Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Coming home

❂❂❂❂❂

Kara stood still against the wind, her sight strained at the gates. She pulled the right hand out to check the watch. It was still rather soon. Her eye twitched, putting her in an uneasy state. It wasn’t for a good reason. The last time she was here, she was running for her life.

She could still remember like it was yesterday, smashing her bare feet against the sharp rocks of the road that led to the gates from the other side. She wanted to climb over the gates, and she could have had done it if it wasn’t for holding Kal in her arms. The nightmares sometimes appeared again, wrapping her in the coldness of the night and the shivers of terror behind her.

Kara had been only a child when everything was taken from her.

The sound of the engine drew her attention back to reality. Kara turned her head to the left, slightly more than she should, to get the full view of her only family member stepping out of his cab.

“Hey, cous,” Kal greeted with a grin. “You’re always early.”

Kara sent him a smile. The kind of smile that only he received because it always reminded her of the blood and tears that were no longer on his face. “And you’re always late.”

“Not this time, though. I’m early.” Kal walked towards her with confidence. His pose was exactly like Uncle Jor-El, though still lack of some roughness that was mostly earned from his battles. Kal also looked a lot like Uncle Jor, but his short haircut really kept a distinctive look of someone who hadn’t grown up among the wolves.

“Later than I am,” she corrected and wrapped him with her arms tightly. “How’s everything? Still working at Daily Planet?”

Kal let go of the embrace, scratching his head. “Well, I love my job. I think Mr. White has started growing on me.” The cheeky smile on Kal’s lips brought Kara’s attention to the scar on them. She was there when he got that scar. It was also when she got her scar. “How about you? Anything new?”

Kara shrugged, “Same’o, same’o. The zoo is busy every day.”

“You get to stay close to the wolves,” Kal added knowingly.

“To our ancestor, yes.”

They stayed silent for a moment. Somewhere back in Kara’s head, she could still hear the scream and hear the burning flesh behind the gates. She raised a hand to touch the gates. They were cold and lifeless. They had been so hot and rumbling twenty years ago. Kara remembered it all.

“Are you okay?” asked Kal.

She felt his touch on her left shoulder, receiving the concern. He knew what she thought, but also didn’t. He was just an infant when she brought him out of the hell hole. Now they were back.

“Yes,” she muttered, pushing the unlocked gates. “Let’s go inside.”

It took them quite some time to actually reach the central house. It had been abandoned, indeed, and it looked that way. The vines had climbed up and covered most of the windows, even the doors. Kara pushed through to lead the way, with Kal right behind her. She could hear his gasps and couldn’t decide if she should be proud, or sad. She used to stroll along this very hall with her friends from other Tribes and mess around with other adults. Her father would scold her later on for interfering with everyone's work. She always smiled up at him and he would rub her head to let it pass.

The last time she saw him was when he pushed her with Kal in her arms into the common room to hide from the wrath of Lucien Luthor. All because of the horrid werewolf rage.

“You’ve come.”

Kara heard the voice and smiled. She walked faster to get into the woman’s arms. “Fivi! So great to see you!”

“I’m glad as well. And you, Kal, you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you!” Fivi hugged Kal, who was smiling and wrapping his arms back to greet his mother’s sister. “Such a dashing boy!”

“And you always look prettier,” Kal snickered.

Fivi Lor-Van laughed, the sound echoed under the empty hall, giving it some life. “This little ass-kisser.” She jerked her head to the other end of the hall. “Come. Everyone’s been expecting you.”

Kara followed Fivi and Kal, listening to their chat. She didn’t join them because she was busy tracing back the memory that had always been there in her mind, but now it came back more alive than ever. Having a werewolf memory was mostly a curse than a blessing. There were so many things she wished to forget, but then she was the only person who still had the memory about Tribe El, she could not let it die. El’s legacy.

They sped up a little around the corner and walked into the dungeon passage. Kara had never been here because only the people in the Chief Circle would know the passage to leave out of the Tribe House to get to The Fire.

The Fire was guarded by two members of each big Tribe. They greeted them as they passed. Their eyes lingered at Kara's face.

She knew. Having a cut that went straight across an eye was not uncommon for werewolves, but the scar stayed there, throbbing, dark and eye-catching. The vampire venomous nail that had trailed on her face made sure everyone would be reminded of the Luthor rage.

