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In a world where it is eat or be eaten, there is only one rule. Stay away from the wolves. Itâs really simple. Well, at least for those who like to follow the rules. âI canât believe they actually let us in!â My best friend Nia squealed as we walked into the party of the year. College was fun, but it was divided just like the real world. The wolves stayed to themselves and so did the humans. We liked it that way and we had no interest in changing it.
However, Nia wasnât one for the rules. Breaking them was more her speed.
âCanât we just go back to our dorm. I have a final in a week and a paper due on Sunday. Canât we just be smart about this?â I asked, shooting my eyes around the room cautiously. I could feel the ground rumble as the house shook to the bass in the music. âTheyâll know.â I whispered.
She shook her head. âI told you. My mom is a wolf, and my father is human. I have a wolf. They arenât going to do anything without my say so.â
Sheâs a halfâbreed. Her say so is irrelevant. I wish it wasnât though. Sheâs been my best friend since we were children. We both grew up in the same district. Her mom being a wolf and mine being wellâŚa caregiver if I want to put it nicely. We ended up being ostracized and did our best to stick together. It was the best we could do until she found out about her wolf. Once the spirit presented herself, it got a little easier for her. Iâm grateful she pulled me along for the ride, but sheâs never been stupid enough to just walk into the wolvesâ den! At leastâŚnot with me.
âYou got lost?â One of the men called and we spun around to meet him. He smirked and I could see his eyes trailing these ridiculous outfits Nia put us in. She had me in a bright pink dress held up by thin straps, as the hem barely covered my bum, and blood red pumps to match. She, however, decided on silver with a shoulder strap and a slit down the side of her dress, so I guess I can count my blessings. Whatâs worse is the amount of make-up she caked on my face and the curls she styled my hair in. We look like call girls.
âNo, of course not! My boyfriend is here.â Nia growled and flashed her eyes, showing her spirit. Showing her right to be here.
He scoffed and looked over to me, growling low. âI find it hard to believe thatâs the case for both of you, halfâbreed. How dare you bring a human in here.â
âHey, piss off!â Another one of these burly giants plowed into the man in front of us and wrapped his arm over Nia. I sighed in relief. It was Kevin. Her boyfriend. The only reason why this party upgraded from a suicide mission to aâŚstupid mission.
The man snapped his teeth at him, and Kevin didnât hesitate to try and fight him off. He was her soul, partner, whatever they call their significant others. He would die for her. I thought that was quite romantic, seeing as us humans are stuck with someone we may like forever or hate in five years. We really are up to the fates while the wolves are blessed with true love. The manâs eye flinched at Kevinâs threat before he scoffed and walked off. Kevin turned to the both of us and shook his head. âNia, babe, I know that Julie is your friend, but pleaseâŚbe aware of her safety. Seriously. Why is she here?â He asked. It wasnât with malice or disrespect. He honestly looked as worried as I felt. I rubbed my arm and looked at the floor.
âWhat was I going to do? Let my roommate suffer as a bookworm her whole life?! No sir!â Nia giggled. Harsh much? Iâm not that much of a wet blanketâŚam I?
âAt the cost of her safety?â He grumbled and she huffed.
âWith the two of us, she should be fine.â Nia snapped back.
âThis is the house of the prince!â He growled. He seemed to be getting a little irritated with her complete disregard for human life. My human life.
Wait, did he say prince?! Like the prince of all wolves. The head family of the very beasts that make it almost impossible to walk home at night?! That prince?! Nia pulled away from him and wrapped her arm over my shoulder before squeezing me a little harder than Iâd like. âYou and your friends along with me will not allow any harm to come to her.â I know that voice. It was her thatâs final voice. Even he wonât go against it.
Shoving his hands into his pockets he nodded and waved towards a different area of the massive house. The White familyâs house. I, a human, was in the house of the White family. I felt all color drain from my face as she pulled me forward. âStay in front of me and stay where I can see you both.â He didnât have to worry about that. I wasnât going anywhere.
