Beauty and the Werewolf

CHAPTER FOUR: AT THE FOOT OF THE CLIFF

Meanwhile, Princess Olivia lay lifeless at the foot of the cliff, having been tossed around by the rocky and thorny terrain. Before she jumped, she knew that the jump was a make-or-break moment. Though she wasn’t certain of her survival, she understood that if she hesitated, her life would be cut short by the determined masked men who seemed intent on exterminating her, even though she was unsure of the masterminds.

Meters away from where she lay, Edward, the soon-to-be installed Alpha of the Werewolf pack and kingdom, had entered the woods with his closest confidant, Richard. Edward was a special werewolf. His distinguishing features were not just his masculinity and gracious carriage and appearance, he was also a unique werewolf that could metamorphose into a werewolf at any time once sufficiently provoked. In the woods this time, he wasn’t interested in hunting, he just needed a cool place where he could clear his head. This was why he was now kilometers away from his kingdom, the Kingdom of werewolves. Edward’s father had just been killed, and he had been chosen as the Alpha of the Pack. Edward was an extremely charming but courageous young man. Even during a full moon, or when he was aroused and transformed into a werewolf under the moon’s influence or under his own special adrenaline, his charms were not lost on him, as he was a very fine werewolf.

Edward found himself in a position where he must pick a mate, a lunar. But who would it be? His father had demanded that he presented a mate before his unfortunate demise. Now, his father is no more, but he must do what is required nonetheless. It is for this reason that he left his pack in their kingdom, to clear his head. In fact, he appeared to be running away from the events of that morning.

He had just finished his lunch when he was greeted by a visitor. It was Lily, a beautiful she-werewolf who had always thought Edward was her man. They had grown up together and were extremely close. Every time Edward faced an uphill task and felt burdened, he would naturally go to Lily, and they would work through the task together. One day, Lily, having fallen helplessly in love with Edward and believing that Edward felt the same way too, did the unthinkable. She lured Edward into her home at night when her parents were away on a task because her father, Lord Tim, often led the pack to war. He was the pride of the pack when it came to executing battles. Her mother was also a warrior, leaving Lily in the company of Edward and their neighbors. As Edward entered the living room, he noticed that the door had come to an abrupt close. Sensing danger, Edward made efforts to open the door but had little success. Unknown to him, Lily had conspired with one of her neighbors to lock the door behind them, trapping Edward and Lily in what would become the longest night of Edward’s life. As his panic grew, Lily emerged from the shadows, fully unclad, and kissed Edward. Prior to this time, Edward had never been kissed by anyone; it was his first kiss. 'Stop!', 'Lily, stop'. 'What are you doing?' he asked, bewildered. 'What does it look like I am doing?' Lily replied his question with her own question feeling slighted. 'Hey Edward, I’m doing what you should have done a long time ago'. 'I know you love me, and I feel same way too, but I also know that you lack the courage to tell me'. 'So I’m doing it for you, laying my beautiful, adorable self on a platter for the man I have loved all my life, who doesn't seem brave enough to own it up directly.' Lily said taking pleasure in the thought that she had Edward cornered. However, Edward wasn't comfortable with the game he felt Lily was playing and so speaking with that gentle but firm voice everyone seemed to have fallen in love with, Edward said, 'please stop'. 'I don’t enjoy being violated', he protested as Lily slipped her hand into his undergarment, running it down slowly from his chest downwards, to evoke in him a burning desire to retaliate the kind gesture. But as Lily’s hand reached Edward’s belly button area, threatening to advance to his lower abdomen, Edward seized her hand, yelling out, "Stop."

"I thought you had some self-respect," he said, slightly throwing her hands away in such away as to make her lose her balance temporarily. "Who needs self-respect when one is in love, Edward?'' Lily protested trying to regain her much-needed balance. 'Quit the pretense, Edward', 'and take advantage of the offering on the table while it lasts.' she replied. Once she expressed herself, she returned to Edward to continue her unfinished journey to Edward's groin. This time, Edward thought he needed to employ another strategy to keep her off him. One that would make her break off from him by herself. So he devised a plan.

In fact, this plan of his didn't include violence at all. He neither needed to employ the use of fists or a physical protest like he had been doing, but with words. And they were the five most painful words of Lily’s life: "I don’t love you, Lily," he said loudly, not minding anyone eavesdropping. And as if to drive the dagger deeper into Lily’s heart, he said, 'read my lips, Lily - I don’t love you.' With that, Lily broke away from him, sobbing helplessly. Edward then found a way out and was gone. After that night, Lily disappeared from Edward's life and never returned until now that there was an urgent need to find a mate for him, and in which every unmarried lady in their pack was interested.

In fact, they were so interested that they took turns in front of Edward’s house, each one trying their hand at manipulating Edward to make him believe their affection for him was supreme. When a group of she-werewolves met Lily at Edward’s house earlier, there was a light ruckus, each one was at the other's throat querying why the other was at Edward's house and each one telling the other how deeply in love she and Edward had been. This was the reason Edward left his house for the woods with his bosom friend.

He had come to the woods looking for a good spot to cool off. But suddenly, Richard interfered with Richard's desire for peace and quiet with a disturbing statement. A statement which held in it the same reason for his sojourn in the woods. 'Edward, in a matter of days, you will be officially installed as the Alpha of our kingdom', he said. Immediately Richard started off with that line of conversation. Edward knew where it was headed as his coronation wasn't any secret. What are you driving at, Richard? Am I fated not to have a moment of peace?' Edward protested, but Richard wouldn't have any of that, so he continued with his line of thought. 'You will need a mate, even if for your crowning, alone'. 'I thought you had something for Lily'. 'I think you should forgive the way she tried to go about it, but the fact remains that you will need Lily’s father’s military might and prowess to keep the enemies of our kingdom in check' he concluded.

'You are right' Edward replied weakly, 'I am considering Lily only for the sake of the kingdom and her father’s loyalty to my family, but I have no feelings for her'. 'In fact, I haven’t had feelings for any female in my life'. 'I have often thought something was wrong with me' he said expressing how frustrated he was.

As Richard thought about how to give Edward a fitting reply and opinion, Edward saw a figure lying at the foot of the cliff. 'Hurry! Who knows, it may be one of our she-werewolves lying helplessly'. As they hurried to the foot of the cliff, Edward turned to the figure and found that she was an extremely beautiful and enchanting young lady lying lifeless. "Check for a pulse!," Edward asked of Richard.

"I can't be sure," Richard replied. "She seems to have lost consciousness, if she isn't dead." But, the more Edward looked at the lady, not knowing who she was, the more he had a strange urge. An urge to kiss her. A feeling he had never had for anyone before.