“Welcome, Brother Kal-El. Welcome, Sister Kara Zor-El.” The Chief Circle announced as soon as they walked through the door. "It's a great joy to have you here."

Fivi retreated back to her Tribe's table after squeezing Kal's arm and smiled at Kara. Kara wanted to smile back, but she knew the eyes were on her, she should stay focus.

"It's our pleasure, too, Circle." Kara walked up to stand next to Kal. "I have brought the El's legacy home. Kal-El, son of Jor-El, grandson of Seg-El, and the legitimate bloodline of the great Var-El."

The Circle looked at him carefully. They murmured to each other, then gestured him to come closer. Kara didn't know the members of the new Circle well since they had just been re-elected. Her eyes lingered at the empty chair, knowing that it belonged to her Tribe. It was where her great grandfather used to sit. She remembered how she sat in his lap while he was there, listening to the stories of how Tribe El had let other tribes into a war and won. It had happened more than three thousand years ago, and she had heard the story for over a million times, but Kara was always enchanted by Var-El's way of speech.

"How old are you, Kal-El?" asked a member of the Council. She was a Mun.

"I'm 21, Council."

"Have you shed your skin yet?"

"Yes, Council, I have."

The members looked at each other, satisfied. "Kara Zor-El," another called. Kara stepped up and stared up at them. "How old are you?"

"In the human year, I'm 28."

"And have you shed your skin?"

Kara hesitated, then answered. "No, I haven't, Council."

The gasps could be heard clearly. No werewolf didn't have their first Shed of Skin older than the age of 23. Rarely enough, there was only one case where the werewolf didn't shed until they reached the 24th human year.

Kara knew what kind of speculation these werewolves were having in their mind. Obviously, Kara was a throw-away. The sooner you shed your skin, the more talented of a werewolf you were. Many of Tribe El used to shed their skin at the age of 19, 18, and even 17, like Uncle Jor-El.

The murmuring reduced eventually. The Council stood up and declared, "Kal-El of Tribe El, you have chosen to become the Head of Tribe. Take home to your mother's Tribe and prepare for the ceremony. Kara Zor-El, you have done well for your Tribe. Now you can rest."

Kara tried not to take the bias in the Council's words personally and left to sit with Fivi. The other werewolves of Tribe Van stared discreetly at her face. Kara sat straight and ignored the murmuring of the others.

_______

Fivi led Kara to Tribe Ze, Kara's mother's Tribe. She set down the clothing bag and hugged Fivi goodbye before pushing the doors to walk into the House. Along the way, there was no werewolf in sight, but Kara knew that she had been watched. Tribe Ze was well-known for their light footsteps and agility. They created the best werewolf tracers of the entire race.

Her mother, Alura In-Ze, used to be in the Tracker Team before she married her father Zor-El. Tribe El had the strongest werewolves, therefore Kara was expected to be the best of both worlds. She doubted it, considering how she couldn't shed her skin.

Tribe Ze had a lot of members, was the second biggest tribe. They were alerted of her approach, but none came to welcome her. They surely stuck to their silent exterior.

“Kara Zor-El,” she heard, perking up to catch where the sound came from. It echoed around her, messing with the orientation. They’re good. “Stand by. There will be a collector for you.”

She did as told. A figure appeared in front of her, stayed in the shadow of the wall, in the form of a werewolf. They were petite. The figure stood up slowly, scratching off the fur pelt and grabbed a cloak on the side of the hall to wrap it around their shoulders. The figure stood up straight, finishing their transformation and stepped out of the shadow. Kara didn’t recognize this person. He must be one of the guards.

“Follow me,” said the collector, turning to a side to silently invite her in. “You shouldn’t be late for dinner.”

Kara followed the collector to her guest room. The other members of Tribe Ze that she caught along the way looked at her with curiosity. They all knew her, they knew the history of the scar on her face, they knew what happened to Tribe El and her family. Tribe Van and Tribe Ze had been the first ones to come and aid her tribe during the El massacre. They, however, came too late. Lucien Luthor had created an entire army of newborn vampires and quickly wiped out the entire Tribe El in a single night during their sleep. Kara still couldn’t believe she made it through.