The White family has ruled over the wolves for over two hundred years, and we have all seen what the royal familyâs wrath can do. Human and wolf alike. I really think my friend is trying to kill me this time. The son however, I havenât heard much about him aside from the escapades he has no concern with parading around school. Girl after girl. Another notch in his bedpost every night. The quintessential player of Thompson University. His familyâs money at his disposal and the intelligence of a certified genius to boot. Looks and brains.
Either way, I donât care what they call him. I donât want him to find me here. Tainting his house. Rumor has it, when his father took over as king, he split the previous ruler in two. The fight wasnât even a competition to him. The prince is cut from the same cloth. Iâm sure he will not show mercy to a mere human like me when their family can be so cruel to their own kind. âTake a seat here.â Kevin called, throwing me out of my own thoughts.
Two girls that were wearing what looked like t-shirts looked over to us with a sneer as they held onto two men that, Iâm assuming, were Kevinâs friends. Iâve only seen him when he comes to visit Nia in our dorm, so I really didnât know what his friend group looked like. I didnât really care either. I guess I really was â as Nia called me â a bookworm. âReally a half-breed and a human?â One of the girls snapped and Kevin growled right back without hesitation.
âWhat did you call my mate?!â He spat back and she shook in her heels.
âS-sorry alpha.â Oh right. Thatâs what they are called. Mates. Nia giggled and kissed his cheek, calming him down immediately before sitting in the open chair, pulling me down next to her.
âDonât worry about it, babe. Iâm used to it.â She added.
He looked down at her sadly and nodded. âYou shouldnât have to be.â He grumbled before turning back to the two men that seemed to be sitting a little straighter. Maybe itâs because of the authority he has over them? There may only be one prince but there are hundreds of alphas and Kevin is one of them. They are the top of the pack and hold their own authority. The princeâs family, however, is the top of the food chain. Nia really did have the best Prince Charming story with Kevin though, and I was beyond happy for her. Even though I was stuck still living in cinders, I didnât mind living in the shadow of her happiness much. I was far away from my darkness now and Nia deserved every bit of happiness life gave her.
Kevin protects her and keeps her safe in this world of bloodshed and fur. Thatâs all I can ask for. Envy has no room here. âYou two watch them and make sure they are safe. Get rid of these girls.â He growled before storming off. The girls were immediately pulled off of them and the men gave their full attention to us. It felt uncomfortable.
This whole night felt uncomfortable.
After many drinks provided by my best friend, she left me to stew in my drunken stupor and raced off to the dance floor with Kevin. Must be nice to have werewolf sobriety. âArenât you going to dance or something human?â One of the guys asked as I nursed my third cup of water. I didnât bother remembering their names. Just like they didnât bother to remember mine. This is most likely the first and the last time Iâll ever see them anyway.
âNo.â I answered shortly.
âBurrrâŚthis one is as cold as ice.â The other chuckled.
I stood to my feet a little too quickly and the both of them shot up with me, but the surprise wasnât lost on their faces. âIâm going to the bathroom. Iâll be fine.â I snapped and stormed off, hoping the peanut gallery wouldnât follow.
For a home on campus, this place was huge, and it was all for that entitled prince. I kept my head down and raced through the halls, wishing I wasnât wearing these stupid heels. There was no way I could bob and weave through all of this with these ridiculous contraptions on my feet. I finally decided to just go upstairs. There were less people and it looked like they were too busy making out to pay attention to the human who shouldnât be here. I sighed in relief when I finally found the small bathroom at the far end of the hall.
---POV Benson---
âI have to say, when you said party of the year, you really meant it this time!â One random girl shouted while my ears rang over the loud music. Iâm trying to figure out what possessed me to do this and when I saw my brother dancing on one of the tables I was reminded why. âCome on your highness, dance with me.â She purred again.
I donât know if we can call it fate or luck, but at that moment, the overwhelming toxicity of the girlâs perfume was completely overpowered by the lull of peaches and pine. So subtle, but it was definitely â. My spirit cut off my train of thought and my legs moved on their own. âMine!â He shouted and I was grinning from ear to ear.
I thought I was going to have to suck it up. I thought I was going to have to come to the realization that my mate is nowhere to be found. That Iâm a lost cause as parliament calls it. I chuckled like a schoolboy as I raced up the stairs. I took in another drag of her scent as it continued to grow. Finally, a door at the end of the hall opened to greet me and I saw her. I finally saw her! I raced up to the open door and there was no turning back now.
