Chapter 2 | Week Of Mourning

Riley

I don’t have my wolf yet. How could a bond that wasn’t even fully formed on my side hurt so much when it is broken?

I skipped the last day of school; I’ve been sulking in my room ever since. I thought this would’ve been like a normal breakup and that after a few days I would feel better.

I don’t feel better. I’ve never felt this bad in my life.

My family handled my sadness and mourning for one week. I didn’t tell them that Zane was my true mate and that he rejected me. They think he broke up with me and I’m just struggling through this.

My whole world is imploding. I’m only 17, and I've already lost my mate. I feel like I’m not good enough.

There will be an expectation for me to pick a man to rule on my side, but how could I do that when the one I’m meant to be with doesn’t want me?

For one week, I cried. I stayed in my bed. My family would bring me food.

Harry and Todd would come to my room to keep me company and watch TV. Todd is the youngest and will start high school next year, attending the same school as Harry and me. He’s the funniest of the two of them, and he has tried all week to make me crack a smile.

It hasn’t worked.

The week is over, and my not-parents have run out of patience with me. Rich, my not-father, came into my room and says, “Alright, Ri, enough moping. Time to get up and go for a run.”

I sit up, my body achy from how sedentary I’ve been, and I look at his stern face and know that there’s no room for arguing right now. I take a heavy breath and ask, “Ten minutes?”

“Fine, but if you take longer than 12, then I’m sending Todd up with his water gun.”

I smirk at his threat and head to the bathroom. I know my little brother; he likes to put ice water in the water gun, and I don’t want to mess with that today.

I brush my hair quickly, pulling it into a messy bun before brushing my teeth, putting on deodorant, and throwing on my workout clothes. I rush down the stairs, hopping down the last couple of steps as I exclaim, “And I had 2 minutes to space!”

Todd cries out from the kitchen, “Come on!”

Dad chuckles and nods towards the door, “Let’s go, Ri.”

We run along the homemade track that my biological father made on our plot of land. It’s unusual for werewolves to live the way we’re living. Rich and Dani made a huge sacrifice not just for themselves but for their whole family by agreeing to take me in. It completely changed the way that their life could’ve been.

But they couldn’t refuse the Alpha King and Luna Queen; I mean, they could’ve, but honestly, who would?

From the time I was born, and people discovered that I was a Sapphire Wolf, I had a target on my back. All royal wolves are Gemstone Wolves, which means that our eyes look like gemstones, and we have a unique ability that others don’t have.

There’s never been a Sapphire Wolf before, which caused chaos because no one knew what my ability would be. It caused a target on my head, people wanting to get rid of me before I could reach my full potential.

This brought my bio parents a lot of turmoil. It is uncommon for werewolves to have fertility issues, and they struggled to have me. Which is why I’m the only one in line for the throne.

And it’s why I was sent away. I’m not allowed to contact them. They contact me when it is deemed necessary. All I know is that I’m their daughter. They would rather have a life without me, knowing that I’m alive and well, than to be with me and constantly fear what feels like an inevitable death.

Even though Carter and Camille are my biological parents, I don't think of them in a special way. It's hard to hear about them because my family expects me to miss them, but I don't know them. To be honest, I think of Rich and Dani as my parents, and I think of Harry and Todd as my brothers.

My biological parents purchased a large plot of land so that Rich and Dani wouldn’t feel like they’re caged up. They knew they were asking Rich and Dani to live a lifestyle they shouldn’t have to. Wolves like to be in packs; we thrive like that.

Rich and Dani sacrificed that experience for themselves and their sons because they believe that I’m worth keeping safe. I hope to be the best Luna Queen and make them proud.

I have to go through a process to get ready each day to make sure that no one will find out I’m a wolf… especially not a Gemstone Wolf. To the world, I am dead, and it needs to stay that way until I’m of age.

The Oracle Witch Circe Sunbeam cast a spell to dullen the blue of my eyes, she concocted a perfume to make me smell human, and I have to move slowly so no one thinks I have enhanced speed the way werewolves do.

This land is my escape.

I can be me. I can run as fast as I want; I don’t have to wear the perfume. If my eyes start to reveal themselves before Circe’s next visit, then that’s okay.

I finish the first lap and take a deep breath, feeling rejuvenated. I smile at Dad, and he smiles back at me with a knowing smile, like he knew this was all I needed to help move forward. I say, “How about we make a little wager?”

His right eyebrow cocks up as he asks, “What’s that?”

“If I win this lap, then you have to buy whatever homecoming dress I want this fall, no matter the cost! And if you win, then I’ll chauffeur Harry and Todd this whole summer.”

He smirks, “You’re on.”

He beat me by literally an inch, but I won't be a sore loser; I'm the one who suggested the challenge anyway. He pats me on the back, laughing, and says, "Better luck next time, Ri. And if you have a good attitude about chauffeuring the boys this summer, then maybe I'll still get you that homecoming dress."

I brighten at the news, and he passes me his credit card and says, "Why don't you and the boys go out tonight? Go bowling or something."

I smile as I wrap my arms around him and say, "Thanks, Dad!"