The room was small, cozy. It had the warmth that Kara used to find in her mother’s chamber. It wasn’t the kind of heat that reminded you of family. It was simply hot. Kara wondered if it was because of the bloodline they shared that the heat always seemed to bother her father but not her.

After changing her clothes, Kara left the room and headed along the hall. The collector was still there, leading her the way. His footsteps were so light that the only sound Kara could hear was her own. When they got closer to the dining room, the collector gestured Kara the way.

“Thank you for showing the way,” Kara said but the collector didn’t reply. He simply waited for her to step into the room.

The smell of cooked and fresh meat mixed together, creating a rather odd scent inside the room, but not any less tasty. Kar lingered at the doors, not know where she should walk to.

An arm rose up in the air, waving. "Kara! Come and sit with us!"

Kara recognized the voice. It was her Aunt Astra. She was her mother's twin, and she had helped Kara and Kal navigating through the toughest time during the first years after the massacre. Mostly Kara. Kal was a baby back then, he had no worries.

Too bad that Astra couldn't take Kara in because Tribe Ze didn't allow it. Kara didn't know why but she guessed that they were afraid of the scar on her face. It was caused by an original vampire, who was burning with grief and rage. That kind of combination was widely believed to become a curse. At some point in her life, Kara thought she was cursed, too. She didn’t think much about it anymore, but the scar always ached and stopped her from forgetting.

“How was the flight? It takes like seven hours?” Astra started out the conversation just as soon as Kara sat. The other people around that Kara recognized were Astra’s combat brothers. Their long black hair was tied back on their heads, the sides of their heads were shaven clean. The Tribe Ze tattoo covered those spots, different from one to another. Almost every Ze werewolf had a part of their hair shaven and covered with tattoos. Kara’s mother had tattoos too, but since she married Kara’s father, and Tribe El werewolves didn’t shave, only braided their hair up to the back, flowing behind.

El had tattoos on the nape of their necks, given by their parents, family, or elders to present the new werewolf to the world. The El werewolves let the world see their tattoos and judge them if they could live up to the expectation. Kara was supposed to have her El tattoo when she shed her skin, but now she would never have. No parents, no family, no elders. Kara was now the elder of Tribe El.

"Eight and a half, Aunt Astra," Kara corrected, smiling. She received the bowl of soup that Astra gave her and blew the steam off a bit before looking at the surface. "Chicken?"

"Your favorite," Astra pinched her cheek.

"Ouch! I'm not a child anymore," Kara whined, shaking her head to get rid of the grip.

"Where is Kal?"

"He's with his aunt Fivi," Kara grabbed a piece of sausage and shoved into her mouth. "Preparing for the ceremony. Where would it be held anyway?"

"I don't know. Nobody does." Astra shrugged, biting her pork chop. "The Circle is discreet about it."

Kara continued to eat her soup, then she heard a voice from across the table. "I heard it's gonna be at Moon Church." The werewolf held his eyes at Kara as he continued, "And the stinky corpses are going to be there."

"Quiet," another werewolf shushed him. "Don't let anyone hear you."

"Why should I? They wiped out an entire tribe. Tribe El was our ally for centuries."

"The Peace Fang will punish you if they hear you."

"Let them. Why should we let the bloodsuckers join our sacred ceremony?"

"Enough," Astra grunted and the table shut up. "If you want to gossip, at least have the decency to do that anywhere out of my niece's hearing range."

The eyes fell on Kara, she could feel it. Instead of saying something about it, Kara simply ate her meal like nobody had said anything. The tragedy of her tribe was no secret, and she had no reason to be angry if anyone had anything to say about it.

Kara planned to slip back to the guest room after dinner but Astra walked with her. She understood that her aunt wanted to catch up, but Kara felt like the Ze werewolves were uneasy with her presence. They didn't make her feel uncomfortable, but not welcomed either. Kara knew the proof of a vampire's poison on her face would be a problem. It already was a problem with humans.

"I'm sorry about those idiots back there," Astra spoke, annoyed. "They don't know what they're talking about."

"They do but it's alright. I don't mind," Kara shrugged. "I have questions about the location of Kal's acceptance ceremony, though."

Astra sighed, shaking her head. "It's a rumor. It's been going on among the tribe for over a month now. I don't know if the Circle would do that but considering how many shared events have been held with the vampires, it makes sense that people talk."