I let my spirit have what he wanted. Her. âMine!â I shouted and she jumped back in shock. I furrowed my brow, expecting her to jump all over me like what Iâve seen new mates do in my pack and others. She just stared at me in a daze.
âOur mate is human.â My spirit sighed and pulled back the reigns a little but neither of us were angry with this revelation. Iâm glad Iâm of royal blood or controlling him would have been impossible at this point. We both knew I couldnât just jump on a human like that. Iâd tear her apart. FocusâŚ.
Focus.
âAnd you are?â She asked irritably.
I leaned back and folded my arms. âI see youâve gotten a warm welcome since youâve been here.â Sarcasm laid on thick. Wolves donât take kindly to humans. Rightfully so. Our ancestors were hunted by humans, and weâve learned to dominate to find our safety. The irony is not lost on us though. Like me, many have found out the grueling truth to our new supremacy over this world. Some of our mates are human. The other half of our soul is the one thing our creed hates more than anything. I smirked inwardly as her gorgeous hazel eyes tried to register the conversation. Oh, the goddess is quite the comedian.
âNot quite. You a human too? Youâre quite large to be a human, but thatâs the only way youâd be nice to me without an order.â She giggled and I noticed that sound will be the death of me.
I shook my head and held out my hand. âNot quite, however, you donât look very good. Let me go get you some water.â She looked down at my hand and hesitated before stepping back towards the bathroom.
âSo, are you a wolf then?â She asked, all joy dropping form her eyes.
âTechnically, no. And before you ask, Iâm not a vampire either.â I took her hand this time and the sparks shot through my fingertips, confirming the next queen will beâŚhuman.
âThen I guess itâs fine.â She walked behind me, and I noticed she was getting closer as we continued down to the other side of the hall.
âThis room should work. You can stay here until I get you something to drink.â I said and she plopped down on the bed before nodding and grabbing a pillow.
âItâs quiet in here. I think Iâll be fine with that.â She hummed.
I donât think sheâs entirely wrong. I took a deep breath, just to enjoy her scent a little longer before racing to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of water and sprinting back up to my room faster than I could think. I didnât want to be stopped by anyone. âFound us some water. Here you go.â I handed her the sealed bottle, and she gladly took it, downing the full amount in one go before laying back down on the bed.
FocusâŚ.
I drank about half of mine, and she sighed, turning to me. âCan you stay with me?â She whispered. From the looks of it, I donât think she registered that Iâm the prince. This human never ceased to amaze me. Even better.
âStay with you?â I asked curiously. She nodded and reached out her hand, burying her tall and curvy frame into the pillows further. I sighed and pulled back the comforter. âGet in.â I said reluctantly. I grazed over her outfit and to be honest, I was a bit agitated that so much was visible to others. However, I donât want to overstep any boundaries. She kicked off her heels and snuggled into the sheets.
âThank you.â She whispered before her eyes closed for good this time. I turned for the door and my spirit growled immediately.
âShe said to stay.â He growled lowly.
âSheâs drunk.â
âEven more of a reason! If anything happens to her on our watch, Iâll burn you from the inside out!â He shouted back.
âThatâs not possible, but my guilt will definitely try.â I stared over at her glossed lips and sighed. Heâs right though. I canât just leave her here. The likelihood of someone taking advantage of her is high, even if sheâs a human.
I slipped off my shoes and went to lock the door. The last thing I need is someone to stumble in here by mistake. Resting my body next to hers had me on cloud nine. I may not know her name, but I will never forget her scent.
---POV Juile---
This canât be real. This hunk of man is sleeping next to me like weâve known each other our whole lives. The party downstairs seemed to still be in full swing and itâs alreadyâŚ. I stared at my phone as the shock grew on my face. Itâs two in the morning?! How long was I out? I rubbed my throbbing head and turned back to the man. He seemed really comfortable all of a sudden.
