Aria stood among the trees, her lithe body taller and starting to mature. She was watching the young Alphas training, she kept her eyes on a few of them, they were candidates for the pack Alpha. She had high hopes for one he seemed promising. Aiden, he was from outside the pack like her, abandoned when he was just a small child.

She assumed because he is an Alpha and whoever was in his pack didn't want him taking another Alphas place. The other good option was Darian, he came from her own pack and was almost on par with Aiden. "So who do you think would be best suited?" Asked Michael. He came walking around a tree, his hair was graying but he still looked somewhat young and strong despite his age.

"It won't matter which we pick, they would be leading us together anyway. We should tell both about me when they become our Alphas." Aria said. "Hopefully they know the markings"

"I'll trust your words." Michael said. "The Alpha before me was a great Alpha and I believe I did well as well."

"You have. I've never been wrong." Aria said. "Your grandfather always valued my opinion."

"That he did." Michael said. "I remember my father telling me stories about the day his dad had found you." Aria smiled, remembering the first memory she could recall of being a small child playing with the other children in their wolf forms. But that was so many years ago. 

"Shall we go talk to them now and let them know, or shall we wait until tonight?" Aria asked.

"Let's tell them tonight." Michael said and walked off to attend to his other duties. Aria nodded and headed back to her home to grab her bow and arrows and a bag, then headed out to hunt. She didn't feel like getting anything big today, but at the same time she knew that she would probably catch something bigger than the rabbits she was planning on catching for herself, so that she could use the bigger animal to make a meal for the new Alphas.

*    *    *    *   

Aria enjoyed spending her time alone, though there were times she didn't mind having company. She knows in her heart that she truly doesn't fit in with her family that has raised her for years, but at the same time they are the only family that she has. Thinking about family she wished that she could have known her mother and father, but Nadia had told her that it would most likely be impossible. Aria missed Nadia very much, she was the best mother anyone could have asked for.

Aria was lost in thought when she stumbled upon a wild boar. She thought it slightly odd that it was so deep in the woods, but not too odd, sometimes they did roam deep into the woods. She took aim with her arrow and killed it in one hit. She decided that this would do for now and that she should head back so that the boar can be cleaned for cooking. 

Aria spotted Aiden just ahead waiting for her a few miles away from the rest of the pack. "Michael said I should come get you, because you would have too much food to carry." Aria laughed and lifted one of the boars and handed it to Aiden, on the way back she had run into another one, so she decided to kill that one too. They didn't get far before Darian showed up and Aria lifted the other boar and handed it to him. In her bag she even had a few bunnies.

"Both of you didn't need to come meet up with me." Aria said.

"Michael said that I should come meet up with you two." Darian said. Aria couldn't help but wonder if it was because of those people that passed through the woods the other day.

"I suppose it does make some sense. Are you boys looking forward to the boars?" Aria asked.

"Of course. You always catch the best food." Aiden said. Aria giggled at the look on Darians face, he was giving Aiden a look that said 'dude why are you buttering her up?', but there was also a slight hint of jealousy. Aria and the two boys arrived at the Alphas cabin. Aria said a quick hello to Michael and a goodbye to the boys as she went to her cabin behind the Alpha cabin. She quickly gutted and skinned the three bunnies she caught and stored them. Then she headed back to the Alphas cabin. 

Aria rounded the corner just as the three Alphas were finished gutting and skinning the two boars. "Hurry up boys, I'm hungry" Aria said. Aiden laughed.

"Boys?" Aiden said. "Silly girl, you're at least four years younger than me and Michael is 55." He said laughing. Aria and Michael shared a look and then looked at the two young Alphas.   

"First order of business, let's get this meat cooked. While we do that, I have decided that among the two of you, you can choose which will be lead Alpha. I've been informed that you two would lead together anyway." Michael said. "So decide which of you will be the decision maker."

The two boys looked at each other shocked that someone had seemed to notice them. They finished cooking the food and sat to eat. "Now that I have passed my role to you guys there's one very important thing you need to know, Aria." Michael said and nodded to Aria for her to tell them her story. He went inside his cabin to find the things he knew they would need to show them it was all true.

Aria sighed and looked both boys in the eyes. "How old do you think I am?" She finally asked.

"Eleven" "thirteen" Aiden and Darian said at the same time. Aria shook her head. Michael came back out of the cabin and handed her the photo book, which she then handed to the guys.

"I am a hundred and four years old." Aria said. "Open the book and look. There are pictures of me as an infant with Michael's grandfather." The boys did as she said and opened the book. There in the book was a baby with one eye as deep blue as the ocean and the other as purple as Wild Hyacinth, there was also the symbol of bat wings with what looked like blood dripping off them.

"How do we know this is you?" Aiden asked. Aria looked up at Michael and he helped her unwrap the cloth from her shoulders and chest without her having to take her shirt off, she also uncovered her right eye showing the unique color of Wild Hyacinth and then the mark near her collar bone. The boys looked at her in disbelief. "I thought you were like us"

"Sometimes I wish I was." Aria said. "Then I wouldn't have to hide."

"Can I ask why you wish you were like us?" Darian asked. Aria looked over at Michael.

"Aria is very very special." Michael stated.

"How so?" Aiden asked.

"She is a hybrid." Michael said. "But not just any hybrid. She's Fae and Vampire."

"Aren't there other such hybrids?" Darien asked.

"Yes, but they are not the same as she is. My great grandmother didn't think anything of her eyes at first, until she noticed the color." Michael said.

"What do you mean?" Darian interrupted.

"Her right eye is the color of Wild Hyacinth, which is only found near the Royal Fae." Michael answered. "But it wasn't her eye that caused the worry, no one can harm the Fae. It's the mark, that's why we keep her a secret. When I was just twenty five she looked seven."

"What does the mark mean?" Aiden asked.

"Nadia, Michael's grandma says that it's the mark of a group of vampires that hadn't been seen in thousands of years." Aria said.

"What group?" Darian asked. Aria took a deep breath.

"The Royal Vampire family." Aria said. "Nadia said that the Camazotz race killed them off because they were afraid of a prophecy. But no one knows what that prophecy is any more."

"We promise to protect you." Both boys said at the same time.

"Thank you." Aria said.