Creed

It couldn't be. I blinked my eyes several times.

There she was, in the flesh, in a white dress that did nothing for her hourglass shape. Her hair was pulled back in one sizeable loose braid that lowered to the small of her back. Her soft yellow eyes flickered at me, a tiny smile performing on her lips.

"It's so good to see you, my little fledgling," she sang at me. I ran up to her, landing on my knees, hugging her tightly as I buried myself in her chest.

"Mother," I heaved a sob. No matter my size, I would always be her little fledgling. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there." My grip tightened around her waist, burying my face in her stomach as I cried. "I wasn't there to protect you." My mother's hand ran across the top of my head, her lips pressing against it.

"Creed, it was never your fault. None of it was. I'm so sorry you have had to live as you have for all these years. Even I was blind to your suffering when I was alive. I hope to explain why that was so." Mother's fingers wrapped around my loose hair.

"I'm so sorry, I failed you." I shook my head, gripping her tighter, feeling the rocks in the dirt cut into my knees.

"No, you didn't." I heaved a breath at her words.

"I did." Mother's hands gripped under my arm, pulling me to standing. I was ahead, taller than her. She smiled at me; her fangs perfectly white. The last time I saw her, she was covered in blood, her face mangled in flesh and bone. "I should have done something when I felt something was off, but I didn't. I'm just thankful Amora was smart enough to question." Tilting my head, her hand cupped my cheeks and then led me through the summer forest.

We reached the other side of the heated pond. Mother lifted her dress, sitting on the massive rock and dipping her hand into the water. "I met your father here, your real father." Her voice traveled across the pond, I flinched. He was a rapist who took advantage of my mother, and I was thankful he was dead. Otherwise, I would have spent my adulthood searching and killing.

"He met me here a long time ago as I was bathing alone. I came here a lot, each time smelling a sweet mountain of fresh air one wouldn't be able to find unless you traveled to the other side of the Great Northern Mountains." She sighed, turning to me.

"I would smell him many times for almost a year. Until one day he had the courage to approach me. He looks just like you. From the dark hair and eyes down to the very body you have worked so hard to have. Nothing like your stepfather's; he had sweet features. Your real father was a dark angel, tanned darkly by the light sources because he flew so high." She tilted her head back to the sky. "He was everything I would have hoped for in a mate." Great, mighty Zeus.

"He was your true mate? But Kaldran?" Mother shook her head. "Your father's name was Apollo, Alpha of the Griffins." I sat next to her. With my newfound speech, I could not find words to express myself. Mother rubbed my back, feeling the tension in my shoulders. My father wasn't a rapist, in fact he was an Alpha Griffin?

"They are to be extinct," I faltered. "Only in legends."

"Apollo was the last of his kind, a black griffon. Griffons hold the body of a lion, strong heavy muscles, and the head of an eagle with talons on his front legs. Feathers from his wings to the top of his head. He was large, just as big as any alpha dragon, and had lived a long time before finding me. Apollo waited, hoping the gods would bless him with a mate to preserve his kind. Still, he lost hope until he left his home and traveled here from the other side of the Northern Mountains. My mate wasn't sure how to approach me, how our bond would work. It was unheard of to be mated to another species at the time, so he proceeded with caution."

Mother grabbed my hand, pulling it into her lap, tracing the tribal tattoos on my forearm. "As I dried myself and got dressed one day, he stepped out of the foliage. He stood tall, menacing. His eyebrows were furrowed, but my dragon immediately took to him. I knew he was my mate; he was just too damn shy," she giggled. "Apollo was too scared to move, unable to decide whether this was a genuine bond, but I fixed that." Mother laughed, squeezing my hand tightly. "I took his face between my hands and kissed the handsome beast," she whispered breathlessly. "From that day onwards, for a month, we got to know each other. I met him every morning and didn't leave his side until dusk. I had to keep our meeting a secret; I was the last female dragon and the hope that I would bear female fledglings on my shoulders. The tribe was praying to the gods I would find a dragon mate." She sighed.