I looked down and we both still had our clothes on. He even slept on top of the comforter. WowâŚsuch a gentleman. âLet my roommate suffer as a bookworm her whole life?!â The words shot through me like a knife, and I winced. Okay Iâll take that as liquid courage or the irritation of Niaâs comment, but I really wanted to prove her wrong. IâŚI can live a little. I donât know what it was about this guy, but I wanted him. Badly. Iâve never been like this in my life. I never wanted to be with another person so badly. I could feel my body tingle as the heat pooled in places Iâve never thought possible.
I shifted my body towards him, and his eyes immediately opened. âIâŚsorry. Are you awake?â I whispered pulling back to my original place on the bed.
He licked his lips and turned towards me. âAre you?â He asked.
âWere you waiting for me to wake up?â I whispered again.
âWell, I couldnât just leave you here alone. That wonât work.â I furrowed my brow and looked at him curiously. What startled me more was his body lurching from the bed, standing up to stretch. I followed his movements with my eyes, and he turned to look at me. The smile on his face was mischievous to boot. âIâll be right back.â He called before disappearing out the door. The shouting from the party lingered into the room as the door closed behind him. I raced to climb out of the sheets and stumbled on those wretched heels. Grumbling irritably, I kicked them further away from the bed before realizing a bathroom was required. Gazing over the walls, I was desperately looking for a bathroom. I cannot look like this when he comes back.
I finally found a small in-suite that was absolutely gorgeous, but I didnât have time to look around. I was on a mission. I did my business, fixed the smudges on my make-up and thanked every higher being out there that I brought a hair tie. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and resituated my skirt before racing out of the bathroom, to run into a wall of muscle. âS-Sorry.â
He laughed and looked down at me as if I was his most prized possession. Not with any menace or motiveâŚno. He just looked like he was glad to see me. âWe have to stop meeting like this.â
âI figured this was going to be the norm with me.â I clapped back, acknowledging his comical comment, and slipped past him.
He smirked as I looked over the small picnic he made on the floor. I know I was in the bathroom for a while, but he had sandwiches, grapes, wine, and waters all laid out on the floor with a blanket under them. âI thought Iâd change it up a bit.â He added, passing by my stunned figure.
âThis isâŚwow.â I responded breathlessly. Why do I think these gestures are so nice? Staying with me while I slept, getting me water last night, andâŚmaking a picnic for me when I woke up? This is what a boyfriend would do, but I donât even know his name. Other than the candles in here, itâs not the brightest either. I guess wolves enjoyed the dark. But didnât he tell me he wasnât a wolf?
âCome, sit.â He called and I hurried to take a seat next to the sandwich plate, shifting my legs awkwardly as I attempted to maintain my modesty. It was silent for a moment until a blanket fell over my lap. âBetter?â He asked.
I resituated myself under the knitted cover, crossing my legs and turning to him. âMuch better.â I hummed and dug into the spread; thankful I didnât have to worry about flashing the manâŚyet. For now, Iâm not going to think too much about it. Iâm going to live a little.
The night continued on with laughter and questions. Just simple questions like whatâs my favorite food or color. Nothing too intense. After a couple of hours went by, my head was on his lap and half the bottle of wine was gone along with all the food he prepared. I snuggled into his leg closer, and he petted my arm. Not saying a word. It was peaceful. âI want to try something.â He said out of nowhere.
âTry something?â I turned to look up at him and he nodded.
âYou can stop me at any time. Fair?â
âWhat if I donât want to stop you?â I whispered almost inaudibly, but the silence in the room was so overwhelming that a subtle gust of wind could be heard in here.
He pulled me up to straddle his lap and the blanket was long gone. Before I could fix my skirt, his lips were on mine, and I didnât hesitate to reciprocate the gesture. He pulled away while we caught our breath. âMine.â He growled those words again and I did something I never thought I would.
I pressed my body further into his and whimpered at the tightening of his touch. âYours.â
----------
I stared at the ceiling. Stared at the sunâs reflection coming into the room as I thought about what happened last night. The shower was running in the small bathroom, and I glanced to my right to see he was gone soâŚ. My eyes fell back on the bathroom door with the light glowing underneath it.
I need to leave.
