Between 2 Kings

13 - Lumen

After hours of Cole charming the heck out of my mother, through dinner and until the darkness outside felt so thick it was almost physical, I stayed close by his side. When the time came for bed he kissed my forehead and made for the door.

"Cole" Cyrus called "stay, there's room and it's late."

"Yes!" My mother gushed herding him up the stairs to the third floor. I left them to set him up and went into my newly designated room.

It was all buttery yellows, the walls and linen with white furniture. There was a window that took most of the wall behind the headboard, both taller than me and wider than the bed. On my right were two doors one to a little ensuite and one to a closet where my pitifully small pile of belongings stood.

The door closed alerting me to someone entering my room.

"Hey kid" Cyrus called and I backed out of the closet just as he perched on the end of my bed.

"So... you and mum" I sighed looking at my feet.

"Yeah" he murmurred "we didn't want to tell you too soon"

"...and now I'm just suddenly the alphas daughter?" I asked.

He scoffed "imagine how I feel. I'm like the queens father". It turned into a laugh that stopped short when he noticed I hadn't moved.

"I can't be your queen, I'm just... Lux" I whispered almost ashamed and he pulled me down onto the bed beside him and cuddling me against his side.

"Oh Lux, you are more than you think" I sighed.

"My head hurts" I whimpered leaning into him "no one told me mindlinks hurt" I fake sobbed on his shoulder.

"They don't" he laughed

"It did" I assured him and he stilled before grabbing my arms and pushing me back to look me in the eyes.

Noting nothing but sincerity he asked "who mindlinked you, you can't do that yet" his tone quiet and serious.

"Liam" I muttered "he told me to run today, it was like having my brain torn apart"

"He forced a link..." he whispered "oh lux, I'm sorry" he hurried "KATE!" He bellowed "KATE!" it became a booming yell and my mother hurried towards us "if your father wasn't an alpha it'd be impossible but I can't believe they'd bring it on this early, why not just wait a few more months-" he began rambling.

"It saved my life, I was frozen, completely." I assured him. Cole followed my mother into my room.

"She must shift tonight or we'll likely lose her wolf for good. Quickly before midnight!" He rambled. I looked at the clock and it beamed a red 11:23 back at me.

"I can't shift, I wouldn't even know how" I laughed.

"You must or she'll die in there" he tapped my head.

Cole took my hand and began running down the hall, down the stairs. "This is going to hurt, fight it" he said between breaths "I'll talk you through it" he flew down the stairs my feet barely touching them.

"Wait!" I yelled.

"No!" Cole yelled back tugging me out the back door to the woods "you need to focus, search your mind" we stopped in a clearing "call out to your wolf, look for her, really try!" He urged me.

I closed my eyes and focussed thinking ridiculous things like 'here wolf, wolf, wolfy' and 'woof woof!' And I laughed out loud, as I did a dignified voice replied 'Lux, I am Lumen, you are too young' she purred.

"No, wait!" I yelled out loud 'they tell me you'll die if you don't come out now' I could feel her thinking and pausing before she replied 'I am sorry, this is going to be excruciating but, do your best to stay awake'. As she said it a burning tingle began intensifying in my chest and I felt my ribs crack letting forth a blood curdling scream. My eyes flew open and Cole reached out to me as the cracking spread through my limbs. My screaming intensified.

"Hold on" my mother called coming into my line of sight holding Cyrus' hands, both looked panicked and I could feel tears wetting my cheeks as another wave of screams ripped through my chest and I fell in a ball on the ground 'breathe Lux' Lumen called to me 'I need you to breathe'. I took a deep shuddering breath. 'Relax, into it as much as you can' she purred to me.

With another shuddering breath I tried stretch and shake my limbs as a comforting warmth spread through me moving from my extremities back into my chest.

When I tried to stand it was awkward, because my legs didn't bend like that. 'Let go, I need control' Lumen commanded. And I released everything I didn't know I was tensing and it felt like taking a backseat in my own mind 'look at us' she purred. I looked down to see thick white fur and I tramped a little happy dance.

Looking back up at those around me their expressions were mixed awe and shock. 'I must leave now Lux, you are not ready, but i am with you, know that' she sighed and a coldshiver wra ked my body and suddenly I lay naked on the ground in the clearing.

"Lux you're-" my mum started.

"Tired" Cole interjected hastily "and probably cold" he scooped me up with mum throwing a blanket over me.

"But Cole, she's-" Cyrus started to say "she's pure white" he stated quietly "you know as well as i do-" cyrus began and Cole cut him off.

n know what she is!" He hissed "she is tired and she is done for the night" he sighed and began striding back into the packhouse and towards my room. I was placed gently and silently on my bed, Cole kissed my forehead gently and sighed "my queen" then I heard as Cole closed the door and he left.

I. Slept. Instantly.