Kara heard about how the Circle and the Blood Council had been trying to create a common space for both werewolves and vampires to be in without the grudge of the past. She personally thought it was a horrible idea. Not that she didn't believe in peace between the races but more than anyone, she experienced first-handedly the terror of a vampire.

Lucien's crimson eyes still haunted Kara's nights. If anyone wanted to argue about peace, she would love to give them a piece of her mind. Peace was fragile. It took only one furious vampire to end a werewolf tribe.

"Kara Zor-El," a werewolf ran up to them. It was the collector from before. "Chief Nin wants to speak with you."

Astra ushered Kara to follow the collector with a promise to catch up later. Kara had no choice but to follow the collector. They passed a lot of halls to pause in front of a black door. The collector knocked on it, announcing her presence, then gestured her to walk in.

Chief Nin was a large female werewolf. It was the first thing Kara noticed of her. It seemed like a strange detail since almost all of Tribe Ze were medium and small werewolves. Kara hesitated a bit because Chief Nin was looking down on some kind of paper on her desk.

"You can sit down, Kara Zor-El. There's no need to be afraid," said the Chief suddenly without looking up.

"I'm not afraid," Kara responded.

Nin lifted her chin, smirking. "You're talking to a tracker wolf. Of course, I can smell your fear. But you're an El, stubbornness is to be expected."

Being considered as an El officially made Kara smile. She sat down on the only empty chair in front of the desk and asked, "You summoned me, Chief Nin?"

The older werewolf nodded, leaning back on her giant chair. "I bet you've heard about the location of your cousin's acceptance ceremony."

"I have. Moon Church, isn't it?"

"Yes. And you have also heard about the guests."

Kara let her eyes meet with Chief Nin for a moment before muttering the last word. "Guests?"

Nin sighed, knitting her fingers. "I have expected your reaction to being so."

"Like what?"

"Unpleasant."

Kara took a sharp breath and thought to herself that she was not in the place to debate and she must keep calm. "I don't see how else I should be, Chief Nin."

Nin nodded, thinking. Then she said, "This wasn't our idea, Kara."

"Whose?"

"Luthor Clan’s."

Kara narrowed her eyes. She couldn't help but feeling nauseous hearing the name. All she could see was the bloodshot eyes of Lucien in front of her before he cut a mark on her and Kal's face. That horrid pain and the shriek from a baby Kal stuck with her since that night.

“Screw them,” Kara spat out. “They should keep their ugly fangs away from us, especially Kal.”

“Listen,” Nin crouched forward, serious. “I didn’t summon you here to convince you to be nice but to alert you. Many werewolves were already ticked off by the rumors about the vamps. If someone who pioneers to keep the peace even though they have every right not to, that would keep everyone in line.”

Kara turned away, finding another spot to glare at so she wouldn’t be too disrespectful toward the Chief. Her heart raced inside her chest, something the Chief must have noticed. Kara was angry, but she refused to let it take over the best of her. Her great grandfather had cast the tragedy upon the entire tribe just because of his lack of restraint.

“They’re older werewolves. I hardly believe they would look up to me,” Kara answered as she looked back at Nin. “I’m only a young lycan.”

“You are now the eldest of Tribe El. You can be younger than them, but your status is higher.”

That made sense. Everyone respected statuses here. “I still haven’t shed my skin. I might never shed my skin.”

“It doesn’t matter. That- ,” Nin pointed at Kara’s scar, “-will convince them. You are the daughter of Zor-El and Alura In-Ze. You’re still one of us. Don’t pay attention to others.”

The pride in Nin’s words injected Kara’s chest with a bloating feeling. She didn’t want Nin to know that she changed her mind so she came up with a half reply. “I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you. Now you can go back to your room and rest. Tomorrow is a big day for you and Kal.”

Kara couldn’t sleep much that night. Her brain was taken up by the thoughts of seeing the Luthors again. The fangs that had been haunting her since that fateful night. Before the sun rose, she sent her adoptive parents and sister a text, telling them that she was okay and that she would come home soon.

______________

Kara didn’t see Kal until she was driven to Moon Church on the outskirt of Skystead, the place where the biggest war between werewolves and vampires happened a few hundred years ago. A small town was founded later, becoming the home of both races. All of the werewolves had already gathered outside of the church, grouping up to their tribe and talking to themselves. On the other side of the gates, there were a small group of hooded figures.