I stood to my feet and the shift of air that came over me reminded me of the reality I had put myself in. There was no way Iâd be able to wear that mangled pile of fabric out of here. I bit my lip and looked around for anything that would work. Thankfully, I found a t-shirt and what looked like sweats on the other side of the bed. My teeth pressed into my lips further. A one-night thing and a thief all in the same night. UghâŚstupid stupid Jules! I threw on the T-shirt and the sweats, pulling the draw string tight around my waist. I may be tall, but this guyâŚ.
I rolled my eyes and stared at the heels Iâd discarded last night. Iâll buy Nia a new pair. I couldnât wait any longer. I grabbed my phone and my purse, racing out the door faster than I could put two and two together.
It was time for me to complete the infamous walk of shame. Barefoot.
âJules! If you donât wake up this instant, a bucket of cold water will be doused on you!â I shot up and my ears ringed almost immediately. Ugh, I feel awful. I did my best to hide my face when I could feel the stares on me as I raced back to Nia and Iâs dorm. Then, I fell asleep the minute I made it back to my room. I didnât have time to feel illâŚ. Until now. I donât know what possessed me to live a little, but Iâm going to lose it if I ever live again!
âWhat happened to you last night?â Nia asked. âFind anyone worth shacking up with?â She added with a mocking tone, and I winced. She gasped and raced up to my bed, plopping her body on the foot of it. âNo freaking way!!â She shrieked and my ears were now shattered.
âNia.â I grumbled. âPleaseâŚbring it down.â
âDude, did you actually shack up with someone. Did you just snog each other or did youâŚyou knowâŚ.â She rushed out. When I didnât respond, squealing ensued again. âOmg! I cannot believe you actually took my advice. Whoâs the lucky man?!â
âIâŚI donât remember.â I sighed irritably. The room was pretty dark majority of the time and after a night like thatâŚI donât know what Iâm going to do, but hiding from him will be priority number one. The problem is, I donât even know who Iâm hiding from. All I know is, I donât want to ruin the bliss I found being with him. I donât want reality to sink in for me orâŚfor him. Itâs better to just forget instead of forcing myself to remember.
âAre youâŚdid they hurt you?â She growled.
I shook my head. âNoâŚfrom the level of carefree stupidity I exhibited last night, it was completely consensual.â I grumbled.
âUhuh. Either way. I canât believe we actually went to the party for the Prince of the Night!â She giggled completely ignoring the initial conversation. I was more than happy about that. I needed a distraction. âI mean, I left you with Kevinâs Beta and Gamma and you come home with someone elseâs clothes on and the story of the century! I think we did good.â She squealed and I guess I stand corrected. She now thinks I walk on water because of that story. I raised my hand, attempting to silence her and she muffled her excitement down to a wiggle here and a giggle there.
âIsnât the Prince of the Night part of the vampire species?â I asked, trying my best to attempt at a joke. I didnât feel as hungover as I thought, especially after my sprint through campus, but my body feels like it ran through a brick wall. The last time I felt this bad, was when I was beaten by some older kid at the Ju Jit Su championships as a kid. NoâŚI think Iâve been through worse. I know Iâve been through worse.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. âWell, Iâm glad you can still crack a joke, but I can tell you arenât really in the mood to gossip. Either way. Get some rest. I just wanted to make sure you were alive. There are some pain killers on the nightstand with some warm water. Remember to sip.â Nia called pulling her jean jacket over her white blouse to match her washed out jeans. âIâll be home later tonight. Kevinâs taking me to get pizza.â She wasnât wrong. I felt like I needed to lean over the porcelain throne, so I wasnât fazed at her abandonment at the moment. I welcomed it.
I shook my head and reached for the pills. âJust go.â I grumbled and she waved excitedly before racing out the door, locking it behind herself.
Once the pills slipped down my throat, I once again welcomed the quiet and the much-needed rest.
---POV Benson---
That was the best night of my life. I cannot wait to spoil her rotten. She was still out cold when I got in the shower, so Iâll have breakfast brought up. I hopped out the shower and tied the towel around my waist. Some of my hair fell in my face, but I decided to just comb it back with my fingers and head back into the room so I can get a little more time with my mate before I must head out on my business trip. I grinned and headed out of the bathroom. What I saw when I emerged from the steam was not what I had in mind.
Sheâs gone.