"One day, the elders grew suspicious as to why I left every day and was followed." Her face turned cold. "Apollo and I were going to mark each other but were stopped right before the marking. He had spilled his seed, but the elder threw a magical memory powder blown in our faces and laced our lungs. The other elders came to the scuffle, knocking him off and trying to kill him, but Apollo, your father, was too strong. They dosed him heavily enough that he fell asleep. His hide was thick, so they left him to bring back more magic and weapons, but he was gone. Apollo did not remember me," she bit her lip, "and he flew away." My dragon growled, punching my fist into the dirt. Mother grabbed my hand, petting away the mess.

"I couldn't remember either. The elders told me what happened, and they said they helped erase the brutal rape I was said to have, explaining the marks on my body. What wasn't part of the plan was that I conceived you," she smiled. "Several months later, your stepfather, who had just become of age to find his mate, was also given a magical memory powder forgetting his true mate he had just met earlier in the day. Since he was the next in line to be Alpha, they had followed him every moment, being sure to kill his mate if she was not a full-blooded female dragon. This ensured the black magic wouldn't be broken if he found her again. Bonds can break the dark spells." Mother's face saddened again. Drops of tears landed on her dress.

My dragon hissed inside me, angered at the brutality. The elders were old and supposedly wise. They were to help the tribe grow to be peaceful yet protected. This had gone too far.

"A temporary love potion was slipped into drinks that night around the bonfire. We were then mated and marked." Mother clutched her chest. "Your stepfather is innocent in this. Don't blame him. He was a magnificent dragon and treated me right." Her eyes pointed to me. "He really was a good dragon."

I nodded, not wanting to show my anger. My dragon wished to destroy the elders and their vicious ways and have my revenge. What other dragons have they ruined?

"How is he? Zalden? Is he on the other side with you?" She smiled solemnly.

"Yes, he even found his mate. The gods blessed him and his mate to be together. They are both thrilled."

"But what of you? Is Apollo with you?" She shook her head.

"No, he is still alive. I'm not sure if he has a second chance mate, or not. The gods granted me a chance to have another here in this life, but Apollo is all I crave. I could imagine no one else. Your father will always have my heart." "Mother," I pulled her to my chest. "You can't be alone."

"A bond is a powerful thing, just as I have said," she changed the subject. "Odessa's bite has completed both side of the bonds, which also healed not just your voice, your looks, but also broke the memory spell on your father." "What?" I choked. "He's going to remember?" Mother gripped my hands together.

"The witch Glinda helped heal only the bond block, not the magic that seeped into your family's genealogy. If I was alive with Zaldan it would have broken my memory spell too because by blood we are connected. "Gods," I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"Your father going to remember the fight, the scuffle between the elders and taking me away. He's going to remember all of that, but he won't know where I am; he won't know I am dead. I've tried to reach out to him while he sleeps, but he doesn't know me. The spell will take time to fall from his body, but when he remembers, I fear the entire tribe will face his fury."

"Tell me you don't want me to save them? Mother, I have been more than accommodating to them," I growled putting my hands to my face. "I don't want to go back. They have turned on me, no matter how much I help the tribe." "They are all at the mercy of your half-brother. He was conceived under black magic and not just any black magic, Creed, black magic laced with dragon's blood." My head whipped up, staring at her, baffled. Dragon's blood was hard to take, especially when in dragon form. They would have had to take blood in dragon form to use the magic inside, meaning a dragon gave it willingly. Giving blood to any supernatural was apprehensible, according to our ancestors. Even they knew the power our blood held.

"Witches have been experimenting with other supernatural blood types in their magic. Dragon shifter's blood makes their spells ten times more powerful. From the time you were born, you have been cursed. The elders made the people hate you, shun you. It only got worse when Adam realized what they were doing. He walked in on the Elders as they were convening with witches, trying to find a spell to help gender selection for the next fledgling Kaldran and I were to have. They were trying to save the dragon race, but for a price. Selling their own blood for their debts, giving the witches extra to play with."

I stood up, pacing in front of her. Her eyes stayed glued to me, not having me leave her sight.

"Adam found out your stepfather and I were not fated mates, which caused Adam not to gain a powerful dragon such as yours. This gave him reason to hate you. Creed, you were born of two strong Alpha lines. It should have been you to take over the tribe. You are the strongest being born of fated Alpha mates. That next day he fought you, purposefully ripping out your throat! Before your dragon could heal you!" Mother yelled, stomping onto the ground. Pacing, she walked to and from the edge of the forest to stand in front of me.