Vampires.

Kara observed them carefully. All of them wore long cloaks, black velvet cloaks. The pale chins were noticeable enough but not too eye-catching. She felt the blood in her skin begin to stir. It was only an instant reaction rather than anger or anything else. Still, it made her uneasy.

“Are you okay?” asked Astra, gripping her shoulder.

She remembered what she had told Nin yesterday and nodded, “Yes.”

The werewolves heard her and they stopped their conversations. Kara gulped and walked towards the gates of the church, where the family of the future Chief should be. Fivi and Kal weren’t here yet. They would be here soon, Kara thought.

“Excuse me.”

Kara heard a clear soft voice and turned to the source. A hooded figure approached her with two others right behind. The person was obviously from the vampire side. The pendant hanging from their neck proudly presented that they were from Luthor Clan. The movement stirred up some reactions from the werewolves. Kara heard low growling, sniffing and hissing.

“Yes?” Kara replied, keeping her cool.

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Kara Zor-El of Tribe El. Can I have a word with you?” The voice was like a whisper, but straightforward and stern. Kara wondered if this was the vampire magic that she had heard in stories. Humans would be charmed easily by their voice, their appearance before their blood being sucked to dry. In order to keep their existence in the shadow, vampires had started to drink animals’ blood. Kara had never seen that, though.

“What do you want to talk about?” Kara kept her voice neutral. The werewolves were listening. She shouldn’t show any hostility. Not today, at least. Today, peace was important.

“I should introduce myself.” The figure lifted their hood. It was a woman, a young one. Her bright green eyes surprised Kara because she was expecting crimson eyes. A friendly smile spread upon her lips, but Kara held herself back from falling for the charm. “My name is Lena from Luthor Clan. It’s a pleasure of mine to stand in front of you.”

The humility in the girl’s voice earned another point. Kara almost smiled. “Why? I’m just a lycan.”

“Not any lycan, if you know what I mean.” The vampire’s smile faded a little. “Your name is spoken a lot among us.”

A frown sat between Kara’s brows. “Thanks to your clan.” The shift in the tone was not Kara’s intention. She regretted doing it as soon as she saw some werewolves moving closer in the corner of her eyes. Kara quickly changed the subject. “What do you want to talk about, Lena Luthor?”

“I want to apologize to you, and later your cousin, on the behalf of my clan. The tragedy in the past was the mistake of one of ours, and there is no word enough to measure how much we owe you.”

Kara wanted to bite back something but again, she controlled herself. “I just want peace.”

The vampire’s eyes suddenly went softer. She slowly nodded. “Me, too.”

The tone surprised Kara once again. She couldn’t figure out the vampire in front of her other than the last name, but she didn’t dwell on it. Fivi and Kal arrived on time. He waved at her and she nodded back.

Lena Luthor noticed that and said a quick goodbye before walking towards Kal. She spoke to him a little. Kara wished she had werewolf senses so that she could catch on what they were talking about because clearly, it seemed positive. She could tell that thanked the good reaction from the other werewolves. They nodded to each other, some even cracked a grin. Kal must have used his charming words.

Neat.

The ceremony was simple. Kara had been to a Chief Acceptance Trial once and it was awesome. The werewolf in question would stand in front of everyone and shed their skin. The Circle then would cut some of the werewolf’s hair and put it in the Moon Flame. The fire then turned to blue and the werewolf would sharpen their claws with that fire. The Chief claws would always glow in the dark, guiding others.

Kara had her eyes on Kal the entire time, though occasionally she glanced at the vampires, especially Lena Luthor. There was only her and the two companions from Luthor Clan, the rest were from other clans that Kara sometimes heard about them. Lena sat with them in the back, turning left and right to chat with them before the ceremony truly happened.

There was a moment when she suddenly looked at Kara’s way. Startled by being caught, Kara immediately turned back toward the center of the ring. Muttering a curse, Kara mentally blamed herself for acting odd due to being curious. The Luthors, in her experience and imagination, were always vicious and creepy with their appearance. Lena Luthor, however, looked rather normal, though her pale white skin was a giveaway, the other features were nice to look at.

