The Shattered Court

Pelle~The Flashback

I quietly giggle to myself as I try to silently put whipped cream on my face to look like a beard and mustache. At 13, I know I shouldn't be so childish expecially since I'm first in line for the throne. I can't always be crazy uptight though! I mean, C'mon how boring would that be?

With my older brother Isaac being away trying to help defuse the vampire situation, if there's anything I can do to lighten things up, I will do it. Just as I finish my whipped cream facial hair, our head Royal Chef walks into the kitchen.

"Cadence Pelle Black!! What on goddesses Green Earth is all over your face!!" she shrieks.

I turn to face her the first thing I come up with in comedy so I try to mimic my dad.

"Now Mrs. Harden!" I bellow as deep as I can while trying to fight off my fir of giggles. "I am NOT Cadence, I am the totally cool and Powerful Alpha-King! Bow down to my.... uh... my whipped cream power!"

As soon as I finish my impromptu speech my creamy beard slides off my face and all over the front of my shirt.

Harden looks at me with a single eye brow raised, oh man I am SO in for it... but then I see it the corners of her mouth are definitely wobbling!! I stick my tongue out and try to lick my mustache, but that to slides and fall straight onto my shirt.

Right then her loud and warm laughter rings through the kitchen like a charming bell at daybreak. her genuine smile brings light to her stony grey eyes and a rosy pink to her cheeks and a brilliant shine to her red hair that is flaked with white and grey spots.

She's so beautiful; because she has always been so cranky and kind of scary, I had never noticed it before. As we both laugh and make funny faces at each other I know that I could never be more happy than I am right now. All that I want is for my brother to be home safe and sound so I can show him my new dad impression and tell him that I have finally gotten Mrs. Harden to laugh.

We are about to clean up and many trails of black smoke begin trickling all throughout the kitchen. More and more smoke trails spread through the room and they gather in five different Smokey piles. Harden's light in her eyes, the warm color and happy face immediately disappears. Fun times are apparently over.

Mrs. Harden's eyes become so dark and Stoney that I can tell her wolf is fighting to come forward. She must sense something I don't. I haven't gotten my wolf yet so no super smell and other cool senses yet.

"Get behind me child, vampires are upon us." She says sternly and quietly.

Vampires?! Isaac was supposed to resolve the conflict, he left me alone here to go and make it right!!

The several piles of smoke begin to grow and rise above our heads and flicker with dark purple and black light like odd thunderclouds. I blink and just as suddenly there are five vampires surrounding us and there's no smoke to be found and nowhere to run.

Mrs. Hardin speaks with no warmth in her voice at all. "You, any of you foolish souls take a single step towards the princess and you will pay that mistake with your lives" she growls.

"You are outnumbered cook" The tallest vampire sneers as his dark bloodred eyes stare directly into my icy blue ones in realization.

"I was going to assume that she was just another cook but that Raven hair, blue eyes, beautiful creamy skin, and young rosy cheeks... that's definitely none other than the princess, " he says pointing an unnaturally clawed finger at me. "and besides, you're not in any position to demand anything." he grins. His cocky smirk and arrogant attitude are getting on my last nerve, how dare they enter palace grounds with a signed alliance to the royal AIpha-King!! I'm already bored of him and angry in ways I hadn't been before.

As I speak in a low voice that sounds like an near silent whisper, I release my powerful aura upon them. "Where is my brother? what have you done to him?"

All five vampires fall to their knees as my aura hits each of them. Only the aura of the true future ruler can have this effect on other creatures. My brother never could use his Aura on other creatures besides werewolves, which is why I am first in line and not him.

"Silly girl," the tallest one Chuckles as he speaks his whole body, waist and legs are shaking as he defiantly stands. "You may one day be more powerful than Isaac but I have sworn my allegiance to him; unless you are mated and become Queen, you'll never order or control any vampires again!"

He looks around to his comrades and realizes they are still kneeling. "Get up you fools! And you, I was gonna play nice but it seems you forced my hand." He snarls.

Without any warning he lashes it out with his clawed hands and my scream is a second too late for Mrs. Harden. Time seems to stand still as she's looking towards me expecting the attack for me. She's frozen in shock as her spine is completely ripped from her body in what seems like minutes in slow motion. In less than a second he drops it on the ground like trash.

I find myself screaming again in absolute horror as her body falls to the ground and I fall with her. My power instantly awakens and crashes into her shattered corpse.

I was laughing with her mere minutes ago... tears streaming down my face, blood mixing with the whipped cream coating my hands I desperately try to heal where her spine should be. Shaking, sobbing... I can't grasped what I just witnessed. She's not dead, she can't possibly be dead...

"Now princess, you can come with us willingly or we can have fun you decide"

I didn't hear him, I couldn't possibly hear him!! She can't be dead! She's supposed to cook more laugh more, she supposed to watch me grow!! Meet my mate, my brother's mate!! We were supposed to learn to make muffins this afternoon...

No no no no no no

I distantly feel arms and claws begin to drag me away.

"NO!!" I Scream, "I can't leave her! I won't leave her! "