EIGHT

LIANI

 I looked at myself one more time in the mirror before we headed to the royal palace. I had my silver curly hair half up, half down, with a few pieces in the front of my face. Aella helped me do my makeup. It was an extremely soft look that highlighted my natural facial features. Aella even put a pair of eyelashes on me. This was my first time wearing them and honestly, I would want to wear them again. 

 “Come on Li, we have to go,” my mother says. “I’m coming,” I say as I rush out to the car. When I reached the car, my mother told me that I looked beautiful. “Happy Birthday Li,” she said as she handed me a small black box. “Mom, you didn't have to get me anything,” I say. “Girl hush and open it,” she said with excitement. I opened it to find a beautiful gold-plated bracelet. It had little crystals all around it. “What crystal is this?” I ask. “It’s Carnelian, one of the best crystals to tap into your power and exude confidence,” she says. “It’s beautiful Mom, thank you,” I say as I hug her. As she helps me put it on, she says “It was passed down to every first witch of each generation of our bloodline,” she says. “My grandma passed it to my mother, then my mother onto me.” Knowing that it resonated with her side of the family made me love the gift even more. 

We got in the car and headed to the royal palace. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I am petrified. What if I ran into more people that hated me? What if I wasn't welcomed? What if my mate already made up his mind that he was going to reject me? I thought while the anxiety was building in my chest. My hands were super clammy and I had got chills just from those thoughts alone. “Positive thoughts only please,” says Iris. “We’re going to be fine, I can feel it.” Those words were able to ease my anxiety just a little. If I trusted anyone in this world, it would be my wolf. “We got this,” I thought to myself. 

I started to feel my anxiety rise when we pulled into the long driveway of the palace. Iris was excited. So were Aella and Sydney. After like fifteen minutes of driving up the long driveway we finally made it to the palace’s front gates. There were like twenty guards surrounding the front of the palace. When we got out of the car there were two more cars behind us all from the blue moon pack. “Name?” asked the guard. “Alpha Luke with the blue moon pack” replied alpha luke. Aella and Sydney squealed like middle school girls. “Mate is here,” Iris said. My breath hitched as she said that. “Please walk in and stand in line to greet the royal family,” says the guard. My eyes widened in shock as did everyone else’s in my pack. “Stay calm.” linked alpha Luke. 

I laced my right hand in my mother's and my left hand in Aella’s. I needed them for support or else I would’ve passed out from the anxiety I felt. “I need a drink,” I say trying to lighten the mood. “Me and you both,” says my mom Maya. I knew we were in for some shit if my mom felt like drinking. We stood in line for about twenty minutes and we were itching closer to the royal family. I caught a glimpse of them and they were all beautiful. I saw the king and queen dressed in royal attire. Next to them were two boys, obviously twins, and – “MATE” said Aella. She started walking towards the royal family, cutting everyone else in line. Her wolf must have taken control cause she didn’t even realize that she was pulling me with her. I tried yanking away from her but my wolf was against it. Iris pulled back her strength so there was no use in fighting against Aella’s. 

By the time she released me from her grasp, it was too late. I was standing in front of the entire royal family. “MINE,” a loud husky voice said. Iris perked her ears up and when my eyes scanned for who said it, it was when I smelled it– the scent of my mate. It was a mix of peppermint and cypress. The room fell silent as I continued to scan the royal family. My eyes fell on the queen who looked as if her entire life had been made. I gave her a small smile and bowed before her and when I looked up, there was a large figure in front of me. The scent of peppermint and cypress was even stronger than before, and I knew this figure in front of me, was my mate. 

His large hand pulled around my waist and my breath hitched at his touch. I looked up slowly and saw his eyes flash red then back to brown then red again. I could see him fighting with his lycan and he was losing. It was then he pulled me into his chest and snuggled his face in my neck and whispered “MATE.” The entire room erupted in applause. Some people were really happy as this meant a new reign was coming within the kingdom, others clapped because it was the polite thing to do but their faces showed the envy they felt, and others were disgusted that he was mated to a mere wolf. What they didn’t know was that this wolf held more power than all of them. 

My mate held me in his embrace for a few minutes before he finally got control over his lycan. He looked up at me and his beautiful red eyes faded back to brown along with the happiness that was just shimmering in them. At this point, the room was filled with the voices of everyone talking. Even the king and queen went strolling off to talk to other people allowing me and my mate a little bit of privacy. I looked over and saw Aella was mated to one of the twin princes. He finally removed his arm from my waist and took a step back. It pained me that I no longer felt his touch. He said nothing for a moment but just looked at me with curiosity in his eyes. There was something else there too. Maybe a little sadness? Or Anger? I shifted on my feet as the anxiety within me started to rise again.  He cleared his throat and asked, “What’s your name?” 

“Liani Raine, and yours?” I asked. Shit. That was a stupid question. He was the prince! Of course, I knew his name! Him and his family were always in the news or on the cover of magazines! My wolf covered her eyes with her ears in embarrassment in my head. When I looked up at him I could see the corners of his lips turn up slightly. But the small smile went away before I could even blink. He scoffed at my idiotic question  “Why do you smell like that?” he asks. I swallowed and opened my mouth but no words came out. He scoffed again in annoyance. “SPEAK,” he said loudly trying to use his authority on me. I rolled my eyes in frustration that he would even try to command me. “I will when you learn how to talk to me,” I say and then I turned to walk away. 

I didn't even know where I was going but I sure as hell wasn’t going to stand there and allow him to yell at me and try to command me to speak. What the hell was wrong with him? Did it not register that maybe I didn’t have an answer? Or maybe it was something we should discuss in private? I heard the prince was a hothead but he barely gave me time to reply. Iris whined as I walked further and further away from the ballroom. Maybe I was wrong for walking away but he literally yelled at me. I never thought that within the first ten minutes of meeting my mate that I would be walking away from him. 

However, I heard his heavy footsteps behind me the moment I walked away. I tried to walk faster but he was on my heels every step of the way. It wasn't until I walked through these doors and onto a balcony that I realized I couldn’t escape him any further. I sighed in frustration but it went away as soon as I was able to register the beautiful view in front of me. Looking over the balcony I was able to see all of the kingdom. It wasn’t until his voice snapped me out of the trance. “Why couldn’t I command you?” he asked in curiosity.

“WHY DID YOU TRY?!” I yelled. He went to open his mouth before I heard clapping. My mate turned around quickly and gently pushed me behind him. “Well, well, well,” the voice said. I knew that voice. I HATED that voice. “Look, Kaya, they’re already arguing,” said a male voice in amusement. I wasn't familiar with his voice. When they stepped out of the shadows I felt the anger inside me rise and my eyes flashed to purple as Iris was trying to push to the forefront. I stepped out from behind my mate to see my aunt twirling that same dagger that she stabbed my father with. She was trying to taunt me. I looked over at my mate for a brief second who was just as on guard as me, those beautiful red eyes were back. My aunt really stood in front of me for the first time since my father’s death. I looked at the male lycan who stepped forward and he sort of resembled the king. Was this Auburon’s uncle? I thought in bewilderment.

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