I raced out the room, tightly holding my towel, but there was nothingâŚ. She was nowhere to be found. My mate. My princessâŚ. The werewolf queen disappeared faster than I could remember her name. Oh rightâŚI never asked for it.
---POV Julie---
To say I was badgered day and night after my hangover finally subsided was an understatement. I was covered in bruises and hickies and I had no idea who they came from. They didnât hurt or anything. They felt likeâŚI donât knowâŚlike I belonged to someone whoâŚwho cared about me? They felt like false hope. I just know I didnât want the marks to disappear. Without them, I almost felt exposed. I knowâŚweird right? Whatâs worse, I felt exhausted every day shortly after and a month later I was gaining weight!
Iâm not a toothpick by any means, but Iâve always prided myself on keeping in shape and my body toned. I train for three hours every day. I am captain of our martial arts club on campus and Iâm gaining weight?! I stared at myself in the mirror and the bloating was too obvious to ignore. I groaned irritably and chocked it up to my period. âI need to get going anyway. Nia wonât wait forever.â I whispered to no one in particular. I let the fabric of my tank top, tightly clutched in my hands flow over my tummy. The best I could do for now was hide the extra fluff and run out to meet Nia.
âWhat were you doing in the bathroom for so long? You okay?â She asked.
âWhy wouldnât I be? I guess Iâm just nervous about the road trip.â I lied flawlessly.
âHow do you think I feel? I have to be the Luna in six months. Letâs just say, Iâm not as ecstatic about this as I thought Iâd be.â For once in our life, she really looked nervous. The confidence she normally shows is long gone, and the short walk to her car seemed to take twice as long as I thought it should. I decided to stay with her the first half of the summer and assist with her packing. The entire first month of summer. Gone. One would ask, does she really have that much stuff. Trust me. She does.
âR-right. I wasnât thinking.â I mumbled absentmindedly. She furrowed her brow and looked me over as if sheâd find the answers to her questions by just looking at me.
âEither way, letâs get going before my parents try to keep me here another summer.â She threw out hurriedly before pulling the both of us to the truck. I hopped into the passenger seat, and she slipped into the driverâs side. The trailer was hitched onto her Ford Ranger and the two of us were off.
The conversation in the truck was seamless but the stress was building the closer we got to the pack boarders. I wanted to run out of the car and see how much of my breakfast would return to me, but I couldnât let the stress get to me. It would just make Nia worry. Iâm supposed to be a supportive friend. Iâll be fine. This is fine. His pack has tons of humans living there. So, why do I feel so worried? Why does my body feel like itâd rather throw up than anything else. Why am I feeling so horrible?
After another three hours of relentless twists and turns we finally made it to a small town in the middle of the woods. You guessed it. The home of my bestieâs mate: Red Moon Pack. âFinally, we made it!â Nia shouted but at this point, my ears were ringing, and it almost felt like the same day I came back from that awful party. The party that has beenâŚrepressed from my memories.
âHmm.â I grunted and she glanced over to me as we pulled up to the main house in town. Iâm assuming this is where Kevin and his family live.
âJulieâŚare you okay? You lookâŚworse.â She stopped the car and raced around to my side, lurching the door open. Hearing my full name from her didnât make me feel any better. I leaned over resting my clammy hands on either side of my head when her voice started to muffle along with anotherâs. âJules!â
NoiseâŚ. So muchâŚnoise. âJules!â
Beeping. Where am I? Why do I feel soâŚ? I gasped awake and looked around the room in a panic. The beeping increased and the ringing in my ears started again. Whatâs happening?! I was in Niaâs car and nowâŚ. I let my eyes wander as I got my bearings. âEasy now Miss.Bruen.â I winced and shook my head. âDo you know where you are?â The voice asked and I shook my head again.
âN-No.â I whispered, trying my voice. Itâs so raspy.
âHere drink this.â Now, that voice I know.
âNia?â I whispered again. âWhere are we?â
âWell, that answers that question doc. She doesnât know where we are.â Nia sighed in relief as a breathless chuckle filled the air. âWe are at the hospital in Red Moon. Do you remember you came with me to help me get my stuff to Kevinâs pack?â She asked again.