Kara shook her head to get rid of the pleasant thought and the drop in her guts to focus on Kal. The process of him turning into a werewolf was amazing. Kara had seen it a lot of times before, but there was always something majestic and extraordinary to witness a transformation.

He crouched down and hunched his back up as high as possible. The muscles began to pop up from under the loose shirt and pants. The low grunt of a person in pain echoed in the air. His elbows bent sideways, legs began to stretch. His head tilted to a side, showing the growth of hair. His ears poked backward, his skin got darker and darker until the hair came out thick enough to cover it. His arms also increased in length, palms shifted slightly, the thumbs pulled back to thrust inside the hands. The other four fingers of each hand broke, stretched, broke and stretched. The sound of bones cracking could be heard clearly, sending chills down Kara’s spines. Kal’s shoulders retreated back, he lifted his face up to the ceiling. With his mouth opened wide, Kara could see the shape of his teeth morphing from human to wolf and then werewolf. The big fangs tore the gums apart, then the gums grew to cover up the tiny wounds. His leg bones cracked as well, reshaping themselves into the likes of a wolf. The hair covered them up, and the claws started showing. Everyone kept quiet the entire time, only the voice of the Circle reading their ceremonial speech blended among the bone breaking sound.

Kal finished his transformation, panting from the pain and he stood still, tall and strong. Kara remembered how big Uncle Jor-El used to be. Kal was even taller and bigger than his father. The fuzzy black fur shivered slightly to his breathing movements, his eyes darted to the side, finding Kara. She raised a thumb up, encouraging him.

It was amazing, how the rest of the ceremony went on. Kara lost herself in the procedure that she forgot to ask herself what it would be when she transformed herself. When Kal did it for the first time, Fivi was there to nurture the aftershock from the pain. It was brief, something that every werewolf had to go through every Shed of Skin, but the more they did it, the easier it got. The werewolf healing would numb the pain later, but Kara had seen how Kal cried after that first shed.

If anything, the long and deep scratches on the stone floor already proved how hard it was to shed. Kara then looked at the glowing claws on Kal’s hands and feet, feeling proud of her cousin.

“Brothers and sisters, we give you Chief Kal-El of Tribe El.”

Everyone roared up happily. Some of them began to howl and the rest followed. Even Kara imitated the howl as well with joy. Tribe El was revived.

__________

The vampires stayed back to congratulate Kal. Kara didn’t expect that. She spotted Lena Luthor talking to Kal before she left with the two companions. He was smiling when he turned around.

“What did she say?” Kara asked curiously when they walked back to the Tribe Houses.

“She showed her gratitude and respect.” Kal scratched his head. “And she asked me to dinner.”

Kara spat out a what , laughed and continued, “Excuse me?”

“Well, not just me. Both of us. Tribe El, to dinner tomorrow night.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“I accepted.”

“What the hell, Kal?” Kara almost shrieked. “Why would you want to have dinner with a Luthor?”

"I'm the Chief of Tribe now. I want to keep the peace."

"What if she wants to ambush you?" Kara lowered her voice. "She's Lucien's family."

Kal didn't reply right away. He kept walking for a few steps before stopped short and turned to her. "I just want to leave the past behind me."

Kara felt her blood boil. In front of her was a direct victim of Lucien Luthor, yet he had no idea about the actual horror. "You do that," she said and walked past him.

"Wait, Kara. I didn't mean to upset you," Kal spoke from behind her. "Aren't you tired of holding a grudge?"

Kara spun on her heels to face her cousin. She pointed at him, "You have no idea what kind of nightmare you survived. You don't know a thing except for the stories you've heard."

"And you do, I know. You survived and you saved me. I am grateful for that for the rest of my life." Kal walked closer to her. "But have you ever thought that I want to move on? That I don't want the burden of anger? Our grandfather started this war. It's in my duty to end it. I'm going to do it no matter what."

"You think I want that burden? You think I want to be the only one who is responsible for carrying the tribe's culture and history before you're old enough? You think I want to resent peace? I was only a child, Kal. I was eight years old when I saw Lucien fucking Luthor slaughtered our entire family. I was eight years old when your mother pushed you into my arms as she bled out and begged me to save you." Kara stared at him, silently fighting him with her glare. Kal seemed surprised, then slightly ashamed. In the end, she sighed, "I want peace too, and I hope you get to do that. I'm out of here first thing in the morning. Have fun at the dinner with Lena Luthor."

