failure, Ambrogio takes a piece of wood lying by the fireplace and drives it into the old man’s heart. He looks down at his bloodstained hands and in an attempt to clean them, he licks them while turning to Mateivia. In her eyes he finds nothing but disgust and contempt, so once again, he fled.
In the woods, he fell to his knees, shaking with rage when he hears his father’s voice. *
*-You killed a good man this night, so from here on, you will only know the darkness. *
*-You tasted his blood on your tongue, so from here on, it will be the only taste you can feel. *
*-You used a simple wooden stick to end this man’s life, this will from now on be the one thing that ends your own. *
*-You looked with lust on a woman whose heart belonged to another and used your strength to force yourself upon her while intending to kill her child, so from here on, I will scrub their bloodline from your sight and the child’s blood, her life essence, will be your poison."*

Zandra stopped and looked at me, giving me a moment, letting me absorb her story.
“Holy fuck” I burst out. “You talking about the first vampire! The father of vampires!” I say
“Indeed I am.” she nods

*“His father did not realize he created a monster, he had faith in his son, hoping his hard punishment would do good. Hoping Ambrogio would learn and regret and, in the end, become a good man. But Ambrogio was furious and swore by his vengeance he would turn his father’s children against him. He would become so powerful that no one ever dared deny him again, he would then return to claim Mateivia and kill her spawn.*

*"The years that followed were bloody. Ambrogio traveled from village to village to seek out medicine men, shamans, and witches. Not to save him, but to develop his gifts. He wanted to be able to create others in his image and in the end, he succeeded.
For the first time, the Father of humans went to his sister Selene for aid."*

“Why didn´t he just kill him? He could just blast him were he stood,” I say when Zandra takes a break from the story, lighting another cigarette, and inhaled the thick smoke.
“Silly boy. God, Goddess, Mother or Father..they come by many names, but they have one thing in common. They can’t actively kill their own children.” She answers.
“So what did Selene do? Did she help him? Tell me she sent some bad ass wolf on his ass!” I say with the image clear in my head and my wolf cheering me on.
“Well, in a way I suppose she did” Zandra chuckles and goes on with the story

*"Selene took the form of her wolf and went to earth. A God or Goddess can never approach a child that’s not their own so she couldn’t do more about Ambrogio then her brother could. She roamed the land looking for the daughter of her son, Aayla, the girl with the bound wolf’s soul. She found her and her heart shattered for the girl.
Her mother, Mateivia, sat in the opening to the cave that was their home, with Aayla asleep in her arms. The girl’s breathing shallow and rough. Her body only skin and bones. As Selene walked up to them Mateivias tears fell down her cheeks.
The goddess changed to her womanly form and kneeled down in front of them, her eyes never leaving Aayla.*
*- Please beautiful Heaven, please help her! She is all I have left of him. Mateivia cried.
Since she was not one of her children, Selene could not answer her, but she could talk to the sleeping girl in her lap. The girl with a wolf spirit.*
*- Sweet child, you didn’t ask for this. She reached out and stroke the girls’ hair.*
*-As your father was a wolf, you were born with a wolf in your heart. The unknown scared me, I must admit, so I did something I now regret. I bound your soul, making you weak.*
*Selene can feel Mateivia tense up beside her, but she keeps her eyes on the girl and continues.*
*-In the shadows of your parents’ happiness, a great evil was born. He wants your mother, and he paints the land in blood in his search for her. He lives on the blood of his victims, he is merciless, his name is Ambrogio. Selene took a brief pause, making sure her words is heard, before she continues.*
*-You see, Aayla, his father cursed him for hurting and spilling your family’s blood. Now, your blood is his curse. He will never be able to gaze up on you, and drinking your blood will hurt him. For a creature as evil as him, it won’t stop him, and he can still hurt or even kill you if he finds you. Even thou he can’t see you, he has other senses, sharpened by time, and an army of children at his disposal. Selene pauses again. Coming to the hardest part, she must be sure that Mateivia understands her.*
*-He is on his way, its just a matter of days before he finds you. I will make you better but without your wolf I cannot make you stronger. For me to unbound your wolf you need to get better. Do you understand? Selene asked, waiting for a response not from Aayla but from Mateivia.*
*-She understands. Mateivia answers. Her voice laced with sadness for her daughter and the fate that was forced upon her.*
*-I am so sorry that I can’t do more. I want you to know, I hold your mother close to my heart. Even thou she is not one of my children, she loved my son unconditionally, both as a wolf and as a human and she made him the happiest ever to walk our land.
The words were not for Aayla but for her mother. Selene needed her to know how grateful she was and even thou she was human, she loved her so much.*
*-You need to come find me Aayla. Find me and I help you get your wolf. That was her last words before kissing the girls head and again taking the form of her wolf.*
*She stood tall, beautiful and strong as she let out a howl to the heaven, a howl that shock the surrounding ground, and the heaven answered. After years with the angry sun, the raindrops touched the ground."*

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*Author Note: Thank you for reading!
This is my first book and English is not my native language so please leave a kind ccomment to point out mistakes.
* Make sure to like the chapter if you enjoyed it!