I Have How Many Mates?!

Chapter 29

According to Irish legend, a banshee is said to be a fairy who's scream is an omen of death in a family. People thought that each family had its own Banshee, and it's true. I had met my Banshee once, on accident, back when I was dying. It's scream sounded from almost far away, but maybe it was just my blood loss. She appeared over me, and opened her mouth to scream again until another voice sounded, and she fled faster than any human could. I say human, because she didn't look deformed nor scary. She was beautiful. Long, dark, midnight black hair and beautiful, glowing white eyes. She looked almost confused, as if she knew I wasn't truly going to die. Like she shouldn't be screaming. To have that woman screaming now, not long after my younger sister's death frightened me.

Who was I gonna lose next? What more did me and my family have to go through? Thoughts plagued my mind as I used my ability to produce a shield around me, protecting me from the scream before I became too disoriented, yet I was too late for the others as they all collapsed, blood spilling from their ears as I fought the overwhelming dizziness I felt. When I felt stable, I jumped into action, sprinting out of the house and gasping at the thin, emaciated figure standing a few feet away. Her long black hair covered her face, and I squeaked. "Come on, man! Why the grudge look?! I don't like horror movies, you know!" I whined in complaint, causing the small woman to practically cackle.

"I'm sorry, love," The woman said, breathless, her thick Irish accent ever present. "I wanted to get at least one scare in." She explained before bursting into a fit of giggles, pushing her pin-straight hair behind her ears to reveal her almost ironically angelic face.

Though, I wasn't giggling.

"Who is it?" I demanded, the giggles stopping and her glowing eyes turning dim. The creature sighed, looking past me before closing her eyes. Then, she spoke, her voice chilling, and not sounding like her own.

"Thou was not meant to live.
Thou was not meant to love.
When thy father killed thy child,
Thou was meant to soar above.
Thou hath been cursed,
Tortured by witches.
Abominations shouldn't live,
Even past a few twitches.
Thou will now suffer,
By the hands of those that care.
With all this pain and hatred,
How ever will you fare?
Let's see how you react,
When you find one of your mates, dead."

After those words, she disappeared, my heart sinking and my knees buckling. My body felt numb, my wolf howling in pain of what's to come, unable to process the thought of one of my mates passing. Who could it be? Why would they do this? What have I done to deserve this? Nothing, that's what.

I growled, feeling my eyes turn a bloody red as my wolf began to resurface. I held my head, each thump of my beating heart pounding harshly against my skull until it was all I could hear, all I could feel. Anger, resentment, fear. Those emotions flooded through my body as I thought of each one of my mates, their beautiful souls. Losing one of them would kill me, hurt me in ways only those who have lost their mate before, would truly understand.

It hurt; unbearably so. If the thought of one of them dying hurt this much, what would happen to me when one of them does die? My thoughts soared above my head, scenes playing out as I imagined each one of my mates passing, the images too gruesome to watch.

"Please, take me!" I cried out, clutching my chest in my hands as tears freely flowed from my eyes. "Leave them alone, they've done nothing! Kill me instead, please!" I begged, falling onto my knees as I looked up at the sky, hugging my body close, as if it could stop me from falling apart.

"Take me, please...I've suffered enough, you've tortured me enough, please..." I begged anyone from above that was listening, anyone that bothered or cared enough. I begged for forgiveness. I begged for them to take me instead. I begged for someone, anyone to listen and head my cries for hours. I begged until my tears dried. I begged for an hour after, until I could no longer speak as my voice had died out. Even then, I continued to beg, to pray mentally, scream in my head.