Seven

Nicholson’s pov 

“You shot him where?” Shirley stared at me in disbelief like I had just grown a third head.

“Look, he was getting really annoying. I mean, just because you’re going to be my soon-to-be fake father, doesn’t give you the right to just think you’re liable to make things difficult for me.”

“Nichole, I swear sometimes, you do act out of line. Imagine you had hit a vital spot and he had died. How do you expect people to digest the news that their long lost daughter is alive but her father happened to die out of the blue. They’d investigate the matter and for sure find out how he was killed. What happens when they look into you then, 'Princess'?”

“You just have to make a fuse about everything Shirley. That’s why at 18, you have more wrinkles on your forehead that anybody older around here.”

Like expected, she got flustered and defensive as she raised her hand to her forehead subconsciously, dropping her ice cream spoon and spilling some onto her leg. “That’s not true.”

I reach into my pocket for my handkerchief, intending to help her clean It off. “Uh-huh, and cotton candy comes from trees.” A frown replaced the relaxed smug smile on my face when I reached in both pockets and don’t find it. I thought I had It with me. Could one of the twins have taken it while I helped them with their ice cream serving?

Suddenly, I sat back on the chair, an apprehensive look on my face as I pushed my hair back from the corner of my face to the other side. Shit.

“What’s wrong?” Shirley’s gave me a wary look, already wiping off the ice-cream spill herself. 

I had to tell her everything, and by the looks of it, the situation was even worse than I had imagined and she did not look happy as she scooched in closer to whisper in a harsh voice, scared that even a single word of this could get out. “Do you realize what you’ve just done? Our symbol is clearly written all over that. It’s obvious he already knows who the damsel that saved him in distress was.”

“So? Don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s not like we’d ever see again. What are the chances?”

“Well, the bride choosing ceremony is not just something that would be seen irrelevant to anyone. EVERYONE would probably be there. Including him. And what If he recognizes you and thinks It would be a great idea to blow your cover in front of everyone, huh? What then would you do?”

I’m speechless now, deep in thought as I really didn’t think this through. But then again, was I even thinking I the first place when I had used my handkerchief as a bandage? Did he bewitch me or something? And come to think of it, he did not give off this aura that he was an ordinary person. Certainly, he would be at the bride finding ceremony. If what Shirley said was true, then I had to kill him the moment I see him. And since he seemed like a frail weak princess, killing him off would be merely seen as an accident to his loved ones. There was no way one single soul was going to ruin my chances of my revenge. I’ve planned this for way too long after the last time, and I intend on things to go as smoothly and perfectly as the last time. 

“Nichole…” I suddenly heard Nathaniel call from the other room in a small voice. I didn’t think much of it though. Maybe he had spilled his ice cream again or something. 

“Coming.” I call out but I don’t move immediately.

“Like, what were you even thinking when you helped him. That’s really unlike you.“

“The guy was pitiful. You would have done the same too. I promise. To be honest, back then, killing him would have just been a waste of time and I wasn’t willing to waste even…”

“Nichole..” I froze when he called again, this time I could definitely sense something off. Usually when I didn’t answer the first time, he would come running to me the next minute, but not only had I seen any sight of him running up to me yet, but his voice only seemed to grow smaller but with a certain uneasy heightened urgency. 

Shirley and I exchanged knowing glances before we make our way to the room and what we see have our blood draining from our faces. 

A four foot large burly wolf with a thick coat of black fur with brown patches all over was standing right between the table of ice-cream and my twin siblings who were staring right at it in horror. Nathaniel had on what looked like a brave face as he stared it dead in the eyes while cuddling Amira close to him, but I could tell from any second, he was going to pass out from fear. 

A wolf in our territory?

How did It get past security?

Where did It suddenly come from?

This wasn’t my first time seeing a wolf, so I couldn’t explain why for a few seconds, I was stuck to my spot in shock and surprise- probably because I hadn’t seen one in city X before… hell, wolf’s couldn't even make their way into country J. It just didn’t make sense. 

“Nichole. We can figure out why the fuck It’s here later,” Shirley’s voice pulled me out of my reverie, and I snapped into reality on seeing the wolf had not even paid heed to us and was going straight for my siblings. “We have a big problem on our hands.”

“Call for backup. Anyone around. Just make sure no available route is possibly open for the wolf to escape.” I give my order before I run into the room and fly headfirst for the wolf before It even notices my presence, wrapping my arm around its neck and tackling him down to the floor.

I curse as we crash on the table, ice cream spilling everywhere, the wolf tearing through the large oak table like It was a sheet of paper, bringing me to land on the floor with It. However, It was too strong for my grip as we struggled, so I did the only rational thing left for me to do at that moment as I turned to see my siblings frozen to the same spot, unable to move a single inch since then. 

Who could even blame them. They were traumatized from horror and fear of having seen a wolf so up close for their first time which was not how I intended for it to be when I start training them. 

“Nathaniel, take Amira with you and run...”

“But..” His small voice is shaky As he starts to protest, but I snap at him immediately.

“Run! Now! Run away or you’ll die. I’m fine..” my words were harsh but strained as I struggled with the wolf, tightening my head lock around Its neck but It was too strong as It dug its claws into my flesh in desperation to escape. 

My siblings began bolting for the door, and I think I’ve got it all under control- at least until Shirley brings in backup and my siblings run to safety but the wolf suddenly escapes my grip like its nothing and with a mad glint of hunger in its eyes, it heads for them again. 

“No!”