______________

Kara didn't leave that soon. She planned to leave, but staying up all night to think about her fight with Kal made her tired and uneasy. When the sun came up, she felt like she should apologize and at least said goodbye to him.

She didn't leave the bed until eleven o'clock. The exhaustion from the previous flight and the emotional rollercoaster from last night finally caught up to her. When Kara woke up, it already passed breakfast. She borrowed Astra's car and drove into town. Skystead was a small place, so she quickly found a coffee shop where they served late breakfast and settled at a table.

The people stared at her when she walked in. The scar always greeted a step ahead of her. It was fine.

"Here you go. A black coffee, two bagels, eggs, and bacon." The waitress returned with the food, placing the tray down to unload the plates. "Anything else for you, Miss?"

"No, thank you."

The waitress half turned away, then she held the tray in front of her chest and asked, "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but is your scar real?" Kara rose her eyebrows at the question. The waitress quickly corrected, "I do make-up part-time and I have always wanted to do a scar like that for Halloween."

Kara chuckled, "Well, my scar is real."

"I'm so sorry," the waitress blushed. "It must have been a horrible accident."

It was no accident. Kara smiled, knowing that the scar would make anyone asking about it uncomfortable regardless of their intention. "It's a long time ago."

"Can I have a closer look? I haven't seen such a scar before."

"Sure."

The waitress crouched down a little, her eyes stayed focus on the left side of Kara's face. Kara had met a lot of scar enthusiasts. Besides them, adults and children tend to either avoid her or avoid asking about the scar altogether. Kara always told them she got it from a hiking accident so it would be plausible.

Kara smiled when she heard the waitress muttered to herself fascinating . The only thing that Kara found fascinating about the scar was that it felt cold all the time and its color changed from dark purple to black based on different times of the day. Sometimes she wondered if the poison in Lucien’s nail had taken away her ability to shed or not, but it certainly had some effects on her health. Her senses became worse at day and she felt uncomfortable under the sunlight.

The waitress finally left after saying thank over and over. Kara returned to her breakfast, sipping the coffee. When she was about to take her first bite, another person approached her.

“You can look at the scar, but after breakfast, okay?” Kara said without looking up.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m not here to look at your scar.” The soft and clear voice sparked up Kara’s alert.

Kara perked up and laid her eyes upon no one other than Lena Luthor, in regular human clothes rather than the vampiric cloak like yesterday. She wore a dark red suit with a white shirt and no tie. The shades were dangling right on the first button, subtly hiding the valley of her breast. Lena dressed exactly like a vampire would dress to blend in with humans. Mysterious but confident and alluring.

“Why are you here then?” Kara didn’t hide the annoyance. There were no werewolves around to limit her true feelings in front of a Luthor like last night. “Aren’t you supposed to be in a coffin?”

Lena’s lips curved up into a small smirk. “No. I’m here to have breakfast and some coffee.”

“Since when bloodsuckers drink coffee?” Kara scoffed sarcastically.

The smile on Lena’s face didn’t falter after the offense. She sat down across the table from Kara to her surprise and asked, “Kara Zor-El, you think I’m a vampire, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I am not. Not yet.” Lena Luthor stretched her hand towards the spot where the sunlight stroke in. Her hand hovered in the glow, unbothered and fine. “I’m human at the moment.”

Kara blinked and frowned, “Why aren’t you a vampire yet?”

Lena retreated her hand and smiled. “That’s a personal question, don’t you think?”

“I’m sorry,” Kara blurted out as a habit and felt slightly silly. “You’re right. That’s a personal question and I don’t have any right to ask you that.”

Lena chuckled softly. “It doesn’t mean we can’t get to know each other a little to make it less of a personal thing.”

Kara leaned back on the seat, crossing her arms. “Are you offering to make friends with me?”

“Friends might be a step too far for now, but yes.”

“Why?” Kara genuinely asked. The girl in front of her irked her curiosity in a way that a Luthor shouldn’t be able to.

“I don’t know if you know, but I would like to invite you to a dinner hosted by us. A gesture to support the truce.”

“Kal told me. And I won’t go. I’m leaving this afternoon.”