âYes, but when did I get out of the car?â I clarified.
âThree days ago.â Another voice joined the party, and it sounded like they were sprinting. âHow ya doing, Jules?â Ah, Kevin.
I turned and rubbed my hand over my face. âFine, but three days is an awfully long time to sleep. I guess packing Niaâs things really did a number on me.â Maybe itâs because of my period. Shoot! Iâm probably going to need a change of bedding in here. I sighed irritably but what I didnât miss was the dead silence in the room. I peeked through my fingers and a worried Nia looked back at me. âWhat?â I asked with a smirk. Trying to hide the fact that I desperately need to check myself.
âThatâs not the reason.â She said slowly and with a purpose.
I let my hand fall and the doctor started doing my blood pressure. Nia hesitated, reading my face so I nodded to her. Whatever she had to say seemed like it was really important. She raced through some folders on the mobile table, grabbing a small post card looking paper off the bottom. âNiaâŚyouâre scaring me. Do I have some sort of crazy disease or something?â I added as a second attempt to lighten the room.
She handed me the paper and I could see her hands shaking when the doctor released my arm from the constricting band. I reached out for the document. Once the smooth texture grazed my fingertips, I knew it was a photo. Of what I wonder. I looked down and dropped the black and white image on my chest. âNow before you freak out ââ
âWhat do you mean before I freak out?! What is this?!â I shouted lurching myself higher on the bed and completely ignoring the nausea building in my body.
âSo, she didnât know.â Kevin said with concern.
âDidnât know what, Kevin? That I was pregnant when I donât even remember who I slept with?! Yes! I didnât know!â I screamed at him. I know itâs not his fault but Iâm livid. The doctor and nurse growled at me, and I shot a glare their way. âScrew your hierarchy! Iâm about to have some unknown personâs baby! I really donât want to hear it right now!â I shot back, completely unphased. I guess I really wasnât nervous about being in a pack environment. I cannot believe I mistook pregnancy for nerves.
Kevin raised his hand as they stepped towards me. âSheâs like a sister to me. Sheâs allowed.â He called and the room immediately calmed down, but I didnât.
âI apologize this is a shock to you, but luckily you came with Nia because there is one more thing.â Kevin added.
âWhat? What else could I possibly need to know!?â I hissed.
âThey are twins, and due to their size, they are most likely wolves.â I froze as those words left his mouth. Wolves. They are wolves?
That meansâŚit was the one-night thing. The timing is right, and I donât remember spending time with anyone else. Itâs not like people are lining up to be with me. I closed my eyes tight, trying my best to remember the one night I felt like someone other than Nia wanted me. The night that I knew was the best night of my life, but I donât live in fairytales, I live in reality. Because of that fact, the one time I wanted to remember something, I couldnât. Nothing came to mind. Everything was blurred and blank like usual. âMaybeâŚmaybe he will find you. I mean you did come home with his clothes on.â Nia suggested. I know she was trying to make everything better, but I just couldnât see the bright side right now.
I wrapped my arms around my body and the fear continued to flood my mind. All the fear I didnât think about that night. âWhaâŚwhat ifâŚ.â
âDonât worry, we tested you for anything else. You are clean. We will do another test in six months, but for now, our concern is the babies.â The doctor said, trying to soothe me.
Thatâs not what I was concerned about but itâs nice to know. I think Iâm worried about if he does find me. Iâm sure he wonât want a human. Iâm sure he will burst the perfect bubble I put him in faster than I could tell him the news. WaitâŚthe newsâŚ.babiesâŚ. âThe babies?!â I shouted.
âYes, remember what the alpha said before? They are twins, Miss.Bruen.â
Right. Twins. Two of them. I started to breathe heavily, and the beeping started to increase. âDoctor! Sheâs going into shock.â
âAlright! Everyone out! We need to sedate her. We will continue this conversation in the morning.â He shouted and my best friend along with her mate, disappeared out the door just in time for my eyes to grow heavy once more and the darkness of my dreams to consume me.