"Adam stole potions, strengthening him. That's why he won that day! Adam told the elders he would tell the entire tribe what they had done to me and your stepfather, and the worst part was, the tribe would believe Adam. You know he is a sociopath! He acts diplomatic, doing tasks for the sake of the tribe, but they are all lies!" Mother took a rock from the ground throwing it into the pond.

"He planned it all. The death of your stepfather and I was orchestrated perfectly once he realized that Kaldran was toying with the idea of making you Alpha." Mother balled up her fists. "Even your stepfather knew your heart despite the dark magic!" Mother's face reddened as she yelled.

"The supposedly last female dragon was to come to our tribe that day to mate with another. It was to help produce a female, which your father and I were against from the beginning; it was all a farce. There never was a female dragon to give to Hildago. Once Adam broke the 'fake news' about a 'fake female dragon' being gifted to Hildago, he went berserk. Adam went as far as having spells planted on a smaller dragon tribe to go rogue, until they were wiped out by our tribe. Innocent dragons, Creed!" Mother pulled her hair.

"The elders let it happen! Too worried about their own lives! How could I have given birth to such a son?! I thought I was doing the right thing, raising him right, but the dragon's blood magic was so strong, I couldn't fight it!" She sobbed. I ran to her, pulling her into my arms. Her legs gave. We fell together into the dirt.

"All because the elders wanted to save the dragon magic, our race. To have more female dragons for the magic to regenerate," Mother screamed in frustration. "They are killing everyone off by their own hands." Her wails echoed through my ears, her tears for the innocent lives lost, not worrying about herself in the slightest. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't change the past at all, rewrite all the wrongs, give my mother a new life.

All I could do was hold her. My mother suffered the most. She lost her mate only to be wiped of her memories and give birth to a son she thought was the product of rape. Yet she still loved me. What if I was never born? Would she still be alive and Adam not have killed her off?

"If the gods wanted our race to lose the magic, then there was a reason! Everything happens for a reason, Creed, everything. That was why we weren't gaining more females! Too much magic, too much power, it's a bad thing," I brushed away her tear with the pad of my thumb.

"He is jealous of you, Creed. Adam will do everything to kill you, and you must not let that happen. You are stronger than him. That is the only reason he hasn't killed you yet, but he will find a way. Now that you have your mate, your strength has grown, but with that strength, you must use everything I have taught you." Mother's blood-shot eyes begged me. "The dark magic they are playing with is dangerous and will hurt those you love." My dragon let out a roar in protest. "Follow your heart," she whispered. "The elders giving out their blood to keep Adam's selfish desires flowing are going to be disastrous." Her fingers tickled her lips. "If that news spreads to the south, the witches and sorcerers down there will have Bergarian at their fingertips."

"I'll fix everything, Mother. I'll fight in your name, restore the balance. I'll find my,..." I paused, not sure if I should use the name 'father,' to a man I have never met. "Father. Explained what has happened before anyone is killed." "Thank you," she whispered. "It is a lot to ask, and I would not be disappointed if you change your mind. If you want to fly away with your mate, Creed, I'm alright with that too. You owe no one anything. You are just my innocent little Creed." Shaking my head, I pulled her closer. Mother didn't want this for me, but I knew I needed to protect Odessa and the friends we had made along the way. There were still good people and even more in the tribe that never accepted me. "I need to protect who I love and seek revenge for separating a mated couple. Adam has ruined too many lives to go unpunished. I already know the Moon Kingdom will have him executed." Mother sniffed, pushing back one of my braids. "Let it be so," she sniffed. "There is no other way, my fledgling. There is so much more I wish to tell you, but we are out of time." Mother patted my arm, pulling away from me.

"No, I won't let you go yet," I growled, holding her close.

"I will see you again, my sweet dragon, here between your dreams and reality. I'll always be here." Mother's body faded, her hand brushing my cheek. Her face was still wet from her tears, her eyes dulling. "You need to go back to your mate; the next few days are crucial to stay near each other."

"No, not yet" I inhaled. "I just got you back."

"Be happy, Creed for once. Make sweet memories with your mate as your bond strengthens. All will fall into place at the time the fates wish it so. You have until the next full moon until everything begins to unravel."

"Mother, wait, I love you, don't go!"

"I love you, my little fledgling."