Lena’s eyes opened wide. “Oh. That’s a shame.”

“One less mouth to feed.”

“No. I was hoping you could come.”

Kara propped her chin on one hand, sipping the coffee before asking back, “Kal is the Chief of Tribe. He’d be enough.”

“But you are the direct witness of Lucien’s crime. Your presence and opinions matter a lot to me and my family.” Lena ran her fingers in the hair, ruffling some of her dark locks. “I told my mother that she would have the chance to talk with you when she’s back in town tomorrow.”

“Such a bold statement, judging on how little you know about me,” Kara responded dryly.

“That is true. I also told everyone that I would be able to secure this truce between our families.” Lena crouched forward, both of her elbows were on the table. “I’m doing my best to keep this peace, Kara Zor-El, so you can at least show up at this dinner as an attempt to contribute to it.”

“You’re asking a lot and we’re not even friends. And why would I meet your mother anyway? I don’t know her.”

Lena had a knowing face on. “Actually, you do. She was the one who stopped Lucien from killing you and your cousin that night.”

Kara widened her eyes. “No way. You’re Laura Luthor’s daughter? I didn’t know she had a daughter.”

Lena laughed, shrugging. “My uncle’s horrible crime always shadows the rest of us. My grandfather is a man of peace, as well as the others. We’re ashamed of Lucien and frankly, vampires hate him more than you can imagine. Poor my cousin Lex, though, living under that disgusting legacy.”

The way Lena spoke of Lucien and his deeds impressed Kara. She didn’t expect Lucien’s own family would hate him for what he did but she was wrong. She hadn’t met the other vampires, but at the moment, she had a good hunch about Lena Luthor.

“So? What do you say?” Lena asked with a serious tone. “Would you grace us Luthors with your presence at the dinner tonight?”

Kara found there was no reason not to go. She also wanted to meet Laura Luthor again to thank her for showing up on time that fateful night. Without her, Kal and she would have been killed by Lucien.

“I’ll be there.”

“Excellent.” Lena leaned back, raising a hand to call for the service. “Now, I’m starving.”

Kara gave her a look. “You were serious about the breakfast?”

“Why not? I told you we should get to know each other better, didn’t I?” Lena winked at Kara. The gesture caught Kara by surprise and she felt her cheeks slightly hotter. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting here.”

“You never asked.”

“Well, do you mind?”

Lena’s bright green eyes bored into Kara’s face as if she had no hideous scars on her face. For the first time since forever, Kara felt shy for being stared at. The sudden embarrassment turned something in her stomach, making her voice quieter. “No,” she cleared her throat. “No, I don’t mind.”

“Good,” Lena grinned widely.

“What would you do if you don’t run into me here?” Kara asked, suspicious. “Did you follow me?”

“No. I was planning to find you later. Small town. I’ll manage to track you down. Just ask anyone. You stand out.”

“Right. Having a giant scar on the face would stand out anywhere.”

“That isn’t what I mean. You’re a stranger here to everyone, so if I want to find you, it’s easy.” Lena narrowed her eyes. “You’re still a stand-out individual with or without the scar, Kara Zor-El.” A devilish smirk curved up Lena’s mouth. “There’s something about you.”

It was a strange feeling, but Kara felt like Lena Luthor was being quite forward. Flirty even. That was just odd. Why would a Luthor flirt with a lycan anyway? Look at how that type of romance turned out the first time. Perhaps it was something all vampires shared when they were with humans.

“What is that something?” Kara asked directly.

"That's another personal question," Lena answered ambiguously. "Maybe I'll tell you when we do know each other better." She winked at Kara again.

Feeling like being caught off-guard by something, Kara swallowed down whatever she was going to say when the waitress returned to the table to take Lena's order.

It was strange how Kara had just met Lena Luthor less than a day but now they were eating breakfast together. Kara wondered if it was the vampire charm in Lena’s blood or was it just her natural aura. She didn’t realize she was staring at Lena until the woman looked up and their eyes met.

“Yes?” Lena prompted, arching an eyebrow.

“You’re such a strange person,” Kara said without ill meanings.

“I hope that’s a good thing to say about me,” Lena seemed to be amused.

“I haven’t decided,” Kara said, then she picked up the coffee cup to hide a smile.

Coming back to Skystead wasn’t as bad as she expected.