Once, I Stole A Crown

Plans

Sam looked uneasy about my decision. "Okay then." He said.

"When can we get started?" Luca asked. "Is there anything you need from us?"

"Uh, well...there's not exactly any kind of protocol for something like this. I'll need a couple of days to put a plan together, and it would be best if we could do the treatment and monitoring at Brightling house. Just in case."

"Her safety and survival is the most important thing to me. I'll have the med house redone. You take what ever time you need to make sure we do this right."

Sam nodded. "I hope you realize how nervous this all makes me."

"I know, Sam. I trust you."

"While I appreciate that, I'm less sure. You two had better spend all the time you can together...just in case."

Luca stood up, pulling me up with him. "Thank you, Sam. Truly." He shook Sam's left hand in both of his.

"Yeah well, you're like a brother to me. You know I'd do anything for you. Hey, have Danielle take like four tubes of blood from you, human and not, and have her bring them to me so I can at least see how Scisseras will react under the microscope."

"You've got it. Thanks again."

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. It was nice to meet you, Scissera. I truly hope it all works out."

"Thank you, Sam. I'm sure there's a lot of risk for you, and I really appreciate everything you're doing for me."

"It's my pleasure." Sam nodded towards the door. "Go on. Luca knows where the play room is. I'm glad you were at least able to save the little one."

I smiled. "Yes, at least if nothing else, I did save her. For now anyway."

Luca led me to where Lily and Danielle were eating ice cream cones. "Time to go!" He said.

During the ride home, I sat in the back with Lily while Luca and Danielle made plans for what Luca called my personal medical suite. "It seems like a waste to build a whole room just for me." I told him from the back seat.

He looked at me in the rear view mirror. "We'll build separate from the house. There's a building we can convert, and when you no longer need it, we'll turn it into a research center for Sam and invite him to live and work with the pack full time. Once we save the girls, they may need some sort of treatment as well, and then when we overthrow your father, others in Shadow Pack may need treatment as well. Who knows how much damage he's caused."

"That's true." I said. "Thank you for being so considerate of my girls and everyone else too. I suppose I've been narrow-minded in that respect. I've only been concerned with my girls." My eyes furrowed in frustration. "How could I have forgotten the rest of them? What kind of person does that make me? What kind of mate does that make me?"

"Whoa, Scissera, don't be so hard on yourself." Danielle said as she half turned in her seat to face me. "With everything you've been forced to live through, it's amazing that you even have it in you to care about your cousins and sisters. Your survival had to be the most important thing, and now that you're out, you'll be able to focus more on the people you love, and your new pack. People are never the same when they have to survive as they after they're free. I know from experience. You are not a bad person."

Danielle's words comforted me a great deal, and I felt like we could be good friends. The idea of having someone that I could share my trauma with brought so much relief that it came spilling out of my eyes, and honestly, I was so tired from having to constantly control myself that I just couldn't hold back the tears.

"Thank you for saying that." I said. I really did need to hear it.

She smiled at me.

When we arrived back at the pack house, Danielle opened lily's door for her and pulled her onto her back. "I see you two are already fast friends." I smiled. It was nice to see that Lily was still able to trust.

"I'm sorry if I've overstepped." Danielle said.

"Not at all. Actually, it's a relief to know that she has people other than just me." I said.

Lily was half asleep on Danielle's back, so she insisted that it was no trouble to just take her to bed. I kissed Lily on the head and Luca and I said goodnight to them both.

"How about a mini tour of the house? You haven't had a chance to see it yet." Luca asked as he put his arm around me.

"I'd like that." I answered.

He led me up the curved brick steps to the front door. "Could I get a second tour tomorrow? I'm afraid I'm a little tired. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to remember." I asked shyly.

"Of course." He said. "I'll only show you the most important parts tonight."

"Thank you." I smiled, but as Luca opened the door, I stopped.

Sensing my hesitation, he looked down at me. "Are you alright? Would you rather go straight to bed?"

"It's not that..."

"What's wrong? You can tell me anything." He promised.

"I don't want to offend you."

Luca took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Scissera, I've been fighting against different forms of abuse since I was a boy. I promise you, what ever is on your mind, I will not take personally. I'll help you in any way I'm able and If you just need me to listen, I'll listen. I will do anything I can for you, and not just out of empathy but also because you're my mate. I know we know next to nothing about each other, but I am here for anything you need."

"I need you to just be honest with me." I replied as anxiety began to well up in my chest.

"I will always be honest with you. Even if you might not like it."

"Then I'd like to ask you... Am I free here? Can I come and go as I please?"

"Did you think I'd hold you prisoner?" True to his word, his tone held no defensiveness or anger, only sadness.

"No, I suppose not. I just didn't know what to expect that's all."

"Of course, you're free. I want to get you healthy before you go out into a world you don't know anything about though. I want to make sure you're prepared for what's out there. The world; even our world is much bigger than you've been allowed to believe. I want to make sure you are safe and comfortable every time you leave this house."

"And I'll be free to express myself? I don't have to stay silent anymore?" I asked, still unsure.

Luca smiled patiently at me. "So long as you are safe, I will never stop you from speaking your mind, having your way, or any other thing you want."

"Well, in that case." I smiled, my anxiety fading just as quickly as it started. "I intend to be a handful."

Luca's laugh was deep and beautiful as he pulled me into a gentle hug. He was always so careful and considerate. I would have to learn quickly to be worthy of him and this pack. A point that was further proven when the first place in the large pack house he took me to was Lily and Delilah's room. Danielle was just coming out of the room when we walked up. She smiled at me and opened the door for me to see. I couldn't see much besides two beds decorated in pinks and golds, just barely lit up by a bedside lamp that was set between them.

"You already have a bed for Lily?" I asked Luca, surprised.

"Of course!" He whispered. "I called ahead the moment we transferred to the car yesterday and asked for a replica of Delilah's bed to be delivered. It was already waiting for her when we got here." My heart completely melted.

"Let's let them sleep." He told me.

Danielle closed the door and waved to us as she left the house.

"Are you hungry?" Luca asked.

"Not really, no. Actually I don't really feel well at all."

Luca nodded, worried. "I had wondered if you would start to feel the effects of coming off of the drugs in your system." He sighed hard. "I'm so sorry, Scissera. I should have known you were in danger, I should have done something to stop it."

"No, don't say that. There was nothing you could have done, and even trying to would have put my girls in danger." I put a reassuring hand on his chest. "I'm truly grateful that they didn't suffer with me that night."

He nodded and pulled me into another hug. I wasn't used to blatant affection, but it was comforting somehow. After a moment, he pulled me slowly and carefully up a grand staircase to his room. The only light came from a small lamp on his bedside table. He went to a dark corner of the room and came back with a shirt and soft pants.

"Everything you brought with you is similar to the dress you have now. It didn't seem very comfortable so you can use my sweats until we can get you more comfortable clothes of your own. Would I be correct in guessing you've never worn modern clothes before either?"

I nodded as I took the clothes from him.

"I thought so. We'll get you some things when you feel better. Just use mine for now. There's nowhere you need to go until you're better anyway, and I certainly don't mind. Do you want a bath?"

I shook my head. "I just want to lay down. I really don't feel well. My head hurts so bad." I closed my eyes and leaned against Luca's chest while he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Of course, let's get you to bed. You should get as much rest as you can. Hopefully, detoxing won't be as painful a process as it is for humans, but I'm prepared if it is."

After he tucked me into bed and laid beside me, I closed my eyes and began drifting off immediately as I mumbled, "I'm sorry I'm such a burden."

"What burden?" He said. "You're a gift."