---POV Benson---
{Seven Years Later}
I stared out the wall of glass as another chairman droned on about the economic state of werewolves on a global scale. Our company facilitates many of our fellow wolves, but we can only help out so much. There are other companies around the world that are also run by wolves, and they do well for themselves, but nothing comes close to us. Nothing comes close to the White Family and our kingdomâs wealth. Even the vampire monarchy has come to a stalemate over the everlasting clash between our families.
Now, the heir of the vampire kingdom works for me along with my younger brother Kenneth. The three of us have been thick as thieves for years and, for now, I only see positives in our future. This guy however, I can tell all he wants to see. More money in his pockets. Upsetting the balance my father fought to provide to our people. âThank you all for listening to our financial forecast for this year. If you have any questions, please direct them to my secretary. We will respond promptly.â
âRightâŚpromptly. They will respond with a million more pages of convoluted numbers that are starting to look more and more like embezzlement the further we move towards your coronation.â Ken huffed through our link, and I clicked my teeth.
âWe will end the meeting here for today. Sales, I need another approach to our new wearable product. I expect the slides to be emailed to me in two weeks.â I called and the meeting room cleared out faster than a startled flock of birds.
âHa! Well, you know how to clear a room. I wish you had that same luck when we were back in college. The girls were relentless.â Aaron Vladimir chimed in mockingly with his harsh Russian accent. The Vampire Prince himself.
âTrue, but you didnât even go to the same college as us.â Ken smirked.
âI prefer the night life.â He hummed back and the two jackals started laughing. I cannot believe itâs already been seven years since I ended my college career. After the crazy party we threw before finals week, I felt like I havenât looked up to see the light of day ever since. Now, the world has passed me by.
Either way, Iâm a billionaire with the world at my feet and hundreds of years to enjoy it. My fatherâs only three hundred and twelve, and youâd think he was a spring chicken. In his eyes, Iâm just a child that needs to be coddled. One dayâŚone day that will no longer be the case.
âHey! Did you see the news last night?!â Speaking of fathers. The slam of the conference room door shuddered the room as he stormed in shortly after his words.
I rubbed my eyes before fixing my face and focusing on the man that has made has grand entrance with our family butler, Jason Ambrose, scurrying close behind with a stack of papers. âYou know pops, maybe you should start helping out around the business again, so you donât go off doing anything too crazy.â Ken said and we both shot daggers at him.
âNo!â Dad and I answered, voices bellowing through the room siphoning any other thoughts that could possibly pop up in my brotherâs mind.
Pops grabbed the remote and hurried to connect his phone to the screen sharing application. Thanks to his inquisitive mind, heâs very tech savvy. âJust watch.â He huffed and a recording of the news began to play.
When the clip ended, my eyes shifted to jet black. âMine.â My spirit howled. Itâs unmistakable. Thatâs the woman. The woman I was with the night before my business trip. The trail I had to leave behind becauseâŚbecauseâŚ. âOh, just say it! You ignored the hunt because you were worried. Worried she didnât want you! You let her get away!â My spirit shouted.
âWhen was this taken?â I pressed through my spiritâs unrelenting thrashing in my mind, forcing myself to ignore the truth he just threw at me.
âLast night.â Pops called in triumph. The room stayed deadly silent as I mulled over the events that were just shown to me. After seven yearsâŚI found her again. The little human that got away. My spirit was right. I should have never let her leave that morning. âYou cannot tell me you donât see the resemblance, son.â
âKenâŚAaron, itâs time to start digging.â I growled.
âWe are well ahead of you, your highness.â James rested the stack of papers in front of me and Ken nodded in our direction, calling our guys to finish the job. My dad was good at finding what he wanted, but I was better. I cannot let her slip away. Not again. Especially since, it looks like she wasnât the only one I left behind.
âSo thatâs her.â Aaron called leaning back in his chair. âThe human that will change the tide.â His chuckle wasnât of malice. Iâve known him long enough. It seemed like heâs officially interested.
âThatâs her.â I confirmed. They both looked at me and I knew my face said it all. It put the pieces together that both Aaron and Ken have been trying to grasp for years. They knew I have been chipping away since that day. They saw how that one night of bliss almost destroyed the next king.
With that revelation, they didnât hesitate to agree with me. Aaron nodded once. âHmmmâŚthen I guess itâs time to find your princessa.â
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