Chapter 4: Hena Atarah Ariella

A few hours passed and more than half of the conference room had left. Carter never came back in. Neither did Kathy.

"Carla?" Gray asked.

"Yeah?" I responded as I broke from my day dreaming stance.

I looked to see Gray, Clay, Gena, Cleo, Hannah, Joey, Rachel, Charlotte, Henry, and Daisy all sitting around the table.

"You're shoulder looks pretty bad," Gray softly said as he grazed the open wound with his hand.

"It's infected, my body is healing though," I explained.

"Why is your infection black?" Sage asked as she came over to check it out. I covered the wound with my shirt and stood up.

"We need to get back on task," I ordered. Silence fell over the from for just a few seconds; a few seconds of peace before a storm.

"Carla?" Hannah worriedly asked. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head as she looked at me, "What are you?"

I glanced at Joey, hoping he would explain for everyone. He just shook his head softly. Rachel's eyes widened as she realized what I was.

"Hena," was all that Rachel could get out of her mouth before passing out.

"Hena?" Was the question that fell out of the mouths of eight of my friends. Joey was silent as he looked for me, waiting for orders or a speech.

I looked to him with a stare that could kill, "Explain."

Joey stood immediately, his legs obviously shook and I felt bad for ordering him into the spotlight.

"Hena, is a Cachion- is a- word Cachions use- it's a- it's a-" Joey stuttered.

"Joey sit," I said softly as I stood to my feet, "Hena is a word that Cachions use. It is part of their culture."

"What is a Hena?" Gena asked.

"A Hena is the most powerful Cachion," I stated.

"You're a Cachion?" Gray exasperated.

"No, no, no," I assured him, "I'm a superhuman. However, when people heard that there is a person with enough power to burn a city, kill their old Hena, and go off the grid, all in the matter of a year," I took a deep breath, "They started to stray from their culture to seek me out. A Hena has full right to the Alpha title, no challenge is needed. Henas are ruthless, strong, smart, and above all-"

"Kind," Joey finished my sentence, "And merciful."

"That's why you didn't kill Tobias," Daisy softly said.

I nodded at her.

"Wait but if you're not a Cachion then how can you be a Hena?" Cleo asked.

"The governments used the same serum, they had two different processes afterwards which is why we all have different powers," I explained.

"So you're a Hena," Gray said.

"She's The Hena. The only Hena left," Joey explained.

Rachel had come to and was staring intently at me.

"You killed the only other Hena?" Gena asked me, "When?"

"Valerie was a Hena," Rachel asked as she rubbed her face, "Wasn't she."

I nodded.

"When did you find out you were queen of the monsters?" Hannah asked.

Joey stood up, stiff with anger.

"Sit," I growled. He sat immediately.

"When I was doing assassin work," I explained, "The woman I was living with had been banished and told me all about their culture."

"So what are you going to do?" Rachel asked, "What's the game plan?"

"If Carla walks in there, they will instantly try to kill her," Gray explained, "They know who she is."

"You mean you guys can't smell what she is?" Hannah asked Joey.

Joey shook his head, "Only Alphas know."

"And since the Alpha hasn't ever met her, he is ordering people to assassinate their only Hena," Cleo realized. She was connecting dots extremely quickly.

"So you just sneak in," Charlotte scoffed, "I mean, you snuck in Lionsville a few time and a freaking wolf couldn't even sniff you out."

"That was years ago," I sighed.

"Even the strongest scent blockers can't hide a scent from them," Joey explained, "We have trackers. They're smell her from a mile away."

"Then she goes in challenging the Alpha," Rachel stated, "They can't hurt her if she's challenging their Alpha."

"A Hena cannot challenge an Alpha," Joey snapped, "Henas can't be alphas."

"Can you block the Hena scent?" I asked.

"I guess," Joey sighed.

"You can smell her Hena scent?" Gena asked.

Joey nodded, "Rogues can smell Henas, it's how we find new civilizations."

"Make me smell like a rogue," I told him.

"Could this even work?" Henry asked.

Joey nodded at him, "As long as the Alpha doesn't click into it before the fight. If he takes the challenge then he has to fight her, no matter what she is."

"You can't seriously be considering this!" Rachel asked frantically.

"Hena?" Joey asked.

I looked to him, "Yeah Joey?"

"I'm going to need mint, lavender, and buckweed."

I nodded, "Hannah go help him find whatever he needs."

"Yes Hena," Hannah said cheerfully as she stood to her feet, "You can win this fight."

I have to win this fight.